All the Rage in Christmas Decorating

As this will be my first Christmas in my new house - so I wanted to do it right. I was shocked to see Christmas stuff go up as soon as Halloween cleared out - maybe I shouldn't be as commercial as all holidays have become.  As soon as I put away my skeletons and pumpkins, I started researching different Christmas tree themes since I would be starting from scratch.

While I grew up with a traditional tree filled with decorations made and bought over many years, I really had a desire to do something different.   I started with lights - I decided that I would invest in LED.  They have “Cool White” – which is more blue than the “Warm White” which is more yellow.  I immediately loved the LED Cool White lights.  Going with white would allow me to change around ornaments, but not have to reinvest in lights.  So, I got 2 boxes – thinking that I would have a smaller tree and that would be good.

Then, I moved to ornaments.  Almost immediately, I found a set of ornaments and I had my theme - red, lime, blue, and purple/pink.  I have stars, bulbs, onion-shaped, balls and snow flakes - all in the themed colors.   

Okay, lights and ornaments, check; now onto the tree.   I knew right off that I wanted a live tree - preferably one that I cut down myself.  So I ordered this really awesome stand that holds the tree up with a cable – you just set the tree in the base and then use the foot pump to tighten the cable.  One person set up – the base is all hard plastic – so no metal feet to scratch my hardwoods!

Unfortunately, with a full holiday schedule, the dream of cutting my own tree died - especially since you have to go OTP to find a tree farm.  I settled for a pre-cut one.  Once it was home and in the stand – I knew exactly why my mother used an artificial tree.  This tree is definitely not straight, has random holes, and sheds worse than my cats.  On the bright side, it is no Charlie Brown tree and it smells nice.

After waiting a day for the limbs to relax into place, I put on my Christmas music and started decorating.  I got nearly ½ way up the tree and ran out of lights.  Typical.  So I run to Target to get 3 more boxes.  Only they don’t have ANY – and I mean ANY white lights.  Typical.  So I go next door to Lowe’s – they do not have ANY white lights either.  Great. 

I go home.  I go online – this is why you have free next day shipping – right?  Can’t find any Cool White LED lights online either.  Are you kidding me, all of the internet doesn’t have lights for me?  LED White lights must be the new black.

Target said that they had a “limited” stock of them at a store across town – so I risked it.  The very nice stock boy helped me go through every box – we found 2 pre-opened boxes stuffed in the wrong place.  I took them and told myself that I would make due.

Reading back over this I realize that I have not expressed this hunt for LED lights as I truly experienced it – but then as I think of ways to covey it – my blood pressure rises.  I will keep it PG and say that I have learned my lesson at Christmas shopping and smile because hopefully I will not need lights for many years.