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Around the Tree...

The tree is up...the Christmas music is on....cookies in the oven ...okay, okay...I have baked cookies b/c I need to mail out my cookies for a cookie exchange!

Decorating the tree is like reading a "yearbook" over the years. Each ornament tells a story...New House, New Baby, Vacations, Jobs, Friends, "Favorite Things".

My favorite ornament is a little boy holding a Christmas tree. When I was living in D.C. area in an apartment without a single Christmas decoration. My husband (not then!) sent me a fully decorated Christmas tree with ornaments, lights and tinsel. He even had "teacher" ornaments and little apples to decorate. We still have the little apples and my kids love to put them on the tree. I still can remember the excitement I felt with that tree in my apartment. It was magical and yes, I was in "love"! He was a true romantic.

That same Christmas season, he sent me tickets to meet in NYC under the ball for New Year's Eve. We did! It was a thrill and you could just feel the excitement around us . It was truly a magical Christmas...one I will NEVER forget! Two months later we were engaged on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial...



65 comments:

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Adorable tree, Sandy! And I know what you mean about ornaments. There are so many wonderful memories when you unpack them, and I love to be the one to do that each year. It's a lot of fun!

Thanks for sharing your tree with us. And I smell those cookies from here! ;-)

XO,

Sheila

Anonymous said...

Your tree is so beautiful.

Wow, what a romantic husband you have! That was the sweetest story.

Lora @ my blessed life said...

Love your tree!! Your home is looking beautiful!

Jan said...

Really nice Sandy. I think that was cute about the tree sent when you lived in DC.

Have a wonderful time getting ready for the big day. It is looking great over there.

Joy said...

I love a Christmas tree that's decorated with memories!

Now that yours is up, will you come help me get mine decorated?!?

mysteryhistorymom said...

We have our trees set up and the Christmas music on, too! Jeff even made chocolate chip cookies tonight and it snowed today! Love it all! Thanks for showing us your pictures- so lovely and warm and cozy.:) Lori

Anonymous said...

Your Christams tree looks wonderful! So plump and full of 'goodness':) My eldest is, as I type, putting up our puny tree, but our decorations tell a story like yours and so, to me, it looks just fine! My sister's tree is about 10 foot tall - seriously - and fat and sparkly, and poor Eli's been heard muttering to himself about the state of ours. I might have to go to the Christmas sales this year for a "fat" tree... especially after seeing yours... Blessings

Julie said...

love that story... so fun to have all those memories!!! What a blessing.

Lisa & Gerald said...

That is so true each decoration has its own story!Just like ours!

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

The tree looks beautiful...and I love the stories behend the ornaments!! What a sweet man you are married to!

Enjoy your week!

Lisa

PS. I love the pics of your kids on the sidebar....they are too cute in their Santa hats!!

Mrs. S. said...

What a sweet husband! I see why you married him if he is that romantic. I love memorable ornaments on a tree. Even before we were married, we liked to get an ornament that represented us each year when we first moved in together. It is so great to pull those ornaments out and have those memories tied to them. Beautiful tree!

April said...

Gorgeous tree, which is no surprise coming from you! Isn't it so neat that ornaments can tell a story? The girls and I love looking at all our ornaments over the years as we decorate the tree and remembering where they came from. Oh, the memories! I love the story of yours! Very romantic, to say the least!

Darlene said...

I LOVE your tree....it looks so beautiful. Our ornaments tell stories also!!

Debra Kaye said...

What an awesome romantic story...thanks for sharing it with us!

I love special ornaments and their meanings!

Hugs to you!

Busy Bee Suz said...

beautiful tree. Even more beautiful love story. Thanks for sharing...Suz

Jessica said...

I have multiple trees in the house but the one that is becoming my favorite is the small tree in our front room that has our yearly ornaments and ornaments from my childhood. What a sweet story of the tree your hubby sent you when you were dating!

edie said...

Hi Sandy,
I love your tree and I see those silhouettes behind it too...gotta get some of those made!

Montee said...

Beautiful tree! I bet your home smells like Christmas with the cookies baking. I started decorating indoors on Saturday. I still have to make my outdoor wreaths and get my trees. It stays so warm here that I don't want them to dry out before Christmas. I am going for a couple of smaller trees this year and putting them in urns or pots. I make my outdoor wreaths from the cedar growing in our yard. I hope to have those done this weekend. I'll post pictures! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Jillene said...

Beautiful tree!! I love the ornaments and the stories behind them!! Thanks for sharing!!

Smelling Coffee said...

What special and romantic memories! I just love this time of year!!!

Sandra said...

Thanks for sharing that story! My tree is the same way. I have the first ornament that my late hubby and I received. I have cardboard ornaments made by my children when they were in elem. school. The tree is history all lit up and beautiful. I will be posting pics of it later today :)

Lindsey said...

Such a lovely tree!

Jboo said...

What a beautiful tree!! I love getting out and remembering when I received various ornaments. Makes it all the sweeter, doesn't it!!

Janet

Anonymous said...

Yes! The ornaments are a visible journal of family life for us, too. The story of your first Christmas tree from your then-sweetheart is so sweet and romantic! And then the New Year's Eve tickets. Wow! He should give lessons; guys could learn a lot from him! You're blessed. But, you're also a blessing so I can see why it comes back on you.

Joanna said...

Your tree is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

Ms. Tee said...

What a sweet tree and I love that little teapot. Oh, and that red toile chair, too! :)

Heather said...

What a sweet tree! Christmas time is simply the best!

Your house looks so cozy and warm!

AJ said...

Loved your stories! Your husband sounds like a great guy:)

Robin Beck said...

Your tree, decorations and stories are truly wonderful! What a romantic husband you have!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving-I've been on a blogcation but am back and up and running!
Have a great week,
Robin~♥

Em said...

