Christmas tree

Emirates Hotel In Abu Dhabi Unveils $11 Million Christmas Tree

Christmas is being celebrated with extravagance at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The hotel, which is one of the world's most expensive, has unveiled an $11 million Christmas tree. The artificial tree is over 42 feet tall and is decorated with silver and gold bows, ball-shaped ornaments and small white lights.

Christmas is being celebrated with extravagance at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The hotel, which is one of the world's most expensive, has unvieled an $11 million Christmas tree. The artificial tree is over 42 feet tall and is decorated with silver and gold bows, ball-shaped ornaments and small white lights.

Tags: abu dhabi, christmas tree, emirates hotel, most expensive

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Expensive Ways To Trim Your Tree

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Some folks like a restrained tree. Some go for tinsel, lights and anything that glitters, flashes or sparkles. Some people chose monochromatic themes each year, others delight in a hodgepodge of family ornaments from years gone by. For those who really want to spend on distinctive ornaments we offer this small list of some of the most expensive ornaments of the season, starting with this oversized ornament by Natalie Sarabella. Sarabella specializes in elaborately decorated glass ornaments that are handpainted. This wreath design is embellished with Swarovski elements in the form of a Christmas wreath and measures six inches across. Signed by the artist, Natalie Sarabella, each is presented in a lush green velvet gift box and sells for $320 at Neiman Marcus.

Tags: christmas tree, christmas tree ornaments

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NYC Street Vendor Hawks $900 Christmas Trees

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Holiday Guides

NYC Street Vendor Hawks $900 Christmas Trees

The Daily News reported that a lot in the heart of SoHo is selling jumbo-sized Christmas trees at prices to match. Scott Lechner, 53, charges as much as $900 for trees he ships from the Blue Mountains in North Carolina to his temporary business on Sixth Avenue and Spring Street. "A regular tree is beautiful, but one of our jumbos is majestic," Lechner says in the News. "It's not just a tree, it's an experience. And it's worth every penny."

Not all the trees are as much as $900. A 12-foot Fraser fir retails for about $400; it's a 17-footer that goes for $900. Lechner claims his clients have been celebrities, a Facebook executive, and SoHo residents. He notes that his prices are high because the trees come to his lot within 96 hours of being cut. But the News reports -- fueling the fire in the battle of the boroughs -- that the same types of trees can be found at a fraction of the price in Brooklyn.

The question that still nags at me is this: Who in New York has space for a 17-foot tree? I mean, obviously not counting the celebs, execs, and SoHo folks. I guess they all own two-floor apartments where the lower-level apartment ceiling has been removed, or the elusive brownstone.

Tags: Christmas, Christmas tree, Christmas trees, holiday, holidays, New York, New York City, SoHo

A Guide to Finding the Christmas Tree of Your Dreams

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Holiday Guides

Real or artificial? Frasier Fir or Scotch Pine? When it comes to picking out the perfect Christmas tree the little details matter and there are more options now than ever before. Overwhelmed, confused, or just plain frustrated? Read our handy guide on Christmas tree basics and you'll be putting up the tree of your dreams in no time flat.

Real or Artificial?
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want a real tree or an artificial one. Today's artificial trees look and feel very realistic, are convenient to unpack and setup year after year, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes (including colored and pre-lit) so you can get exactly the look you want with minimal effort. Artificial trees also never drop needles or need to be watered. Real Christmas trees on the other hand do require more daily upkeep but they also smell great, create a certain ambiance with their unique and natural character, and offer the richly traditional experience of going out to the lot or tree farm to be picked out fresh year after year.

