Gordon, on a ladder: I think it’s covered.
Me: Thank you. :Hanging another ornament:
Gordon: You’re going to put more stuff on it?
Me: I still have two boxes.
Gordon: The tree is going to fall over.
Me: No, it won’t.
Gordon: Don’t you want to see an actual tree?
Me: No. I want to see a tree with a bunch of ornaments.
Kid 2, walking in: Hey yous!
Gordon: Help. Your mother has gone crazy.
It’s still not finished. I am trying but work keeps getting in the way.
Where’s the pics?
🙂
Not done yet!
Hahaha! ? ⛄ ❄ ✨ ?
All the ornaments must go on the tree otherwise it becomes a Sophie’s Choice… no little ornament you must go into the box. It’s too sad. Soldier on and decorate that tree!
Oh man, I’m glad I’m not the only person that doesn’t want the left off ornaments to feel sad and lonely.
*snort laughing*
The answer is very simple if you have too many ornaments for your tree you need a second tree.
+1
I think the answer is obvious: get a second, somewhat smaller tree. If this turns out to mean that more ornaments must be acquired to make the second reach the proper level of decoration Gordon established with the first tree, then sacrifices must be made. I know your husband’s happiness is your priority, Ilana. 😉
(The decision then must be made whether to group the two trees picturesquely together, or to place the second one elsewhere in the house — like your office or the family room. I have a girlfriend who has Christmas trees in every room of the house, because she enjoys it so, neatly finessing the question of theme trees vs. sentimental mishmash.)
It clearly needs more ornaments. ?
A few years ago I helped my great aunt put up her Christmas tree. Put all the decorations on it. I spent the following week rearranging the ornaments. She kept telling me it was fine but it had to be perfect!??
I’m the same, I put everything up and then I tweak and tweak some more
My family and I decorate the tree together. Later that night, while they’re all asleep, I sneak in and fix the spacing. *)
Glad you and the family are enjoying decorating in your new home for Christmas! Thank you for sharing the update on tree progress!
You go, and keep going until you love it! =) Gordon, this is a “Yes, dear” time. =)
+1???
That sounds like the kids. This year we have five cats. Plus three kids. I get the feeling we are headed to a disaster. Lol.
It is only a disaster if you think it is. But it does have potential to be a very memoriable year end.
One of my sibs is a glass half empty person not a glass half full person. So my sib sees all these problems that are mundane compared to a true disaster like a volcano erupting thru the living room floor or building burning or earthquake. So whatever happens, happens. Fur grows back. Sutures sites eventually heal as do broken bones. Death is permanent.
The glass isn’t half-empty or half-full. The glass is refillable. Paraphrasing from a tee available at http://www.signals.com which is the shop to support PBS. They have the best shirts.
…or if one of your cats tends to pancreatitis. Honestly I have had many cats for many years and this ONE beats them all out. We cannot have real plants he can reach because he eats EVERYTHING. Then he gets really, really sick. Last time he almost died and we had him on a feeding tube this summer. Needless to say, the decorations are sparse this year and I am bummed out. I have the greenery outdoors for now but I am not happy about it.
There are some beautifull non toxic plants, like the Chrysalidocarpus Lutecens or the Howea Forsteriana. Though the Beaucarnea is my favorite.
Grab some really thin wire or fishing line, tie the tree to the wall at just above the mid-point, and to the baseboards at floor level,,, let the cats climb, all will be well.
It’s worked for me for more than 50 years.
That is hilarious!
Eyebolts permanently attached to wall/walls where tree is. Wire tree to wall. Trust me, you won’t even notice the eyebolts the rest of the year.
our tree is wired to the wall the younger cats like to climb it
I just bought a box of very pretty plastic ornaments because the stray we brought home had 5 kittens in July. She’s fixed now and we’re getting the kittens fixed one at a time. I didn’t want to skip this year so I figured $30 for 80 pretty ornaments was worth having a tree 🙂
It’s so good that you are actually able to decorate for Christmas and enjoy the holiday this year. Last year seemed like a complete nightmare, as I recall. And oh, your home is gorgeous; I love that – atrium, is it? – where you have the tree.
