My crooked 'Willie Nelson' tree is not a formal tree.
Our trees never are.
Every year the tree we pick out is decorated with memories of Christmas past.
First, I turn on the Christmas music I grew up with, that Annie still insists I play, because she grew up with it too.
Here's one of our favorites:
And then we start the decorating with ornaments from my childhood...
ornaments my children made...
and ornaments given to me and collected over the years.
There's nothing fancy or trendy for the bottom.
Just a needlepoint tree skirt that I fell in love with many years ago...
and an old porcelain headed angel for the top.
It's a tree filled with love...
and that will never change :)
xo
rue
Lots of wonderful decorations and memories! Just as it should be! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Rue..
DeleteI have to agree with the above comment. Your tree is wonderful, and even more so, because of the decorations and warm memories that they bring.
Have a wonderful, blessed and Merry Christmas!!
~K.
When we had 2 trees, I decorated one with sentimental ornaments and the other with modern. I loved them both, but for different reasons of course.
ReplyDeleteYour snoopy ornaments are adorable, and the skirt is lovely.
I always remember the memory behind the ornaments I have. That is the best part!
ReplyDeleteThat is what our main tree is - a memory tree. The rest of the trees Somewhat match the rooms they are in, but the big tree is all about the ornaments we have collected over these many years. Your tree looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteWhen we had 2 trees, I decorated one with sentimental ornaments and the other with modern. I loved them both, but for different reasons of course.
ReplyDeleteYour snoopy ornaments are adorable, and the skirt is lovely.
Hi Rue, and this is what Christmas memories are made of. The treasures collected through the years and shared and enjoyed on the tree. Your sweet ornaments through the years, make your tree so special. I do one skinny tree with vintage ornaments from the 40's my mother and dad collected. They called them WWII ornaments. And I do a bigger tree in the living room with those my family have collected over the years from travels, gifts and handmade. Such a treat each year to see them again. Enjoy your beautiful tree and the season of joy. Let's keep it all year round.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. xo
My main tree is very similar, with ornaments from when I was a kid, ones my kids made and others that were given or I bought myself. We didn't put a main tree up this year because of two kittens so now I am missing it! Great post!
ReplyDeleteRue, I love your tree. I call my main Christmas tree, a memory tree.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. My tree is a memory tree too full of Hallmark ornaments, ornaments the kids have made, etc, and I see no reason to ever change it. I decorate for the holidays for children too so my decor isn't anything anyone else would rave about. I was going to change it up a bit but then I got grandkids and didn't see a need. I think Christmas should be all about family and traditions so it suits me. I'm so happy that you share your lovely home with us. May you have a most peaceful and Merry Christmas my friend!
ReplyDeleteOk, Willie has a mini me, my 2 footer. My sister gave me the Carpenters cd years ago and my favorite song is Home for the Holidays, she had beautiful voice. Our tree is like that too,a family tree. Love the Snoopy ornaments! Keep warm, Kathleen in Az
ReplyDeleteThat's cute... mini me Willie :)
DeleteYou stay warm too, my friend!
xo
Sweet, I am with you. This is our tree too. Homemade decorations from years and years. Special decorations given as gifts. I like your tree. I feel LOVE and FAMILY!
ReplyDeletexx oo
Carla
Rue, that's my kind of tree. I love all the homemade ornies and the ones from your childhood. All those memories attached to each one. Sweet. Our tree is similar to yours. Except it's not decorated yet, we have to wait for the boys-so it has lights and garland, and then we'll take out the old ornaments. Love this post!
ReplyDeleteI love the ornaments with your children's school photos on them! Those are my favorites on our tree. I've kept the special ornaments from friends and family, but when our daughters got married, I gave them the ornaments we bought to mark their milestones each year, and now they share the memories with their own children. My computer won't open up the music, but if it's the Carpenters- one of my all time favorite Christmas albums!
ReplyDeleteFabulous tree, Rue!! Love that it's a little crooked, and of course, there's nothing better than a tree full of meaningful ornaments. They must conjure up so many wonderful memories every year at this time.
ReplyDeleteMary Alice
That's how our tree is too, Rue and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love all the memories just like you do.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful Rue and I love all the memories attached with your ornaments. That makes it so special. I love to put the Christmas music on and enjoy it while decorating too. Have a great evening.
