Taking Down the Christmas Tree!

Wow, I haven't been able to visit many Christmas blogs lately, but I'm going to do that today! I've been very busy as I'm sure all of you have been with Thanksgiving last week and decorating for the holidays. We decorated the outside of our house Sat. and Sun. and it looks so pretty. I plopped into my recliner Sunday evening and told my hubby that's it...time to rest for the evening...or wait...how could I even think that might happen....rest...what's that??? I was admiring the Christmas tree and noticed the middle section looked rather dark...NO TELL ME I'M SEEING THINGS!! My tree has been up since the week before Thanksgiving and I had some light problems that I posted about Here. I didn't like that I had to string extra lights on those bottom four branches that just would not light up for anything, but we really didn't want to go out and spend money on another tree that seems to last for three or four years and ends up having sections of lights go out (this happened to us before, this is why we ended up with this tree). That part of the tree was facing the wall so it wouldn't be so noticeable. Well, my eyes were not deceiving me!! Hubby said he didn't think it looked bad and string more lights around it as we were not getting another tree! A few things were wrong with this statement. When I put the lights around the bottom branches, the tree wasn't already decorated! While you are sitting there watching me try to figure out where the problem is with the lights on this section, what about the next section that could go out before Christmas. Maybe by Christmas I'll have a tree that's barely lit!! My daughter stopped in to visit and she said it wasn't real noticeable....c'mon...I NOTICED IT!!! I stewed about it for a while and then like a light bulb lighting up, I knew what I had to do. My daughter and I were in the kitchen and I told her hubby says no more trees, but that while he was at work, I was getting up very early Monday morning to take the tree down so I could go and get another one and have it up by the time he got home from work. She said I was crazy for taking it down as it was so much work for me to put it up and it looked so pretty and that I was OCD!!!!! Me....OCD! I'll admit I'm a bit of a perfectionist which I am working on, but OCD?

Well anyway, I did get up at 7:00 Monday morning, brought up all of my storage containers from the basement again, took the decorations off of the tree, laid them all over the place, took apart the tree and stuffed it into a big box, took a shower, dressed, and off to Kmart I went.

Picture from http://tiffy40.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/.

I was not going to spend a huge amount of money on a tree again that's probably going to give me another headache down the road. These last two trees we bought were $300 trees!! I was hoping I would not have to go farther than Kmart. I was not in the best of moods. I went in and checked out their trees which were all on sale. I had my eye on one, but just wasn't sure if I really liked it, after all, this is the one that will be in my living room for Christmases to come! Of course no one was there to help, so I had to go to electronics to ask if someone could help me in the Christmas dept. I decided on a 7.5 pine tree from Jacklyn Smith. It came with a revolving tree stand...my sister-in law said that's just another problem waiting to happen...but I can live with a tree that doesn't revolve!! I just want the lights to work! That's the kind of stand it came with! I wanted the one with colored lights and Bill had to go to the stock room to get it as I waited. He came back and put the huge box in my cart. O.K. Dorothy, here's your tree, now I'm thinking to myself are you sure this is the one you want....hmmm...I walked round and round looking at it not knowing for sure if I really liked it! Then I got to thinking that when they put those trees together for display, they really don't do a very good job at shaping them and I think that's what was holding me up. I know I could make this tree look really pretty just by shaping it the right way!! So I bought it and asked if someone could put it in my SUV...luckily it actually fit in the back seat! I had to drag it into the house through the front door, opened the box, set it up, shaped all of the branches, decorated it, and it looks beautiful!! Not bad for a tree that was on sale for $139.99. That's a big difference from $300! Hubby came home and said it was a pretty tree and wasn't mad that I had bought another one. I finished decorating the whole tree Tuesday. Monday was a long day and I had to work in the evening. So I'm hoping this tree will last longer than the other two that we had! I made a video of the tree. This is the first video I've ever made and it was from my camera, so the quality might not be the best, but you get the idea. Well, I'm off to visit some Christmas blogs! Have a great weekend everyone!

