How is your Christmas tree decorated?

[hedgehog]

10 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Something tasteful with a theme to put Martha Stewart to shame
	0 (0%)
	Something not so tasteful with a theme to drive Martha Stewart to drink
	1 (10%)
	Family eclectic: the tasteful ornaments picked out by a young bride plus kindergarten efforts
	2 (20%)
	More is more: Tinsel strands or tinsel garland? Why not both?
	0 (0%)
	What tree?
	7 (70%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[mnhtnbb]

1. After we lost all our Christmas ornaments in a house fire in 2007

including those from my childhood Christmas trees, I decided
we'd do a table top tree with a beach/tropical theme.
So we have seashells, butterflies, fish, seahorses, hummingbirds--
with some "fill-in" ornaments--on our little 3 foot fake tree.

My husband salvaged about 4 personalized ornaments from the fire debris, cleaned them up,
and they are on an even smaller fake table top tree. Every year when I open that box,
I can smell the smoke.

[fizzgig]

6. :(

[Archae]

2. I have two cats.

'Nuff said.

[catbyte]

3. Awesome, especially after our 6 cats "redecorate" it most nights.

We have had to anchor it to the legs of the couch & the base of the cat tree after waking up to find it lying on its side 2 mornings in a row, lol.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. What tree? I have cats.

[hedgehog]

5. My husband found out the hard way one year that the tree was taller than the ceiling.

[fizzgig]

7. i have nowhere to put a tree

haven't done one in ten years and am starting to miss having one.

[LiberalEsto]

8. Tree? What tree?

Too early.

[Generic Brad]

9. Tree? Why tree?

I haven't had a tree going on 8 years.

[orleans]

17. just curious but am wondering why...? n/t

[pipi_k]

25. No tree for me either...

House is way too small except for some rec room space in the basement where nobody would ever see the tree anyway.

Plus I have two very rambunctious German Shepherds

[LiberalEsto]

29. What about hanging a small one from the ceiling?

That would keep the dogs from messing with it.

[Generic Brad]

40. I'm too busy to decorate and entertain

I have nothing against the holidays, but I have been working without a weekend going on three weeks now. Circumstances dictate and I my position requires me to make sure the customers I serve get through the holidays with uninterrupted service. I don't have the energy to do anything beyond recovering for the next day of my December work marathon. Trees and Christmas parties are very low on my list of things to focus on during this month. Keeping my little corner of the infrastructure running is my primary priority.

But that's ok. I'll be recharging somewhere in the tropics under a palm tree after the holiday rush is over.

I wish the rest of you a joyous holiday season.

[orleans]

42. and here's wishing you many happy & peaceful

days & nights under that palm tree

take care

[whistler162]

24. Should go up at 11:59pm

on the 24th and come down at 12:01am on the 25th.

[NJCher]

45. for that brief period

I hope you're using a fake tree!



Cher

[shenmue]

10. We have two tiny light-up trees

[riderinthestorm]

11. None of those categories fit ours which is a full blown hodgepodge of whackiness

Kids' school projects, gifted ornaments, family heirlooms, tinsel, garland both hand made and store bought topped by a wicker angel I was gifted from an African student that his mom made.

Its an utter mash-up.



Of course its anchored with baling twine so the cats don't topple it. I try to use the less conspicuous brown hemp twine instead of the neon orange...

Pretty ridiculous set up for sure. Being from Ireland the tree doesn't go up til Christmas Eve and only stays up the 12 days of Christmas, so no tree as of yet but its been the same decorating scheme every year since forever so I'm fairly confident predicting the inevitable result.

[hedgehog]

20. Sounds like the tree we put up every year -

right down to the frantic finishing touches on the way out to Midnight Mass!


Our trees come from the pine forest out back, so they look rather odd to begin with.

Alas! Age has caught up with me so I think the tree will be going up early next week so I can decorate it at my slower pace.

Now - the big question - do you use suet in your plum pudding or not?

Nollaig Shona Duit!

[riderinthestorm]

23. Of course I use suet!! It's just not the same if you don't...

I put a gold dollar coin in my plum pudding. Whoever gets that piece (traditionally) will have the luckiest year.

I gave up on the hard sauce when all the kids were young and served it with vanilla pudding (at least that way they'd actually eat something while they fished around for the charm).

This year everyone's grown and I've been asked to make a hard sauce again (which I've totally forgotten how to do). I'm going to have look up a recipe since my moms also forgotten the recipe unless you want to share your old family secret?!



Nollaig Mhaith Chugat!

[hedgehog]

32. I always start my hard sauce by beating 2 sticks of butter,

then slowly adding about 2 cups of powdered sugar (more or less, sift it to get rid of any lumps), then trickling in whatever I'd used in the pudding, rum, brandy or whiskey until it had the right texture. I have a big stand mixer, so it's pretty easy for me.

With 2 vegetarians in the family, I have to use butter for the pudding. But it ain't really Christmas unless Mom threatens to burn the house down pouring lit rum on the tablecloth

[NJCher]

46. nice!

Thanks for sharing your pic.



