RED TREE, MEMORY WREATH, and MOOSE

RED TREE ... When I first married Ken and started looking to decorate my first Christmas tree he said, "let's do one all red." When I say red I mean red lights (a minimum 14 strands wound in and out and around every branch), and red decorations. When I have attempted to add a bow or ornament with a little gold with the red, Ken has said something to the effect of, "what's that gold doing on the red tree?" So the family room tradition of putting up a "red tree" was born. I smiled when I was with Ben and Cooper and their five kids at Thanksgiving time, and they too have a main room red tree, (so does Chris.) So the "red tree" tradition continues. And red, by the way, doesn't stop with just the tree, it flows into the wrapping of gifts under the "red tree". They must be wrapped in red. If someone brings a gift that isn't wrapped in red, it is well hidden under the red wrapped gifts so as to not mess with the theme of the  "red tree." (I know...crazy, but it is what it is.) I do love this red tree and it has taken on the theme of red glitz and variations of berries. Stunning for sure!  Note: Two other trees in the home...Office tree is white lights and red, gold and white with Nutcracker theme. Bedroom tree carries bedroom colors of turquoise, white and gold with a reindeer theme. Love, love, love my trees.  If I had a bigger place, I'd probably have more trees!

I always loved when the kids have made ornaments at school when they were young and brought them home. They were so proud of these ornaments, and I've kept them all of these years. To display them, a few years back I created a "memory wreath" that hangs on the door next to the kitchen. I treasure this wreath because it tells a visual story. Some were ornaments the kids purchased with me years ago, others were made by the kids out of clothes pins and painted to look like reindeer, or were special in some way to each of the children. This year while we were in PA with Ben and his family, cute, thoughtful Calvin ran in to give me a handmade ornament that he had made in school that was round and looked like a stained class window. This ornament was immediately hot glued to the front (a little to the right under the red bike, on the "memory wreath). You'll see hints of blue, purple and green. So, Cooper...make sure to show this picture to Calvin. He will be very happy to see how much I treasure that new ornament he gave me, now added to the "memory wreath" for all to see. And I will make it point to highlight it every chance I get with my friends and voice students when they come to the house.

Finally a note about the moose. Ken seems to love hunting and has this "thing" about wanting a moose. He has actually threatened to hang a dead stuffed moose head on the wall. Well, definitely not going to happen in "my" home, so throughout the years, besides him receiving smaller stuffed moose animals at Christmas time, and a great little one I have up high on top of the kitchen cabinets (purchased at a cool hunting store in the Salt Lake airport), I finally found him a large, friendly looking, stuffed, soft moose that this Christmas is sitting in the front room. So, although not an exciting story (except for the part that he really wants a stuffed moose head mounted on the wall...no way), that's why there is a moose propped up on the leather front room sofa's wearing a Christmas scarf. And I kinda like him. When Ken is out of town on business, he's a snuggly companion. :-)