Holiday tour!

Ah, 'tis the season. I do love me some Christmas. I love all our decorations, even the ones I'm too lazy to use. But Miss T. and I thought perhaps y'all would like to see what warms our hearts this time of year. Welcome to a Knit Think Christmas!

The basket I use to display Christmas cards. Very cheery.

Candles! Lots of candles. I like candles. I've no doubt there are many of you out there who could do a very artful job of arranging them. Not me. I just slap 'em on the chest and enjoy the randomness.

This tree, which is metal, has little shelves behind each open star. The idea is to put tealight candles on the shelves, which would then light up the tree. However, since at least one of our dogs (I'm talkin' to you, Gracie) would find lit candles an appealing sort of toy, we've never actually tried it out. Geez. If it's not kids, it's dogs.

We also have lots of homemade, high-sentimental-value decorations, such as the above picture, done by my dad on a scroll saw. Or, from my dearly departed (several years ago) MIL, who was a very gifted ceramicist:

A few years back, DH got a bee in his bonnet and decided to embark, with the boys (they weren't Teens yet), on a large paper mache project.

This was quite the undertaking. Damn near wrecked my Kitchen Aid mixer, and took almost a month to dry. But the kids loved it, and so do we. Just for scale:

And, of course, the official tree.

Yes, it's artificial. Sorry about that. Have I mentioned some general laziness in our household? But still, respectable, yes? And lots of fun ornaments. Got this one at a local craft show a few years back:

 

Another of my dad's scroll saw pieces:

Among my favorites are the handmade school Christmas gifts. Oh, how I miss those days, when the kids would bring home their felt and glitter and painted projects. I may be a cranky old thing at times, but I have a huge soft spot for all my kids' projects and presents.

 

Then there are fun ornaments, gifted to me by friends.

 

What? You don't have South Park characters on your tree?

 

And I do believe every Christmas tree needs its own Starship Enterprise. Heck--why have just one? There are so many versions of that venerable ship.

With another scroll-saw Santa in between, and R2D2 traveling upper right. Space is a busy place.

Beware the Borg!

 

Even worse--beware the Borg Queen. Oh no! What will happen to Capt. Picard!
 

I don't even know what the hell this is. Deep Space 9, maybe? Nearly crashing into a reindeer. That final frontier is a dangerous place.

 

I think--don't hold me to this--that what we've got here is a Romulan warbird. Because truly, nothing says Christmas like a Romulan attack.

Hey! What's on your tree?

Comments

[PainterWoman]

We, um, skipped the tree thing this year... (and nothing got struck by lightenng)... but I'm glad to see (relieved, even) that others have collections of "unique" and personally meaningful ornaments!

[Caroline]

Thanks for the holiday tour. We've always had a "used to be live" tree. I loved the smell and the whole idea of it. Last year we bought an artificial tree, and I'm sooooo happy with it. No needles, no fear of spontaneous combustion no having to take the tree down before I want to because it's dropped most of its needles. It's wonderful!

[kathy b]

ENjoyed the tour! Lovely scroll work your father did! WOW.

What is on my tree:

A nurse ornament from my friend from college Jenny. It is a nurse holding a baby . She sent it to me from Luxenborg.

The cutest little wooden ambulance you ve ever seen

Canoe ornaments

Santa riding a bicycle

a cloissane (?) bell that I adore with poinsettias on it

[Helen]

Oh what FUN!
I can't take it that so many of you have an Enterprise and I don't!

But I'm not sure I'd have a Borg.

I'm suddenly thinking that I need to hop to and get ornaments that mean something to DH and me. Eventually, all those ornaments I gave the kids will be leaving to live at THEIR houses. (see, I'm the eternal optimists -- they will all grow up, lead productive lives, buy their own homes and decorate their own trees).

[Guinifer]

We've got fifteen years of Lionel model trains (mini) and Pedal cars courtesy of my MIL to my boys. They get their own tree because they weigh about 1/2 pound each.

[LisaD.]

aww man. OUr tree is not nearly as interesting as yours. Probably cause I buy all the fun ornaments for friends and keep the red and gold Christmas balls on mine. I guess I should just be happy that mine is up.

[Kim]

Enjoyed the tour! Thank you!

[bezzie]

I love this! So cool to see what other people decorate with! Your old man is pretty talented with the saw--amazing!

[rudee]

I love all of your stuff. The paper mache tree is pretty and your assortment of space objects? Impressive.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll show you what I did with candles and the bulb decorations I was unable to use this year. My tree is rather small and most of my ornaments too big.

[kmkat]

Heh! Your tree has been taken over by Star Trek!

[Miss T]

I love those pieces your dad made!

[Chris]

Wow. Just think of the Star Trek mash-up movie you could make...

[Jeanne]

Speaking of lazy, I put up my pre-lit, artificial tree, and don't put any ornaments on it. In fact, last weekend I did a major clean out and got rid of all Christmas decorations that did not hold sentimental value.