Just because this is a Christmas Thread..

[LordOfTheFlies]

So by law, no-one should venture on here and mutter about it being August...

Do you change your decoration colour scheme every year.
Do you buy loads of new ones for this years "in" look.Like silver and teal, or purple. Or one year it was black!

Is it a case of 'see what survives' (in my case every year a glass bauble or two hit the deck) and buy a few nice pieces and some 'fillers'.

I have glass decs, some over 20 yo which had to stay in the loft when DCs were little, on the tree.
Then a theme eg gold/bronze/ red for front room. White/silver in back room.
And all the nostalgic and harder wearing ones on the bannister.

It just seems a bit sad to have completely new decorations because there's a trend look. They need a bit of history to them IMHO.

And for all the FFS it's August people out there. Mine are still in the loft and will be until mid Dec.After DS birthday.

I use what we have, maybe getting a few new bits. Don't see the point in getting new each year when they are only up for 4 weeks

We get a special bauble every year - something that's beautiful and we all like or that's meaningful (will have a nice collection in 20 years!). Then the rest of the tree is decorated with candy canes, lights, popcorn garlands and a few plain glass, crystals and other bits and pieces we've collected over the years.
I don't subscribe to what's "in trend" every year.

I buy new decorations every year, as additions and always in gold, bronze and burgundy tones. Am getting quite a collection now.

I also buy a special ornament for DD each year that is hers alone and whenever she moves out her box of special ornaments will go with her (DS' first Christmas this year and will be doing the same for him)

Might I add that I decorated my livingroom in gold, bronzes, browns and rusts so that the Christmas decs would 'go'

And whilst I'm making shameful admissions, We are currently looking at houses and I based my decision against one of them because....there would be no room for a big tree at Christmas.

Saddo.

use the stuff i've already got, but always buy something new.

like last year, we bought something well posh from John Lewis and a new set of lights (which flashed in 8 different ways)

I haven't got kids yet, but I have amde afew things with WI, and they hang on the tree too.
When we were little, all our homemade efforts would be displayed every year until they fell apart.

I have the same theme (traditional/retro, red, gold and green) every year, but I have so many decorations so the house looks different every year.

Alas no glass baubles for us as the kids are too young. But I had a new staircase put in this year and it is begging to have a garland on the banister!

OK, I'm off to chat to start my own FFS it's August rant

Oooh pissedrightoff I took my DD to a friends birthday party.Her family had recently moved house.

I blurted out "Oh your Christmas tree would be perfect there "

They were
Its always what goes through my brain when I watch those 'find me a house' type programmes.

We have a childrens theme going on with our tree. The DC have picked their own decorations the past few years, and the decorations are very childlike. I love it!

I've used the same ones for years and I'm sorry to say they are the ones DH's ex left in the attic, just plain red and gold. Every year I say I'm going to buy new ones and every year I don't get round to it. Maybe this is the one!

I stick with the same colour scheme every year, red and gold on a green tree. I do have different shades of red and gold, and a variety of shapes and textures, shiny, matt, plain, jewelled, sequinned, spherical baubles, onion shaped baubles, stars, pine cones, icicle shaped, all different sizes, cheap to expensive. There are one or two departures from the posh and glitzy, a tiny wooden Santa baking cookies from Cologne Christmas markets, and a tiny black knitted cat from Monsoon that looks like my current cat!

I buy one or two each year, if anything takes my fancy. We always have white static lights, as I find flashing ones make me feel a bit ill. (I know, I'm old and boring.) There is a lit half tree with gold decs in the dining area, and a lit garland in the lounge with the main tree (L shaped lounge/diner means we can't see the main tree from the dining table, hence the small half tree.)

When DS was little, he had a little tree that he liked to decorate, usually with things made at nursery.

My decorations already fill six large boxes, we'd need another loft to fit in any other colour combos!

Meant to add, my best buys have mostly been from garden centres Christmas stuff. Lots of variety, and often better value than a lot of places, for the same quality.

My fake tree came from a garden centre, this year will be it's ninth, and it still looks good even after the cat climbing it for three of those. So did the half tree, there don't seem to be any around except floor standing ones. Mine can be hung on a wall if required, would keep it out of babies way and save space in a small room. I think John Lewis and M&S trees are overpriced for the quality.

no, you're right, girly - now we have the flashing ones, I can't stand it!
when i'm on my own, i put them on non-flashing.

DH likes the variable flash, which is just annoying.

Lordoftheflies Glad I'm not alone in my madness :)

Very traditional at mine. Real tree with gold, red, green decorations, white lights and candy canes. Big garland along the mantle piece with stockings hanging around the fireplace. I get to buy one new item for the tree every year but certainly don't go with whats "trendy".

I started to feel a little excited about Christmas today as I saw an advert for the X-factor. X-factor = the end of summer.

I have lots of red and white scandinavian type decs. I just keep adding to my chosen 'theme'.

Our tree is red, green and gold. We bought a big box of plain baubles when we first married but every year we add one new different one. Ewach one has a special memory, like childrens first christmas, even the year we got the dog! we have a few handmade nursery and school ones too. I love organising the tree every year. We all do it together and talk about each ornaments meaning as we decorate. Sounds twee but I love it.

Another here for red and gold on the tree, in all textures. Red, gold & green i just quintessentially christmassy

During the first December that I lived with DH my dad treated my sister and I to a brief trip to Hamburg to the Christmas Festival. I bought a lot of tradtional, wooden decs and so I like to stick to that theme. I have a few garlands, often laced with cinnamon and for colours I tend towards golds, browns (wood), reds and such like. I do like to buy some new bits every year, especially now that DD is growing older and more likely to break some of the baubles for example, but I'm very strict about what goes on my tree.

oooh we have mostly the same but I am slowly trying to build up a nice collection so get a few new bits each year!

we have a black fake tree which looks far better than it sounds () Lots of white and silver sparkly things hanging off it, tiny lights set to 'twinkle' my fav setting

and a fair few home made decs from DD :)

other than that lots of tinsle and lights everywhere at the moment! Still working on the rest of the house!