Decorating For Christmas Starts Thanksgiving + 1

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month."

It's Two Days At Least

Decorating the tree November 2011
The foundation is set....

Did You Know? - Artificial Christmas trees are artificial pine and fir trees manufactured for the specific purpose of use as a Christmas tree. The earliest artificial Christmas trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids or feather trees, both developed by Germans. Most modern trees are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) but many other types of trees have been and are available, including aluminum Christmas trees and fiber optic Christmas trees.

Decorating the tree November 2011
We made it to the top.... Twelve feet into the sky

Did You Know? - The first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century, though earlier examples exist. These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green. The German feather trees were one response by Germans to continued deforestation in Germany. Developed in the 1880s, the feather trees became increasingly popular during the early part of the 20th century.

The German feather trees eventually made their way to the United States where they became rather popular as well. In fact, the use of natural Christmas trees in the United States was pre-dated by a type of artificial tree. These first trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids lit by candles, they were developed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by the German Moravian Church in 1747

Decorating the tree November 2011
Now the hard part... Lights

Did You Know? - Most artificial Christmas trees are made from PVC plastic. PVC trees are fire-retardant but not fire-resistant. Many of these trees are made in China; from January to August 2005 $69 million worth of artificial trees from China entered the United States

Decorating the tree November 2011
One third done with the lights

Decorating the tree November 2011
Time for wine

Decorating the tree November 2011
Lights are on... Time to rest

Decorating the tree November 2011

Decorating the tree November 2011
Two days later it begins to take shape

Decorating the tree November 2011
The ghost of Christmas Present moves quickly around the base of the tree

Decorating the tree November 2011
Fence is up... We be done

Decorating the tree November 2011
The animals are resting

Decorating the tree November 2011
Lights are on

Decorating the tree November 2011
Hearts in place

Decorating the tree November 2011