Especially if you paint them the same color of your wall.
please do not paint cats
Ooh. Someone mentioned cats. If you have cats tie the tree to something. Or attach a line to the ceiling. Because. Cats.
+1000 Because. Cats.
We’ve had one of our cats for 13 years, the other for 5, and the third for 4. We’ve had Christmas trees every single year.
Why do you guys think that I don’t know how our cats behave around Christmas trees?
Oops. Sorry. I’m a dope. A dope whose cat climbed her tree many years ago…
BTW I am now on a mission to get a fat tree. No more skinny trees in this house! After seeing yours I have Tree Envy!
Heh, not all cats are the same. Some will leave it alone and others can’t seem resist. We’ve only had one that couldn’t seem to stay out of the tree. My husband fixed that by blowing a screeching note into his clarinet when the cat approached the tree. Only had to do it once. Worked like a charm. (no, the cat was not traumatized)
Plus, it’s a BIG tree. You weren’t able to resist it… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As I recall
I’ve also insisted to my husband this year that we get a real tree. I’m with ya on the ‘plastic trees are just not the same’.
You are so lucky. One of my cats (who has since passed) insisted on sleeping in my roommates 8 foot fake tree. You could see where because the branches there would be bent down, leaving a gap that hadn’t been there. He was the most gentle and well behaved cat until that tree went up (never got on a counter or any other mischief). We had to attach it to the ceiling because he did knock it over.
My cats have never climbed the tree but they love to play forest cat and hang out underneath, batting an ornament once in awhile. It’s so cute!
I think that it’s because that tree is so big the thought of it falling over – decorated – is just too much to take.
Ooh. Someone mentioned cats. If you have cats tie the tree to something. Or attach a line to the ceiling. Because. Cats.
Decorate till your happy. You want to look at your tree and be happy not think about adding more ornaments.
Our tree is sitting in water in our basement, waiting until closer to Christmas. My husband leaves all Xmas decorating to me . . . probably a wise move. 🙂
Enjoy every minute with your fabulous tree! Nothing beats the fragrance of a real evergreen tree.
I bought a tree from the local florist shop — they delivered it, placed it, secured it against pets and toddlers, DECORATED it, everything. I love these guys!
Thank you, Ilona Andrews. I appreciate the post about Innkeeper and the tree. I will say one thing, if you have cats, yes, tie the tree to something. Totally agree with all those BDH members who said BECAUSE CATS. It is so true. It is also true of the energetic maniac puppy that is presently living with me but dogs normally do not climb trees to climb trees but cats do just because. This counts even if the cat has never even looked at a tree.
Actually not all cats do. My two cats never tried to climb the Christmas tree. And we had numerous cats growing up – same thing. Perhaps because they were indoor / outdoor and had already learned pine trees are just not that comfortable to climb. They would climb the fence and the poplar tree but not the evergreens We just couldn’t have tinsel on the lower branches because it was shiny and they would try to eat it. They did like lying on the floor under the lower branches though.
On the other hand a friend’s rescue dog celebrated his first Christmas with them – and peed on the tree. Because – well – Tree! 🙂
Hopefully there were no presents under the tree. ?
You are like me. That’s what I did. And my son said the same thing as Gordon. And I said I have more decorations left. 🙂
I covered the whole tree with a variety of ornaments. Mine is ecletic with a bit of everything thrown in.
Lol. Same for me! Even my 5 year old son said it was full, but I kept putting more in.
We had tall ceilings growing up, too, so we always got an 8 foot tree. Looked great, but there’s one problem with tall trees – they require more lights. More lights = more strands of tangled lights.
That version of the 12 Days of Christmas song where it dissolves to “those %&!# lights” and then “there’s a bulb out!” and so on… Must have been written by someone with a tall tree.
Heh. I have a tangle of several strands of colored lights from when I was a kid. Amazingly, they all still work. It looks beautiful dropped in my Grandmother’s crystal punch bowl and lit up.
“Repurpose” – saves time and sanity.
Growing up we’d go to my Aunt and Uncle’s for Christmas, they had raised my father from a young teen on up, so in many ways they were more like grandparents for me.
