On the First Post of Christmas I'm Pleased to Share with Thee...

...A "New up North"-ern Christmas Tree!

 
I'm sad to admit that here, in the Land of the Spruce and Pine, we put up a fake Christmas tree. The happy admission is that, unlike other years, there was no massive argument on the day that we set it up, because it is pre-lit! Maybe next year we'll be more organized with a big saw, a tree stand and a lot more patience, but this year the tree in the box was the way to go.

I'm all about the white lights, and making sure there's a lot of red and gold amongst the green branches. Otherwise, anything goes on this tree.

Festive berry garlands can be found easily and cheaply at any discount store and add a bright pop to the display. The straw ornaments are from Switzerland; they're also pretty inexpensive, except for the fact that you'd have to travel to Switzerland to get them.

Bells are always a fun addition to the Christmas tree: the one above was made in Indonesia. I bought a few at 10,000 Villages one year. It's nice to pick stuff up there every so often; they have a pretty great ornament selection about this time of year, and it's nice to know that the artisans who make them are being paid fairly, so that they can have a special holiday season as well.

 

Thankfully, the dogs don't seem very interested in the Christmas tree. Originally they barked at it a few times, which made me worried that they were going to attack it, but we took them up close and let them check it out and they haven't done more than sniff at it a few times since. We stayed away from tinsel and didn't hang many ornaments around the bottom, so I feel pretty confident that the tree will remain intact over the holidays.

Our first Christmas in The North, and my first as a blogger, will be filled with new sights and old traditions that I'm so happy to be able to share with you. These little Northern veterans that I picked up in Tallin, Estonia are well dressed for the season, and they've even one-upped me and picked out their own tree! I'm getting there...finally bought a parka since the weather is consistently dropping below -15 celcius, and I've been knitting. Stay tuned for eleven more Posts of Christmas.