Reining in the Tree
Monday, December 04, 2006
Saturday, as DG walked onto the tree lot, he immediately picked out our tree. Within moments it was on the roof of the car as we headed home.
DG always wants more lights that is humanly possible for the tree to hold. He started in a circular pattern around the tree. After 20 minutes of attempting to wrap 15 strands of lights in no particular order, I took a step back and saw, what I can only describe as a bad lighting display. When he headed to the bathroom, I turned up the Christmas music, tip toed to the tree, and regimented unfun Christy unwrapped the entire tree and rewrapped it again. This time, it was done the proper Martha Stewart way, creating the effect of a 3 dimensional tree. It was then that DG took his post behind the camera and took all of the standard pictures of us decorating. You can see all the ghosts of Christmas past on his blog here.
Traditionally, when I was growing up, we only used the large colored bulbs on the tree. My mom would buy the tree, my dad and brother would string the lights, and then my mom and I would decorate the tree, remarking on all of the wonderful ornaments, who made them, and where they came from. Here is last year's Ornament Post detailing their histories.
I have followed suit with my own traditions, though this year DG wanted all white lights on the tree. I can feel my mother cringing from here. It's ok mom, part of marriage is compromise. I'm giving him white lights this year, and only red/white/or silver ornaments, but he has to take out the trash for all of 2007. Oh wait, he already does that. He has to mow the lawn and clean the bathroom for the rest of our lives. Crap, he already does that too. I'm not sure what DG is going to compromise yet, but I'll let you know.
Labels: christmas
By AllBeehive Monday, December 04, 2006
9 Comments:
I can't wait to see your finished tree!
We had planned on getting a tree this weekend, but I got a killer head cold. Yich. Not my idea of a fun weekend. Mark wants to get a fake tree, but I insist on a real one! the kitties love it! And it smells so good!
maybe you need two trees - one martha stewart white and one with real color
i'm with your mom, get two trees. one that looks 'perfect' (ehem, fake?), and the other steeeped in character and tradition. better yet, why don't dg and jp get together and have a tree, and you and i can our own as well... a hodge podge from the good ol days from clarkson st
:)
i would love two trees. but then the yellow couch would have to go on the back patio. oh, a bigger house. dear santa......
What is the Martha Stewart method? I always put lights vertically near the trunk first. Then I wrap the tree in S curves (instead of going around in the same direction for the whole tree.)
We just switched back to colored lights after Nathan was born. For most of our married life it's been white lights, red bows and candy canes, and a few ornaments. Now we're doing colored lights and the ornament collection is growing. It's definately looking more and more like the trees of my youth, but I swear I'm staying away from the tinsel.
oops, that's me
What the heck Big Sis.
As we can all see in those horrible
Christmas videos from years past, I also strung up the lights with Dad.. Me and my high-pitched voice..
Give me some credit...
The finished tree is on DGs site. As much as I love decorating the tree, the frasier firs are $$$. It kills me to just buy one, much less two, and where would it go? It would end up in the bedroom and DG would be hanging his clothes off of it at the end of the day.
What I call the Martha Stewart method includes wrapping the tree horizontally with lights. But at each branch level, decorate each branch front to back with lights, giving the effect of a dimensional lighting display. This is in contrast to just running circular strands around the tree.
Mikey, I have edited the post to include you. What?!? I wasn't an only child?
I think Cynthia is very smart with her ideas - particularly the "steeped with character and tradition" -- and yes I was also going to say that selective memory was at work if you forgot your brother was right there with you.
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