I know how long it has been. What can I say? No excuses really except COVID!!!! Yep, let’s blame it for EVERYTHING including my inability to write blog posts (seems fair…right?!).
Anyhow, (pathetic) excuses made, on with the post.
Due to dreariness of Lockdown (and now Tier 3) like the rest of the county we were game for some early Festive cheer to bring a bit of sparkle to our lives, starting with a tree.
I love a real tree and in truth, I’ve always been a bit of a Christmas tree snob and I NEVER thought I’d go for plastic but the fact is, even when looked after carefully (bottom cut off and kept in water) real trees just don’t last all that long, especially with our underfloor heating so this year I decided to delve into plastic.
This is how I understand it to be. Trees are made entirely from PVE or they have PE tips. PVE is like the above – flat bits of even coloured green twisted plastic, like a bottle brush.
PE is moulded plastic (in some cases with a mould taken directly from a real tree) and, it’s said, feels like a real tree (I’m not sure about that bit!).
For trees with PE, only the tips are PE, with the main inside body of the tree still being PVE.
After a bit of research the tree make getting a lot of positive reviews seems to be the Kaemingk brand, specifically the Everlands Grandis Fir, which is what we went for as I found it quite cheap (£130 for a 6ft tree from Tong Garden Centre, which was a good price in comparison to other places). I liked the fact it appeared to have a more natural shape, I’m not really interested in perfect triangles.
When you first start putting the tree up it looks really crap, basically; you really do have to ‘fluff’ up the branches.
And then it looks pretty decent.
by the time it’s decorated you can’t really see it’s ‘fake’.
As always, we went with ‘Tat’ theme – all plastic and glitter from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s.
I’m not sure it’s the very best tree out there, I did fancy John Lewis’s ‘Peruvian Pine’ as above (too expensive and I wasn’t sure it’d be better) and we should have gone for 7 ft (I forgot that when I buy our usual 6 ft real tree it goes in a pot, off the ground by quite a bit so adding false height).
All our other usual decorations have come out, including the ‘evil’ fairies (as my kids call them).
And the vintage mini tree with all my mercury glass and another ‘evil’ fairy on top!
It has really cheered me having the decorations up and we were lucky to buy our tree just ahead of the curve, as I see many places are now sold out. I’ve made a sterling effort with getting gifts ordered early and we just need to make it though the final weeks of school (if the boys actually get to go to school and aren’t permanently at home isolating!), mock GCSE’s and us all being cooped up together for even longer then roll on 2021 and let’s hope it’s better then 2020!
thelinencat.wordpress.com 
Hi, Beth!
SO happy to see your post!
Your new tree is lovely…
Beth, I have been thinking about you, as I took out your *Beautiful!* little birds that I got from you… and your amazing little mouse family set!! (I can hardly believe that it was six years ago that I “found” you and your exquisite creations!!)
Stay safe, Dear Beth!! Be well!!
🥰 Pat T.
Hello Pat,
So lovely to hear from you and so pleased someone still reads my blog posts after my terrible negligence!! I see a few of my ‘little birds’ about at this time of year as a lot of my family have them on their trees – it always really makes me happy to see them, I’m especially pleased to hear you have them up (and the mice).
Wishing you and yours a very fabulous festive season.
Bethx
Love this tree. When I put mine up it will have a grumpy fairy on the top and many little doves – all made by you!
Best wishes
Cat
Thank you – I do love my Tat tree! It really does make me smile to think of my creations being on display in peoples homes and the idea that someone enjoys looking at them, so thank you 🙂 Bx
Hey lovely Beth, hope your and your boys are keeping well, sounds like you are 🙂 your tree looks smashing, I’d never guessed it was ‘fake’ it looks lovely. it’s funny because I’ve been having a tree dilemma this year. I’ve been thinking of getting a fake tinsel one (love your one) but H refuses unless it’s real. Ganna show him your post maybe it will convince him! As we now have a baby we’ve got more washing and a buggy and no room for anything in our living room (all the washing is in there!) So not sure we’re ganna do anything Christmasy this year, just so tired. Bit sad about it but can’t face going into the loft at the mo for the decorations. Your place looks so lovely though, you always do Christmas with style! Hope your all have a lovely one this year. I’m not sure I’m ganna get to see my folks cause of covid, don’t want to risk there health so it’s going be a quiet one this year. Wishng you a lovely and together, Safxxxx
Hello Saf 🙂
I remember the early baby days so well, your priorities really do change, it can be hard to find the energy and time for many things and sleep deprivation is a killer. It’s been a weird year for everyone, I think Christmas will be different for many, this time around, I do really hope you can find a compromise that means you get some sparkle! I bought the tinsel tree for the boys really, F demanded a pink tinsel tree for his room one year, so I bought one for him, a green fake mini tree for Charlie and then you got a free tree so I got the gold as an extra but it looks really nice with the glass ornaments on it so I’ve used it in the kitchen ever since. I love tinsel – I did look for a full-size tinsel tree like the old 1960’s ones as I figured if we were going fake we might as well go REALLY fake but, alas, I couldn’t find one.
When Felix was a baby we didn’t have a tree and I decorated the staircase instead, I think the photo is in this post
https://thelinencat.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/christmas-decorations/
My sister just put up the most amazingly tiny tree grown in a pot…always an option and I saw some mini live trees with ready decorations on the Bloom and Wild website but I think they were a bit pricy – one had sweets hung on it, that would be an idea so you don’t have to get decorations out.
I really hope you have a nice Christmas and that you get to catch up on some sleep!
Bxx
Thanks dear Beth, a mini tree s like a good idea, H did suggest it too! I love having a big tree with all my decorations on but can’t face it all this year… Think your mini tree idea is a good one though! The sleep deprivation is killing me, haven’t slept properly for 8 months now, though E will be an only child! Don’t want her to be but I don’t think I can face it again, really admire that you did it twice! Hope you have a lovely Christmas, all my love to you all, Safxxxx
We have a fake tree too which goes together the exact same way. We have a tiny house and real trees are usually wider and take up more space. I know it is plastic but it does get reused every year and once everything is on it I try to console myself that it looks alright. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having all the decorations up, it just makes everyone feel happier. x