They went outside and got a 20 foot tree, wrangled it inside the house. My aunt decorated it on a ladder, by herself.
#GermanFarmerStock
The 12 Pains of Christmas! One of my favorite Christmas tunes. Look at the Disney version on YouTube with the Beast as the tree decorator. The worst part of tree decorating is after taking it all down. The house looks so blah and ordinary. Depressing. Even the music after the holidays is depressing to me because the excitement of a sudden Christmas song being thrown into the regular mix is missing.
that is from Twisted Christmas the other songs are good too
There can be too many decorations on a Christmas Tree? Ridiculous! Who heard of such a thing? I know that’s not right. Something only a crazy person would say. (Okay, maybe a man too.)
? You have to see the lights shining thru the some of the glass balls, and cover every limb with an ornament!Then you hide little Christmas presents inside the tree limbs for the kids of all ages to find!
I like that’s! I’d never heard of hiding presents in the tree. Cool.
? It’s fun and something that is a must have now. Plus they love getting presents from the dogs or the “elf”…this way it’s just not from mom and dad.
Thats the exact reason my husband just walks away from me and Christmas decorating. He won’t even get on a ladder for me anymore. ?
One year, my sister-in-law said, “We have too many ornaments. We’re up to four storage boxes!” I said “Oh, that’s a lot.” Of course, at the time, I had 20 storage boxes of ornaments…..for Christmas….and four for spring holidays (Valentine’s, St. Pat’s, and Easter), two for Halloween, and one for Thanksgiving.
It is, perhaps, artistic perspective. And you do have a spectacular canvas to work with! Have fun! It will be beautiful!
That is my goal! To have many storage boxes for each holiday. So far I only have 3 boxes for Xmas, 2 for Halloween, 1 for Easter and 1 for Valentine’s Day.
Well look at it this way, you have a tree! That’s more than I do. I’m on medical leave, can’t lift more than 20 lbs so no tree. Can’t go out to the storage building and sift through all the containers with decorations. So, I went to the Dollar store and bought some little deco’s to sit around for the season, otherwise it just doesn’t seem/ feel like Christmas.
Awe. Get to feeling better soon and that was a smart idea going to the store for a few decor items! We are under construction for an addition so I can’t get another box down among all the chaos. Mom let me borrow decor from her. I think Moms rock!! Merry Christmas!!
Have fun decorating! I have an artificial tree with the lights already strung on the tree. The days of tangled lights are over for me. I’m not sure I’m going to put up my tree. It still reminds me of when my mom left this Earth. It’s getting easier, but probably not this year.
My husband is feeling the same. Hugs to you.
Big Hugs! My dad died two years ago yesterday!
One of my friends puts a 20-foot Tree in her house every single year. They live in a log cabin and have huge High ceilings. When they bring it in the fact that it’s green and fresh provides enough flexibility to get it around the corners into the living room. After Christmas her husband has to saw it in pieces with his chainsaw to get it outside. After a couple of disastrous years when the tree actually fell over in the living room, they now anchor it to the wall with guy wires every year. It takes her 2 weeks and an Old Orchard ladder to decorate the thing. They do this every year because she just loves Christmas , and every year the tree is just spectacular. So take your time and enjoy the decorating it’s all part of the holiday.
This year my husband’s plants have so totally overtaken the living room that we literally have nowhere we can put a Christmas tree. So we are going to decorate his citrus tree instead. Since we have 1 very small box of lights and ornaments, that’ll do ok.
(We’ve only lived in an apartment where we could have a tree for 5 years. This will be our 6th Christmas. But since it’s just the two of us, we haven’t accumulated ornaments yet. In fact, the only “special” ornament we have is one his company gave out as Christmas presents one year. A shiny silver ball with the company logo. I miss the dozens of unique ornaments we had growing up (each ornament was unique. I’m pretty sure you can’t have dozens of a unique thing. By definition).
I redecorated the sitting room in my small house this year. I totally forgot to factor in where the tree will go!
