I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas Tree

Growing up, my family always had a live Christmas tree until one year, I came home from college for Christmas break to my parents' new, pre-lit, fake tree. Yes, the imposters are highly practical, but no tree in nature is THAT perfectly conical, nor do PVC needles smell like pine AT ALL. 

There is no such thing as a live Christmas tree in the DR - just potted evergreens that also don't smell like pine. Hence, I've spent two tree-less Christmases here. A fellow missionary recently pegged me as "the Christmas tree having type," and he's not wrong, I just couldn't bring myself to buy a fake one. 

This year, though, I became smitten with the idea of a white Christmas tree. Why even try to make a fake one look like the real thing? I browsed some after Thanksgiving sales without much urgency, saw a few that were more than I had in mind to spend, and eventually gave up. Décor disappears from stores around Dec. 1 in favor of toys and gift baskets, but there's always next year. 

Then I saw the Krey family's new "Advent tree." It's shaped like an apple tree, made of wicker-like branches painted white (Christmas decorations - stars, angels, reindeer, nativity scenes, etc. - in this style are very typical) and about 8 ft. tall. Becca told me she got it from a sidewalk vendor; I knew immediately whom she was talking about and wondered if he had smaller, evergreen-shaped ones...

My Saturday afternoon errands happened to take my by his intersection, and...voila! Somehow, it fit in my car despite two folding tables and eight plastic chairs from the Friday ladies' craft night I hosted (more on that soon). 

It has no lights and exactly six ornaments (plus some candy canes), but it brings me joy. It has kind of a beachy feel. (No, it doesn't smell like pine, but my "Pine Forest" candles from La Sirena really do!) The "tree skirt" is an ugly old curtain, and I fashioned the star out of leftover driftwood sticks from craft night, painted red.  

I think it's going to stay up year-round and just get decorated for Christmas. What do you think? Does it make you want to burst into O, Tannenbaum? Or does it look dead? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, blessings!