My first Christmas tree!

I will be the first to admit, ever since I've lived outside my parents' house I've been a total scrooge about getting a Christmas tree. (Cindy, Chelse, and Chelsie will back me up on this.) It just always seemed like too much work, extra money I didn't have in December, too much mess, etc etc etc.

Then this year I found myself contemplating it when I realized there happened to be a little area a tree could go, ya know, if I felt like going through all that effort. I thought about getting a fake tree because a real tree would be too much hassle and I didn't want to deal with all the pine needles falling everywhere. But no, I thought to myself, if I'm getting a tree it's going to be a real one! But then I thought to myself, but no, there's all those pesky pine needles.

Then last night something happened. I'd happened to be in Macy*s on 34th Street and saw Santa (which is a whole other story in and of itself) and I was just feeling especially festive. So as I was walking through Lincoln Center on my way home I decided to walk through the tree lot on 67th. And then I saw it. My tree. I knew it when I saw it. I guess you could say I didn't choose this tree, it chose me. (Sadly, I'm serious.) So I talked to the tree lot lady for a few minutes and then boom, the tree was mine! It would be delivered by 10pm that night. Hurray!

I then went home to drop some things off, and happened to get three Christmas cards in my mailbox. Yay! Then as I was walking to meet some girlfriends for dinner, listening to some Christmas tunes, I realized I felt so incredibly happy!! Seriously I felt like I could burst, I was so happy about my tree and Christmas in general. I would never have thought in a million years I could be so happy about a 4'10" plant in my small space. But I was.

After dinner Court and I stopped at Duane Reade and Bed Bath and Beyond, and sadly, to my extreme disappointment, there wasn't any white lights or boxed ornaments. Lame! So I settled with the idea that I'd decorate tonight instead. Sigh.

So today during work I took a little break and bought lights and ornaments. I had a hard time deciding what to get. I just cannot pick out things that involve committing to colors. In my mind, my Christmas tree should be either gold and silver, or multi colored with homemade ornaments. (Hm....maybe because that's what I grew up with?) If there is a color scheme, it should definitely involve Christmas colors, like red and gold, or red and green. Definitely not non-Christmasy colors. (I don't mind it on other trees, just not mine.) And then I found myself purchasing a big gold bow (for the topper) gold ball ornaments, and pink and purple ball ornaments. Whaaaaat?

I kept telling Courtnie over and over, "I really don't want to have a slutty tree." (The check out people got a kick out of this.) But really though, a tree with pink and purple ornaments?

But, it worked. I texted a picture to Courtnie and got a confirmation. SO CUTE! Not slutty at all! YES!

So I added in my travel ornaments (I collect ornaments from places I've traveled to....except I only have a few at this point...and the one I got in Australia, the one that started the trend, is at my parents' house.)

So.......now that you have the background, meet Tanya (the Tannenbaum.) I can't help it. I love it so much I wanted to name it. :)

When I first moved here I decided I would buy an ornament every year, choosing something to symbolize that year. So far I've only bought one for 2009, woops. For the life of me I could not get a clear photo of this one.

My cable car from San Francisco this summer with Becky and Chelse.

From my trip to San Antonio with Dad last year.

With the lights out.

Merry Christmas!!!