“The smell of pine needles, spruce and the smell of a Christmas tree, those to me, are the scents of the holidays.” – Blake Lively
Trimming the Tree
As I mentioned the other day the family tree has been decorated since October. I know, I know, SO early! But in my defense, I was traveling most of November, and will be again in December. And after coming down with the creeping crud to end all creeping crud on Thanksgiving, I am kind of happy I did it so early! Not only I have I been able to sit next to the tree, as I nurse hot toddys to help my cough and throat, but it really does give me all the Christmas cheer.
We have always put up a family tree, and honestly I prefer it that way! I don’t need the most instagrammable tree. I love our family ornaments that have been accumulated the last (almost fifty plus years. Since my parents have been married and even some before that! They are a culmination of family memories through out the years, long before I was born, and of course through out my childhood. It is nostalgic and it is most definitely home. I have a tree in my room, which is a little more curated, but the family tree in my opinion is special.
Decorating this year
Putting up the tree is a task that has fallen to me the last decade if no longer. Even not living here, I would come home and put it up, which coincidentally usually coincided with Hallmark’s Christmas movies premiering. this year was no different and thankfully Hallmark started early this year as I was leaving for a residency on Martha’s Vineyard the last week of October. I always put up the tree and let it rest, so that the branches can settle for a few days before decorating. As the branches settle, my Mom will usually put ribbon on it, as it is much easier to decorate after the ribbon has been put on then before it. This year we went for a green and red plaid which the ultimate of festiveness in my book.
Then I got to decorating. It was just my Mom and I who decorated it this year, and I put on the Santa Clause to watch as we did it which has become some what of a tradition. Either that or Home Alone, two classics! I usually decorate in my pajama’s, but this year I decided to go all glammed out, and kind of excited I did. It didn’t take us that long to decorate at all, and afterwards we made some hot cocoa and basked in the warm lights! Decorating the tree just might be one of my favorite traditions and it doesn’t matter how old I am. The memories this tree hold are especially poignant!
Is your tree decorated yet? When do you decorate your tree?
Past A Nautical Christmas Posts:
Day 1: Blogmas
