Archive for the ‘Mr Greentrees’ Category

Predicting Holiday Trends

Posted on: January 30th, 2017 by admin

In January, Halloween and Christmas seem like they’re a million years away. After all, many of us are still recovering from the holiday season and trying to balance daily life with the lofty New Year’s Resolutions we’ve committed to (until at least February 1). Over here, however, we’re already looking forward to our next season after spending last week at the Las Vegas Winter Market.

One of our favorite things about putting together our boutiques each year is deciding on an overall aesthetic for the season. At trade conventions and design shows, we get an opportunity to see all of the available holiday merchandise months before it hits the stores and catalogues, and it’s our job to sort through it to  figure out what will hit most with our customers months down the line.

Winter design for 2017 is shaping up to be a comfy, cozy affair if the major trends in Las Vegas are to be believed. Given the internet’s preoccupation with “Scandi” decorating and “hygge,” “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being” (and UK’s runner-up word of the year in 2016), it’s a fair bet. Here are a few things we see happening for winter 2017:

1. White and grey everywhere

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/153896512245696731/

2. Soft metallics (especially rose gold, champagne, and muted silvers)

https://keep.com/hue-ornaments-iced-metallic-set-set-of-24/p/4dCtangAnC/

3. Muted colors

http://www.laddersa.com/Decorations/scandi-christmas-decorations.tree

4. Glitter

http://www.sortra.com/30-sparkling-gold-and-silver-christmas-decorations/

5. Gnomes!

https://scandinavianshoppe.com/products/scandinavian-fabric-gnomes-3-1-4.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA_KvEBRCtzNil4-KR-LIBEiQAmgekF5Bivk5YBZZ57sy-qkWqNiNNroq50pw3gyRYQQB2da8aAmH18P8HAQ

What trends do you see hitting big this year? Let us know in the comments!

(Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

How to Decorate for Christmas in the City

Posted on: December 17th, 2016 by admin

Sometimes when you live in a big city like Los Angeles or New York, it can be tough to imagine getting a real tree into your apartment or loft, but we are here to tell you that you can! Why opt for a fake tree when you can have a real one delivered from Mr. Greentrees, nothing puts you into the Holiday spirit quite like a real tree does (plus they smell delightful). Before you head down to the tree lot just be sure to measure your ceilings and your doorway so you can be sure that the tree you get will fit your space.

Try keeping it simple, odds are if you live in an apartment you don’t have a ton of storage space, which likely means you don’t have a ton of decorations in boxes. So why not go for the minimalist approach that’s been all over the blog-o-sphere this year? We are loving how Mr. Greentrees employee, Laura-Elise Barrett decorated her downtown loft with one of our silver tip trees!

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We sat down with Laura to ask what her inspirations were when this year:

What made you want to get a real tree this year?

L : I’ve been doing social media for Mr. Greentrees and seeing all the cute ways people have been decorating and I really wanted one! I have never had my own tree since I’ve been an adult because decorating seemed kind of pointless when you live alone but this year I wanted to really get in the spirit.

Did you have ornaments or did you have to go buy them?

I didn’t actually, but my mom just moved to Seattle so she was getting rid of a ton of stuff from her house so she packed me a cute little box of ones she thought I’d like. It was cute. (That said I only have a few)

Did you plan to keep it minimal?

You know, I didn’t really have a choice, I only own the one box of ornaments and a Santa hat, but I live in a very modern looking loft space so it kind of works. I planned on going and buying lights for the tree but then I remembered that my cat is crazy and would probably destroy the tree trying to play with the cords so I opted out. I’m really happy with how it looks without them though.

Why did you pick a silver tip tree? 

I was looking for inspiration on pinterest and everything I liked involved a silver tip. I really like the uneven spacing, I just think they look really cool and different.

Are you glad you got a real tree?

Definitely! My apartment smells amazing.

 

(All photos taken by @AlyciaCreative)

 

All About Chanukah!

Posted on: December 5th, 2016 by admin

latkes

Many people associate the month of December with Christmas, but for others it is all about Chanukah! Some people (like myself) even get to celebrate BOTH. This year Chanukah starts on Christmas Eve so what better way to combine the two than to celebrate with delicious food? Some of my favorite December memories growing up are associated with the food and games at Chanukah. Playing dreidel with my cousins to win gelts while my aunt made her famous matzo ball soup is something I will never forget.

As an adult, when started celebrating Chanukah on my own, I asked some of my family members for their Chanukah recipes and was shocked to find out that pretty much the whole time they were using Manischewitz boxed mixes for just about everything. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, in fact to this day the boxed latke mix is very nostalgic to me, that said, I wanted to experiment with some more refined recipes. So I did what anyone would do and took to Google. After a couple hundred trials and errors (mostly errors) I think I have finally found my go to Chanukah menu and I’d love to share it with you.

  • Lox Bagel Bites– I love lox and cream cheese on a bagel, so I put my own little twist on it and started making bagel “bites” as an appetizer and I have yet to hear a complaint. The recipe is simple, cut mini bagels in half, toast in either a toaster oven or on the stove & let cool. Then spread cream cheese on top, add lox and some fresh dill or capers and you have a perfectly simple appetizer that everyone will love.
  • Latkes- It’s not Chanukah without the latkes, but I have since put down the box and opted for the homemade version. This recipe from Kosher in the Kitchen found here has become my go to. Keep it classic and serve with sour cream and chives or apple sauce, or try my personal favorite and serve with a paprika hollandaise sauce! Recipe found here.
  • Multi Veggie Kugel- Get your veggies in here with this amazing recipe, also from Kosher in the Kitchen, it is so good even the kids will eat it right up. Find the recipe here.
  • Roasted Lamb with Sausage Crust and Fresh Grape Pan Sauce- Instead of brisket, I have started to go for lamb around the holidays, this recipe has never steered me wrong (although, it does take a few tries to master so I recommend trying it out before serving it at a holiday party) you can find the recipe here.

Don’t forget the chocolate gelts for the kids (or yourself, you know, whatever) and the candles for the menorah and you’ll be sure to have an incredible Chanukah party that everyone will enjoy!

How did RED & GREEN become the colors of Christmas?

Posted on: December 23rd, 2015 by admin

In pagan Rome, the festival of Saturnalia was celebrated right around the time of the winter solstice. On the last day of the festivities, gifts, tied up with holly were exchanged. The red berries on the leaves symbolized the return of light.

In many parts of Europe during the middle ages, Paradise Plays were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who were illiterate. The paradise tree in the play was normally a green pine tree, adorned with red apples, and later, red roses.

Mr. Green Merry Christmas Card