I am so bummed the Norfolk Pine garland is not available for shipping to me and is not available any longer in-store near me. I was going to purchase it a few weeks ago but forgot and am now kicking myself!!

I did buy these giant outdoor ornaments several weeks ago from Home Depot and am excited to use them in my exterior decor. They’re sold out now and outrageously priced elsewhere, wow!

edited to add: I can”t get the pic to show up, grrrrrr….

That's our little harbinger of joy!

That reminded me - have you seen the latest viral video of runaway giant Christmas baubles in the UK?

A friend shared the video and her comment was 'Christmas is COMING!!!'

https://metro.co.uk/video/runaway-oversized-baubles-cause-traffic-chaos-london-2807443/?ito=vjs-link

I was so tempted by the soft touch cedar garland. But then I measured my mantel and it is eight feet long. That answered that.

Thx for posting the video. Christmas "trends' seems like a funny idea for something we only take out once a year anyway. If it goes in and out of style then goodness, how wasteful!

Right off the bat the hostess lost me when she featured wall words in the intro.; hasn't everyone gotten the message that they are parody by now?

But then I liked almost everything she showed. Only two misses for me: (concrete looking xmas balls?) and scented wrap. We always have real trees and I love that scent. Loved many of the color schemes, and I agree the asymmetrical garland and stocking looks great.

Loved both of these:

"Right off the bat the hostess lost me when she featured wall words in the intro.; hasn't everyone gotten the message that they are parody by now?

Ha! I did a double take that the words "A beautiful thing is never perfect." were in a frame above what looks like the master bedroom. Seems more appropriate for, well, nowhere. (okay, maybe next to my scale.) but really, the bedroom???

I liked it all except the bright color montage and the concrete looking ornaments. Oh yeah, scented paper too. Totally unnecessary with a real tree.

I didn't notice the particulars; very funny!

I admit the "word signage" turned me off too when I first saw it! And, her hairstyle. But, I kept watching since it was only 5 mins long and was surprised at some of the styles I liked. I don't follow her and her video popped up on my youtube algorithms I guess.

I also loved the blue Ralph Lauren style Christmas tree. I thought it was so lush the way it spilled over was just so lovely to me. I also liked the light green ornaments on the dark green tree. I don't hate the idea of scented paper with a faux tree, but it's not for me really.

Modern Cottage is is on Cherry Street? Wow! Best neighborhood in Tulsa. What a prime location. Nice store.

Modern Cottage is is on Cherry Street? Wow! Best neighborhood in Tulsa. What a prime location. Nice store.

I saw that video, it also popped up on my youtube suggestions and I have seen others of hers. She is modern farmhouse all the way, very Joanna Gaines-ish— nothing inherently wrong with the style, just not mine. Her shop is located in Tennessee, a fairly large exurb of Nashville where that style seems ubiquitous. (I have been to Murfeesboro and it is a very nice medium sized city.)

Funnily enough I seem to be very on trend with the Christmas decor I‘ve purchased for the new house since 2020…..velvet everything, dusty blue and white, bells, brass, and I even have that exact green and blue plaid ribbon AND just bought a blue marbelized paper star for the top of the tree. Honestly, I am a little shocked and wonder how in the world I tapped into the zeitgeist and became an early adopter. I usually start to like decor trends about 25 years after they are over!

I love Cherry Street/neighborhood too, Oakley. I've never been to the store though.

I bought a couple of the Kirkland Norfoflk garlands in August, and since then I've noticed they come in and out of stock so they may not yet be gone forever.

I decorate with blue all year long. I recently bought these slate blue velvet trees on Amazon Handmade - they come from a maker in Wisconsin. I love them! They will sit on my mantel or coffee table. The emerald looks very rich. Amazon.com: Choose Your Set of 3 Velvet Trees, Modern Mantle Decor, Handmade Entryway Decor, Rustic Winter Home Decor, Farmhouse Home Decor (Slate) : Handmade Products

And I bought a bit of this ribbon on Etsy for the wreaths that we hang on our French doors: Blue Green Plaid Ribbon Flower of Scotland Tartan Christmas - Etsy

I had to double check the date of the Youtube video - most of the things she suggested have been in style for at least a few years. For example, I think this is the 3rd or 4th year I'm seeing the off-side garland and at least that long for the more modern looking wood and ceramic Christmas tree decor.

Yes, Bluebell, the minimalist trees have been around awhile. I love those blue velvet ones you posted! I would also like to find the green and white ones in the posted video but as usual my image search (from a screen capture) has turned up nothing. I have not ever seen concrete looking ornaments so they must be relatively new, but I have been using brass all along and am glad to see it return to favor.

Bluebell, I LOVE your colors of Christmas ribbon, etc. True about the Norfolk garland-I checked online last week and they were out of stock-then back in stock, I guess maybe back out of stock by now, but by then I had already gone in store to our Kirkland's and bought some. They had plenty at the time.

