The tree is finally finished.  Yay!  I thought I’d share the stages of decoration since the tree’s transformation from bare naked fir to glitzy Christmas totem took several days. 

Stage 1: Nothing but needles.  The Fraser fir is  a gorgeous shape though.

Stage 2: Lights and the star.  I put blinking lights up the inside of the trunk to give it some movement, not that you can see those in a photo.

Stage 3:  Add the feather boas.  This was a new addition this year.  A local designer (chosen to help decorate the White House) was featured in a magazine, which showed her own tree decorated with white feather boas.   Since I’m always looking for an excuse to use feathers in my home and personal decor, I jumped right on that bandwagon.  It really does look like snow on the needles, don’t you think?

Stage 4: Ornaments, bows, and candy canes are hung on the branches with care.  Our tree will never be one of those designer creations because our ornaments are a hodge-podge collection representing our family history (more on that in my next blog).  Literally every ornament I hook onto the tree has some significance to me or another member of the the family.  I love seeing them all once a year.

I think Santa will approve.