O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

How lovely are your branches!

In beauty green will always grow

Through summer sun and winter snow.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

How lovely are your branches!

I have been working on this post on and off for a little over a week, so you will see pictures during the day, during the evening, with stuff, without stuff, and during stuff. Hope you don't mind. What I do hope, is that you will draw inspiration from, our Christmas Tree.

Nope, she's not real, she's not new, and she's not pre-lit (dang it). It's made a trip from North Carolina, to Missouri, her box is tattered and taped, barely hanging on, it's missing two limbs and one leg of her stand (which I permanently fixed with a DIY tree planter). I remember picking it out, Keegan was just a toddler, and we paid 46.oo at Wal-mart. So not only do I attach a lot of nostalgia to ornaments, I place a lot of it with the tree too.

This year has been a flurry of re-do's, remakes, and recycles. Using what I have, reinventing some things and thinking outside the circle (sorry, I'm tired of thinking outside the proverbial box, I've decided to be in a circle), for no other reason than because I can. I hope you've been inspired too, you can make a lot of the ornaments you see, here, here and here.

Some ornaments are from anywhere from high end boutiques to Lowe's, to my local thrift store, to Target, it doesn't matter to me, as long as I like it.

Fully dressed Tree:

Naked Tree :)

Gallery wall adjacent to tree, this is still a work in progress. I've been adding things to it for a week now....I finally remembered to get printer ink so I can print some pictures of the boys.

I took apart a grapevine wreath and let it naturally twirl around the whole tree. This was the absolutely last thing I did and am so happy with the effect. It certainly adds dimension and character.

I placed the tree in a different spot this year too. I normally put it near the fireplace, but I started thinking that it is just too crowded. So the fireplace dominates the one end of the living room, the tree is in the opposite end of the room.

How do you like my stumps? I have my dear father in law to thank for them, they are making great candle holders, not to mention how wonderful they smell! I will be creating a tablescape in the near future with these so be on the look out for that!

I will be incorporating some (a lot of these) out on the porch too, I hope to get the porch and outside lights done next week.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I really appreciate it, I know what a busy, busy time of year it is.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

Your beauty green will teach me

That hope and love will ever be

The way to joy and peace for me.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

Your beauty green will teach me

Joining Sarah