Oooh I love your fat tree! I look forward to getting out the ornaments each year and reliving the memories :)

Beth@Pages of Our Life said...

I love the teapot! Now if only I could figure out why my lights keep blowing up!!!LOL ....my tree m.i.g.h.t look that nice.

I noticed the circle frames on the wall with the cut outs. I love those!

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

I love your tree and the ornaments...well, it is so true what you said about them. It's so fun to have the memories every year. I also have to say I can't wait to try that Christmas punch recipe!!! Yum!
Carrie

Kate said...

Cute Blog! Your tree looks great!

melissa ellen parker said...

I love your tree - it is beautiful!

Thanks for sharing your story about the tree in DC too. I love reading about blogger friends who have stories locally. I'm not sure why but I get all excited that they were in my neck of the wood. I know there are sooo many tourists visiting my area - but blogger friends are blogger friends :)

Katie said...

Oh I love it and that toile tree, oh I love that!! Where did that come from? Thanks for all your sweet comments (:

Katie said...

Oh I love it and that toile tree, oh I love that!! Where did that come from? Thanks for all your sweet comments (:

Ruby Red Slippers said...

Very Pretty! I think about our tree the same way-it sure does mark milestones...

The Blonde Duck said...

I love the snowgirl in the bikini! Too cute!

angie {the arthur clan} said...

You are so good having your tree up and finished already! My "plan" is to get the tree up and the lights put on tonight while the kids are in bed. Then they can help me decorate it tomorrow after school. We'll see if I actually accomplish my "plan" or not. :)

the undomesticated wife said...

Your tree looks so pretty! Like you, I get nostalgic when unpacking my ornaments...certain ones remind me of vacations (I always get an ornament representative of where we are visiting), my childhood (mom gave me lots of our childhood ornaments), and friends (ornaments from exchanges, etc.).

I have one more tree to finish, and then I'm done!

Valarie Lea said...

What great memories!! I want to go to NYC for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. :)

Laurin Pearce said...

Your husband is a true romantic and that's just wonderful! Your tree is gorgeous! The ballet! I'm so jealous, what a great memory!!! : )

nikkicrumpet said...

HOW ROMANTIC! I love a beautiful tree that holds precious memories too!

Sit A Spell said...

Your love story sounds like a movie...well, good book turned into a movie! Lovin' your tea pot...our tree is the same...we get a new ornament every yr. I actually left my teacher one off this yr. However, I did hold it for a bit and remember...I am thankful to be home with the kids.

Sarah said...

First of all, I love the Santa hat on the seagull! It made me smile.

All of our ornaments are full of memories too, I can't wait to get them out and "remember."

It sounds like you have some wonderful Christmas memories.

The Muse said...

Here is a lovely Christmas prose...
"The Unexpected Gift"
I hope it helps you treasure your family this season...
(it is my latest work)

http://www.jlomowriter.blogspot.com/

Thank you and many blessings!

Sunny said...

Soooo roooomaaaaannnntic! Imagine that said in a Long Island accent. I had a pen pal from Long Island and I just loved to hear her talk. Okay, went off on a tangent there but sometimes my imagination runs wild and I play things out like a movie in my head. lol! Neat story of you and your hubs.

Scrapper Mom said...

Wow!! He is romantic. I'm jealous. lol.

Heather of the EO said...

I love how ornaments tell stories too. It just makes my heart explode when I put them on the tree, as cheesy as that might sound :)

Harbor Hon said...

A beautiful tree, set in just the right place. I love it! Thank you so much for visiting my little blog. I will have to explore yours when I have more time. xxoo

The Berry's Patch said...

How romantic! Your tree looks beautiful. :-)

Brandy said...

What a beautiful tree...and story! WOW! That is the best Christmas story I've heard yet.

Thanks for stopping by! :}

cherry said...

Sooo pretty! I love the santa all snug in the toile chair...that is a neat story. cherry

Jeni said...

First off that Christmas pumch looks SOOOO yummy! I can't wait to at least buy some eggnogg.

Your tree is beautiful. I am the same way with my ornaments...most of them have a story behind them. Plus everywhere we move I try to buy one that represents that place.

Love you love story.

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

I agree....looking at the ornaments is a piece of our history.

Mick said...

Thanks for the compliment Sandy Toes, but I must ask... how the hell did you find me???

Unknown said...

What a great tree and what a thoughtful husband you have~

Jenni said...

Your tree is gorgeous, and actually, the entire room shown is also gorgeous! I love the romantic story of you and your husband! :)

Oh, and is the wall behind your tree a green color? I'm just asking because I just painted our living room green and I LOVE it! :)

Have a good night! :)

Ashley said...

awwww, such a sweet story!!

Justabeachkat said...

Hi Sandy

Thanks for stopping by...and your comment. I hope you'll come again. I've sure had fun visiting you tonight. You have a wonderful blog. I'll be back.

Hugs!
Kat

Every Day Blessings said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I love this post. I feel the same about my ornaments, each has a special meaning!
Thanks for sharing your tree! It is darling.
Blessings,
Debbie

Our Complete Family said...

What a romantic! I see one of the reasons you said yes! So neat!
Your tree is great! Holy cow is it full! I love it. I agree~ it is like a walk down memory lane each year pulling out each ornie. The fun part for us this year was that Bryce was asking what ornie came from where, etc... How special!
Oh girl~ I've found some cute Cmas outfits on Etsy...have you peeked at any yet?!?
Merry December hun~ Les

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post! I love pulling out the ornaments every year and remembering where they were purchased or who they were received from!

Merry SITSmas!!!

heather said...

What great memories!!

Brittany said...

I agree, ornaments are like a yearbook! I love this season!