our 'snowstorm' and our Christmas tree

well sweet friends.....my second blog post in a week, I'm not sure what is going on!;) i broke out the camera again to take some pictures of our tennessee snowstorm (aka two inches) that we had on friday. the big girls were very happy, pretty snow and staying home. we snuggled in my bed and ate popcorn while watching the movie Pets....there was only picture taking of the snow, no playing this time. it was a bit too freezing for a bit too little snow;) while i was outside with my camera i felt like a tiny glimpse of what heaven will feel like. so very peaceful and so much of His beauty surrounding me....just the crazy kind of beautiful. so i thought i would share a few of my pics of the beauty i captured and then also share a bit about our Christmas tree (that i just got down by the way;)....i get asked so many questions on instagram and i read and appreciate very comment, but when life is busy i don't always have the time to answer, so i thought maybe a faq on the blog would work. today i can share a bit about our tree, and hopefully every few days share about other rooms and answer questions that i get asked a lot;) so on with the snow... now on to the questions about the tree! i ordered this tree through my shop the briar patch a few years ago....it is made by park hill and i don't remember the exact name. it is my very favorite tree ever, it looks so real and is the perfect amount of 'gappy'....meaning it looks really kinda pitiful before it is decorated, but those are the kind that look the best i have found once filled with tons of ornaments. which brings me to the next faq....'how many ornaments are on your tree?' well....i had never counted until this year, and as i was putting them away i have three containers that hold 120 ornaments each...four that hold 18 each and five of the long under the bed boxes full of all of my christopher radko ornaments. so it is a bit over 500 ornaments.(insert shocked face) i know that seems like a lot, but i have been collecting these ornaments for almost 25 years! some are vintage from antique malls and flea markets, some are just inexpensive ones that i find at target or hobby lobby, several dozen are ones that came home with me from the briar patch each year of the eleven years i owned it. and the christopher radko ornaments are each and everyone so special. either a birthday or Christmas gift from my mom and dad, or one we would buy on a special occasion...like this one that is dated the year 2000....the year i married my jeffrey.... another faq is 'how do you get it so bright?' or 'how many lights are on it?' well it is pre-lit with I'm not sure how many strands, and i add about 1,200 more lights....so it is a lot of lights! and see that little toy chest? jeffrey and i bought that one in atlanta when we found out i was pregnant with emme...i just smile so much as i open each ornament every year and remember the story behind it.... and the ribbon....i've also had it for many years, the plaid is from the briar patch and i think it may have been park hill? and the gingham is from a gift shop in murfreesboro i found several years ago that closed and i don't know who it is made by....and believe me I've looked for more! wide pretty ribbon is hard to find! i found this sweet one with the kids sledding i think at michael's a few years ago, i get a couple for each of the girls each year so they can take them with them when they start their own home and their own tree...so i have three of this one on our tree, one for each girl:) and this sweet santa face is one of my favorites that looks vintage, but i actually found him at kmart a few years ago! so it truly is a mix of everything collected over the years! oh and the gumdrop branches! lots of questions about those! they are real branches i cut off of trees in the woods every year...and they are real gumdrops that i stick on the ends of each branch. i have done this since i believe 1999 on the briar patch tree, and on our tree in our home since 2000. everyone always wanted to buy them off of the briar patch tree...but i never sold them because it is a bit a a pain, to hunt for just the right size and shape branch, and then to use your clippers to clip the end of each branch into a sharp point before you stick the gumdrop....if not a sharp point then the branch breaks while trying to push the gumdrop on! so yes, it is a bit of a process, but i think it makes it so magical! so i hope that answers all the faq about the Christmas tree....it does take several hours, which is one reason i start so early! that and i do six trees total;) oh and another question is 'where so you store everything?' well, i feel very blesses that we have a great big barn loft which is where all the trees and most ornaments, garlands etc. stay 10 months out of the year. i will try and do another post soon, since i seem to be on a roll and all;) and maybe share some more faq next time about our home....happy monday my sweet friends!