ABOUT LAST CHRISTMAS … the whole flocking story …
Did you ever have one of those Christmases … you know, the kind with an overwhelm combination of how will I get everything done and I’m already over it before it even starts? That was me the Christmas of 2021 and it was only the end of October. I know. I know. Some of you are thinking “October?!, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet?” In my defense, an early snowfall, shocked my inner elf into action. Not just a little flurry … A full on. Stick to the ground. SNOW.
At the root of my overwhelm was my need to find a new Christmas tree. This year I decided to shop early as other years found my efforts landing somewhere around the first week of December whilst rage stringing the lights on my lil, unlit, ‘Charlie Brown’ tree. Every. Dang. Time. I would end up frustrated on the couch frantically shopping online for a pre-lit tree only to find the prices were at their highest with the availability of the hugely coveted, warm white pre-lits at their lowest. So this year, Christmas tree shopping in October it was. I was determined to find the best flocked Christmas tree or the best traditional Christmas tree my money could buy. Only requirements … It had to be a clear pre-lit and look real-ish.
It was with this in mind, that I found myself in the Hobby Lobby, walking through the Christmas aisles in an a snowfall induced stupor when …. there she was … 9 feet of flowing, flocking, splendor. Backlit in warm white. The tree that dreams are made of and carols are written about. In that moment, it was just me and the tree. The heavens opened and shined upon her as my mouth gaped open in uncontrollable awe. I had to have her. Thoughts of clean up and the dreaded glitter bomb of 2020 … gone. All rational thought of ‘how will the flocking hold up in storage?’ … Gone, ‘How heavy will this 9 foot, flocking flurry of a tree be?’ … GONE., ‘Will she fit in my circa 2011 Escape’?… you get the idea … I was OBSESSED.
At just that moment, a Hobby Lobby worker scurried by and began to fluff and straighten the trees and decor around me. Time seemed to stand still except for that lone, bearded, elfin, worker. I mean, what in the name of all that is Santa? …. it was a sign for sure. I felt my trigger finger reaching for my credit card, as my other hand reached out to tap my elfin vision. I heard myself screech,”I’LL TAKE THAT ONE!”
Here she is set up in all her rustic, majestic glory. All the bins of my signature sparkly ornaments were placed back in storage (except for snowflakes … there will always be snowflakes). This tree was so pretty with only the lights. I decided to go with a woodland Christmas tree … a few frosted berry picks, a couple of woodland owls, and a makeshift, tossed, snowflake tree base. So there you have it … my Christmas shenanigans of last year. I can’t wait to get her set up this year. Stay tuned for an update on if the flocking held up in storage!
For those of you seaching for a new Christmas tree, I’ve saved you the overwhelm. Check out my round-up posts of the Best Flocked Christmas Trees and Best Traditional Christmas Trees. I hope you have as much fun shopping them and I did finding them!
See all of my Christmas lists here!
