DD3: Our Christmas Tree

Day 3 - We set up our Christmas tree and my DD got its first two page spread.  

The picture is Brent and B putting the star atop the Christmas tree.  The story is about setting up the tree and Tracie joining us this year for dinner and decorating.  I think my favorite part is becoming my role as storykeeper and telling the children about each ornament as we unwrap it and have them add it to the tree.  We determined that most of the ornaments fall into one of four categories: made by the kids, glittery, from Grandma or from Tracie.  This made it even more appropriate that Tracie was there to share in the fun.  E, sadly, missed the decorating portion of the evening, but will, at long last, show up in the album on Day 4 (foreshadowing??).  

Crafting note - the silver Christmas tree is one of the SC wood veneer trees embossed with silver metalic zing.  I rather think a gold glitter one would have been better, but my gold glitter zing isn't here yet and somehow the entire remaining package of these trees has disappeared!!  It is a mystery and I've even "cleaned" my space a bit and it hasn't reappeared. So sad. I do really like the wood veneers generally and you'll see more of the Stars on the below JYC entry, which also features gold metallic zing and my favorite twinkle, twinkle stamp by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. 

Even though I got a late start I still had time for my JYC entry as these things are so quick this year.  The prompt was about scheduling happiness.  Reading this prompt in the morning got me started on the invitations and planning for the Christmas Tea this year and the journaling is about our Christmas Tea tradition.  These teas have been happening most years since I was in grade school.  The attendees change, but at the moment my mom, Tracie, Sarah, Audra, and I are the keepers of the tradition and most frequent attendees.  This year, M is technically the hostess as she is now of age to invite her own friends so we're starting the next generation of Christmas Tea attendees.  As per tradition it falls during the actual 12 days of Christmas and close to the 28th (Feast of the Holy Innocents).  Although some years, we've held it earlier closer to Saint Lucia's day, which is December 13th.  In any case, I'm excited and nervous to begin this tradition with the little girls and to continue to enjoy it with the ladies from my generation and my mom too.  The picture is of the current core group (minus Audra) at the most recent Christmas Tea in 2010, as I think it got skipped last year, as happens on occasion. 

Photography tip:  See those interesting sparks around B and M as they decorate? I had forgotten about this problem as it really only happens to me around Christmas and Birthdays.  Do you know what it is? As my friend Michelle reminded people recently on facebook this is from taking pictures of these sort of lights with a filter on your DSLR lens.  I routinely have a filter on my lenses in large measure to protect the lens  but also for its other benefits. I'll likely remove them for the remainder of the season, at least when shooting inside, although sometimes I kind of like the reflecting twinkles.  They make it seem a bit magical, right?