Christmas in the Smokies

Our Smoky Mountain Christmas Tree

We love Tennessee and Pigeon Forge area especially.  We frequently travel to Pigeon Forge and stay at the Dolly Parton's DreamMore Resort.  Our many visits to this area over the years inspired me to create this beautiful tree.  I purchased a lot of the ornaments from Pigeon Forge area including many from The Incredible Christmas Place store there.  I have new ribbon for this tree this year, I decided to use two ribbons, one is red with black bears and the other is a flannel red and black plaid.  I just love how these ribbons tied together the feeling of being in the Smokies during the winter.  

 The tree hits the ceiling.  Not sure if I will do a tree topper...  

 The wooden sled was a gift from my husband to Lauren and I.  

He also made another for Karina.  They are beautiful and we love them!

 I love the bears which are from Dollywood mostly.  The lantern

adds more of the mountain touch that we all love.  Did you

know there are a lot of moose in Tennessee?  So, our Mr. Moose

is part of our Tennessee display each year.  This tree is sitting

by the red plaid love seat in the Tennessee room!  

 The black bear family from Tennessee!

 The plaid wrapped gift is from last year.  My husband John never opened it-ha!  

Guess who is having a re-gifted present this year?

 Love this blown glass truck with tree and also the car with a tree on top and especially the bear lantern! They were from Target.

 Tin ornaments are this year's addition and are from Lancaster, PA...Primitive's by Kathy.

 Another one of the many moose we have collected

and another tin ornament.

 This sign is also from Lancaster, PA. at the Flower and Home Marketplace and the fisherman is a reminder of my Daddy who loved to fish.  I bought it at Cracker Barrel.  I also bought one of each of these for my grandchildren who were fortunate to grow up being with my Daddy every day.  We miss him and my Mama, especially at this time of year, so very much.  Love you Daddy and Mama!

We hope you are enjoying our tree display this year.  At the end of our decorating sessions I will put all of these photos in one post to make it easy for you to pass on to friends or refer to for your own decorating!  Have a wonderful time today shopping Small Business Saturday!  

All wrapped up in ribbon!

Ribbon obsessed!

I already have 4 Rubbermaid bins of Christmas ribbon but often I can not find just what I want for a Christmas tree.  My advice is if you think you might love a ribbon design well enough to want to use it to ribbon a 7 foot or taller tree or to ribbon all your outside wreaths and/or garland, definitely buy at least 3-4 10 yard (30 feet) rolls of 2 1/2 inch wide ribbon.  If you are following the theme idea that I use for the coordinating main decor, gift wrap and tablescape along with outdoor decor, then you will want enough ribbon for all of that plus your tree.  I usually choose two different ribbons that can mix and match.    

Trying to keep snow themes and reds together.

Mad for plaid!

An entire bin for elves and Grinch.

There are only three!  Who took my other bin?!!

Love browns for the hot cocoa station and the candy bar.  Also my master bedroom is painted Branchport Brown by Benjamin Moore and I use browns for decorating trees, wreaths, the bed and garland in that room.

Confession here...I have often purchased 12 rolls of the same ribbon because I was madly in love with it!  I am so obsessed that when I took a vacation to Lancaster, PA to visit the Amish I had to visit all the craft warehouses to buy ribbon.  That took 3/4 of the day.  We did also visit the York Markethouse for food and took some photos...BUT I just had to find ribbons!

Lots of ribbon online here and easier than looking everywhere for what you need!

Craft Outlet

Mardi Gras Outlet

Trendy Tree

Karaboo Ribbons

I will be putting up 23 trees this year.  I mean to say that I will be adding to that number-ha!  I am certainly behind this year.  Usually I have most of my trees up and dressed by now.  Thanks heavens I have two daughters and two granddaughters who will help me finish the trees.  The outside is done and I have been working on what I want for the tablescape.  I have almost two weeks to finish.  And then it will be time to wrap gifts on my gift wrapping station in the loft.  This is a treasured tradition.  My daughters helped my Mama wrap gifts in her game room every year.  She would set up a gift wrapping station and have cookies, candies and cocoa for the girls while they worked with her.  The boxes would be taped shut with a code name written on them so they could wrap with no anxiety from Mama that they might discover what gifts Santa would bring.  And in case you are wondering why Mama and her granddaughters would be wrapping for Santa, watch for a later post with the story I wrote about that!