ReplyDeleteKris
My mom's tree had the ornament with the kitty wearing shoes! Memories make the best Christmas Trees.
ReplyDeleteHand-made, home-made, non-trendy trees are the best.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my tree. Full of love and memories! Have a lovely Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteSo is ours! Filled with love and memories and friends! And I wouldn't have it any other way. No "decorator" tree for us -- no all Santas or blue balls or sprigs of glittery stuff sticking out of the top. It's an old fashioned tree and suits our 1920s house!
ReplyDeleteI love yours and the memories that it holds -- THAT is the best tree!
I love your tree. It is perfect because it's filled with so many family memories. We don't put up a big tree anymore, but we have a small tabletop tree. I hang a lot of my boy's ornaments on it. I bought them an ornament every year and I still buy one for Tim every year, even though he's almost 25. ;-) I love your Peanuts ornaments...my hubby would be "jealous"...he's a huge Peanuts fan!
ReplyDeleteI love memory trees, that is what we have too! I wouldn't mind doing a fancy tree too (in the future where there is an abundance of time) but I can't see ever not having the family memory tree.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea behind your tree, and I love Peanuts too. xoxo Su
ReplyDeleteOur trees could be interchanged and no one would notice except us (of course!). My childhood ornaments (love your Peanuts gang!!), the kids little craft treasures... I have an ornament my son made 30 years ago with glued corn flakes and it would survive a time capsule until 2050 and beyond. Makes you sort of scared of eating corn flakes! lol!
ReplyDeleteLove to you this holiday season---you are such a great girl...we really have to meet up someday. The crazy way hubby and I travel, who knows. And if you ever get to Chi Town, look me up. We have a guest room now that baby #4 moved out!!! :)
Jane x
Beautiful tree! And so glad to know im not the only one enjoying the old carpenters songs. Didnt Karen have just the lovliest voice? Sure enjoy the old songs
ReplyDeleteLove your tree of memories Rue! I have one too and there's no way I would ever have Christmas without it.
ReplyDeleteLove your love decorated tree. It speaks from your heart to ours.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas ~ FlowerLady
These are the best kind of trees :)
ReplyDeleteThese are the best kind of trees :)
ReplyDeleteI love how you photographed the ornaments and they are so meaningful. I have my tree up and just enjoying the lights - I think it is time to put the ornaments on. I put lights on my trees in the backyard and now those are my favorite trees.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon Rue, You have a perfect Christmas tree, one which has gorgeous Christmas decorations, which are filled with family memories.
ReplyDeleteI love the decorations your children made as they are so lovely. Now I have to say, your needlepoint tree skirt is something very special, because it is beautiful. It must have taken hours to make and I bet there is not another one like it.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family..... Happy Christmas to you all.
Best Wishes
Daphne
Rue, I have the exact same angel on top of my tree! I've had her for 31 years and love her so much!
ReplyDeleteHow neat that we have the same angel! Now I know exactly how old it is too ;)
Deletexo
And that's as it should be in my opinion! A family tree filled with keepsakes and memories. It's beautiful! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donnamae :)
Deletexo
We do the memory tree, too! That is how I grew up. For the past two years, I have put all of the more rustic looking ornaments on one tree and all the red and colorful ones on another, but they are all out and on display. I don't think it would be Christmas without them! :) Oh...and we love that whole album...disc...playlist. Ugh. I'm so old! ;)
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that old fashioned trees, the ones without all the jazzy modern themes, are the prettiest and the most meaningful as well. Yours is lovely and comes from your heart. xox
ReplyDeleteI love this!! Your tree is just like mine - right down to the kids' homemade ornaments with their photos and the Peanuts ornaments!! I am in love with that white fluffy bird...and the sparkly car. Too cute - love it. My tree will never be a "theme" tree...it's just years and years of special memories tucked into the branches.
ReplyDeleteA tree filled with love and memories are the best kind!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is so beautiful and I love all of those ornaments! We rotate ornaments out each year because some of our more precious memory ornaments are in pretty bad shape and we don't want to destroy them...so they only come out occasionally! Love and hugs to you! :-)
ReplyDeleteSome things should never change and memories are golden.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely tree filled with warmth and love.
the BEST kind of tree rue!
