Christmas Day Gala Party: Oh, Tannenbaum!

Call me nuts, but I've had my Christmas tree up (well in the living room) since November 1st. It's been up all year, only I kept it in the bedroom so nobody else could see it. It's easier for me than having to disassemble it and squeeze everything in my tiny storage shed.

So, here are some photos to get you in the mood. I know a lot of you will be decorating right after Thanksgiving:

It's all white and silver again (like last year) with my crocheted ornaments made from white yarn with silver thread. I crocheted the angel on top too. I added a (white) Santa amongst the branches as well as my usual little angel dolls. There's white poinsettias and silver baubles and stars and white, glittery snowflakes, white butterflies and of course, icicles to give it a really frosty appearance and only white lights.

This little wooden ornament is not white (the flash made it white) but natural (light) wood color. My cousin in Germany sent it to me last year, it's right on top for everyone to see. It's a wooden star, intricately carved that she purchased in the Black Forest and it's very special to me.

I added a white Santa amongst the branches to fill in some of the empty gaps in the well-worn artificial tree. I wanted a real one this year, but they are too cumbersome for me to deal with on my own and also, by the time they offer them in the only grocery store here in town, they're no longer fresh. I miss walking through Christmastree lots, smelling the fresh tree scent and finding the perfect one.

One of Gizzy's beds is right under the tree where he loves to snooze.

He looks so festive beneath that tree - looking at him under there reminds me that he is my "bestest" present I could have got this year and all the previous 10 years since I had him. (I got him when he was 3.) He turned 13 on November 1st and I treasure every day that I have with him. I still say that our dogs (and cats) don't live long enough!