Southern Accents

It is with TOTAL DISCLOSURE – and Liza’s blessing – that I offer today’s post about my brother-in-law’s local, seasonal business, Santa’s Trees. Nepotism aside, we would write about him anyway, as he is just the type of story we LOVE to blog about: local, passionate, and excellent at what he does.

One reason I knew that Liza would not exercise her veto power is because my brother-in-law, Jim McLeod, is a total entrepreneur.  For those of you who don’t know Liza “the Entrepreneur” Graves personally,  I can vouch for her drive and determination to bring new ideas to the marketplace.  And, she absolutely applauds anyone with her same tenacity.  And, she applauds Jim.

As this post is about garland, wreaths and trees, I am also including some of our favorite ways to decorate with such gorgeous greenery.

So here goes the story of Santa’s Trees:

Santa’s Trees was started in 1984 by my brother-in-law when he was 17 years old and still in high school.  His Mom and Dad, Shirley and Jim, even pitched in on weekends to be sure that the money was safe and that the buddies he recruited to help out were actually doing the work!  Year after year, he interrupted his college or work commitments to take off a month and sell Christmas trees.  25 years later, Santa’s Trees now has five large lots and is the largest independent Christmas tree seller in Middle Tennessee. But the main reason I am devoting this entire post to Santa’s Trees is because Jim is selling the absolute most GORGEOUS garlands and wreaths you’ll find in Nashville.

Jim, owner of Santa's Trees.

Garland

Let’s start with the garland.  In my opinion, the most beautiful homes at Christmas are decorated with REAL greenery: evergreen garland with magnolia leaf accents, plus holly berries and pine cones to add color and texture. If nothing else, the smell makes it Christmas.  If that’s your idea of an attractive holiday combination, then your first stop needs to be Santa’s Trees to get the garland to lay the base.  This is the type of garland you would normally order from an expensive floral shop or have shipped in from New York.

The garland comes in four options:

1) Light combination of white pine and Fraser fir for $1/foot

2) White pine and Fraser fir in a heavier weight for $3/foot

3) Solid boxwood for $3/foot

4) Multi-mix of white pine, Frasier fir, boxwood and arborvitae (simply gorgeous) for $7/foot.

The garland is made in North Carolina and shipped in fresh each week!  A shipment arrived yesterday.

Don't be afraid to put garland in unexpected places. Southern Living Dec 2009: Genia Gilchrist's home.

Southern Accents

Country Living

Genia Gilchrist's home shows the beauty of live garland in Southern Living Magazine Dec '09

Wreaths

Now about the wreaths. The wreaths are handmade on-site at the Santa’s Trees lots, and are sized from 16″ to 48″. They come in three types: Fraser Fir, Boxwood, and Premium Mix, which is a combination of greenery.  Special orders  are available.  The wreaths are priced from $20-70, depending on the type of greenery and the size of the wreaths.  They are beautiful. PROMISE.

Santa's Trees: an example of a beautiful, fresh wreath

Trees

The actual Christmas trees can range from tabletop up to 12′.  Most of the trees sold are Fraser Fir and they smell wonderful.  As the trees are cut and shipped to the lot each week, you are getting the freshest trees in town.  So, when Christmas morning arrives and you’re gathered around the tree to open presents, you won’t feel like you need to call the Fire Marshall to make sure you’re going to be safe through the eggnog portion of the day.  Tree prices are based on height. Tall trees are costly, because of the growing time, but they are worth the money.

Most importantly, Santa’s Trees will deliver and set up you tree!

Mistletoe

If you are a romantic, fresh mistletoe is available along with fresh-cut holly and magnolia.  Tree stands are sold on sight and can save your marriage.  Jim has deemed his stand the straight tree stand: it’s guaranteed to stand straight, not fall and last forever.  If you don’t buy the tree stand, then be sure to buy some mistletoe.

Finally, for everyone who registers on the Santa’s Trees website (www.santastrees.com) by Friday morning (GO SIGN UP!  THAT’S TOMORROW!), Santa’s Trees will be giving away 25 Christmas trees for FREE to celebrate the organization’s 25th birthday.

And not that this matters in the least, but Jim is the proud father of five children and every tree he sells goes to a great cause, keeping his little peeps fed!

Santa’s Trees Locations:

You can read more about Genia Gilchrist and her holiday decorating ideas in Southern Living Magazine.

© 2009 – 2010, StyleBlueprint. All rights reserved.

Norman, the store manager

Gilchrist & Gilchrist sounds important:  a law office perhaps, a name you may find tucked away on a street corner in London or maybe even in the quaint town of  Bath, England.  In Nashville, the name belongs to a darling shop located in an equally charming cottage in Berry Hill.   Once you step inside, I think you’ll be glad you made the trek.

You will probably read more about this in future posts, but my house is on the Home Tour in the Whitland neighborhood.  Help! Gulp!  For me, with three small daughters, the word “home tour” makes me break out in hives.  Speaking of the word break, once you sign on the dotted line to show your home, everything in your house begins to BREAK.  It’s as if the VOODOO doll was dropped on your doorstep to invite in evil spirits.

With the Home Tour in mind, I dropped by Gilchrist & Gilchrist to look for some pillow shams to match my comforter, which I freely admit is gorgeous.  I still had some birthday money yet to spend and I really want pillows shams so my bed will look OH SO COMPLETE for the HOME TOUR.  Money spent.

wonderful frames in all sizes

unique gift items are everywhere

Genia Gilchrist has a eye for all things white & whimsical

How fun is this lamp shade?

Gilchrist & Gilchrist carries several lines of lovely linens; all can be custom ordered in any shade you can imagine.  I ordered a gorgeous soft, muted pale blue linen sham with a euro sham in  cream which I plan to embroider with my initials ( just in case a thief breaks in and tries  to steal it.)  Some of the brands Gilchrist & Gilchrist  carry are Pine Cone Hill, Bella Notte, Papillion and Pom-Pom. All are simply wonderful.

Probably what I love most about the shop is the sense of rhythm and pace you feel once you walk in the door.   Genia Gilchrist  has a refined eye for all things white, especially her white furniture and accessories.  Even more welcoming is her refined eyes FOR ALL THINGS WHIMSICAL.

My personal favorite is her new lamp shades by Cake Rocket a fantastic artist from Texas.   They also sell organic cleaning products from Maison Belle that are so safe for the environment that you can drink them. Maybe you want to hold off on that taste test, but I think you get the idea.

Maison Belle Products are environmentally safe

Best of all, Norman (see picture above) almost always  greats you at the door, eager to provide for your every need. A couple of dog biscuits and a belly scratch may get you the sister-in-law deal!

Gilchrist & Gilchrist
2823 Bransford Avenue
Nashville, TN  37204
615.385.2122

© 2009 – 2010, StyleBlueprint. All rights reserved.