I bought an expensive West Elm garland last year, actually bought two so it would be long enough- and I fought with it all Christmas keeping it on our mantel! This Norfolk one (although not lighted like the West Elm one) seems much more pliable and I really like the look also. We'll see.

@Bluebell66 I have ribbon pulled up on Etsy and need to make time to look through that. I need ribbon for an indoor wreath. The Norfolk garlands were instock (online yesterday), but like Jojo, the garland is not even the length of my mantel (and mine is not 8 ft.). I thought about 2 garlands, but that would be too long. I bought a different garland.

I am not a trendy person, so I'm not trendy about Christmas either. Our main tree is decorated with ornaments collected through the years, especially many old shiny brite ornaments. I love lots of greenery and white lights, along with beautiful ribbons. I liked some things in the video, others I didn't. Mostly, I'm looking forward to the holiday season and decorating!!

Except for the concrete, I kind of liked the ideas. I think I could rummage through my boxes and my mom’s, and find pretty much everything she talked about, from colorful to natural.

Every year, I have a ”theme”, really just a way to look cohesive and not like all my bins exploded in the living room. So I’ll pull out just the nature-themed, or the Scandinavian, or the lush gold. One year I did a winter theme, so blues and nature combined nicely. I have a couple of nativities, and usually one of them fits perfectly with a theme. And I’m not so tied to it that I can’t throw in some other favorites. And the tree is never themed!

I’ve been amused at a ”listicle” that pops up on my feeds occasionally, on how to save money on holiday decorations. Flash news: re-use some decorations that you already have, don’t buy all new ones! Sheesh.

Btw, i do like to incorporate some blue into the holiday decor. It is liturgical color of Advent, and the color associated with Mary, who is nearly always shown wearing blue.

I have little interest in trends, though I do like seeing the holiday trends in the stores, although after a few stores of it, the novelty wears off.

edit to add, I also did a ”theme” of our family’s ornaments from the last 70 years. Looked a little mish-mash, but it was fun to bring out the ones that have been packed away for so long.

Ollie, have you tried using small finishing nails to keep the garland in place or corral it? I do but my mantle is very tall so you cannot see the top of it. I am sure they'd be hidden easily anyway ... and I am only talking a few hear and there.

mtn, I haven't but that may be the only solution. My mantel is not tall but is a dark brown wood beam so it may not show when undressed. Thanks!

For many years we used a ‘cut to size of the mantle’ board that was put on top of the mantle to nail our heavy garland on.

After all this talk about mantels I am giving a critical look at mine and wondering if I can re-style and pass of my KLM houses as a Christmas village 🧐

Yes, of course you can. I thinlk some people think that is what they are TBH. Any booze in yours?

Not by a long shot 😎 I collected them during my teens when i was flying back and forth on KLM to boarding school, four flights a year. I only have seven, the others have been lost or broken. I had them all packed away for decades until I saw an article about them in the NYT and thought how great they would look in my blue and white living room color scheme. And they do!

watching the video again, I think she has something for everybody. Rustic and modern, colorful (reminds me of my mom’s 1960’s decorations) and neutral, contrast and match, lux velvet and homey paper.

btw, i like her eye shadow.

Definitely village up those KLM houses, let us see how they look.

If you need more KLM houses, I see them on many sites like Poshmark and Mercari.

KSWL, would love to see how you work the KLM houses into your Christmas decor. A couple of years ago a friend lined up some of the solid white ceramic houses found at the Target Dollar Spot across her mantel. It was a very fresh look.

Tina, the Kirkland garland isn't exactly right for my mantel, either, so I plan to overlap the two I bought a bit at the center and then tuck in some fresh greens to fluff it up a bit. That Etsy shop has some gorgeous ribbon to choose from!

I also don't do trendy Christmas, more traditional is our style. In addition to classic tree decor - although this year we are not having a tree - I always have a pretty bowl of colorful vintage ornaments sitting around somewhere.

So true - the Kirkland garland was not gone forever, I was able to find some at my local Kirkland store just now, even though it showed it being out of stock when I checked online! The lady at the register said they just unloaded a truck this morning. I’m so thrilled! For any folks in SE Michigan, the Novi Kirkland’s store has it in stock.

Whoa…18 ft of natural cedar in a garland…..Eighteen Feet for $60.00. I’ve used preserved cedar before, it lasts for ever. Anyone know the life expectancy of natural cedar?

eta: the description says 3 weeks, I should always read and not just look at the pics.

https://lynchcreekwreaths.com/products/cedar-garland

I adored the paper garlands and other paper products. I've been adding lots of colorful whimsy Christmas decor for a long time & they do put me in the holiday mood. Children love it And me.

K, this is the Modern Cottage I was talking about.

