No, that is not a piece of barbed wire... that is the tip of one of my Christmas tree limbs... and they ALL look that way! Every side of this tree should go towards the wall.
This is my tree. If it looks like it's leaning a little, that's because it is. Severely. I used to call this our Charlie Brown tree... now it looks more like a bunch of the Grinch's fingertips stuck together. Doesn't it?... LOOK at it! THIS IS AN UGLY TREE! 
AND, it's balding. It's more like a deciduous than an ever green. It's even losing it's limbs.
Of course, that might be from the year when the mice nested in it and the hubby vowed he could fix it (I secretly prayed it would be the end) and he hosed the thing down 3 times with bleach (I thought we'd have a turquoise tree!) and let it sit WET for days... then hosed it down again... thus the rusty tips. I TOLD YOU this would get terrifying! Yes, we're using an old un-smellied mouse nested tree! I'm not sure where I went wrong. It might have been when I started the tradition of letting my kids help decorate the tree.... to make memories. This is how they make memories.
That's an ImagiNext guy. We have a tree full of them....
and these.......
Yes, amid all the decorations-none of which match because I thought it would be another great memory to give my kids a different ornament each year that was unique to what they did that year.- We house our own Sherwood Forest. AND each year I unpack the tree, I find a few Merry Men hanging out in the branches that were somehow attached too well to be shaken out like the rest of their gang the year before.
Oh yes... minus the beautiful ribbon (Thank you Costco for your 4.95 per 50 yards of wired ribbon) and the tree skirt, this is it. Wires and all. Every year I unpack this tree cursing and whining and dreading the event. No pre-lit here. We do this mess ourselves. My kids hang the ornaments (we all draw straws for the lights... just kidding... I do them every year- Don't you just love those cords? This year I finally passed off the duty to my son). 
It's not a beautiful tree by any means and I can't ever justify taking $200 out of our budget to go toward a beautiful tree that opens up as easily as an umbrella. (Maybe if you buy from my esty shop I could buy a new tree!!... oh ya, that's to pay off the adoptions...grr.)
Each year I curse this tree, but each year it works. The kids are STILL excited to haul it out, decorate it, redecorate it, hide their "Guys" in it and redecorate it AGAIN. And each year as I watch them content to play with our tree I think, "I can wait another year. They'll only want to play with the tree for a short while, then I'll be trying to keep them home during the holidays instead of out with friends." Sometimes beauty isn't what adorns the Palace rooms but what love and joy is found within them. This Palace has beauty, and love, in the same room as the ugly tree... and somehow that tree isn't ugly any more... it's a beautiful memory.
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21 comments:
FUNNY! It's amazing how something we think is so ugly our kids see the beauty in!
Merry Christmas!
Crud Am just took a great tree to DI. I don't know how we would have gotten it to you. It reminds me of our tree growing up.
I have to say Lee and I take the kiddies to the Uintahs and hike until we find the perfect tree (get too tired to care). Our tree this year is so ugly I had him put it in the corner so I wouldn't have to look at it. Oh, well memories right.
P.S. Even my little 3 year old the other day said, "Mom that is an UGLY tree" argh!
My tree wasn't that great. I was too lazy to take the lights off every year, so every year there would be strands that stopped working, or that you'd have to jiggle to work.... with the lights on and ribbon yours looks fine. I finally got a new one this year, and it looks.. bare. At least there's a tree, but that's all I could afford. Oh well.
It may not be the most perfect tree, but I'm certain it will be one full of memories! And I definitely prefer yours to one of those perfect-every-piece-in-place-professionally-decorated ones. Yours has character!
We finally had to lay our old tree to rest this year...poor thing was losing branches too! But then again, it was pretty old. My mom gave it to us when we married (almost 11 years ago) and she had had it for at least 5 years before that! I was going to get one after Christmas the last 2 years but they were all sold out by the time I got to the store (and I can't stand to pay full price!). Hubby finally had enough this year and went out on Black Friday and got us a new one! :)
Your children will be telling your grandchildren about this tree with much love and great memories. ~Michelle
Like you implied, if you had a perfect tree you'd be getting in between it and the kids constantly and that wouldn't be fun at all. This one is for the kids, so enjoy it. No tree is perfect, not even real ones. Believe me I remember some real trees that were too tall and when cut down looked wierd, had spots so bare not even a corner could hid them, but we don't remember them now, some 35 years later, but the decorations are another story. I love getting out all the beloved decorations collected over the years. Hardly no two alike, and the theme is eclectic. But that's what memories are made of. Enjoy these years, they'll be gone before you can bat an eye. Merry Christmas!
BEAUTIFUL... and yes, I did read your entire post!
Oh yeah, I'm still laughing!!
OK think of this, try a big full tree, full of ornaments some as old as I am! Yep, that's our tree! You'll have to wait for pic of it though!
About the time you think you can have a tree that looks like one in a magazine, wrong......the little grand angels are so excited to come and decorate "grammies" tree, and of course they do a wonderful job at ages 7, 5,2. My it is all in the eyes of the beholder.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas.
You crack me up. I love the Grinch finger comment LOL.
I'm pretty happy with my tree this year. It's a Martha Stewart tree (product line) and it's decorated with a collection of ornaments that I've had since I was a kid, my kids creations and ornaments from all of preschool students. I cherish them all.
My tree might not be award winning but when my little (tween) boy says to me "Mom, I love looking at every ornament. They bring back all happy memories of Christmas each year. They are almost magical"... well, let's just say that's all the recognition I need :-)
I'm sure your children will feel the same.
hilarious! i laughed so hard at this post!
Maybe this year after you take it and put it away take it outside and spray the rusted area with green spray paint. Spend a little extra money on the good spray paint though. Or hit some great sales after wards. Maybe even Free Cycle in your group or garage sales. Just a couple thoughts. The tree turned out pretty though. Hugs, Bobbi Jo
Oh, ugly tree.....it didn't dissapoint! But, thanks for adding your family's traditions and memories of the tree.....because it reminds me that my tree can last me a long time, even with branches falling off.
Thanks for keeping it real!
This tree is extremely funny! I don't think I would be able to stand it one more year. I can't believe you have put up with the Charlie Brown tree this long! O my, I wished you lived closer...I think I would donate a tree to you or at least buy you a real one for 40 bucks. Maybe you should cover it with angel hair or lots of tinsel to fill in the empty spots. Naw...I don't know...I think it's hopeless...LOL!
Isn't it amazing what some glamour and glitz can do to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree?
love the Charlie tree! and Im laughing because we have the same blog page hee hee! you have great tate!
HAHA! I was cracking up all through this post! I did the whole fancy, matchy tree in the past and you know what? I'm back to letting the kids do whatever. It's more special. The fact that your tree is so challenging just made the end result all the more beautiful to me. Visiting via The Inspired Room, and wishing you all a Merry Christmas!
(I've been doing lots of my holiday shopping on Etsy so you know I have to check out your shop next.)
You are a hoot! Take the lead from your kids...they always seem to know what's important! Mine love being festive and could care less how well it matches.
We bought one of those grand trees 2 years ago after the holidays, but it was too big for our house. This year none of the lights worked and we took off the bottom section, so people could actually walk by it!
You put a smile to my face today- enjoy the kids tree- before long they will be grown- and you will wish for the "Ugly" tree back-
{By the way, I don't think it looks that bad :}
Merry Christmas
Okay, I get what you're saying, and I would be the same way. Our artificial tree, which we used last year, isn't much better. But the lights and decorations and memories make your tree beautiful!
Thanks for visiting my blog!
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