Commentary

So, yes: the tree is a fake one.

Ever since Prince Charming and I got married, we've had a hand-me-down, artificial tree. Our first one was an ancient tree my parents gave to us after they bought a new one.

We finally got rid of it last year.

And bought a real tree.

It was heavenly! Perfectly symmetrical, aromatic, thick, real, green.

Ahhh! Bliss.

We killed it.

It was an accident! We ended up putting it too close to the heat register. I watered it constantly, but the heat dried it up.

This year, since we're on a tight budget, we have another hand-me-down, artificial tree.

Which we are very grateful for (thanks, Mom-in-law!).

It's just not real.

It's one of those unavoidable let-downs. I have to keep telling myself, "It's for the girls. It's for the girls."

And it is: it's for Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

And that makes it okay.
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I love our stockings! I got the first two from Kmart, when we still had a Kmart. They're from the Martha Stewart collection, and our tree skirt coordinates with them.

The other two stockings are from (shudder!) Walmart (known as Devil-mart in our house). We try to avoid Walmart as much as possible, but when there are very few shopping choices in your town, it is sometimes unavoidable.

It was nearly impossible to find stockings that coordinated with our original ones, but these two do a fairy decent job of it.
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Are you drooling over the creche yet?

It is the Willow Tree set from Demdaco.

Oh, yes; it is!

The entire set!

And it's all mine!

My mom bought me all of the pieces over three Christmases, until it was complete.

I LOVE IT!!!!

If I had chosen a nativity set for myself, it would have been this one.

I think it captures the essence of Jesus' birth very beautifully.

Except the presence of the Wise Men while Jesus was a baby; I'm not so sure that's how it was.

Oh well. It's still beautiful!