Real or Fake??

[Nerak936]

Christmas tree, that is!!

Growing up, we always had a real tree. Even though my father would grumble about the cost, the thought of an artificial christmas tree was never one to be considered. I can still remember the pine smell when I'd walk in the front door.....mmmmmm.......

My current place is just too broken up with doors and windows and such, so it just doesn't allow for a full-size tree. But I do have a little 18" fake tree that my mom bought me when she heard a wasn't planning to have a tree one year ("What? But, honey, ya GOTTA have a tree!"). Today it's sitting on a small bookcase in my living room with lights and garland and memories of my mom. I'll never part with it. But I am looking forward to having a house someday and a full-size artificial tree will never be allowed!

[Lil G]

Originally Posted by Nerak936

Christmas tree, that is!!

Growing up, we always had a real tree. Even though my father would grumble about the cost, the thought of an artificial christmas tree was never one to be considered. I can still remember the pine smell when I'd walk in the front door.....mmmmmm.......

My current place is just too broken up with doors and windows and such, so it just doesn't allow for a full-size tree. But I do have a little 18" fake tree that my mom bought me when she heard a wasn't planning to have a tree one year ("What? But, honey, ya GOTTA have a tree!"). Today it's sitting on a small bookcase in my living room with lights and garland and memories of my mom. I'll never part with it. But I am looking forward to having a house someday and a full-size artificial tree will never be allowed!

Gotta' have the real tree.
And I know exactly what you are talking about with the smell.....mmmm.

[Tyramania]

We'll have a Christmas tree in Playa this year. It's definately an artificial tree and has that fresh vinyl smell.

[TAPPY]

I have a fake one too, but it makes a mess too, so I might as well put up a real one....it is a mess, but it smells good....and for some reason my cats dont mess with it like they do the fake one. They do drink all the water out of it however !!! Go figure......my daughter loves them and as long as she decorates them I will let her have a tree.

I really dont like to put up a tree...looking forward to the day when I can just decorate the fireplace mantel and be done with it....

I did spring for a new wreath this year for my front door, so that was my fa la la for the season.....

My neighborhood looks like the Griswolds Christmas....My house is the one that is dark with the wreath on the door....

[roni]

Originally Posted by Tyramania

We'll have a Christmas tree in Playa this year. It's definately an artificial tree and has that fresh vinyl smell.

Cute tree Tyra. I don't think we are going to buy a blow-up tree for our condo in Playa, but I'll betcha Slick will look cute under yours

[SunKneeMarie]

One giant 11 foot real tree (going to get that this weekend) that is my "formal" tree--all gold and white and glittery with a porcelain angel my husband and I bought on our honeymoon. That's the only real one.

Then we have the 7-1/2 foot fake one with every toilet paper roll, tinfoil, pipecleaner ornament ever crafted by my 3 kids, as well as blinking twinkling multi colored lights and a crooked angel at the top. Then we have a 6 foot tree decorated with nothing but regular snowman ornaments and a 4 foot tree decorated with mini snowman ornaments and snowflakes.

And then it just degenerates from there into a couple of other whatever-pops-into-my-head fake trees (once a fruit tree for the kitchen, once an all-angel tree, once an all pink-lights-n-ribbons tree for my niece who was staying who loved pink). I usually end up with 6 trees decorated. The last time I hosted Christmas we had a total of 9 trees decorated, ranging in size from 2 feet to the 11 footer. I decided not to host Christmas for awhile.

[roni]

Originally Posted by SunKneeMarie

The last time I hosted Christmas we had a total of 9 trees decorated, ranging in size from 2 feet to the 11 footer. I decided not to host Christmas for awhile.

You're a wild woman .

[Shark3359]

WE have an artificial tree only because my wife is part Christmas elf (from her mothers side). Tree goes up as soon as possible after Thanksgiving, and comes down sometime around St. Patrick's Day.
Why St. Patty's Day?
To make as much room for St. Patricks Day Decorations, my wife is also part Leprechaun (again from her mothers side).

[SunKneeMarie]

Originally Posted by roni

You're a wild woman .

I have my moments...

[Nerak936]

I'm glad I started this thread! (if I do say so myself ) It's fun to hear what other people are doing to decorate! Since I do only have the little tree, I decorate pretty much everything else in the living room to make up for it. I have my mom's Annalee Christmas mice collection, so they're scattered all over the place. Luckily the cats leave them alone.

L'il G: Yup! That pine smell is so "Christmas"! I can't imagine that the spray-on pine stuff for the fake trees can come close to the real thing (although some of those Yankee candles are right on!)

Tyra: I love your Playa tree!! Why am I not surprised to hear that it's yet
another blow-up??

Tappy: I shudder to think of what Eli and Tiggy will do when they see their first real Xmas tree! I can picture Eli crawling up the trunk and building a tree house in it!

Marie: Wow, that's a lotta trees! How do you find the time??! But I bet it looks awesome!

Shark: Yeah, a real tree up for too long becomes kindling waiting to happen! And I wouldn't know anything about St. Patty's Day decorations, being from the Boston area and all.... I rebel against it... been working for an Irish family for 22 years now. Am overloaded with Irish-everything there!

[Beachwolverine]

Just bought it - Real all the way

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Tyramania

We'll have a Christmas tree in Playa this year. It's definately an artificial tree and has that fresh vinyl smell.

gee Tyra what is it with you and blow up thingies ???

[TAPPY]

Originally Posted by SunKneeMarie

Then we have the 7-1/2 foot fake one with every toilet paper roll, tinfoil, pipecleaner ornament ever crafted by my 3 kids, as well as blinking twinkling multi colored lights and a crooked angel at the top. Then we have a 6 foot tree decorated with nothing but regular snowman ornaments and a 4 foot tree decorated with mini snowman ornaments and snowflakes.

Kids just love those kind of trees....do you have bubble lights ?????

[Bumper]

Gotta' be the real thing...or nothing. Mrs. B is very big on Christmas, and a tree has always been a big deal at our place. We've got about a gazillon ornaments we've collected in our travels all over the world, and some real oldtimers, like a few from my first Christmas, more years ago than I care to remember. (Not that I'm old or anything, but they tell that on Christmas eve my first year, three over-dressed dudes on camels came to our door to ask directions) Anyway, when we got "The Boys" - our cats, that is - they showed an inappropriate interest in the tree, so we didn't have one for 5 years. Finally took a chance a couple of years back and got a tree. I guess they've grown up a bit, because they didn't bother it too much, so we're back to having one again. Usually a balsam spruce from a maritime tree farm. Tried going out and cutting our own one year. That won't happen again. Damned near froze to death and still ended up buying one off a lot. Chopped up the one we had cut down and made a dandy wreath out of it though. Wonder if the poor selection we made in the woods had anything to do with a couple of gallons of mulled wine we fortified ourselves with?

[roni]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Anyway, when we got "The Boys" - our cats, that is - they showed an inappropriate interest in the tree, so we didn't have one for 5 years.

When we got our version of "The Boys", we hung a 4 foot artiicial tree upside down from the ceiling in front of the living room picture window and decorated it. Neighbors liked it .