Modern Cottage

Ooooh, cute!!

Sigh, I love velvet so much!!

I get all excited seeing different Christmas color combinations…but then I get all nostalgic with the stuff I have and just keep it, lol. I would love to try the bright colors bc I think it would look fun in my house, but I’d have to get all new stuff! 😩 My college kids would probably revolt. 😂

Thanks for posting the eye candy! Off to go buy soft velvet ribbon!

Nini, to me the family tree is the one constant or relative constant (no one has revolted over my b/w plaid ribbon addition in recent years).

Do you allow yourself the indulgence of a tree for just you? Or you can just change up the mantle or tablescapes.

This is a great store for animal lovers,

I want to cover everything in garland but the good stuff costs as much as college.

I am also a sucker for velvet. I did a bunch of velvet ribbons last year and now I have to take out a second mortgage to buy all the damn velvet ornaments!

I'd do this in a heartbeat If I had that house and furniture. Mtn, find a room, go shopping, andthen show and tell, pronto!

You know, Mtn, you just gave me a wonderful idea…I could do a tree for me (and dh, I guess, 😂) in the master! It wouldn’t be in the sight lines of any of our other decor and I could do whatever colors I want! Thank you! 😊 (and I will get an artificial tree bc the thought of having another real tree in the house to be coddled all season is unappealing. 😂)

Do it @nini804!! For many years we have had a tree in our bedroom and absolutely love it!! 🎄

These micro LED lights are interesting if you are in need for tree/garland lights. I included the bloggers thread for more details. Has anyone seen these in real life? Sometimes LEDs have a distinct color.

Before:

After:

https://www.crazy-wonderful.com/micro-led-light-christmas-tree/#/ (blogger).

nini, I love the velvet too! It doesn't go with my house, most of my Christmas decor is more rustic, but love it in others.

ratherbesewing, I'm interested in the LED lights you posted.

Going out of town tomorrow and hate typing on houzz on my phone-lots to do today, but I love reading the responses and have gotten some great ideas. Looking forward to reading more when I get back!

My Amanda Lindroth marbelized paper star tree topper arrived today and it is truly mahvellous! Thanks so much for this thread and links. I’ve also ordered those luscious blue velvet trees!

SCORE!! Driving home from work yesterday I passed a tree cutter removing a huge pine tree. I was brave and stopped and asked the homeowner if I could have some of the greens stacked in a trailer ready to be hauled away to the garbage. Today I will be making some of my Christmas Porch pots! I have been gathering natural elements all fall. I can't wait to get started!!

Arcy - those are perfect. At my last house we had a lot of different evergreens (pines, hollies, yews, Japanese Acuba, boxwood, magnolias) that I could use for the urns in front of the house. Since moving I really miss them and now I have to buy or scrounge greens. If I can remember I should pick up some artificial greens to use as a base in my planters and then I'd only have to add those extra pieces that make really attractive.

Yesterday's work. I prefer the pots to have mixed greens. So I trimmed some bushes a tish that needed it to add to the spruce I got the day before. A bff asked how much these cost me. MAYBE 2dollars??? We went out to get dowels from Menards for the bag of large pine cones I picked up for fifty cents at a garage sale last month. The rest I purchased the year before. Mom's pot was returned so I refilled it and the rest I collected last year. My daughters will be home for Thanksgiving and we always spend a few hours re-filling their pots. When you don't have evergreens on your property--or they don't need a trimming keep your eyes out!! I have wondered if it would work to buy an old fake tree at the church garage sale (usually under a $1 as they don't sell) and use the branches as filler...what a PITB to store, however.

Oh and why yes Judi I do!! When you have over 50 full sets you have a nativity EVERYWHERE!! It's rubber!!!

My kids used to play with it while in the tub. I think that's why that video struck a bad cord with me. Removing CHRIST or no sign of the POINT of Christmas just doesn't work for me. The memories that are attached to it are worth the snickering!

You’re very much mistaken if you think the designer in this video is intent on ”removing Christ” from Christmas. I’ve looked back through some of her video library on youtube and she sells and displays as artwork in her own home decorative signs with overtly Christian messages. Did it occur to you that nativity scenes are NOT actually trending this year? You have, as usual, not just jumped but rocketed to the wrong conclusion.

I don't personally feel that the true spirit of Christmas requires any sort of display. Lots of people boast loudly of values they do not themselves uphold, and a couple of trinkets is not going to make a difference there.

mtn- such true words. DD wrote a college essay about her confusion about her then-bestie's family, under whose, "God Welcomes All Who Enter" sign she entered their house nearly every day. Until the day the entire family trash-talked the sixteen-year-old neighbor -also a classmate- because he'd just come out as gay. They were merciless. And this was a young man they had known and befriended since he was a toddler. A fantastic young guy.

Wow, Best, good for her.