Size and Shape
Tall and skinny, short and fat, pencil or upside-down, the size and shape of your Christmas tree will have a great impact on how it looks in your home. Plan where the tree will go and take measurements of the space to make keeping track of size and scale easier when you're out shopping. Also think about your decorating style: do you like trees where ornaments dangle freely and lights twinkle through or do you prefer tight, dense branches where ornaments drape along the outside? Pyramid-shaped trees (Frasier Fir, Noble Fir, Douglas Fir) are generally taller and more open while cone-shaped ones (Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce) are of a shorter, denser persuasion. Other options include tall and narrow pencil trees (usually artificial), which have a contemporary look and are perfect for tight spaces, and of course the ever-curious upside-down tree that's specially designed to use minimal floor space.

Tags: christmas, christmas tree, decor-pedia

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Luxist Giveaway: Green Valley Christmas Trees Noble Fir

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

We can't get enough of the big holiday giveaways. Today we are giving away a Green Valley Christmas Tree. You buy gifts online, why not the tree? GreenValleyChristmasTrees.com enables holiday shoppers to purchase their live Christmas trees quickly, easily and from the comfort of their home or office online. It can be a big timesaver. Imagine-- no traffic, no long lines, no heavy lifting and no scratches on the car. The tree arrives via FedEx, packed in a moisture-resistant carton. The trees are chosen for their perfect shape and have no bald spots. They are harvested the same day that they ship for maximum freshness (as opposed to lot trees which could have been cut weeks ago). Choose from Noble Firs, Fraser Firs and White Pines. Trees start at $89.99 and real Christmas wreaths start at $34.99 so you can decorate your whole house with just a few quick steps.

We are giving away one 6.5-7' Layered Noble Fir (retail value $154.99) to one lucky reader who enters in the comments below.

GreenValleyChristmasTrees.com is also offering a special discount for Luxist readers-- 10% off sitewide. The code is LUXIST and it expires at 11:59pm PT 12/1/10

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below sharing your favorite holiday memory.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before November 29, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Green Valley Christmas Tree, 6.5-7' Layered Noble Fir with a retail value of $154.99.
* Open to legal residents of the continental United States (no Alaska or Hawaii) and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: christmas tree, green valley christmas tree, holiday giveaways, holiday shopping, luxist giveaway

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Luxist Giveaway: Win A Balsam Hill Christmas Tree

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

We had so much giving away a Balsam Hill artificial Christmas tree last year that we are doing it again. This year's tree is the Balsam Hill Colorado Mountain Spruce, a tree that features the delicate and soft True Needle tips with dense foliage that echoes the spruce trees of the Rocky Mountains. Ornament lovers take note, this tree is particularly well suited to displaying a large number of ornaments (particularly if they are 4" or less in height), because the branches and layered structure create abundant nooks and crannies to show off all of your favorite decorations.

The Colorado Mountain Spruce is an exquisite addition to any Christmas home. Luxist is giving away a 7.5' Colorado Mountain Spruce from Balsam HIll. The 56-inch tree comes complete with clear lights. No wrestling with light strands, nothing to water, no need to worry about needles dropping everywhere, no bare patches to turn toward the wall and you can leave it up as long as you like without fear of drooping. Your holiday decorating couldn't be simpler. This tree retails for $799 and the company offers free shipping.

To win tell us why you need a little extra holiday magic this year in the comments below.

Some other important details:
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Monday November 15, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the 7.5' Balsam Hill Colorado Mountain Spruce with clear lights, valued at $799.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.

See complete rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: artificial christmas tree, artificial christmas trees, balsam hill artificial christmas trees, christmas tree, luxist giveaway

Christmas in the White House: Presidential Trees Throughout the Years

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Beautifully decorated Christmas Trees are a longstanding tradition in the White House. The first known decorated, indoor Christmas Tree was displayed in the Yellow Oval Room during the Benjamin Harrison administration.

Jacqueline Kennedy launched the tradition of thematic Christmases in the White House in which the First Family chooses a motif in which to highlight. In 1961, First Lady Kennedy chose to decorate the White House Christmas Tree with a "Nutcracker" theme derived from the Tchaikovsky ballet. The tree was decorated with toys, birds and angels (see gallery).

