O Christmas Tree!

My Christmas tree bit the dust. I put it up a week or two before Thanksgiving, and over the Thanksgiving Holiday (more on that later) the lights at the top of the tree stopped working.  We tried all sorts of stuff to try to get them to come back on, but nothing worked. I decided to live with it until after Christmas and I would just buy a tree on sale somewhere.

Then the bottom section of lights went out

Then the next section down from the top went out.

Then the a section on the side and back.

And my anxiety was through.the.roof.

SEE WHAT I MEAN?!?!?

So what’s a girl to do? Take it all down and get a new tree!!!!

I wasn’t TOO upset with this decision. I love Christmas trees and honestly, I wasn’t happy with the multi-colored lights on the old tree.

So I found a good deal on Walmart.com and Stephen granted me permission to get a new tree.

I ordered another 7.5’ tree white lights and double the tips of my old tree.

In the future, remind me.. 2000+ tips on a tree = 2000 tips that I must fluff.

New tree BEFORE I fluffed the top and after the first fluff of the lower section:

New tree AFTER I re-freaking-fluffed the entire thing and added two strands of white lights:

Makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE, people. Most pre-lit trees need an extra strand or two of lights on them. Its what makes them glow. =)

Yesterday, we made a quick trip to one of my favorite discount warehouse stores about 1.5 hours away. They sell deco mesh at a really reasonable price, plus picks, ornaments, decorations… you name it and they probably have it. I picked up some materials for making wreaths and to decorate the new tree. I wanted to do something different to it instead of putting everything back up the same way.

This is the final result and I am over the freaking moon in love with it! I tried to keep it a red/white/green theme with the exception of a few pieces that are sentimental to Stephen and me.

Comparison:

I may try to do a more detailed post on some of my favorite pieces of the tree. But first I kind of need to catch up with Halloween and Thanksgiving and other random things! I was just so excited about my tree and I wanted to share it.

I ended up keeping my old tree and taking off all six hundred of the pre-strung lights on it. Wire cutters are my friend… but it was still a 4 or 5 hour long process that I had to break apart into 2 nights. It’s packed away and will be used in the future. I love Christmas trees and could easily have at least 4 or 5 of them. This year I only have two – the one in our living room and Christopher’s small blue tree in his room. There was no good place for my white tree this year since we are in my mother-in-law’s house. I’m hoping next year we will have sold our old house and will be in a new (to us) house where my white tree will fit in.

Keeping with the Christmas spirit, I sent off my first batch of Christmas cards today. I think this is a personal record. I’ve never sent cards out this early in the 4 Christmases that Stephen and I have been together. Two years ago I had major problems and I think they were finally mailed out on like December 22 or 23. I designed our card again this year {click here for last year’s card} and super pink puffy heart love it. I’m hoping all our friends and family do too!