One year when my children were small I put chocolate ornaments on the tree. Our dog carefully removed and ate most of them, drank the bottle of port wrapped up under the tree and then spent a very expensive night at the vets!
Each year as my daughters were growing up they got a Christmas ornament from Santa. The year the younger one left home and married, I set aside her ornaments as we dressed the tree, and gave her the box when they came to visit for Christmas, just as my mother-in-law had done after I married her son.
I think decorating the citrus tree is brilliant. Of such memories is a life together made.
Most years I bought my two boys an ornament so we have all sorts of different ornaments depending on their interest that yr. 🙂
At 28 and 15 they still like looking at their old ornaments.
This yr it’s nfl ornaments for them 🙂
Not 28. Ha ha ha. 18 and 15.
When we moved to the States 2 years ago, my husband, who has never lived here before, was surprised to find all these seasonal decorations. He thought it was excessive, waste of money and storage space.
Now, we have fall decorations, Halloween decorations, Christmas decorations, and spring decoration…. ☺️
Another book over & you’re not done
THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you! I discovered IA through The Edge @ my local library. Dark, light, “edgy”, hard to get over what Spider did to the mother, made me pause. Noticed Kate, ‘ here kitty; kitty’ got to me. Started looking for IA, sharks & blades & a formal contract delighted me BUT “of swine & roses” with that Gem you cemented my decision.
Remember the old days, of entering a bookstore & checking categories (genre) alphabetically. Fantasy, romance, sci-fi, they moved you. A – lot, no problemo, pfft Andrews; walk the store check the A’s. Tada, aha, gotcha!
Huhhhh, Horror of horrors … down time between Kates, nothing to read, aaaaah what to read! I admit it, l broke down … an IA re-read. Lead me to a blurb, the blurb lead me to Clean Sweep. A Moment, Clean Sweep is one of those moments you are priveledged to have in your life.
No half-assed witchy smack
No fang dripping colorless vampire pap
No bone popping werewolf contortionist crap.
A story, a tale with characters of fantasy who are mundane. Aliens Sci-Fi whoot! The life introductions, it could happen. it is happening, on earth right down the road …INNKEEPER is a MARVEL.
Orro, a tall spiny self flagellating sweetie of a galactic renown chef. An Empress suffering ennui as she awaits a self imposed reclusive retreat from madness, mayhem & murder sought by tasteless noveau riche. An Assembly, The Edge a parallel world, M M Missing Inns AND keepers, the Annocracy Vampires & vampirates (the bad, the Good & the Uggg ly) attempted Genocide (OFS) the infanticide of an INN to be resolved … ENOUGH . . . not of INNKEEPER . . .but of the reminices of the universe you have offered to me to explore AND my delight in it, anticipation of it, and my strong incoherent relentless advocacy for it!
INNKEEPER, Innkeeper, innkeeper YEAH! In the meantime
contactual obligations, pay the rent, the bills, decorate the tree, live your lifes, enjoy your kids, peace & blessing be upon you and happy holidays innkeepers, Innkeepers, INNKEEPERS YEAH!
That was fabulous. You are obviously an author.
We have an friendly stealthy feud whereby someone thinks I have added ‘too many’ decorations (as if!) and so he removes a few when I’m not looking….. so I go and find them and replace them somewhere else in the tree ?
My Husband commented yesterday morning, “I see you decorated the tree last night.”
Me “Well I got started, I did not get any of the balls on yet.”
Him “Looks done to me.”
Me “No. Its not done.”
Hope to finish tonight.
We can’t have a regular Christmas tree because DOGS. Well, one dog in particular – Moose, who is our very own attack poodle! To him, everything spherical is a ball and all balls are his. His first Christmas tree was a ball bonanza! No pen could keep him out. No gate could keep him in….We now have wreathes up on the walls, snow globes and a hundred little trees. We put lighted garland on our railing and decorate that! (No spheres). We have a beautiful house and if Moose has to go to the vet, it’s not because he ate a glass ornament! Happy Holidays everyone!
My 2nd step mom was obsessed about how her Christmas tree had to look. Every year her tree had to have one of the latest fashionable themes. My adopted sister never got a chance to decorate their Christmas tree until she was 19. This year is the first Christmas after my step mom passed away and my sister is looking forward to doing the tree however she feels like it.
