Hopefully the stockings that were hung by the chimney with care are gently packed away and the New Year resolutions are still intact.  Mike and I completed our “tree” packing task in about two minutes because this year we decided to become creative.   Creativity is not always a good thing!

A few weeks before Thanksgiving I saw an incredible Christmas decoration that was hung from the ceiling.  It was beautiful, it looked simple and I wanted it. Of course, I had to take it a step further by deciding it would take the place of our Christmas tree.

The thought of giving up my tree was not taken lightly. Over the years the decorations have been perfected on my unusual mermaid Christmas tree. (I do so love my mermaid tree.) Nevertheless, I decided to go with something different and attempted the “hanging tree”. I gathered fishing line, ribbons, ornaments and began creating…a mess. Everything kept twisting around each other, regardless of how much distance was put between them. I set everything aside, knowing time would make it all better.

A few days later I came back with renewed vigor. “I would form a wreath (of sorts) to place on the ceiling then I could connect all the ornaments to it.” Brilliant!!! It didn’t work and was an incredible mess. By now we are well into December. I know that many families chop trees on Christmas Eve and decorate just for Christmas day. Not my family! We always resurrected ours the Friday after Thanksgiving and disassembled after the New Year. At this point I was feeling it was just too much trouble to bring everything down from the attic for only a couple of weeks. So more creativity…..

As I sat one evening pondering the situation, I realized what I was missing most were the lights from the tree.  There was no festivity, no wonder, no dazzle, no Christmas without the glittering Christmas tree.  So with (what must have been!) divine inspiration I began stacking the gifts in a “tree” shape.  The ornaments I had been using for my masterpiece were hung (alright, taped) onto the “tree.”  I added the lights…and…it was glorious!!!

The true beauty of this new addition to old tradition was the fact that once all the presents had been dispensed, we were left with only a few ornaments and a strand of lights.  All easily put away within two minutes but, next year we are having a real tree.

I am sending you a recipe later for another Christmas tree that is great for an appetiser.  I know it is a bit late for this Christmas, but taking the basic idea, with a little creativity you can make many things, perhaps an Easter basket, a heart, a top hat, depending on the occasion.  After all, creativity can be a wonderful thing.