Sunday, December 11, 2011

Putting up the @$*)%#(%! Christmas tree

At the risk of sounding like the Grinch of Christmas trees, I have to admit, I hate putting up ours. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that:

a) I'm a Virgo
b) I'm a perfectionist
c) I'm anal about decoration distribution

At our house I am known as the Christmas tree Nazi, and although I'm not proud of this title, there's no denying it...I am not cool or laid back when it comes to decorating our tree. 

our tree 2009

I know this is silly, I know I'm a control freak and I know I'm stifling my childrens creativity etc etc. Even though our funny little shop house is currently a l-o-n-g way from perfect I'm afraid I can't chill out and live with a wonky tree (and this coming from someone who loves wonky?)

It's traditional, at our house to put up the tree twelve days before Christmas (none of this 1st of December business here!) A convenient tradition for someone like me, wouldn't you agree...

Anyway, today, after much nagging from the girlies, I ventured into the depths of our shed to hunt down our tree and decs (we've got some lovely vintage ones I've collected over the years) and guess what? I was granted a reprieve because our white Christmas tree has turned yellow. And you know now, don't you, there's no way that thing's getting decorated!

Now I'm on the hunt for a new tree. I really like these:




But these trees...as much as I admire their makers creativity, leave me cold. I do not get them, do you?

Would I be a complete failure if I gave in and decorated one of Anthony's ladders?

Save up those empties!

What the?

(all images via)

I'm not sure what we'll end up with, but I do know it will not involve empty stubbies, ladders or tripods...

And just to prove I'm not a complete and utter stone cold b****, and that I do let my girls make a mess (sometimes) here's a pic of the gingerbread men people Annabel made yesterday

it's only the tree I'm (really) psyco about

mwah

19 comments:

  1. Groan! My children have a Christmas tradition...they like to trot out the same story every year about how I was a maniac about the tree and how damaged they are because after going to bed I would completely re-do the tree. I'm sorry but there are laws I'm afraid ( in the decorating tree world)and it was my duty to school them in the ways of my weird. They won't admit it but I bet they are exactly the same! I'm not proud of it either and I do envy those relaxed mothers who decorated their tree with coloured pasta, glitter pipe cleaners and plastic bags but I am what I am.

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  2. LOLing at the quest for perfection in Christmas tree decorating. Been there, done the Mom's tree and everyone else's tree thing. I do like that bottle tree though. Maybe if I start drinking now I can be ready for next year.

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  3. Think I prefer traditional trees. How control freakish is this - I used to have two trees - one that the kids could decorate and one that I had to myself - co-ordinated and (in my eyes) perfect! Loved the kids' tree, though!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  4. I like the possibilitree, think it has more options. I know what you mean about decorating the tree. Growing up, it was my job to decorate the tree. I enjoyed it and would spend several hours decorating, listening to Christmas music as I hung the ornaments.

    I wasn't going to make gingerbread cookies this year, but I might have to now. Yours are making me hungry for them!

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  5. I don't get involved in the whole tree thing - (I hate the pagan symbolism of it and would go without it if I could) so Mr C takes the boys to a nearby tree farm, they haul it back, then someone flings the ornaments at it and voila! there is a decorated tree.

    And lest I come over as a wet blanket I do happily get involved in making other decorations. :)

    ps. Have been nearly peeing my pants laughing at the ladder and tripod trees.

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  6. I just confessed in my most recent post to being a Mother who pretends to be all chilled out about where the decorations go, but then surreptitiously moves everything around once the kids have gone to bed!

    As of next Christmas I have been promised we can be a two tree family, I'll have a real one again at last, with all my vintage delicate ones arranged beautifully, and they can have the old fake one, with all the glitter pinecones etc. Actually though, it's me who made the majority of the kitschy ornaments! Maybe I need three trees...(I did buy myself a teeny weeny real tree this year, in a pot, but he's only about a foot high so hardly counts)

    My least favourite kind of tree is the ones you can hardly see for metres of tinsel or ribbon, there needs to be some foliage visible I think!

