Tree decorating time! One of my favorite Christmas traditions.

We have a fake tree, which allows us to skip the tree lots and get straight to decorating.  I admit, I do miss the smell of a real tree (the smell of Christmas), but at this point in our life, the fake tree works.

We seem to always have a fire and play Christmas songs while we decorate the tree. Of course, the event isn’t as picturesque as I am painting it out to be: Stella is usually overly excited and impatient to start decorating and Michael often loses his temper over something or another.

But the drama usually subsides once the tree is up, and that is when the decorating begins.

I love our little, eclectic tree.  It is a combination of the glass, store-bought ornaments and those my mother made (she used to make everyone an ornament each year).

After all the decorations have been hung on the tree, we add our bow at the top and turn on the lights!

Such a beautiful sight.  And  a job well done by all.