Saturday, December 22, 2018

Time To Shine || Christmas 2018

’Tis the season to shine, and over the past year I've added significantly to my vintage Christmas treasures, so without further introduction, it's time to embrace the joys of the season and brighten up!

Instead of saving the best for last, here is my splurge of the season, purchased from an online auction site – an Aluminum Taper 4-ft. "Pom Pon" Tree. It's truly special because it arrived complete with its original box, metal tripod stand, snap-on foil discs, packing and instructions.


For a long time, I considered aluminum trees a bit too minimalist for my tastes, but tastes change, and having the pom-pom branches really ups the Dr. Seuss-Meets-The Jetsons appeal, giving it a really fun, whimsical look. This tree is displayed in my home office, where in past years I've had a 2-ft. silver tree on my Saarinen table. This one anchors the space much more dramatically.






















The foil snap-on discs at the end of the pom-poms are reversible, with gold on one side and blue on the other. I mixed them up, though next year I may do just the gold sides.



Even the cardboard box is cool with its atomic star design. It probably dates to late 1950s/early 1960s...

Aluminum tree box side.
It was hard to make out, but the top of the box (not pictured) has a Pennsylvania address,
so it most likely originated from there.












I have an abundant supply of vintage ornaments, but I decided to use my tri-tone collections for this tree, including this box of Shiny Brites I found this past November at the Cambridge Antiques Market...































I also found the friendly pixie elf, who has poseable arms and legs.






















Also new this year in my office... a melted plastic popcorn Santa, displayed on the closet door. This is another vintage holiday item I often deemed too tacky, but I guess I was feeling nostalgic for the 70s and changed my mind.
My other new friend for 2018 is Ruby, my sequined red poodle from Cambridge Antiques. She sits obediently on my new white radiator cover next to my decoupaged lamp.
I'm Ruby.
Fetching, don't you think?



Moving on to my living room, I have another new tree... a small tabletop Tiffany-style lamp I found on one of my visits to Provincetown this year. It looks especially festive on my fireplace mantel.












































This mini English plate is also displayed on my fireplace mantel for the first time this year – perfect with its cozy Christmas scene...
I decorated with all C7 lights this year, using all white for my real 7-ft. Christmas tree.
I used my large plastic red bell cluster for the top, with twinkle lights, of course.

I used C7 figural lights for the fireplace mantel, including this lantern I found at Cambridge Antiques this year for $4.

This is one of two C7 white biscuit bubble lights I found at Stratford Antiques this past November.
(The pink and gold glass ornament on the left was always on our tree growing up, from Woolworth's.)


This shows my entire fireplace decorated for the season. The two outdoor plastic coach lanterns I found at the Brimfield Antiques show this past July.

This year, I displayed a lot of my vintage Christmas original boxes, putting a group of them inside my fireplace surrounding the light-up Santa. Some of the box graphics are really fun and colorful, don't you think?


A Shiny Bright & Peaceful Christmas to all...
And to all a good night.