We have a saying in my family when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree, “More balls!” We also have very juvenile senses of humour. ?
Thanks guys I love all your stories and you made me smile! Merry Merry!
All this talk of trees and csts makes me want a short story of Conlan in lion form attacking the Christmas tree…
?? Please Authorlords? ?
And when it comes to decorating… I get stressed trying to balance the tree in terms of the decoration. I have these ornaments and bows that are nearly all gone, from the original 24 of each I had as a child. I’ve been stressing every holiday season to find replacements with no luck.
So dear BDH, I’ll entreat you for crowdsourcing help:
Since I have a Nutcracker Suite theme, much of my ornaments are wooden and painted, so slick metal and glass isn’t the best fit except in moderation. I had these heart shape ornaments with a glaze that made them look like candied apples, these candy hearts were awesome. But over the years most have broken. I’d like to replace these. Have you seen something similar?
When you’re out and about this holiday season please keep an eye out. I’m also looking for red plaid bows with blue in them too.
Ooooh, I had those too, and also in pink. Best things for curious toddlers to play with.
I say go for it with the tree decoration. The men in my family are the same as Gordon – “really, there’s more?” The women (aka the right ones) say that more is more and to keep putting the ornaments on until the boxes are empty. Once all the ornaments are up, put on the garland to add the last bit of sparkle and add the tree skirt. If you see another cute ornament (or three) at a Christmas fair, get it and put that on the tree, too. It will look great! More is more!
Excellent! Cant wait to see what ornaments you decided to go with 🙂
We have a box of “special” ornaments.. Things the kids made in school, things friends have given us, school things… Those have to be on the tree… After that I hang things until I’m tired. Then might add a few more as I feel like it or notice naked spots. I’ve been feeling crappy this week so there’s half a bin of not-special ornaments still to go. I add a couple as I feel like it. Might be done by Christmas… Might not.
My favorite holiday meme: seems appropriate!
So my daughter helped to decorate our tree… Did you know that all of the snowman ornaments need to go together? As close together as possible? Our tree is ‘zoned’.
Looks wonderful! Have a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa spoils u silly 🙂
I’ve been merrily reading comments and chuckling about all the cats and christmas trees comments; all smug about my 15 year old cat who doesn’t climb christmas trees, but likes to lay under them among the presents. I’m thinking, “I think I’ll get everything out to start decorating the tree maybe tonight or tomorrow. And it just occurred to me: I have a 10 month old puppy… Oh crap.
Just a thought: Not all of the Christmas ornaments have to go on the tree. We always made Christmas wreaths and small decorative trees made out of ornaments for centerpieces and other decorations. (Naturally, these were the sturdier sort or ornaments, because … cats.)
Can’t wait to see your tree when finished. Ours is still a work in progress. Happy holidays!???⭐️
Pretty tree! Love the skirt!
When I retired and downsized to a condo a few years ago, I also bought a small four foot Christmas tree, (artificial because of allergies). Because I had boxes and boxes of ornaments, I gave a lot of them to my kids. The special ones I have left are still too many for my little tree so I spread them around my home. When the kids and grandkids come over, they know that each ornament has its own special story and we have lots of fun talking about past Christmases. ??
Haha ! I understand, I can’t wait to come back home and see our christmas tree and why not add some more thing to it ?
Yours is sooo big, if it’s not too much to ask I’d love to see a picture when finished, you can put soooo much on it !
? Love it that you’re crazily decorating your tree. Sounds like so much fun.?
LOL! I had to down size from a 9’ treen to a 6’ pencil tree….but I still cram all kinds of stuff on it. I’m particular to picks….and between moving 700 miles and the difference between extreme TX heat and extreme CO cold…I’ve lost a lot of my Christmas stuff. Who’d a thunk!
Does anybody in BDH do multiple trees in the house? I’ve always thought that would be heaven – 3 or 4 trees scattered throughout a BIG (required) house. I have a little bitty artificial 2.5 in our bedroom and the big tree in the living room. Close as I can get. I can fall asleep with the little tree lights – on a timer.
