Young Frankentree Puts on the Ritz

Zot! A quick bolt of lightning was all it took!

(Okay, maybe more like an extension cord and a three-prong plug, but hey, same diff.)

"It... is.... ALIVE!" I shouted to the heavens, wearing a labcoat and my hair askew.

My new artificial Christmas fir, which I've been fondly thinking of as "Frankentree," was ablaze with light.

You can see its neck bolts here...

I'm actually quite impressed at the quality of some artificial trees these days. I mean, when I was a kid, I remember our fake tree.

It started out a longish mop handle with feet. Then it was laden with green pipecleaners with color-coded tips. Then those green pipecleaners came together to form one big pipecleaner. A giant, mega pipecleaner, if you will.

On steroids.

And where it was bare, we wrapped other, lesser pipecleaners, so you wouldn't notice the color coding.

It was class.

Now, the artificial trees come prelit, in three sections, and they unfold like furry umbrellas.

What's more, I found that while it lacked the over-the-river-and-through-the-woods fun of acquisition, it did not try to attack me while I was tightening it into the stand.
It also has not started leaning, in an attempt to sneak off to other parts of the house. I actually feel comfortable trusting this one to my vintage ShinyBrite ornaments. I hope it won't betray my trust.

This would be the first year where I didn't end up crying a little under the Christmas tree because I didn't have enough upper body strength to really get it in the stand, or because it waited until I looked away to sag leftward, or-- my favorite ploy-- it spit off two family heirloom ornaments like they were tobacco.

Shards do not say Christmas to me.
Anyway, with the tree up and decorated, I was free to play around with some other decorations. It's daunting, I must say. But I hit the front of the house with garland swags and red bows. I filled the bowl in the diningroom with purple sparkly ornaments...
And I swagged up the livingroom. This one has velvet roses, fir branches and ribbon printed in peakcock feathers...
I like how the light from the tree fell on this nice furry stocking a lovely family friend gave me last year...
I also liked how these mercury glass ornaments seem like high rise skyscrapers in this shot.
I've been plopping poinsettias here and there to tie things together, like on this sidetable... Still needs some work but you'll get the gist...
And pink poinsettias with perky plates punctuate the place over the stove!
So, that's where it stands for now at my house. There's much more decorating to come before I can put my feet up over a completed job!

How are you all faring with your decorating? (If you're already done, please soften the blow for us non-finished folks, 'kay?)

• Oh, and in case you missed last Treasure Box Wednesday, where some garage sales became music to the ears (Victorian decorating sheet music, that is) click here!

Hope to see you this coming Wednesday, friends! (And don't wear yourselves out too much in the meantime, all right?)