Sunday, December 25, 2011

Victorian Christmas Scene on Christmas Day

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Here it is!

The day we've all been waiting for!

CHRISTMAS DAY!

Take a gander at this gorgeous Victorian Christmas scene:

Photo by Dorothy Nomad (NWUSA)



MERRY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TREE LOVERS!




Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Here's to awesome vintage Christmas goodies!

I know, I know. I really blew it. I haven't posted an article for over a week in the middle of December no less! This is the most important holiday time of them all! But I do have some good news.

What? You won't even begin to listen to me until you see some kind of beautiful Christmas tree? Sigh, I understand. Take a gander at this then:


Pretty damn gorgeous eh? Doesn't this just put you in the Christmas spirit of forgiveness? Purdy please?

Thank you!

Now, let me explain my absence. You see, I never get tired of writing about Christmas trees. They fascinate me to no end. Quite frankly, writer's block on this wonderful subject is quite impossible. But there has been something that's been keeping me away from this glorious website.

And that something is my sellers account on Ebay. During holidays, I try and focus on selling holiday related items. That would make December's stock Christmas items, vintage Christmas items to be exact. These items have been flying off the shelves due to awesome customers who have an appreciation for fine Christmas goods. In case you are interested, my sellers name is HolidayTrees. Most of Christmas items I have for sale are 20 years or older. Here have a look:

Click Here to view and bid on my auctions!

So you see? I have been celebrating by shipping Christmas joy to people's houses via vintage decorations. Can't you appreciate that for what it is?

But I'm finding a way to juggle both my website AND my awesome Christmas goods. In the end, I don't want to skimp on anything and manage to write about Christmas trees while selling items for Christmas trees at the same time.

Are we all made up now?

Oh an don't forget to visit My "Christmas Tree of the Day" thread. I have added more to that as well.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Blast to the Past - 1944 McCall's Christmas Tree

I am going to start a tradition here on www.HolidayTrees.us. Every year I am going to post a photo of a Christmas tree that is 25 years or older. I think it's a fun idea to see how society of years yore used to decorate their Christmas trees. Times have changed and with it our sense of style. I think we owe it to humanity as a whole to appreciate the way Christmas trees have changed as well.


*BLAST TO THE PAST*



Year 1944
Where: McCall's Magazine Cover
Photographer: Nikolas Muray

This very vintage Christmas tree was featured on the cover of a magazine issue titled McCall's. In case you aren't aware, McCall's was an American women's magazine that was started in the late 1800s and grew in popularity through the 20th Century. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the magazine was divided up into three sections: News & Fiction, Homemaking and Style & Beauty. (There was also a fourth section titled "Guns & Fashion" but it was proven to be not as popular with the readers and so was dropped).

But this being a website on holidays, I really just want to focus on the Christmas tree that McCall's put on it's cover for the December 1944 issue. Let's take a look at it.

What I find most telling on when this photo was taken is the shape of the tree. It doesn't have the perfect triangle shape many tree buyers look for does it? Almost like they got it straight out of a forest rather than a Christmas tree farm. The other telling thing is the garland which is put on in a dramatic sweeping style. People nowadays tend to put them in more of a swirling fashion. (Click here and go down to the third photo to see what I mean).

Also, the colors are very subdued. Lots of earth greens and reds. Most of the sparkly look comes from the excessive use of vintage tinsel.

Speaking of tinsel, did you know that it used to include lead because it made the strands heavier and thus easier to work with? For some STUPID reason they stopped adding this very important element and now we are left with the sticky and fickle tinsel that we know today.

Anyways, back to the Christmas tree. Despite my critical take on the decorations, I actually love this 1944 photo. We can look back and laugh at the tree that is not quite as sophisticated by today's standards but really, you should judge the tree in the context of it's time period. By doing so you will see that it is a lovely photo highlighting what a Christmas scene in a middle class home would look like in the forties. A quick glance over the wooden toys is a testament to the simplicity of a child's playtime and even life in general. It's enough to make anyone want to gather their family and go open presents around the 1944 McCall's Christmas tree.





Got a Christmas tree photo you want to share?
Send it to HolidayTrees@gmail.com



Monday, December 5, 2011

White Christmas Trees in Technicolor!

I used to not be a fan of white Christmas trees. Now this was a while ago when I was a child in the early 90s. I associated white Christmas trees with snobby I'm-too-rich-to-use-anything-with-color-during-Christmas people. These are the same people that use nothing but white Christmas lights all over their house. What is up with that? OK kids, lets go outside and let daddy turn the lights on for us! *click* ooohhhhhh...ahhhhh...It looks just like every other day except the house is illuminated with a bunch of tiny clear lights that are basically regular light bulbs that we see everyday on lamps shrunk down to a mini size.

Get some imagination! If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's that Christmas is about color, color and more color! Luckily for me (and let's face it, for society as a whole) it looks like people are starting to decorate their white Christmas trees using lots of colorful ornaments and lights.

Lets take a moment to celebrate these pioneers of Christmas fashion. Every Christmas tree below is white with a different color scheme (no, clear is not a color so it will not be featured). Now on to the colorful white Christmas trees.



Tickled Pink

Photo: Nicole W. (CA, USA)
"I'm pretty darn proud of mine," Nicole the tree owner says.
"It was difficult finding ornaments that fit my pink color scheme. So instead, I made all the bows myself and a few of the ornaments as well. The result was quite lovely."


Purple Sparkle

Photo: xcode from flickr.com
Another sparkly white Christmas tree full of monochromatic wonder!
You wouldn't know it from this photo, but this purplish Christmas tree is located in a mall in Singapore. A country which just happens to have some of the most breathtaking Christmas trees in the world.
(Click here to see my article on Singapore Christmas trees.)


Blue Bliss


Photo: Gina Arnone (Portland, OR USA)
This primarily blue Christmas tree was located at Queen Anne Victorian Mansion.
It's a shining example on how white Christmas trees can have color but still be quite elegant.


Red Mingle
,
Green Jingle

Photo: Gina Arnone (Portland OR USA)
I know this doesn't exactly fit with the other white Christmas trees that stuck with shades of one color. But the traditional red and green theme is rarely seen on a white Christmas tree for some reason. So lets all take a moment and appreciate this wonderful, cozy and traditional Christmas scene.
*Made possible by a white Christmas tree.
*