    Love the gingerbread crew, although I've had enough of making it for a while, I made a ton for the school fair and am now onto mince-pies. With glitter.

    Good luck with the tree hunt
    xxx

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  7. some hilarious trees there-back in my student days we decorated out tree with condoms in red packets and cigarettes,wouldhave looked brilliant on that tree of cans!!! I do like a white tree, although we always have the real one that lives in a pot by the back door, and whilst I'm anal about general chrissy decos (white, sparingly) the tree is allowed to be overthetop and ugly since it's rearranged every ten mins by a toddler-I'd be in the asylum if I didn't just let it go...

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  8. I let Jim and Isabel deal with the tree. I HATE decorating the tree (silver tinsel affair and the smallest tree in Christendom). In fact I'm a complete Xmas spoilsport. I actually like the ladder and the tripod "trees".

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  9. uh i hate modern trees, those ones that are upside down...whats that all about!?

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  10. Until 2 years ago l always had plastic tree's but since then l have come over to the world of pine needles and fresh pine fragrance l love it fresh xmas trees are the best as long as you don't mind a little mess...
    Leah x

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  11. Ours went up on the weekend and, luckily for all of us, my daughter is only interested in sorting the decorations from the boxes into piles. What goes on the tree is left up to me. A rare moment of synchronicity in our house.

    Thought the ladder tree was weirdest I'd ever seen until I got to the tripod...

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  12. Hehe, you remind me so much of myself! When our oldest two were younger I would let them decorate the tree and then redo it myself when they were in bed..it has taken me YEARS to live with how the kids decorate the tree, often with all the decorations on one side.
    Good luck finding a tree you like.
    x

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  13. I just love your white tree from 2009 Kylie. It is so pretty and delicate. I also like the way you are so open to artificial trees. Here people are just oh so snooty - it has to be a real tree, it preferably has to have clear lights and it has to be decorated 'tastefully' (no tinsel). I get so tired of the pretension of it all - sometimes I'm really homesick for the Southern Hemisphere!

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  14. Mmmm... all very inventive trees but I do love yours the best!! Totally get the perfectionist vibe. Some things are meant to be wonky and some things aren't right? Some things should be perfectly wonky and others things should just be perfect. Oh the joy of Christmas! Hope you are having a great week!

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  15. ;-))))) I know just what you mean ;-)) Im a virgo and like you a perfectionist and when it comes to the tree i like to do it myself. I always let the boys do one in their room but this year my youngest has said he wants me to decorate theirs and he wants to help with the main one already im thinking Nooooooooooo ;-)) But he is 11 now so im sure it will be fine. But no i don't mind really he helps me make the chocolate truffles the week before xmas and that is great fun he gets stuck right in. Enjoy your run up to xmas, dee xx

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  16. Your 09 Tree is total perfection! I love it! That is so depressing that it turned yellow. Agreed, on the creativity-but-missing-something on those other ones...

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  17. Yes, I too am a secret rearranger of decorations - kids just have NO idea...
    I am coming to the conclusion we should be a 2 tree family!
    PS. Think we'll be working on providing enough bottles for a bottle tree over the festive season!

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  18. your abc is funny.

    nope, not getting the far stretched x-mas trees either, me. i will put up a traditional one in a stark naked renov room, how 'bout thàt? will show all of that, later. need to scrape vintage wall paper off front room downstairs still, first. this weekend, i'm guessing.

    the ginger bread men are gorgeous! too good to eat. do you have that sometimes? not wanting to eat what you've made, because it's looking stunning... hooray to your girls!

    n♥

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  19. love the 09 tree... vintage perfection!! and i havent had a christmas tree for a few years now cos i haven't found one that i LOVE... hahah! am i the grinch or what??

    gingerbread look awesome!!

    kel xx

    p.s - got your lovely christmas postcard today!! thanks so much! it is sitting in my craft room above my sewing machine :) love it!! thanks again! hope you have a most fabulous christmas xx

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