TGIF and continuing SATURDAY — let’s party! That means: Show us the fun decor you have going on in your house, apartment or condo this year — Upload your photo(s) below. On Sunday around noon, I’ll showcase my 10 favorite — it will be so difficult!!! Oh, and in the spirit of our discussion the other day about building community on a blog — feel free to use the Comments today to ask me — or each other — random questions — hijack this thread all you want! Shown here: Jen & Eric, uploaded Friday. Read on… More than 200 photos so far!
Also check out our 2008 slide show of retro holiday decor.
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To see the slide show, click on the thumbnail, it will enlarge, then use the arrows just below to move forward or back. You can start or stop the show from any slide. :
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Hey, Johnny Dollar — How many aluminum Xmas trees DO you have goin’ on in your house?
five so far! after we bought the ranch, the wife started snapping them up wherever we went (we had only one last year)
actually, make that four and a tinsel garland tree (full disclosure)
This is so exciting! I looooooove looking at how people decorate for the holidays! I absolutely love that ladder idea. We’ve had a Christmas or two where we could have used that. : )
Crap I deleted my pic of my new 1952 aluminum tree! Have to wait till nightfall to get a good pic….
ADD moment – Installing the ceramic Built-In cup and soap holders over the sink. How do you do it correctly? Cut the hole just big enough and use Liquid Cement on the back of the face, or cut the hole slightly larger and butter them with some spackle?
I think since doing a discussion forum is a pretty big thing – maybe if we have these “Random Friday”s like this??
- Trouble
I don’t know the answer to this, Shane. Ask your hardware or better yet – your tile store! Yes, I am thinking: Random Fridays “Hijack this Forum” days.
1952 aluminum tree? They weren’t “invented” until 1958-ish in Manitowoc, WI.
Ah! I wish I wasn’t on a work break! Now all I can think about is what I want to share when I get home plus I know I’ll keep wanting to check back to see what everyone has been adding.
I’m sittin’ here all day setting images free for everyone to ogle all day long. Gotta get my own decorations up! Hey, I am going to leave this post up as the lead story for Saturday, too…
I’m so glad to see all these other aluminum trees! It’s good to know they’re going to a good home(s) rather than getting tossed in the trash. I have a few more things to take photos of (vintage table runners, etc) but I haven’t had much time yet to photograph them.
I also like the idea of random posts…thanks, Pam, for giving us vintage lovers the opportunity to mingle as we jingle!
Oh how i love these photos!
(AND the 2008 slideshow. Made me grin from year to ear.)
Oh, how I HATED that aluminum Christmas tree with the huge metal rotating light! “Keep back – your gonna BURN yourself!!”
Now, I want a silver tree so badly. We are getting a tree this year, likely green. But, I think I might have to buy myself a little silver Christmas tree. Just cuz.
Keep up the great work, Pam.
Your site makes me smile every day!
DanaMc
Hi Dana, your smile made me smile! This reminds me folks, to remember to caution again: No Electric Lights on Aluminum Christmas trees!: http://retrorenovation.com/2009/12/18/aluminum-christmas-trees-an-important-caution/
Pam & Lisa: Love the thermoses!
modcat55: Who’s the artist of the big-eyed girl in blue and green? My sister had that painting when she was young and I’ve been trying to find it.
My daughter & myself, whoever you are: That’s one fine lamp. I need one exactly like that. Wanna sell it?
Guess I need to clean up the living room today and take some decent shots of our setup.
Thanks, Joe! Hi to Nikki!
I have a great shot from last year I just uploaded. This is the thread I look forward to each December. Happy Holidays, Retro Renovators!
You’re “approved” and loaded in, Jane — like I said, you will need to clear your cache etc. I actually had to power down then restart. Argh, I’m trying to get Tech to help with this issue…
OMG, I’m loving all of the aluminum trees. I’ve always wanted one, but my space prohibits a full-sized tree, and I’ve never been a fan of short trees.
Mine (the skinny one with the santa hat) is a combination of vintage ornaments from my great aunt, and European glass ornaments that I’ve collected over the years. Not full-on vintage, but it’s got a little vintage flair.
By the way, I’ve been probably been reading your blog for over a year, but this is my first time commenting.
I’ll have to poke my head in to the comments more often.
