Gold and White Snow Tree

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This little gold and white "snow tree" was created in memory of my mother, Marian Elizabeth, who passed away in June. These are all of her gold ornaments and adornments that I've watched her use for years hanging on this snow tree of mine. See all of its details below, along with lots of Christmas ideas from my talented friends.

After my previous "fireplace tree" wimped out last year, I  bought an overly flocked number...that very much resembles what I'm calling a snow tree. Mom would've loved it. Every so often she'd give up her "they're so messy" rule and splurge on a flocked tree in the lot...and usually they'd flock it right in front of us. See how this sweet little gold and white snow tree (filled with loads of memories) came together below.

Christmas Ideas

Again, this is an inspirational holiday blog hop. Be sure to check out all of my friends' ideas at the end of this post. They're all super festive and dreamy, y'all.

Our Gold and White Snow Tree

I use a smaller tree in this space...I like one that fits on the corner of our fireplace hearth, up off of the floor. The ornaments are pretty packed on there...but I'm really a more is more kind of girl. My parents always had a tall tree, so I definitely was condensing these ornaments onto a lot less branches.

Incidentally, I actually ordered this snow tree on Amazon here. It's a 4' prelit tree that is a bit more rustic and real-looking (the branches are sporadic for that authentic look). It did leave a bit of flock on the floor after assembly, but nothing I wasn't prepared for.

While the above tree is a bit blocked by our fantastic early nineties attire, this is me and my parents in front of one of mom's flocked trees (with her signature angel on top that you'll see on my tree today). We had, literally, moved into that home pictured above just a couple of weeks before this photo was taken on Christmas Day, 1991. Mom wasn't going to let a big move keep us from the typical Christmas fun and decor. That tree was set up before most of the boxes were unpacked. 

A big thank you to my niece, Amber, for providing me with this photo at just the right time (literally a few days ago, this number showed up in my inbox).

Gold Ornaments

After her own brother passed away in the mid-eighties, my mom inherited all of his gold ornaments. She added to that collection over the years...always sticking to her gold look. 

Her favorites were several sets of gold ornaments that she ordered from The Danbury Mint (remember them?). We are currently moving my dad into our home with us (his home is now under contract, so life is a bit wild right now). The first boxes he brought over were all of their Christmas decor. I wanted to make sure lots of their stuff was incorporated into our Christmas decor this year, to make him feel at home. I think it's helping my heart this first Christmas without mom, too. When I pulled out these maroon boxes filled with her favorites, I was transported right back to my youth. She mixed her gold ornaments with clear glass ones and lots of white crocheted snowflakes, too.

And of course, her handmade, crocheted (and heavily starched) angel is on top of our snow tree. I have vivid memories of placing this angel atop our family tree every year. I nestled her into a gold bow, using ribbon from mom's Christmas boxes. Mom's rule was that the angel always had to be placed on one of the tree's lights so she glowed. 

All of mom's ornaments are still in beautiful condition. This box was always a favorite of mine. One year, I put a Hershey's Kiss in it. I forgot about it and it was found the following year. I wasn't allowed to open that stinkin' gold box after that mess again...ha!

The hot air balloon is also a favorite...the details in these ornaments are really amazing. I mixed a few of my little white ornaments and glittery pinecones here and there, too...for added interest.

Since this tree is basically a part of the fireplace, I carried the gold and white look onto the mantel, as well. Mom's gold strands of beads were so plentiful that they worked well as swag on the mantel, too. I also used a couple of white feather boas (from Amazon here) on this mantel. They were a bit messy, though, initially (it looked like a bird molted in my living room). But now that they're in place, I really like them. I grabbed the gold and white nutcrackers half off at JC Penney's the other day. I tucked in a few pine cones, too, for interest. The antique gold mirror was actually just purchased for our bathroom renovation. That will begin the second week in December...hoping it's finished after Christmas so I can keep this mirror here. Actually, no...I'd gladly give it up for a finished bathroom.

Last year, this room was a lot more playful for the Christmas season (you can see it here). But, using my mom's decor, I wanted it to reflect her tastes a bit more. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It feels like she's right here with us. 

Now it's time to see all the Christmas ideas from my talented blogger friends. Below is the tour lineup for this week. Be sure to visit everyone for wonderful Christmas ideas for your whole house. The links for each topic are below the images.

Monday - Christmas Mantel Ideas:

Postcards from the Ridge // DIY Beautify // Cottage at the Crossroads // Worthing Court // Virginia Sweet Pea

Tuesday - Christmas Tablescape Ideas:

Far Above Rubies // Atta Girl Says // 2 Bees in a Pod //  Weekend Craft // Twelve on Main (not pictured)

Wednesday - Christmas DIY/Craft Ideas:

Petticoat Junktion // Hearth and Vine // Girl in the Garage // Just the Woods // Lora Bloomquist

Thursday - Christmas Tree Ideas:

Sand Dollar Lane // Chatfield Court // I Should Be Mopping the Floor // The Chelsea Project // Dukes and Duchesses (not pictured)

Friday - Christmas Recipes

Domestically Speaking // Inspiration for Moms // Foodie Chicks Rule // Nourish and Nestle // Jenna Kate at Home (not pictured)

Are you as inspired as I am? Hoping you love all of these festive ideas. And thank you so much for stopping by to see our snow tree. I'm learning that filling our house full of memories is a great way to keep my mom's spirit with us through the holidays and always

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:

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