Let me start by saying something that you don’t know about
me and actually you may not think is true about me. The truth is, I never like
to hurt anybody’s feelings. I am overly aware and overly cautious of protecting
people’s feelings. I know, I know… Difficult to believe… But it’s the truth.
However, if you cross me… I do not hold back and you will feel the wrath. But,
on the whole, I am very cautious of people’s feelings. In fact, this girl whom I
completely hate and pity has no idea that I hate her and pity her because I’m
so fucking polite. That being said, I have been stressing out all week. I kept
thinking to myself, “Ellie, how could you have a Christmas tree contest?
Someone’s feelings are going to be hurt.” I almost considered canceling the
contest. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings if I don’t choose them. Even
if I did not like your Christmas tree, you would never know it… I would go on
and on about how beautiful your tree is… And I would be secretly cringing on
the inside. So as you can see, this is a very difficult process for me. Let me
start by saying that I love and appreciate all of you for sending me pictures
of your tree. I love that all of you were so proud of your trees. You can see the
amount of love that went into each and every tree even if some of you did use
poinsettias in your tree. :-) At least you put those poinsettias in your tree
with love. Was that rude of me?
First of all, who am I to judge? My ghetto tree is the worst
one yet so in my eyes you are all winners… compared to my tree. However, I do
think I have a pretty good eye. Like I said, I like all sorts of trees…colored
lights, white lights, lots of ornaments, no ornaments, small trees, big
trees…as long as they have some style. If you need a refresher course look at
my Pinterest board of Christmas trees HERE. See! I even like a flocked tree! So,
I’ll shut up now and show you the top trees that deserve an honorable
mention…and then I will reveal my very favorite tree that will knock your socks
off. Here we go…
See how different all of them are! I love all of them. And
yet, I’m sitting here feeling bad for the other trees that didn’t make the list.
Note to self: never have a contest again.
Okay, here comes the winner...Voilà! The winner of the Have
Some Decorum Christmas Tree Contest is…
Ron van Empel from the Netherlands!
There are so many
reasons why I like this tree. Primarily and obviously because of the tinsel.
This is what I intended with my tinsel but obviously I’m not as talented as the
owner of this tree because my tree was embarrassing. This is how tinsel is
done! It’s magical, chic, sparkly, and oh so Christmasy. Now, Mr. Ron van Empel is no
one-hit wonder… No no no… Mr. Ron van Empel has, for lack of a better word, “game”
and “drops it like it’s hot.” My daughter’s going to kill me for talking like
that but it’s true… Mr. Ron van Empel is the Mack daddy of Christmas tree
decorators. Check out his other trees from previous years…
In case you were wondering where Mr Ron van Empel gets his
inspiration… Check out these trees…
I mean honestly, does it get better than that? By the way,
Mr. Ron van Empel and I have been communicating via email and he is officially my
new best friend. Sorry Yolanda and Jenny. Mr. Ron van Empel lives in the
Netherlands and was formerly an interior designer and now he focuses mostly on
lighting, furniture and accessories through his website HERE. Sometimes
people forget how important lighting is in your whole design scheme. It’s as important
as your freaking couch! It should not be an afterthought and it should be
incorporated into your whole budget. Mr. Ron van Empel sent me a photo of a set of
lamps that he is working on that will make you have a decorating heart attack.
I hope he will let me post a photo with they are finished because they are
genius. I just knew I would like Mr. Ron van Empel right away when he told me that
he shipped Christmas lights over from the United States to the Netherlands and
had to have the voltage converted. That is my kind of friend. So, bravo to you
Mr. Ron van Empel. You have completely and totally impressed me. Your prize is on
its way!