Welcome Commenter Amy! Now that I’ve approved your first one, there will be no delay in your comments showing up right away!
Thank you! I can see the other new trees, but not mine .Did my upload not work properly, or is it the caching issue?
ok, santa cher might be my favorite decoration seen for this season.
Does anyone else have a vintage cardboard fireplace? I remember there being one in my kindergarten classroom, and I searched high and low last season to find this one. Its from the late 50s, and I absolutely love it. In the dark, if you keep a good distance, and squint your eyes…it *almost* looks like a glowing fire.
My grandmother had one of those cardboard fireplaces… she used it year after year, always packing it away carefully…. I wish I had that now… what great memories!
odd, we had a cardboard fireplace in my kindergarten as well.
and don’t forget that the safety council lauds metallic christmas trees:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/2098085440_a1bd58d0d7_b.jpg
Love that Lin Barber creamy pink tree (and all the other fine vintage scenery in the shot).
Does anyone remember the late ’50′s “Angel Hair”? As I recall, it was a Christmas tree garland/decoration made of fiberglass and would eat you alive if you touched it.
Who remembers spray “snow”; all those flocked ’50′s trees, and pink bottlebrush?
Thanks for the fun of hijacking!!
No name on the photo, but I have always loved that series of 50′s Williamsburg prints someone posted!
I think I’ll take a trip over to E-bay and hunt for some. Thanks.
Yes, those are nice! Colonial Williamsburg — I need to do more research, I think its restoration was a big influence on mid-century design.
Thanks for all the wonderful pictures!! What a joy. As for the nutdish picture…that poinsettia tablecloth is really a shower curtain that someone made. I didn’t realize until one day when I looked really close at the edges. Ha! So now it’s my tablecloth/shower curtain.
And yes Coco, insists that there was a cat at the nativity. That’s why tabby cats have an M on their forhead (for Madonna).
As for spray snow? I have a can that I found in the basement of my house- will try to take a quick snap of it.
Nina-
We used to have cans just like that one! We would put stencils up to the windows and spray….wait a minute….pull it away..and Voila! A 6″ Santa, a snowflake, star or ornament in snow on the window. (until we stuck our fingers in it, or the toddlers tried to eat it).
Ah, yes, Nina. That’s real live, genuine, FAKE snow in a can. Thanks for the memories.
Pam- Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!
I do have a question. We are building a pool house. I want to use this color scheme: http://retrorenovation.com/2010/09/15/13-pages-of-youngstown-metal-kitchen-cabinets/ image #9. I have ordered aqua boomerang formica to go on the Homart cabinets I found. How do I figure out what color that orange is (I really like that) & also the yellow?
Thanks! and Merry Christmas!
Hi Nancy, 9 p.m. and I’m just back from dinner and I had a beer. Feeling no pain. I’ll take a look tomorrow, okay?
Pam- I know there is so much going on now. But, I was wondering if you had time, could you tell me how to figure out the colors from one of your Youngstown kitchen catalogs?
Thanks, Nancy
The Colonial Williamsburg sketches are by John Haymson. They are sketches of the Bruton Parish Church and the Gov. Palace …. and best of all, they were free!! Nicely framed and all
Very Lucky You !!!
Yay! I am enjoying everyone’s festive arrangements!
I wanted to add the metal candles next to my mini tree are like lighters. You fill them with lighter fluid, flick them on and no wax on the tablecloth. I haven’t tried them as it seems dangerous.
Also, I had to pay $15 for that mini tree 15 years ago! I felt soo guilty for spending that much but I’m glad I splurged.
Cara, I’ve not yet located your photo, but I’ll bet your candles were made by Ronson.
9 p.m. I’m logging off for a bit and will be back to approve the new uploads in the a.m. There are 101 photos so far — woot! Thanks, everyone, these are fantastic! Last one you should see is Fuzzy Christmas, captioned: BH&G Post and Beam in central Alabama. From Jennifer James of MagicCityModern
If you are *not* seeing this, you’re cached. Try clearing your cache or (sorry) log off or even shut down and restart. This is one part of the technology we’re trying to figure out. geek girl pam here – night night
I used to have one of those plastic script “Merry Christmas” decorations, of which I see two or three in all those photos. Darn, I wonder what happened to mine. I’ll have to go digging….
