Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree, please don't fall on my head...

Like most families in the US, we are watching our budget. Considering that we are preparing for the holidays "from scratch" makes this statement all the more interesting. This year, we will be spending our first Christmas together in Alaska, so we both felt it was very important that we try to make it as festive as possible. In other words...a tree was a necessity.

We had no tree. No ornaments. Are you nervous yet? I'm not. It just means I get to make this tree into whatever I want.  My creative juices began to flow... I started planning in September. :)

Nate is in the Army. We live on an Army post. I started researching patriotic Christmas trees because it only made sense to me. What better time?  Most of the trees I found online were tacky...white trees with red and blue lights...and I hate tacky. I was on my own.

Budget conscious does not mean blind to ugly. I was going to have to make my own ornaments. I have complete faith in my crafting ability....as long as I don't have to draw...so I went to Michaels. I started with ribbon. Red and white stripes. Sheer blue with silver polka dots. Good start. Then I moved on to clear glass ornaments and my brain went crazy. Some I swirled with paint...red, white and blue, of course, with silver and gold (might as well cover all the bases), some I painted red and white stripes with blue at the top covered in white stars, the rest I filled with fake snow so they looked like snow globes. On each of these I tied rag ribbons made of ACUs donated from Nate's deployment to Iraq.

I bought wooden stars, painted them patriotic colors, and glued ribbon hangers to their backs.

We went tree shopping. 7 foot, prelit (I hate putting on lights), beautiful. Nate picked out a few glittered ornaments and I grabbed a few red, white and blue poinsettias. We were ready.

After discarding the useless instructions, we began assembling the tree. Nate helped me fluff the branches and I began decorating. As I'm finishing, Nate stops me and says, "the top is crooked." Awesome. The problem is, everytime I try to move a branch, an ornament falls off. :( Buyer beware: do NOT buy the cheap ornament hooks from walmart. They suck. The tree is still crooked...but only from the side view. I'm over playing fetch with falling ornaments.

I'm thrilled with our tree. It's beautiful and uniquely "us." The dogs are also thrilled with the tree. Beneath it is Sadie's favorite place to sit, and they have made a game of hiding under it and then pouncing each other. Yikes. I hold my breath every time it shakes from the scrambling beneath it.

Please, Mr. Tree. Don't fall on me.  Or them. Thanks a bunch.