My Best Tree

I have a feeling that no matter how I word this post, I am going to come off sounding like one crazy old lady who has too much time on her hands, and possibly as if I'm bragging as well.  Truthfully, I am not trying to do either.  

 Hubby and I are in sync on most things but Christmas decorations isn't one of them.  Especially when it comes to the tree.  Hubby prefers a traditional tree done in multicolored lights and all the assortment of decades of collected ornaments from handmade by the children to the dated Hallmark collections.  I on the other hand like white lights and everything in crystal, silver and gold with some cardinals for a red accent.  In our last house,  I put up a tree for each of us.  One in the living room and one in the family room.  

Since downsizing to a small condo, we only have room for one tree so I have been alternating them.  This was the year to have my tree.   I caught hubby giving the tree a good look-see this year and was quite surprised when he told me it was the prettiest tree he had ever seen.  Then followed that up with saying that he never wanted me to put up the tradition tree ever again.  

Now granted (and I'm just stating facts here -- not trying to brag) I have always gotten lots of compliments on both interior and exterior decorations.  So I have decided to tell you my secret.  First, you have to have enough decorations in a variety of sizes and colors.  Second, they need to be sorted properly before you  hang the first ornament on the tree.   I always sort the ornaments when I take them off the tree and then pack them away in the reverse order of how they will be hung the next year.  In other words the last ornaments to be hung are the first to go in the basket.  That way I can hang them as I unwrap them.

I spent yesterday between coughing fits and rest breaks taking down our tree.    While doing so I got curious about just how many items were on the tree and decided to actually count everything before I packed them away.  I took a total of 317 ornaments off the tree.  One-third were crystal, one-third were divided between gold, white and silver.  The remaining third were filler items like sparkling pinecones, flocked or feathered redbirds, old-fashion candles, and beaded spiral sprigs I found at Michaels.

This tree has been evolving over the last decade but I think I have finally gotten the correct combination of colors and glitz, to suit my taste anyway.