I’m trying to finish painting my dining room, so I don’t even have my tree up or any decorations out yet. These photos are inspiring! And I laughed out loud at the Pink Flamingo nativity! Only us retro people have the right combination of humor mixed with respect for history.
I wanted a silver tree, but my husband shook his head in disapproval. I crochet all of my ornaments this year. My son made a paper star for the top! My camera went on the fritz so I can’t post
Maybe Santa will bring me a proper camera!
@Martinis: I just added a photo of my yellow felt bird that looks exactly like the one on your tree. I also have a red one that you can see in row 10, column 2. Do you know the history of them? I thought my sister made ours in the 60′s.
I la la la LOVE seeing everyone’s fantabulous vintage Christmas stuff. Keep the pictures coming. I am jellie of all that have an aluminum tree, I past one up because of the price. But hopefully for next year, I will have found one and the color wheel too!
Happy Holidays to all! The Martini’s
No I don’t know the history of the chicken/bird ornament. It looks home made. I think they probably sold patterns, so people could do it themselves out of felt. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
I love everything everyone posted, Im not sure which is my favorite, I see so many treasures that we all have, the Pixies, the Aluminum Trees, the Shiny Brites, the Plastic “everythingys” , I also see bark cloth draperies, vintage tv’s, stereo consoles, etc… I love looking each and every day!!!
I added 4 pics of mine just now, and I cleared the cookies and stuff, but can’t see them?? Did they upload okay?
They should be up now — I have to come check the computer now and then and set the uploads free…
Oh okay, lol sorry! I rebooted too, was just confused if it worked or not :OP
Thanks Pam :O)
I love everyones photos! They are beautiful! The pics of the pink Christmas by Lin Barber are my faves, although it’s hard to pick! Lin, do you have a blog or flickr account?? I’d love to see more of your decorating!
Mrs ED…Your livingroom looks fantastic! Great job.
Thank you for posting pictures for those of us who have watched it evolve!!!!
Can you put the photos on FB so we can comment individually? Love it all!!
175 of them? sorry! however, they are each numbered – you can comment that way i guess.
The Flamingo Nativity totally just made my day. Whoever posted that… can I hijack your picture??
Maybe next year I will write Santa a letter 
Also if anyone is getting rod of an extra aluminum tree I will gladly take it!! I’ve been looking for a decently priced one for years but they just never seem to come my way
Sara D, if you want post the flamingo nativity photo, just check my Terms of Use for guidelines on photo-indexing and credit.
It’s on my blogspot.. Glad you LIKED it!!
:) Share with link, please.. and .. FOLLOW me! 
:) (I’m new to blogging:)
http://purplepalace55.blogspot.com/
Cher
I love all the great vintage decorations and decorating ideas. I have been collecting vintage decorations for nearly 20 years. It is great to unpack my “old friends” every year, but can be difficult to find new ways to display them. You all have such wonderful and unique ideas – I shall steal them all! Merry Christmas!!
MsErinD- I love the living room. Tell me -does the tv work? Did you have to rewire it? That is one of my goals this year.
Hi Nina, Thanks! No the tv doesn’t work yet, but I know Hubby will get it to work! It needs rewired yes, but also tubes, etc, all those little things that went into old tv’s, thankfully Hubby knows all that so we’ll get it to work one day, we also have a floor model stand radio from 1942 and a console stereo from 1947, so he started work on the stereo first.
Thanks MrsErinD for the info on your tv. Awhile back Pam had some links on how to connect them & make them work for today. Have a very Merry Christmas – -
I love vintage electronics, even work on a few, but these can be even more of a threat than lead in my opinion! Do not plug them in to see if they work. You need a special tool called a Variac (a fancy dimmer) to make sure that the power surge from the initial plug in doesn’t fry the old wiring, resistors, etc.
Yet another issue to be familiar with!
Hi Pam. I downloaded several pictures on Sunday night. I haven’t seen them posted yet. I didn’t put my name on them, but there were an elf on a corncob, guitar Santa on boot, mermaids with ribbons, etc. Is there something else I should do? Thank–Pam, Atlanta
Pam – Somehow all these new ones got by me. So sorry! They are approved now!
Hi Pam,
Love the vintage decorations. Hope you can see the Fada radio I uploaded. It was my mothers.
Happy Holidays
Janee
BEAUTIFUL