Cher

[Texasgal]

13. I have a tree full of

ornaments from the 40's and 50's courtesy of my Grandmother. They were almost tossed out after her death. Think hot pink glass balls tied by strings and real tin garland as well.

It's vintage... and it doesn't match but it's mine and I love it.

[cyberswede]

14. Sounds fabulous!

We had tin tinsel when I was a kid. Later, tinsel was made of plastic, so it wasn't as cool. One of my sisters gave me real metal tinsel from Germany a few years ago. I haven't used it yet, because I'm afraid the cats & dog might eat it.

[hedgehog]

22. I can recall a few strands of the tin tinsel as a kid.

I used to spend Christmas week rearranging the tinsel the kids just threw at the tree!

[Callmecrazy]

34. I like when you walk by the tree in stocking feet...

And the tinsel reaches out and shocks you. YOWSA!

[HeiressofBickworth]

15. Basically, Disney

with some red, gold and silver balls. Daughter has been collecting Disney ornaments for many years. I still have the ornaments from when she was a child and even a few from my own childhood, but she doesn't want those. Since she does all the decorating and cleaning-up, she can do whatever she wants with the tree. It looks good!

[hedgehog]

21. Years ago, I bought a Star Trek ornament because I thought it was funny -

so I had to buy the next one, then the next one -

the end result is that I have about 20 Star Trek ornaments ( )!

[Nye Bevan]

16. Our tree tells a story. Lots of "baby's first Christmas", "our first Christmas together" ornaments

as well as ornaments picked up on vacation over the years, things the kids have hand-made, etc. And lots of lights; always colored, never white.

I love it but nobody would mistake it for a Martha Stewart creation.

[IrishEyes]

18. I don't have a tree.

I think I'll get a small cheap fake tree to use each year. I have some tiny decorations and Mardi Gras beads.

[NJCher]

47. that would be me

When I find a small, cheap, fake tree, I'll probably do that, too.

I think having a Christmas tree is a lovely idea, but especially if no real tree is used. I hate to think of a tree coming down for only a brief period of enjoyment at the end of a year. After all, fir trees are effective at lowering pollution.

Yes, one could make an argument for the wonderful tree aromas, but I use scented wax cubes and get the same effect.

I enjoy seeing the trees as I drive to and from work, etc. I think it's a lot of work, though, and not having kids, I don't go through all that.

I do put up twinkly white lights that cascade down two French doors in front of my house.






Cher

[Joe Shlabotnik]

19. With urine, every few hours

oh crap! that's the neighbours front yard.

[A HERETIC I AM]

26. Wait...."With the entrails of my enemies" isn't an option?

I protest that this poll is incomplete.


"Fire" should have been an option also.

[logosoco]

27. Penguins. Lots and lots of penguins.

And a few other assorted types.

I have way too many Christmas decorations, even though every year I donate quite a few. This year I put out a bunch of them, my reason being that when it's time to "un-decorate" I will do it neatly and in an organized manner. We will see!

[mwdem]

28. Tasteful with a coastal theme...

But I adopted a kitten last week, so the theme is coastal on the floor!

[Laffy Kat]

41. Kitty photo!!! nt

[NJCher]

48. yes!!

Kitty photo!!!



Cher

[dr.strangelove]

30. Lights, years of collected ornaments and a Salmon on the top

It works for us.

[A HERETIC I AM]

49. Ahhh.....anti-Halibut. I see. I see. n/t

[woodsprite]

31. We have a collection of ornaments dating back to my great grandmother

They all go on our tree. We buy a special ornament each year from our vacation or revolving around milestones for the kids or ourselves that gets added to the tree each year. This will be our 29th Christmas together (just had our anniversary over the weekend) so the lovebirds in a nest ornament we bought on our honeymoon will take it's place at the top of the tree again this year. We'll top it all off with tinsel hung by the strand (looks neater that way).

Right now, our tree sits in the living room naked except for white lights. It's awaiting us either finding the time and gumption to bring up the boxes of ornaments from the basement and get started, or for elves to sneak in at night to decorate it for us.

[Major Nikon]

33. ...

[femmocrat]

35. We have not put it up yet, but....

I have cut way back. I have who knows how many tubs of ornaments in the basement that I haven't used in years. We just keep it simple with some favorites like "Baby's First Christmas" etc. And lots of little horses and rocking horse ornaments.

[BlueJazz]

36. Mine decorates fairly easy.

[Marthe48]

37. Ornaments from 2 to 40 years old

art glass, hand-made crafts, wire pine cones,plastic candy canes and icicles, and gold and silver garland. We bought some glass balls at a yard sale, that I was going to resell, but my grand daughter wanted to put the Baby Jesus bulbs on the tree, so there ya go--contribution from the next generation No tinsel because the cats eat it.

[bif]

38. Mostly homemade ornaments with a cd on top!

[Glassunion]

39. My wife

I tried to help but she made me take the lights off and she did it herself.

[Sherman A1]

43. I have a charlie brown tree

with one ornament.

[narnian60]

44. Tired of hauling heavy fake tree

down from attic. Put some lights on my artificial palm that's in the dining room. Perfect!