Thank you to everyone who entered the contest… But we are
never doing it again because I can’t take the stress. Merry Christmas! Stay
tuned for tomorrow’s blog… Yeah, I’m back.
http://www.empelcollections.com/en
Was this contest fixed or rigged?? Somehow my tree is missing from the winner's circle. WTH??!! I UNFOLLOW YOU!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe winning tree is fabulous! I certainly couldnt compete with that tree! Hah well deserved
ReplyDelete.merry christmas! xo
Lovely Christmas trees! I saw you on TV here in Sweden today! They were showing Housewives of Beverly Hills and suddenly you and Yolanda were there together. One could really see the special friendship between you two. So now you are a TV celebrity here:-)
ReplyDeleteI love it! The tinsel is just fabulous and the strapless Christmas tree is absolutely awesome! Lucky for you I made the honorable mention cut :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for once again making my day!
XO
Lourdes
I love love adore the tinsel tree!
ReplyDeleteThe strapless dress tree is also fabulous and all beautiful in their own way including your ghetto tree!
Thank you for once again making my day!
XO
Lourdes
Nice choice. From your new follower in Australia. My Mum had motor neuron disease..
ReplyDeleteThat must have been a tough choice. All the trees are indeed beautiful, even yours! I am a new member of your blog audience. You are a fantastic writer and I love your whit. Thank you for sharing your amazing stories. Merry Christmas! Leigh
ReplyDeleteMr. Ron van Empel has some crazy tinseling skills. I mean, really crazy good tinseling skills. But I think it is the whole vignette in which his tree is subtly to the side that steals my heart. I can see why you chose it.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice. I'm kind of mad at myself for not entering--I might've made the honor roll! ;-) Seriously, today has been the first day I've been able to catch up on blogs, er I mean, blog (because, of course, Have Some Decorum, is the ONLY blog I read!) reading, and I am so, so, so thankful and happy and grateful that you are feeling better and that you had a two angels, Debbie/Linda and David (yes, I count David, too, since he can make an apple tart) to look after you. I am still praying for you and your family. Reading your past this post and this one have been a wonderful Christmas present to gazillions of readers, including me!
ReplyDeleteMISTER RON.........where do you get your tinsel.........it's so long?Much longer than what they sell here in the USA!
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!
BRAVO..............I am thrilled to have an honorable mention however, MADAME E the photo in the dark makes it LOOK much better!It's traditional..........and I will NEVER change it.EXCEPT maybe add MISTER RON'S tinsel if he tells us where to BUY!!!That of course, will require a trip to EUROPE.............I would HOPE!
ALL the tree's are STUNNING.....................I really like the one next to the HIGH BOY DRESSER with the mink hanging out on the chair.
SO, excited to tell my BOYS we were in the running..............they will roll their pretty BLUE eyes and say ,"MOM,YOU AND YOUR BLOGS!!"and I will say ,"YES, BOYS........me and MY BLOGS are a TEAM not to be reckon with!"
Tonights dinner...........SPICED APRICOT MEATBALLS.......page 36 from ELEANOR's CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK.I am eating my way through it and have not found a DUD recipe YET!GO ORDER IT.............it's good for any season..........REALLY TRUST ME!
GO GET IT!Instructions should be on the RIGHT hand side of her BLOG here!
Skipping to the kitchen to make my meatballs.......with a SMILE on my face.........SHE IS BACK!
XOXOXO
Oh I am so honored! I was worried my fake tree would eliminate me right off the bat. I do it in the salon for longevity and consideration for clients' allergies. I'm still going to send you a photo of my real tree at home. If I ever finish and decide not to burn it to the fucking ground. Having some issues at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to lose to such a lovely tree. For the patience he practices with that tinsel deserves not just an Honor of Ellie but a Nobel Prize as well. I was worried after I emailed you that I had said all the wrong things. Hopefully I didn't!
Wishing you a gorgeous, happy Christmas!
Congratulations to Ron van Empel! I think I detect a little bit of 'tinsel envy' going on here...heh-heh...
ReplyDeleteAmazing trees... The whole lot of them!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are back!!!
