Never mind the laundry...

I finally finished putting up my tree - please overlook the clean laundry in the chair.  It seems my house is a "WIP" (work in progress).  I am always working on one task or another.

I absolutely love my tree COVERED with ornaments... and lights!  You can't see it, but I have a star light on top of the tree.  I haven't counted, but I would bet I have about 300 ornaments on the tree.  I use everything from trip momentos, to glass bulbs, to hand crafted, to kids' school projects, and more.  I just love them all.  Here are just a few of my favorites...

This crocheted tree with poinsettia trim has been around since before my daughter, Kate, was born and she is getting ready to turn 27.  Amazing it has not been destroyed somewhere along the line.  A friend of mine made it and I know they starched the crocheted hat and formed it over a ball to form the top of the hat.  I was really impressed.

This reindeer lost his antlers, but he's still pretty cute.  His body is a red metal round bell. His head and legs were stitched and stuffed.  I don't remember the year I bought this but I remember it was in Hastings, Minnesota at a craft fair in 1993 or 1994.

This is Baby Jesus laying in a manger - again, hand made with spool, fabric, wire, and fake moss.  He is always at the top of my tree.
I have so many favorites, that it was hard to choose these three.  I am sure, like yours, the ornaments mean special things - an event, a person, a belief, a specific year.

Now that the tree is up, I can enjoy my latte.  Mmmm.