Growing up, my sister and I had Christmas trees in our rooms. Starting out small, as we grew up, they became full of our favorite Disney characters, vacation spots, and sports icons. Sentimental, memory trees you could even say. And my mom’s big living room tree is no different. There’s hardly anymore space for new ornaments there is so many. And each one has a memory, story or purpose for being there. Crafts made when we were six, beautiful Disney figurines, funky colors and shapes collected over the years, special ornaments given as gifts, etc. I love this style of Christmas tree, and have naturally brought it into my married life.
J and I have decided to collect an ornament from everywhere we visit — from New York City to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC to the Biltmore Inn in Asheville, NC. Do you collect anything? I love the idea of adding ornaments to our tree of our adventures, telling stories as years pass.
As you can see, my childhood appears a few times, with my 1994 Dalmatians ornament or the runner girl. The clear ball with the painted snowman is special because my late grandmother, who was very dear to me, painted them for all of us grandkids. There are a couple of them placed around the tree.
I smile every time I look at our tree, and I’m thankful for the sweet memories that make it up.
— How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Is it stylish or sentimental?
— Do you have a favorite ornament?
I love this so much. Growing up we did the same thing- filled our tree with sentimental ornaments, and we had a “kids tree” too that just the kids got to decorate :) Now that I have my own littles, I’m so excited to start our own traditions and get ornaments to represent special memories. Thanks for sharing!
I love the idea of a kids tree, Olivia!
This is my kind of tree! Ours is full of special ornaments, too — and I wouldn’t want it any other way :)
Amen, Lora!
My teenage kids insist of every ornament we have ever owned or they have ever made going on which makes a full but fun tree! My Aunt and Uncle used to travel a lot and they have an ornament from everywhere they have been too which is a really lovely idea.
Currently, our tree is … basic. But every year we’re going to buy a new ornament for Diana, our daughter, and then also one for each other. We want an ornament each year to signify the amount of time we’ve been married and to remember all the good times each Christmas. :)
I love the idea of buying ornaments as gifts for each other. My late grandmother bought or made us grandkids one every year, but that could be a really nice tradition to bring back around. :)
We collect bowls from all our travels (a weird one, I know!) but I did consider ornaments as well. The problem is, both my husband and I grew up in homes with “memory trees” and came into our marriage with so many ornaments we don’t really have any room to add more! haha. But I do love the idea!