My First Christmas Tree

"Beauty is also to be found in a day's work." -- Mamie Sypert Burns

As the years change and we mature our tastes change. One of my fondest Christmas memories centers around the Christmas Tree I had in my first apartment. Like most twenty-somethings, I was clueless about the expense of decorating a Christmas tree. It didn't take long for me to quickly discover that decorating a tree in the style and manner of my choosing would actually cost a petty penny; something I had little of at the time.


While lamenting to my Mother over the high price of German hand blown glass ornaments, she sweetly suggested that maybe this year I should consider buying a small, pre-decorated table top tree instead. For, in her opinion, that would be a simple solution. Good grief, I thought to myself, that certainly wouldn't do. Because, in my opinion, a Christmas tree should be at least be higher than just a few inches off the ground!


So, with a major in fine arts and a good sense of design, I set out to create my own personalized ornaments. Out of what, I hadn't a clue. As I pondered the problem of exactly what I should create, a moment of creative genius struck as I remembered my mother saved Christmas cards.

With a quick visit home and a sweet "pretty please," my Mama graciously agreed to share her cherished holiday greeting cards that she had been saving for a long time with me. Like best friends, we sat around the kitchen table sorting through piles of old greeting cards and going down memory lane playing do you remember so and so, and it wasn't long before I had a brown paper shopping bag full of greeting cards of all shapes, sizes and sentiments in which to create my own special ornaments.

I spent the next two weeks with scissors in hand transforming holiday greeting cards into handmade ornaments embellished with glitter and pretty red ribbons for hanging on a branch. Then, I promptly went out and purchased the most reasonable four-foot, artifical Christmas tree I could find to hang my concoction of personal handmade creations upon.

My first Christmas tree was actually born out of necessity. Loved for it's delightful simplicity and paper wishes. How simply divine.