Last weekend, Aaron and I finally got around to decorating our place for Christmas. Since our living room is barely big enough for our couch, we set our Christmas tree up in the loft (aka our bedroom) every year and I have to say, it makes me really happy.
Let's discuss Christmas trees for a moment. You may be one of those people, let's call them "Tree Elitists" that needs to have your Christmas tree "just so"...with symmetrical sides, carefully selected matching ornaments, and strictly white lights of a particular size. I know quite a few of these people myself whose immaculately trimmed trees glisten boastfully from front room windows as if to say "Christmas in this house is better than Christmas in your house." If you are a Tree Elitist, we can still be friends. I have a certain admiration for the organizational skill and aesthetic knack it takes to pull off such a task. However, I would venture to say that the tree I prefer, let's call it a "Homestyle Tree" creates more lasting memories and nostolgic fondness than Tree Elitists could ever acheive.
View of our tree from the living roomAaron and I have started collecting tree ornaments from every vacation we take. We have a little log cabin that reminds us of our trip to see Joseph Smith's home in Palmyra and a little bear from our trip to Yellowstone to name a couple. One of my favorite ornaments is a little silver-spray-painted christmas tree made of macaroni noodles that Aaron made in elementary school. All of these sentimental, mismatched ornaments with a few Christmas balls thrown in and a smattering of colored lights sums up our tree. It is ecclectic, it is colorful, and I love it. It reminds me of the tree I had growing up -- full of glue-gunned ornaments and kid-made crafts.
The following is my favorite line from "Oh Christmas Tree":
O Christmas Tree,O Christmas Tree,
Your boughs can teach a lesson
That constant faith and hope sublime
Lend strength and comfort through all time.
O Christmas Tree,O Christmas Tree,
Your boughs can teach a lesson
That constant faith and hope sublime
Lend strength and comfort through all time.
Whether you have an Elite Tree or a Homestyle Tree in your home, I hope it "teaches you a lesson" and reminds you of the true spirit of this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!
7 comments:
okay - that pic of finn putting on the star topper is the sweetest thing ever! and I am for sure a more "homestyle tree" lover. we do the same thing - collect ornaments from our little trips. (an apple from NYC, a moose from jackson hole, etc.) so much more fun to decorate and remember fun times!
Ok, from the former "tree-elitist" I must say you crack me up. You may still think I am a little anal about my tree and more about the presents underneath, but now that it is the 4th Christmas we've been married, I will say I work very hard to not try to make my tree symmetrical and all organized! It's hard work to just throw on ornaments anywhere you want!
We have a color theme to our tree, but that's only for lights and glass bulbs. Then all the fun ornaments get thrown on.
My only requirement is that the tree itself be somewhat symmetrical... no big holes of missing branches, no weird lopsided top.
But sadly, no tree for us this year. We'll be in SD for Christmas and then moving on the 29th. I just don't want to put up decorations for 5 days and then take them down.
Your tree looks GREAT! How cute id Finn putting on the star? LOVE.
Loved the video of Finn dancing - I can hardly wait to squeeze those little cheeks and cuddle him and watch him dance (from a discreet distance of course). Love your tree. I have my tree lights on a timer so they come on automatically in the morning - and go off, then come on just before I get home from work and go off after I go to bed. It's great!
What a good post Ash! I loved it! I agree, homestyle trees are da best. Ours is just the same and its my favorite. Wish we were there with you guys in Utah so we could go sledding and drink hot chocolate! We miss you! Have a great Christmas! Are you staying in UT?
What?! I love this post! And we finally got a tree up tonight (you know, we were debating what to do about that, since who knows how long we'll live here...) and I was thinking that same thing about the Homestyle tree. We let Taj hang every ornament, and so let's just say that his sense of symmetry is not quite aligned yet... :) Not to mention that all the breakable balls are above 4 feet, in an EFFORT to thwart Brody (who reached into the decorating bin, and promptly grabbed one and threw it with force onto the floor--smashing it to smitherines...)Anyway...Kudos! Looks great! And I LOVE Finn's dancing!
Post a Comment