Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

I love Christmas trees and I love to have one in each room.  Every year I tend to move some of the trees around and use them in different rooms, except for the living room tree. You may not can tell from the photograph but  this tree is so big around that there's only about one or two places in the house it could go.  It  is so full and so perfectly shaped but it is a thorn in my side every Christmas because it's not pre-lit.  In fact, this tree is twenty years old.  It takes about two to three hours just to shape all the branches and put about 1500 lights on it every year.  It's also only 6 1/2 ft. so I started elevating it on blocks to make it appear taller.  The branches on the bottom row hang low so you really don't notice that it's elevated.  I've looked all around and I just cant find one as beautifully shaped and as full as this one.   I clearly remember the day I went and got it.  My mother and I drove to a store in Boaz, AL called "Trees N Trends"  The box almost didn't fit in my car.  I'd say I've gotten my money's worth.  Every year when I start to put it together I always say next year I'm going to get a pre-lit tree but when it's up and decorated I forget about how much trouble it was. The pictures really don't do it justice.

A little redneck engineering

Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones that represent the true meaning of the season and I try to keep with that theme.  I found the beautiful ribbon last year at Hobby Lobby.  And yes that's real cotton in the tree.  A relative once told me that it was good luck to put cotton in your Christmas tree plus I have a thing for cotton and things that kind of represent the south.  

Some friends gave me this ornament when I was pregnant with our oldest. 

I've been searching for a crown for on top of the tree to represent The King of Kings, the reason for the season and I just haven't found the exact one yet so I made this one out of a toy crown until I stumble up on the right one.  

This tree I put together using tags that mechanics use to label parts, etc.  I took some old photographs of family, copied them and modge poged them to the labels.  

For the topper I just used an old pint Ball jar with lights inside.  

Setting the Table

Setting The Table

Psalms 23:5 "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." KJV

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful depiction of God as our good shepherd feeding and teaching His flock.  In verse 5 the Psalmist David writes of the table that our Father prepares, even in the presence of our enemies.  Even though things may be going crazy in our lives and enemies are all around us, if God sets the table we can sit and eat in a  peaceful, calm environment and be filled.

Here are some photo's I snapped at a recent Tablescape Event put on by the Women of WPFBC. 
This year the event was held at the beautiful Loft 212  venue where there were more than 30 tables decorated by local ladies.  I was a little late and most of the ladies had already taken their plates and got in line for food so you may not see the entire place setting but the centerpieces were just amazing and all so different.

(p.s.  I tried to blur out people's faces, so ladies if you were in the dessert line, no one has to know it was you)