Mom went overboard we had 7, 3 of which were in the bathrooms.
1) 8 foot Victorian Theme
2) 7 foot Nutcracker Theme
3) 7 foot white house ornament tree, filled in with extra gold ornaments
4) 5 foot snownan themed tree
trees 5-7) 2.5 foot tree, one was victirian flowers, one nutcracker, the other red and gold with cherubs.
It took us a week to put up, a week to take down. We also had two 8 foot nutcrackers that went on the columns of the house outdoors, and a nutcracker castle for the yard.
So exhausting.
Like you, I believe in a well-decorated Christmas tree. I totally agree with you. In fact, I think that using large bows (or any kind of bow) is cheating and only takes up space that is better used by half a dozen or more glass ornaments.
When my younger daughter moved into a home with cathedral ceilings and stared getting large trees, I gave them large collections of ornaments for 4 years running before I felt their trees were adequately decorated. ?
There can never be too many ornaments on a tree. Looking forward to seeing yours in your beautiful new home.
A true story for you – when I was young we went to my aunt & uncle’s ranch for Christmas. It was a child’s paradise, animals, orchards, mud, presents and cousins! My aunt had one rule – no animals in the main part of the house. My father & uncle were coming into the house from the mud room and as my father turned to talk to my uncle their barn cat Midnight streaked into the house followed by our half Basset half Saint Bernard dog Ringo. Ringo knocked my dad over in his pursuit of the cat. The door from the mudroom to the kitchen was open and Midnight streaked through the kitchen through the dining room and into the living room with Ringo hot on his tail. Midnight chose the closest safe haven he could find – the Christmas tree. Up the tree he went and then shot out the top of the tree and as luck would have it my oldest cousin was coming in the front door. At full speed Ringo followed the cat into the tree barking his fool head off. As he realized the cat was escaping Ringo changed direction and headed to the front door. Unfortunately he had hooked the string of lights around his neck and as Ringo headed toward the front door the tree followed with my father & uncle yelling in pursuit. My cousin tackled the tree as it went through the front door. Ringo followed the cat trailing part of the light string behind him. The room was silent. My aunt had not said one word at this point. She looked her tree laying half way out the front door and then at all of us tight lipped and silent. My father very quietly said “let me get you a drink while I clean this up.” We kids looked at the the very quiet grownups and sprinted out the front door and followed the cat and the dog to the barn. To this day I’d swear we could hear that cat laughing.
Enjoy your fabulous tree!
I laughed out loud!
I’ve nearly convinced myself to get a real tree this year. As soon as I put the Halloween decorations away. Last year, I bought a new fake tree and by the time I put it away, only one strand of lights was still lit. Grr.
Squeak – my 5 yo – LOVES decorating. Previously, my trees were always perfect, however many days it took me. Now, my kid has a conversation with each ornament about what branch it wants to live on and it must. not. be. moved. from that spot. And I drink more…
Yay!!! Christmas!!
I have the same conversation/argument with my husband every year! Lights and ornaments belong on the tree, not in a box. Thank you, I feel validated!
I can’t wait to see pics when it’s done! Have fun! We need to get ours up in a bad way. I’m thinking Weds we might actually manage it. Stupid life and responsibilities taking priority.
If there are ornaments in a box…decorating isn’t finished. Christmas 101!
May I please start the refrain, “Pictures please! Pictures please!….”
Go tree!!! Because a tree deserves to feels pretty, and of course this must require an abundance of ornaments! Merry Xmas?
Haha! I have the opposite problem. With two kids under two I have almost no ornaments on the tree ?
I loved seeing the tree before you decorated, and I hope you’ll post one when it is done, as well. We don’t get our tree until tomorrow, but I have four garlands up already, loaded with ornaments. That means I’ve used two of my FOUR tubs of ornaments. Two left for the tree! And my tree will only be about 8-9 feet as our ceilings are lower than yours. I hope you are enjoying the decorating as much as I am! And yes, my work gets in the way of my decorating, too. But what a nice thing to look forward to at the end of the workday.