Christmas Decorating Photos, #3

Well, these are the last of the photos to share. I do have my tree up, but things have been hectic so far this week, and it's still not decorated. I'm going to try and get this done in the next few days. I also have a lot of cleaning to finish since I'm having my family over for Thanksgiving. It seems like things will never get done in time, but somehow it always works out! I have some shopping done, but no presents wrapped yet. This I will need to do soon and get them put under the tree before one of my cats decides to get under the tree and vomit on my tree skirt!! This way they won't be able to get under my tree! I know it's gross, but this is my life and my luck with animals. It's happened before. Also one year my dog thought his mommy actually brought in a tree from outside just so he could pee on it!! This kind of thing happens to me all the time. I could go on and on, but I won't. So, for the pictures......

There are 3 more Jim Shore pieces on this table, the front three, Santa (the small one) Rudolph & Clarice, and Sam the snowman & Rudolph.

The four little snow people are from Jim Shore.

This is a little shelf in the corner of my bathroom. Does anyone else decorate their bathroom for Christmas?

 A friend of mine bought this picture for me for Christmas one year. I love snowmen!!

My sister-in-law made this snowman face and the picture of the snowman above is hanging on the wall next to this. Their faces match somewhat!

 This is another beautiful box that I'll never part with!

Smiley faces....I LOVE THEM!!

This wall hanging was a gift from my brother and his wife.

I love this book! My sister-in-law had this and other things in a beautiful basket that she made for me one year.

This is my little Pepper peeking through the dining room window from the sunporch.

Well that's it! After my tree is done, I'll take pictures of it and post. Hope you all have a nice day!!

Christmas Decorating Photos, # 2

Well, I took out my Christmas tree today and of course it couldn't be as easy as putting it together and actually having it work! I go through this every year having light problems. There were four branches on the bottom that just would not work no matter what we tried to do to correct the problem. Nasty words just seemed to flow from my mouth that I'm not very proud of and didn't fix the problem!! I seemed to be plagued with this same problem year after year replacing 50 lights or so and having sections that don't light up. I bought a Light Keeper Pro repair tool that helps, really helps, with sections of lights that don't work to find the problem, but for some reason those four bottom branches just won't light. What to do?? Stuff the tree back in the box and take it to the nearest dumpster...hmmm...already did that a few years ago, buy a new one...hmmm...already did that too! It's been an exceptionally long day and I wasn't in the mood to do either, so I just turned the four unlit branches to the back of the wall and luckily I had a string of colored lights to wrap through those branches and it doesn't look to shabby. Actually when I get all of the decorations on, it won't be very noticeable. I'm ready to buy an LED Christmas tree next year!! Ugh!!

Here are more pictures. You know I can't believe that I've spent almost two weeks decorating. If I didn't have other things to do, I could have been done by now! Yikes!

Fitz and Floyd Santa cookie jar.

These sugared fruits came in the beautiful box above with the wreath on it. I leave it on top of my hutch all year round. I love decorative boxes.

My daughter bought Ziggy for me many years ago.

Dad and mom made these Santa Clauses for me. They used to enjoy doing wood crafts.

I made this wreath for my back door.

This tree is on my sun porch and is decorated with Thomas Pacconi glass ornaments.

Boyd Bear Santa.

Santa wooden egg my mother made.

My husband bought me the snow family (the one on the right) and the snow lady, above, while he was out Christmas shopping one year and gave it to me as an early surprise. The snowman with the red hat was from my daughter when she was visiting the Cayman Islands.

This snow globe was a gift from a good friend. It dates at "2008."

 Another surprise from my hubby. They were a set of two. The other one is one the opposite side of my TV.

Christopher Radko ornament.

Smaller music boxes.

Well, I have a few more left to show, but I see it's getting time for me to go downstairs and watch Boardwalk Empire on HBO. Love that series! Hope ya had a nice day!