Themes for White House Christmas Trees throughout the years have ranged from the Regan's theme of Mother Goose theme in 1986 to "Home for the Holidays", which was the Bush theme in 2001 (see above).

This year, the Obama's Official White House Christmas Tree is a beautiful Douglas Fir from Shepardston, West Virginia (see gallery). According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the Blue Room Christmas Tree was officially presented to First Lady Michelle Obama by Christmas Tree growers Eric and Gloria Sundback. The Sundbacks earned this honor by winning the National Christmas Tree Association's (NCTA) national Christmas Tree contest held in August 2009 in Chattanooga, Tenn., and becoming Grand Champions.

While there are typically several Christmas Trees on display throughout the White House during the holiday season, the one located in the Blue Room is traditionally the "official" tree. Members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room since 1966. For decorating ideas, see "Tips for Decorating your Christmas Tree".

Gallery: White House Christmas Trees Through the Years

Tags: christmas, christmas tree, president, president bush, PresidentObama, white house

Win A Green Valley Christmas Tree!

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

We had so much fun with our first Christmas tree giveaway that we are doing it again, this time with a live tree. Online retailer GreenValleyChristmasTrees.com offers hand-selected, fresh Christmas trees shipped right to your door. They offer tree varieties are based on the most popular Christmas tree styles in the U.S. and are offered in sizes from 4' to 9' with free shipping. Tree varieties include the popular Fraser Fir and Noble Fir, as well as White Pine. The trees are shipped the same day they are harvested to ensure the maximum freshness and longevity. Given the proper tree care, GreenValleyChristmasTrees.com customers can expect their tree to last 4-6 weeks. Customers can have a fresh Noble or Fraser Fir delivered to their door for around $150, depending on size. Trees are individually selected to meet premium standards, then harvested, wrapped, packaged in a sturdy carton and sent via FedEx. Trees should arrive in 3-5 business days and expedited shipping will be available. Trees can be ordered until December 21 for those who like to leave things to the last minute.

We are giving away a seven-foot Fraser Fir, America's most popular tree. The tree is 6.5-7-feet (trees come in six inch increments) and it retails for $154.99. Shipping takes 3-5 days.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before December 7, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a Green Valley Christmas Tree, valued at $154.99.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Source

Tags: christmas tree, ChristmasTree, giveaway, green valley christmas tree, GreenValleyChristmasTree

Win A Balsam Hill Christmas Tree!

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The holiday season is upon us and it's time to trim the tree. To help one lucky reader get in the holiday spirit, Luxist is giving away a BH Noble Fir tree from Balsam HIll. The 56-inch tree has sturdy branches which have been crafted to mimic the look of real branches. The gray-green color match the look of natural trees and the branches are designed to support the weight of ornaments. The tree comes complete with Candlelight™ LED clear lights. Unlike traditional LEDs, the Candlelight LEDs provide a warm soft glow just like traditional lights while offering energy savings. The tree has a classic teardrop profile with open, slightly downward-sloping branches for the perfect symmetrical Christmas silhouette. Nothing to water, no need to worry about needles dropping everywhere and no bare patches to turn toward the wall. To win tell us why you need a little extra holiday magic this year.

Some other important details:
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Tuesday December 1, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Balsam Hill Noble Fir, valued at $829.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.

See complete rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Source

Tags: balsam hill, BalsamHill, christmas tree, ChristmasTree, giveaway, luxist giveaway, LuxistGiveaway

World's Most Expensive Christmas Tree

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Holiday Guides

On display in Osaka, Japan is one pricey holiday trinket. The 24K gold tree glistens with 240 jewels including diamond baubles and a string of pearls bringing its value to £1 million. Sitting in Ginza Tanaka jewelry shop, it luxuriously beckons patrons to keep the holiday shopping spirit alive even with the gloom of tough economic times. Mimicked after a fir with five golden tiers it took four filigree artists three months to fashion the 1.5 meter tall tree. The glittering pine will remain on display until Christmas Day after which it will be available for purchase.

