A PixieTip on mini lanterns would seemingly make the most sense to write in May but I’m doing it now because I think they are the way to decorate your lawn this fall or coming holiday season, not to mention easy to do. Plus, strings of lights everywhere on your bushes and trees is so 1985. If you’re aghast that I’m even discussing the holidays pre-Halloween then you are not a Classic (SJ) like me. Please, you know I’ve finished at least a third of my Christmas shopping already.

The idea came to me a few weeks ago at a Stella and Dot cocktail party thrown by our food blogger (Smart Freedom NTP) Amanda Darrach. She has a beautiful backyard garden where she hung these Ikea lights from tree branches. She used tea lights in them and as you can see from the gauzy image, it practically transformed the yard into a magical kingdom where pixies were likely darting to and fro — yes including me. They’re $3.99 each, buy a few per tree and tie them to branches at various heights with twine or wire. Boom. Coolest house on the block.

Now, I realize many people would not want to have to deal with the worry of open flames near tree branches — oh just about every Classic (SJ), Fun (SP), Organic Structure (NFJ), and Smart Structure (NTJ) is thinking that right now. But you can get battery operated tea lights these days. Also, you can get lantern string lights so you can easily turn off and on an entire string of lanterns. But the point is with these lantern lights that you don’t need to put up 50 yards of them and thereby take up an entire day decorating your lawn. Do it on one or two trees. Don’t make life harder than it has to be. A few strategically placed ones as in the above images would be perfect enough for my quietly judgmental seal of approval.