We took down the tree today as it is Little Christmas. The kids first thing this morning rooted around for their gift and opened it. My daughter left to go to her tournament and my son disappeared to play his new games and then I started to take it down. The living room is back to normal now and it looks rather bare without the tree and all the decorations around. I miss the pretty lights and colours. They are only up for such a short time you would not think that it would feel so empty in a room with it all put away again.
Maybe you should consider a seasonal room change, then the bareness is replaces by a freshness per 3 Months (?)
That might be a good idea. I actually think it is the lights that I miss the most. Maybe I need more lights around or indirect lighting put in? I really do not want glaring light so indirect might be warm and defused....
i put a string of led rope lights hanging off a broken lamp in my room. i said fuck it. i used to use those to grow mushrooms.
My mother had a neighbor who kept the most beautiful little Christmas tree in her formal living room year 'round. It was decorated in delicate pink-colored Victorian style to match the room. It really was a stunning addition to the room.
I always got really depressed after we took the tree down when I was growing up. Now that I live away from home, I don't have to see it come down so I get to leave with the nice memory of it still there.
I used to have an old gnarled tree in a pot, it wasn't live... it was sun bleached oak, with white lights on it all year that got decorated for each the 4 seasons with natural objects. It stood in the corner, was about 6 foot tall and covered half of the wall. Was actually quite stunning.
When I was a kid and in the Catholic Church one of the coolest things I remember was the always burning Sanctuary Lamps. They were in great ornate silver and gold holders burning in a red glass cylinder. I tried to buy a real one from ebay but got a bit shocked at the price. I rumaged around in my garage and found an old horse-drawn carriage lamp. It used to be a white gas lamp but I took the old guts out and use a red votive candle in it now. I doubt if many people know what it is but when I walk in and see the burning lamp it casts a greater light than the candle itself. It's my sactuary, my place. I'm not a candle freak but a few well placed, safe candles and some houseplants really fill a sterile room.
This is precisely what I expected to see when I opened this thread. I am not disappointed. :2thumbsup:
My Christmas tree is still up. I left it all year last year, I don't know if I want to take it down. I just unplugged the lights after Christmas last year, but I haven't yet this year.
After reading all the great replies I think it might also be knowing that with taking down the tree I am also putting away the memories. I do love the idea of maybe having a new focal in the room and I am going to do some thinking on that. I have plants and candles and such already but maybe it is time for a change. I am going to work on defused lighting as I know I love things to be bright and when the tree comes down it seems as if it is not. Probably only until I adjust again as I never find it dark the rest of the time. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas, once I figure out exactly what I am going to do I will post back and share.
Ahhhhh...naked Hugh Laurie. <3 We decorated late this year, only barely put anything up, and took it down the day after Boxing Day. That's the way it goes when there is a 1 year old running around. Next year I am going full-blown to compensate.
We didn't have a tree and we didn't decorate. I never cared much about it, especially lights, they depress me and make my eyes hurt.