Your're back! Yes Indeed Ron van Empel is the mac daddy, ha ha ha, beautiful trees…congrats to all ~ I will admit, the tinsel tree grabbed me, the setting, what patience putting on tinsel…!!!
ReplyDeleteGAH...I am absolutely blown away...gorgeous trees!!! Congratulations to the winner!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me...I have to go plug in my artificial tree...I know, I know...how could I?!!!
Thanks for this beauty fest!!
Renee in Northern California
Ellie, I agree the tinsel works for a change. I avoid it as I don't think I have the gift for placing it onto the tree correctly... Congratulations to the winner - inspiring tree! Merry Christmas Ellie, so glad your recovering.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to buy some half-price tinsel after Christmas and then do it right next year! Loved this contest.
ReplyDeleteHoly smokes. I imagine Mr Ron van Empel's tree photo is a reflection of him. That shot, which finally came at the anticipated end of your post, froze me. Congrats to him and to you on your new friendship with him. Thank goodness you shared his website and work.
ReplyDeleteLovely trees, all of them. They look so cosy, like Central Casting Northern Hemisphere trees should.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are feeling better.
Added you to my blog roll.
Take care xx
This was my Aunt Belle's tree. Every Christmas I would marvel at the sight of her tree with all the tinsel applied, painstakingly, strand by strand, down each branch. I could stare at it for hours. For those who want to try this: first, you need "good" tinsel (not the junk you find in some stores); second, you need a tree with some space between each layer of branches so the tinsel can hang properly. Forget Rockefeller Center, the most beautiful tree I've ever seen, with the exception of Aunt Belle's, is Ron van Empel's creations! Good pick, Ellie!
ReplyDeleteShe's back :-) !!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful trees! In addition to wanting to be your best friend, I now want to be Mr Ron van Empel's, as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm celebrating! My tree made the honorable mention list. I am also celebrating because, dear Ellie, you are feeling better. ox, Gina
ReplyDeleteGreat choice and I was happy, happy to see another Charlie Brown tree in the mix ;) Now I feel good about mine! Mr. Ron does a mighty fine job on tinsel, that's for sure! Most of all, so good to have you back!
ReplyDeleteMy mom was always a big fan of tinsel. Now that I see these photos, I can appreciate what she had in mind, but what unfortunately never came to realization on our tree. My brother's fault of course - throwing fistfuls of tinsel at the tree looks like just that. For a period we also used Angel Hair - which if applied properly around the lights, gives the tree a heavenly glow - if not, it just looks like cobwebs.
ReplyDeleteYes a very difficult decision. They are all beautiful. Good job folks,K x
ReplyDeleteDear dear Ellie.
ReplyDeleteWhat an honor to be voted winner! Thank you, to all jurors!
Also I would like to say that all the trees you showed in the post looked magnificent.
Yes, I think I can now call myself the 'tinsel king'....or tinsel freak if you like...
It started real early in life. Leave it up to mum and dad……The family tree was always too small, the lights too few and too bright, the decorations crap. My parents would never listen to me…..So as soon as I had any money I took care of all those problems. Bought the biggest tree that could fit in our living room. Bought A LOT of strings of the correct lights ( with 800 lights it needed a dimmer of course!) Got the nicer ornaments and a truck load of TINSEL. Back then you could find the right kind of tinsel everywhere. It was the ‘lead tinsel’. Now they do not sell it anymore because of ‘health issues’ in producing and handling the lead, so you need to find good alternatives, but be critical. As long as it will fall vertical in a decent way, it should work. Forget the plastic tinsel packages that are all scrunched up….they will never straighten again.
As commenter Cleo already mentioned there are a few things that are important. Yes, the tree should best have layers instead of the typical FULL tree. A layered tree is more classical, will allow you hang all your decorations the way they are supposed to…..to hang free, not lean against another branch.
