I love ugly ornaments
I grew up having a perfect Christmas tree. From beautiful ornaments, to perfectly placed ribbons, to perfect lights. It never looked like a kids’ tree, unless you ventured around the back and saw some of the ornaments I made as a kid hidden there. I helped hang the ornaments, of course, but always noticed that they got moved. There was a system, and I wasn’t following it! Every piece had its place.
Not on my tree.
When we got our first tree together, we decided that we would only hang things on our tree that had been given as gifts or made by our kids, and we’ve stuck to that. Well, this year we cheated a bit and let M pick out a few new ornaments, but let’s call them ‘made by our kids!’
So, year after year, we’ve collected ornaments. Some beautiful, like the hand-painted clay ornaments that we get from my mother every year. We always get 3 – 1 with our whole family represented, and 1 for for each of the girls. We’ve amassed quite the collection of beautiful, personalized pieces. On the other hand, some are hideous. Last year, we participated in a ‘Holiday Re-gift Swap’ where everyone brought the ugliest, most useless gift they received, and we had a Yankee swap. The uglier, the better. Like the beach-ball sized ornament I received. I think it had birds on it. Guess where it is? Yep – on our tree. It was a gift. I fought tooth and nail to keep that gift…not that it was very difficult. The ornament was that ugly.
We definitely don’t have the nicest tree on the block, but every ornament we have tells a story. We know where they all came from, and intend to keep up the tradition. Soon, we’ll need a bigger tree, and we’ll get it, because you don’t throw away ornaments that have meaning. Or ornaments that are so ugly you laugh at yourself for hanging them.
Related posts:
Posted by LZ on December 15, 2009
Filed under: Daily Life
Tags:
Leave a Reply
-
Subscribe by Email
Shop!
-
Blog & banner design by
-
December 15, 2009
Awww, I wanted to see pictures of that ornament!
We do kind of the same thing. I’m actually dying to have a pretty tree one of these years. But my in-laws buy each of us (there’s 5 of us) a new Hallmark ornament EVERY year. We have NOTHING but Hallmark ornaments on our tree, some dating all the way back to when hubs was little since they’ve been doing the ornament thing since then. Yeah, they’re cool, but after 13 years of marriage and 3 kids it’s starting to get cluttered.
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by LZ, LZ. LZ said: New post on My Messy Paradise I love ugly ornaments http://bit.ly/6jfBCz: [...]
December 15, 2009
Personally? I’d take your type of tree any day. WHen our kids are off, we can put up a 2nd “fancy” tree. Now? Let’s concentrate on the memories!
Sara @ Domestically Challenged´s last blog ..Observation…
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
I agree with Sara!
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
Our tree is also filled withmostly “ugly” ornaments and for awhile there had nothing breakable lower than my young son could have reached. Trees with character beat “bling” trees hands down!
Nancy@ifevolutionworks.com´s last blog ..Too Much Togetherness
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
I grew up in a house like that too…
This year only the top of my tree is decorated. My almost 2 year old likes to pull the ornaments off the tree.
It’s a sad, sad looking tree.
Amanda´s last blog ..I Think I Need A Cookie
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
We have some ugly ornaments too & my hubby always wants to put them on the tree. I try hiding them, but he usually ends up wining.
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
We have both. I like the ones my kids made the best!
Think Tank Momma´s last blog ..Post-It Note Tuesday: Sweet Treats and Lights
Reply to This Comment
December 15, 2009
You know, I have the ‘perfect’ tree and we’re slowly changing it to a more kid friendly tree. Before reading this, I had almost forgotten how amazingly fun it was each year pulling out the ornaments at my Meme’s house that we had made her. She has things that my aunts and uncles remember from their childhoods and laugh about. What better family tradition than everyone putting up the tree together and reminiscing? Thanks for a sweet reminder LZ.
Michelle´s last blog ..Name that Baby 2009 Edition.
Reply to This Comment
December 16, 2009
Where’s a pic of this gigantor ornament? I wanna see it!
We have less nice ornaments thanks to the Great Tree Crash of 2007 — we haven’t even got a tree yet!