[via A Rinkya Blog]

Gallery: Golden Christmas Tree

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Tags: christmas tree, ChristmasTree, expensive christmas tree, ExpensiveChristmasTree, japan, most expensive christmas tree, MostExpensiveChristmasTree, osaka, osaka japan, OsakaJapan

The Flatpack Christmas Tree

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Green

I'm all for live, green, piney-smelling needle-dropping Christmas trees myself, but if you're not then this Flatpack Christmas Tree might be an interesting option. I'm not sure what kind of home decor this sort of tree would look best in -- I'm thinking something contemporary, but it's awfully plain and unexciting looking. And how do you decorate it? I have to say I think it makes one ugly Christmas tree, but as a general decor item it could be really cool. Available from Büro North in 3 sizes ranging from 1' to 7.5' it may be eco-friendly but that doesn't mean it's cheap: $1414 for the full-sized version.

Via Gizmodo

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Tags: Christmas, Christmas tree, ChristmasTree, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, EnvironmentallyFriendly, Flatpack, green, holidash

Steve Quick Gold and Diamond Christmas Tree

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity

Steve Quick Jeweler becomes the latest company to create a diamond Christmas tree. The Quick tree is made of five pounds of solid 18K gold (which is reclaimed gold) with diamond-briolette ornaments and a layer of 200 carats of diamonds that form a glittering dusting of snow. The tree is topped with a 4.52 carat stone set in a platinum star. Steve Quick Jewelers estimates the tree at being valued over $500,000 (making it cheaper than the $1.8 million tree we saw recently). The tree is being unveiled at the Steve Quick store in Chicago on December 7th and will be on display in the store throughout the season. Starting on December 17th the tree will be auctioned off on eBay with 100% of the profits going to the American Cancer Society.

If the tree is too expensive for your budget you could pick up mini versions of the tree in sterling silver or gold-plated for $25 or in 14K gold for $195.

[via National Jeweler Network]

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Tags: christmas tree, ChristmasTree, diamond christmas tree, gold christmas tree, holidash, holiday tree, HolidayTree, steve quick

Thames Glass Gift Box Ornament

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Matthew Buechner of Thames Glass in Newport, Rhode Island has been a glassblower for over 20 years. At Thames Glass he designs all the prototypes and trains a team glassmakers in the art of handcrafted glass. This gift box ornament is just one of the beautiful and delicate ornaments that comes out of the Thames Glass studio. This ruby ornament with gold leaf sells for $44.

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Tags: christmas tree, glass, handblown glass, holidash, holiday, ornament

The Upside-Down Wall Christmas Tree

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Holiday Guides

Previous years have brought a variety of Christmas tree trends including the black Christmas tree and the upside-down Christmas tree. Now meet the upside-down wall tree. This four-foot tree from Hammacher Schlemmer can be suspended on the upper part of walls or in a ceiling corner. The tree's tips are made of PVC, and it is pre-strung with bright white commercial lights rated for 3,000 hours of operation. The inverted shape lets the ornaments hang away from the needles. It attaches to a ceiling using its built-in hooks. It sells for $139.95.

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Tags: christmas tree, holidash, prelit christmas tree

The Diamond Christmas Tree

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

For just about every holiday the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo comes up with something lavishly excessive. For Christmas the Japanese department store is offering a Christmas tree with 400 diamonds. The tree doesn't look like any traditional tannenbaum, it is a small tower of preserved roses with 100 carats of diamonds from southern Africa and Australia. The tree sells for 200.7 million yen (around $1.8 million) and comes with the matching little red teddy bear. The tree is based on a design by Parisian flower boutique Claude Quinquaud and looks to contain bracelets, earrings, and butterfly pins as well as a necklace on the teddy bear.

Gallery: The Diamond Christmas Tree