Order of work; First the lights. Then the balls and decoration. Then the garlands ( always garlands with NO metal wire in it) And then take 2 weeks to hang the tinsel! It won’t take that long. It just needs some attention. Start at the top. Put as much as possible on each branch, spread it over the branch. It should not touch the layer of branches below it. If it does….just cut it off where it spills on the branch below. Step back every now and then and check if you see a ‘serious bold spot’ and correct it. Work your way down the tree and you will see your tree get that super elegant look. It is the vertical lines that make it elegant. Same with trees that have hanging/drooping branches you see in gardens and parks….they make a statement of elegance.
Ellie mentioned that I would buy my tree lights in the US to use it on my tree in Europe. ( US has 110V, Europe 220V) Let me elaborate on that a bit.
We had good lights in Europe. I bought lights in the States for a special reason. At the time, when I lived in the States ( the 80’s) the twinkling lights became available in the States before they hit Europe. I was fascinated with the twinklers. I had to bring that home with me to Europe/Netherlands and put it in my tree. So I did. 1200 twinklers in one tree. Had to buy a big ass converter to be able to make the lights go on…and a dimmer of course. Have idea how much light comes of 1200, 3watt bulbs!!. Placed the tree so every one could see it. It was the talk of the town. Everybody asked me where I got the lights. Sorry….not from here….very exclusive…..had it flewn in…..ooooh weee…..
Then my heart broke when two years later, the twinklers hit the European stores. There goes my exclusive tree. Oh well…..I was over the twinklers anyways. The novelty had worn off. So it was back to classic and simple elegance again. But always tinsel….so timeless…..Happy Holidays ya’ll.
RON
Love this! And the stress! My favorite is the little baby tree--so sweet and innocent. Have a super day! Glad to see that you are back in fine shape. xoxo Mary
ReplyDeleteHi Ellie, great choice for first prize, actually they are all very pretty.
ReplyDeleteMajor envy here, finally getting tree today, how did this happen ... So late, will end up with a Charlie Brown tree.
No contest next year??? OK, may send pic. Anyway. Happy you are blogging once again.
Alex
Stunning! All of them! A really fun contest especially since we get a peek into some fabulous homes. I love that last photo; our daughter is home for the month and the first night we made insanely good pizza and watched Holiday Inn:)
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if the tinsel in the Netherlands is somehow better or different from the stuff they sell here in the USA. The secret must be to using great big clumps of it. I do love it and brings back childhood memories, I think next year I will go a-tinseling. Congrats to Mr. Ron, his trees are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteA feast for the eyes! Just curious, Ellie, how many entries did you get?
ReplyDeleteSO GLAD YOU'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor all those wondering about the tinsel, I'm guessing the stuff in the Netherlands is like what my Grandparents used to get from Germany. It is made with lead in it so it is heavy and that is why it hangs properly and doesn't float around. We called is lameta and to make it look right you have to put every single strand on by hand. Which meant decorating and un-decorating the tree took a full day. But it does look magical, particularly when like I did as a kid you have it with real candles on the tree. That is the smell of christmas, pine trees and candle wax.
ReplyDeleteThe winning tree is amazing with the tinsel. My Mom always put the tinsel on our tree this way, when I was a girl in the 40s and 50s, and yes, it did take her a week to do just the tinsel. I loved the way it looked with all the colored lights. In those days, there were no white twinkle lights. And when the tree came down, the tinsel was taken off the tree very carefully, and wrapped in tissue paper, and saved for the next year. I was lucky enough to find the vintage lead tinsel, but have not used it. I keep it in the boxes it came in, and use it for decor that way, with antique ornaments in a arrangement. All the trees are lovely by the way!
ReplyDeleteThank you for choosing my Homemade Christmas tree…so many years of memories so I was thrilled!! All the trees were stunning so I felt honored to be in such amazing company!! The best part of your blog however was seeing yo back in the spirit Ellie!! You go girl! Have a very merry and joyous Christmas to you and your family and your caregivers and all your amazing friends.
ReplyDelete