Cleaning the Tennessee room

and praying I can get it decorated today.  It is a large job because I was putting all the things that needed packed away in there for weeks and the time has come to deal with them and put them away for the season.  I have two large farmhouse/Tennessee trees to decorate in that room.  I am also considering a Ralph Lauren themed tree.  I love the green tree I saw on another blog and would love to add navy blue with green on the third tree in that room off the kitchen.  It would probably also include travel ornaments on it.  I have cut down to 20 trees this year.  I was going to stick with 32 like last year but I started late and I have other activities that are added onto our schedule.  We are volunteering at the Canonsburg Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration.  We will be working in the photography area and some of the family is going to be in other locations also.  Canonsburg was chosen by Hallmark for the second year in a row for their sponsorship.  It is a huge honor.  We are avid Hallmark fans and Keepsake Ornament Club members for years now and we begin to plan our Christmas in July when they reveal the new ornaments for that year.  We love to shop in the Hallmark stores and I have boxes of cards that I have saved over the years from my parents, family and friends.  We are so honored to be able to volunteer at this wonderful celebration.  My parents moved to Canonsburg when they got married.  They lived in the new projects after WWII.  We live close to that area and are so excited about this year's celebration!  

On to decorating...I have the Tennessee room empty of other items but I have to admit that other than that I have only added the 18 inch extension to our dining room table and put a cream and white tablecloth on it.  Actually I did not put the extension in...I just told my husband and daughter to be careful, ha!  I am not fond of my new tablecloth and am struggling with the decor for that room now as well.  I have a Martha Stewart tree that has beautiful, soft pine cones on it.  I use it in the dining room every year and it is decorated with white balls and snowflakes along with a few special white ornaments.  Everyone always loves that tree.  So it remains pretty much the same every year...why mess with perfection!  I have two trees that are 6 feet tall and very slim flanking the china cabinet.  One is decorated in teacups called Tea at the Grand Floridian and the other is themed...Coffee, Chocolate, Men...some things are just better rich.  Those three themed trees have been around since at least 2009.  

Coffee, Chocolate, Men - Some Things Are Just Better Rich

Coffee, Chocolate, Men - Some Things Are Just Better Rich

 

Tea At The Grand Floridian

Tea At The Grand Floridian

A few photos of those trees now and I am going to sit down to dinner with my family.  

Farmhouse Christmas

Farmhouse Christmas 

Check out our awesome Rae Dunn personalized ornaments!

Hallmark Santa and his reindeer!

 I love these ornaments on this tree.  Some are from Pottery Barn, Tis the Season Christmas shop in Ohio, some are handmade, and the Rae Dunn ornaments are from Southern Style on Fifth Avenue!

Handmade Snowman

I hope you are warm and cozy where you are tonight!  CMA Awards are on and I love me some country music!  You will find me cozied up on the sofa with my granddaughter and daughter listening to every song!  Have a good night y'all!

Sugar Hill Christmas Trees in 2018

Sugar Hill Christmas Trees in 2018

Starting our tour today in the Tennessee room are three trees flanking the window that overlooks the swimming pool in summer.  On the left is Smoky Mountain Christmas full of red and black ornaments and ribbons, in the middle is the Martha Stewart tree full of handmade ornaments through the years from family and friends.  On the right is the Farmhouse Christmas tree.  It is black and white.

Tennessee Room Trees

Handmade Tree

Smoky Mountain Christmas tree

Farmhouse Christmas tree

Annalee Santa and his Christmas Moose

Sleigh Bells Ring

I love this sign I purchased at Tis the Season store in 
Berlin, Ohio for the Sleigh Bells Ring tree.

Baby It's Cold Outside...so let it snow!



We love this Advent pillow in Tennessee room from TJMaxx.


Red Kugels from Marshalls and TJMaxx.

Close up of the Taste The Feeling tree.  This is full of Coca Cola decorations that were collected by my daddy, William Smith, and daughter Lauren Ruffing.

The Coke polar bears are so cute!  They really make this snowy 
tree an over the top design!

Coca-Cola Santa just finished his rounds and is ready for a Coke and a nap!

This tree is full of unique Coca-Cola ornaments collected over many years.

Candy bar...watch out for elves sneaking some treats!

They can get into so much mischief!  Five elves visit us from 

the North Pole every year!

Gingerbread tree-Karina's favorite! 
She decorates this one every year!

Elf Mischief tree

Cute and ornery elves are tucked all over this tree.

Elf Mischief tree topped off with elf hat and elf legs.

Christmas in Vermont tree

A snow flocked tree with sparkling snow ornaments and mint green ornaments

What Will You Keepsake this Year? Our Hallmark tree!

Yes that is a Cinnamon Bear ornament from the 1980's!  
I have the whole series!

That wraps up our 2018 Christmas home tour.  I loved sharing our decorations and trees with you.  Thank you for stopping by and come back soon for more great ideas and decorations in 2019.

Merry Christmas Y'all!