The 2020 Upside Down Tree

 Each year, I try to pick a theme for my Christmas decorations. +

Last week, while getting supplies, I saw a few tall flocked trees that I liked, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay for new trees to go outside. After all, I’ve got about 16+ in the shed, most came from the thrift store or garage sale for $7 or less. I didn’t want to do an exact replica of last year, but I was drawing a blank, till I started dragging out the trees from the depths of my storage building. 

 

There was my silver tree that I’ve hung upside down before. It’s pretty scraggly, missing a few branches, a little (lot) wonky, but it still has potential. (wish I'd taken a before picture.) 

 

As I was hanging my tree by the camper, I got to thinking. You know, this tree is like 2020. There’s a lot that’s been upside down and crazy this year. Things are wonky... but there’s still been good things happen this year. This year lots of things have been missing, but just like adding all the tinsel, ornaments, and glitzy stems to help fill in the gaps, there’s been new and different alternatives that have came along to help fill the hole. 

 

With some effort and some creativity, this tree can be pretty, although not the norm.  It absolutely can’t stand on its own anymore, but really none of us can. Branches are tied together and there’s some gaps here and there. The top section can’t hold itself upright, but it’s not noticeable when it’s hanging upside down. With a little effort, love, lights, ribbon, garland, and ornaments, its a totally different tree. 

 

Let us remember that even though there’s been lots of craziness and ugliness in 2020, there’s still good and pretty things that have happened this year that are worth celebrating and appreciating. There’s still love, new life, weddings and new beginnings, friendships - both new and old, new and established businesses trying hard to make it and some having there best year ever, there’s new homes for some, taking time to try new things, spending more time with family, gardening, experimenting, being creative, overcoming obstacles, enjoying nature, a stronger wave of supporting our local businesses and makers...I’m sure there’s much more to add to this list. 

 

Yep, the upside down tree and 2020, they are different... but hang in there friends - just like that tree top that can’t hold itself up, we all need each other to support each other through it all. Grab a branch from the second section and tie it to one from the first section. Now, do it again. And again. And again. 

Now let your light shine. 

P.S. The rest of my "tree farm" is inspired by  my pink and aqua camper Christmas tee. Find it here. 

Miss Gussie, the Glamper, and the Tree Farm Lit Up for the Holidays!

Hey Y'all! Miss Gussie is all lit up for the holidays and we couldn't wait to share pictures! We decided to have a "Tree Farm" theme this year. Our tree farm has some fun and non-traditional colors. We have 16 trees in shades of pink, aqua, silver, white, and a couple of green ones! I already had several of the trees, since I've used them in past displays and shows, although we went thrift store shopping and found a few more to add to our collection. I've been told pink trees are supposed to be the color this year, although I didn't know that, till after I was working on my decorating. I simply decorated the trees with tinsel and lights and it's made it a fun and happy set up.

We actually lit her up one night last week on a Facebook Live Video!

 

You may remember me talking about the ugly garden makeover, earlier in the summer. There once was a garden fence and bricks outlining forgotten raised beds. The briers had taken over and it was hard to mow. I was tired of looking at the ugliness, so I pulled it all up. I never really showed the after picture of what we were planning - well the spot is now "The Campground."  The camper is closer to the house and that's the greenhouse in the background. It makes it a better place to hang out and of course I take a lot of my product pictures outside by the camper. Nothing is attached permanently in this spot, so that we can hook up and move her, if needed. (although it will take some careful maneuvering to get her out!)

All of the trees are in tin buckets, old wash tubs, milk cans, or even vintage chicken feeders - you know, the things I had flowers planted in, until frost killed them. So as we cleaned up the yard, the containers got moved to the camper for the tree farm. 

We were at the Swap Meet  in October. I ask about a couple of items and somehow I came away with a truckload of things including some porch rails / post. They were unloaded by the camper and I was trying to firgure out what to make of them. Well, I've always wanted to be able to hang a chandelier by the camper, so those three pieces were wired together, so we could hang the chandy and a sign and of course covered in grapevine and Christmas garland! 

The chenille bedspread covers the metal bench and just makes it cozier this time of year! 

The night before I was planning my photo shoot, I decided we needed a couple of flamingos. Living in a small town, I didn't know where I could find any by the next day and I really did not have time to travel to a larger city to look. So I ask my Facebook friends if they specifically knew anywhere I could buy a couple of pink birds, locally. A couple of my friends tagged the local girl scout leader and I was loaned a couple of flamingos the next morning! As one of our friends said - only in a small town can you ask for pink flamingos on Facebook and within two hours of networking find what you are looking for! (The Girl Scouts use them for a fall fundraiser flocking people's yards, so they have a lot on hand.) I would have gladly purchased the birds, but I was thankful to be loaned them on short notice. Anyways, I put Christmas wreaths around their necks and they they added a fun touch to the display! The t shirt has a couple of flamingos and deer on the front, so that was a couple of elements that tied in with the graphic.

The same day I got everything decorated on the camper, I went to sign up for the Gilmer Yulefest Christmas Show. I was planning to just use my tent, but in conversation at the Chamber Office, Miss Gussie was invited to go to town, so we will have to take it all down next week, as we prepare and go to the show. It's December 7, 2019 on the Courthouse Square in Gilmer and we will have our shirts and Christmas decor for sale. We will be open from 9:00 am till 7:30 pm and there will be vendors, food trucks, carnival rides for the kids, Candy Cane Lane crafts for the kids and the evening will end with the Christmas Parade. It's also designated as a Shop Local Day in Gilmer. We are excited for next week, so come out and see us - we will be taking some of the trees, but not all 16! 

Of course, if you aren't local, we can always ship the shirts to you. Shop online at gypsyfarmgirl.etsy.com or www.rustandromance.com