Jessica Nunemaker´s last blog ..Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies
Reply to This Comment
LZ replied:
December 16th, 2009
I should take a better picture and put it in the post, but, you asked for it – it is seriously the size of a watermelon. And very, very glittery. Love it!
http://twitpic.com/tm8b5
Reply to This Comment
December 16, 2009
I LOVE that every ornie on your tree tells a story – that’s really special! And your kiddos will appreciate the sentiment more than a perfectly decorated tree! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier!!
KnitPurlGurl´s last blog ..Missing Mommy Instincts?
Reply to This Comment
December 17, 2009
I want to see a pic!
Karen´s last blog ..Christmas pics 1
Reply to This Comment
December 17, 2009
Oh I love this. My tree does have new ornaments on them and while I always thought I liked a “perfect” tree I knew I had to give way to the kid’s handmade stuff. Turns out that the mix of new and handmade made my tree even more charming. That ornament that was so ugly on the table looks refreshed and redone under the twinkling lights on the tree. I guess that’s a part of the magic of Christmas.
Great post!
zeemaid´s last blog ..Would it Jinx Me?
Reply to This Comment
December 17, 2009
Love this – I have a friend who has THREE Christmas trees in her house…All meticulously decorated and lovely – but they have three, almost four, kids. It makes me so sad because the message kids get if their stuff is not included is “your decorations are not good enough” We have a love tree (not to be confused with a love child – we have some of those too…) in which all the ornaments mean something to us and wouldn’t have it any other way!
Reply to This Comment
December 17, 2009
Following from MBC
Kelly´s last blog ..Products to try
Reply to This Comment
December 17, 2009
Twitter: ThetaMom
Our tree is full of “ugly” ornamnets, too but you know what? These are my favorites becasue each one tells a story.
Theta Mom´s last blog ..Did You Say Featured Blogger?
Reply to This Comment
December 18, 2009
I am so like you when it comes to ornaments. I don’t need a perfet tree, I need memories. One of my favorite ornaments is by far the ugliest!!! When I was little my grandmother would put up a tree. She had the most ugly Santa I have ever seen. He looked like a pervert. I still have it and still put it on the tree to this day. I don’t care that the beard is falling off, how the felt is wearing off, or how the hanger is almost non-existent. It will always remind me of my most awesome grandmother, whom I miss more than just about anything. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and get some interesting ormaments.
Reply to This Comment
December 21, 2009
Twitter: HaBryerton
We have a hodge podge tree and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I first moved out on my own, I got my mom to give me my ornaments (which was like pulling teeth – she didn’t want to part with them) and then the ornaments that my husband and I have collected over the years.
This year, because Morris & Murphy are not even 6 months old yet, and are fascinated by the large green bush like structure in the living room, we didn’t dare put any ornaments on it – so, our tree this year only has lights, a few pieces of handmade garland and our angle at the top – and looks just as pretty festive. Besides, I would be heart broken if anything happened to any of our ornaments. I would rather be safe than sorry and in tears.
HaB´s last blog ..The Friday Feature: Bread and Butter, a kitchen shoppe
Reply to This Comment
December 22, 2009
My mom has the Mecca of Hallmark Christmas tree ornaments. We each had a “series” which meant that we received a new ornament with the same theme each year. Even after she gave my sister and I “our” ornaments, each branch on her tree is multi-layered with ornaments. And somehow she manages to make it look good.
Up until this year, we have taken the Charlie Brown Christmas tree approach and cut our own trees and hung less-than-perfect ornaments. This year, I attempted to make it look put together while still not perfect, full of the Hallmark ornaments. I think we managed to pull it off, so I am happy.
I have a friend who has a very put together, “whimsical” Christmas tree but lets her kids decorate their own non-put-together trees to have the best of both worlds. I don’t have enough space or energy to that, but I thought it was a good idea.
Alecia´s last blog ..An Idaho Grad for a Wonderful Ten Years
Reply to This Comment
January 6, 2010
I actually have two trees. One 12′ tree filled with “ugly” ornaments and a 6′ tree filled with “pretty” ornaments.
I always wanted a pretty tree, but just couldn’t bare not to hang the ornaments we acquired throughout the years from the kids. Every ornament on that tree has a story and brings back a fond memory.
Reply to This Comment