Christmas Tree {Show-n-Tell} ☻

I love Christmas Trees! When I lived in UT, I went to the Festival of Trees  almost every year, from the time I was 12, until I married my husband. ☻ It benefits Primary Children's Medical Center, and I always wanted to do a tree for it. ☻ Well, that didn't happen...yet...but this year I finally got a pretty tree of my own- I call it a "MALL TREE." - the pretty kind you see everywhere else but your own house. ☻ But not this year! Thanks to my diligent shopping of after Christmas sales last year, I scored some 90% off deals, including my pre-lit 7 and half foot-800 light tree for under 50 dollars! I love a  great deal! So here is all the show-n-tell:

I got most of my ornaments at 90% off also, except for some I bought from Costco this year- they have a great deal ($27.99 for 84 ornaments)  And I added a few I got from Target this year...and a few I made.

My sweet husband cut me over 30 pieces of wood, which I spray painted silver, white, or red, and added vinyl lettering and ribbon. I love how these look on the tree- and there are so many with so many different words. ( note: silver spray paint is really cool- all sparkly-but vinyl lettering does not stick well to it- you have to sand it after painting and then add the lettering)

Another thing I did, was I found these cute silver frames for $1 at JoAnn's so I bought about a dozen of them, and added black and white photos of my kids and our family. I hot glued some ribbon on the back to hang them up- a little Pottery Barn like- for a fraction of the price. I love photos on my tree. ☻

I bought all this fun red and white fabric to make a tree skirt-and - it probably isn't going to happen. I'll have to work on it this coming year for next year- but a piece -or several pieces of fabric works for me-for a tree skirt.

Surpisingly enough, my kids have not attacked the tree! I gave them a little 5 foot tree for their room and they redecorate that instead. Below, is the tree I have had for the last 10 years at least, and it is our "Memory Tree." We hang all our ornaments from years past on it. Like many families, each year our kids get a new ornament or two too, and we get a family ornament also.

And yes, those are stockings hanging from my window. We don't have a mantel, and I have the stuff to make this nice stocking hanger-thing-but it might not happen this year either-so they hang from the window for now...and I still have to make one more for the baby ;)

OK...now I want to see your tree- since I love some pretty Christmas trees...so if you would like to share, leave a comment w/ a link to your Christmas Tree.

Hope you are enjoying the month of December! I love it!