ReplyDeletethe very best. and it's beautiful.
i've been on a wonderful trip with the marine to see his grandsons in georgia!
catching up on blog visits now. would never miss one of yours. xoxo
Rue,
ReplyDeleteLove your "Willie Nelson" tree. I have always looked for trees of my childhood, free form, not perfectly trimmed. More "Charlie Brown" than you find anymore ... Bordering on a Nordic pine with wide open branch spaces that ornaments perfectly dangled down and filled the space. Living in the city we go to tree lots and try to pick the most imperfect but perfectly appreciated Frazier Fur we can. Now we have downsized to a tiny little tree for the past few years, opting for unadorned - only lights.
Your memory tree to me is a beautiful soulful expression of celebration. We have our family memory ornaments packed away in tubs, just waiting to be given to my Grands when they decorate their first tree.
I smiled seeing your Charlie Brown ornaments, sweetness in those cute faces. Your cute guys just made me pull out our Vince Guaraldi A Charlie Brown Christmas CD to listen to. Funny how through blogging when you post you never know the emotions and precious memories you can bring back for a person. Thank you Rue, your gracious heart shows in this post and has touched my heart.
xoxo,
Vera
Rue, homemade ornaments are the best, there's nothing like them. I have a few of my own, and I'll never part with them. Your Christmas tree is pretty with ornaments that have special memories for you. I love the angel one with the gold trim and also the round frame of your son with the gold garland. That is so nice that Annie still insists on playing the music every year while decorating the tree. That's an unusual looking tree skirt. I've been looking for one, but haven't found any that I liked. Your porcelain headed angel for the top of the tree is perfect.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the season, Rue.
~Sheri
ps if you want to see my homemade ornaments, you can check out my post last year, Dec. 9.
Just perfect Rue ... lovely post and your photo's, with your special memories are lovely.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Christmas Season
All the best Jan
Just perfect Rue ... lovely post and your photo's, with your special memories are lovely.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Christmas Season
All the best Jan
Hi Rue
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see you are blogging again! I saw your comment on Art and Sand. Your home looks beautiful and welcoming just like you are! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season. Rhondi xo
Oh, Rue, I love your ornaments. I think that I will always call my tree "My Christmas Memory Tree" from now on. I so remember the cat in sneakers from the eighties. I don't have any ornaments from my childhood, but sometimes I find ornaments that remind me of those times. I have several that were given to me by students over thirty plus years of teaching. And those have been on my tree every year since I received them. But of course my most favorite of all are those made by my daughter when she was a little girl. I love your children's works of art and their little faces. You can't buy memories like that anywhere. Merry Christmas, Rue, to you and your family! LuAnn
ReplyDeleteNo, you certainly can't buy memories :)
DeleteI love that you have a memory too, my friend.
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
hugs to you,
rue
Oh, my! I just noticed your car ornament looks like "Clarence". Love it!
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, a friend gave that to me :)
Deletexo
Oh it is a beauuutiful tree! I smiled to see the classics...The Carpenters..."the greeting cards have all been sent..." Karen's mellow tones will always be a part of the holidays AND The Peanuts Gang....God bless them. They've been faithfully teaching The Christmas story for years and years. Sparkle and Merry On, Rue!
ReplyDeleteYours is the sort of tree that makes guests to your home stop and really look. There are so many delightful ornaments to enjoy. I love the ones your children made. . .especially the angel. So sweet. Thanks for the Carpenter's Christmas song. I enjoyed it. Karen Carpenter. . .what a voice! Have a very merry Christmas, Rue. Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDeleteLovely. I remember so many of those ornaments. Doesn't it feel good to have those bits from the past.
ReplyDeleteThis truly is the very BEST kind of tree! While I have the "Pretty" tree in the living room the family tree is my favorite and the one I am sitting by right now. :) You have so many wonderful ornaments and memories.
ReplyDeleteMay this week be Merry and Bright for you!
I love your tree of memories, Rue...so special and lovely! Last year I bought a record player so I could listen to my old Christmas albums...
ReplyDeleteThat is my tree as well Rue. Many memories of when our children were growing up. I have never been a theme tree person- like to look at them but don't want one. Love your tree decorations.
ReplyDeleteJeannette
I don't have room in this house for another tree lol But I know what you mean :)
DeleteMerry Christmas, my friend and hugs to you,
rue