In which I find out what Christmas smells like
Posted by Isabel on December 5th, 2008. Filed under: Addictions, Back in the Day, Give-Aways, They're just my family.I remember when I was a teenager and it seemed like everyone I knew was buying fake Christmas trees. It was like this coup against nature. Everyone with real trees hated all the people with fake trees. We had a real tree at my house. Anytime we’d go over to someone’s house who had a fake tree both of my parents would comment about how it just didn’t smell like Christmas without the smell of a real Christmas tree in the house. They were total Christmas tree snobs.
I never got what they were talking about. Maybe my teenage nose just wasn’t that sensitive, but dude, I never remember smelling a Christmas tree. I honestly thought talk about tree smells was just something lame adults (like my parents) came up with so they’d have something to talk about besides their boring jobs and other dorky parenting conversation topics.
Oh yes, my parents were total Christmas tree snobs. My mom dreamed of one day having a tree in every window on our house. And, get this, one year we actually did. (Okay, so that only amounted to four trees, but still. FOUR CHRISTMAS TREES!)
Probably about ten years ago my mom bought her first fake tree at some after Christmas sale price that she couldn’t pass up. She then spent the rest of the year trying to find the perfect scent she could use to fill her house with the faux smells of a real Christmas tree. She tried candles and plug-ins and car fresheners and more candles. And yet she still complained that her fake tree just didn’t smell like Christmas.
And still I shook my head, rolled my eyes and told her she was full of crap. As far as I could tell her fake tree was plenty lovely and made me excited for Christmas.
The next year my mom bought another fake tree. Again, on sale. My folks were living in a new house now and my mom had the most perfect picture window in her Great Room. And her Great Room was great enough to handle TWO TREES RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
For reals.
Traditionally one of her (fake) trees is decorated with ornaments my three siblings and I have made over the years. There’s the ornament my older brother made in kindergarten out of a Mason jar lid. There’s the star ornament I made out of dried clay. And of course there’s the ornament my sister made out of toothpicks. This tree also has the few glass ball ornaments passed down from my dad’s mom and the Chinese ornaments given to us by my dad’s friend in college.
Traditionally the other (fake) tree is covered from top to bottom in star ornaments. The star tree is double awesome for the simple fact that my parent’s last name is “Star”. (Okay, their last names isn’t “Star”, it’s another word typically associated with Christmas. But you catch my drift, right?) My mom has been collecting star ornaments for as long as I can remember. She has silver stars and paper stars, crocheted stars and knitted stars. She has stars that I’ve bought her in Mexico and Germany and even one I got her in Italy. She has stars that she’s made and stars that my aunts have made. Dude, the lady has a lot of stars.
A few years ago my mom bought an electric train for the sole purpose of setting it up under her special star tree. She has a porcelain Christmas village that my aunt made and a nativity set that she made herself. She hangs fancy stockings on her real live mantle that she crocheted herself. (With stars on them. Of course.)
And yet, she still complains that her house just doesn’t smell like Christmas ever since switching over to The Dark Side and buying her fake trees.
The King and Babboo bought our Christmas tree this last night. It’s a real live tree that’s even full sized!
It cost a small fortune.
And it smells like Heaven.
I walked through the house all night thinking to myself how great my house smelled. I automatically plugged my iPod in the house speakers and put on my Christmas/Holiday playlist while looking for our Christmas decorations.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize it was our Christmas tree that smelled so freaking good. It was the tree that I smelled on every floor of the house. It was the tree that was making me want to listen to Christmas music and sing “Sleigh Ride” to Babboo while doing the dishes.
Last night, at the age of 33, I finally understood what my parents were talking when they said you needed a real Christmas tree for it to feel like Christmas.
Maybe this means I’m an adult now.
——————————-
Today is Friday. This means I’m doing another give away of one of Kate’s awesome fused glass pieces from her collection on Etsy. This week I’m going to send one lucky winner a ring. Honey, believe you me, you want this ring. Kate’s rings are to die for. I’m serious. They are big and funky. But not too big or too funky. If you know what I mean.
And I think you do.
(I don’t know what I mean by that.)
(I don’t even know what I mean by that.)
To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on THIS POST. Any comment at all. But if you’re looking for an idea on something to comment on, I’ll give you a few:
- Rhett Miller is super hott. Discuss.
- So is Edward Cullen. Discuss.
- Fake Christmas trees are of the Devil. Discuss.
- Fake Christmas trees save the planet. Discuss.
- I’ve had perfectly manicured finger nails for the last few months. I’m impressed with my own devotion to pretty nails. Discuss.
- I still haven’t posted directions on how to make this adorable kid’s apron. I’m a bad crafting blogger. Discuss.
So yeah, leave a comment. You have until Monday the 8th at Midnight to enter.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Awww, we always get a real tree as well, and I couldn’t imagine getting a fake tree (and I also like the tree smell).
December 5th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Ok… As for Edward Cullen- I’m about halfway through my first read of Twilight.. I’m slow to jump on the bandwagon but I’m really enjoying the book. I should be finished the book but I only read it on the train sometimes.
My family always got a real tree up until I moved out. I found out around the time I was 16 that I was allergic to the tree… I had always wondered why I was deathly ill every single Christmas! I’m not sure if I’ve overcome that allergy or not, but my roomie and I just have a small table top fake tree for our house and I make sure we don’t have any pine scented candles anywhere…
Despite the fact that you haven’t posted directions for those cute aprons, I’m already planning to make some of them by just following the picture you posted. All the little kids on my Christmas list should be expecting those this year.
Also, Kate’s jewelry is awesome!!
December 5th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
This morning it was revealed to me in a dream that Edward Cullen sounds a lot like Edward Colon. I’m just sayin….
We are fake tree people. While I enjoy the smell of real trees, I don’t enjoy watering them, putting lights on them, and cleaning up their sap and pine needle spills. Also, I’m quite picky about the overall appearance of my tree, and I can’t risk the lop-sidedness that nature sometimes throws out there. And?? My tree was 90% off at Lowe’s the day after Christmas. A pre-lit, eight-foot tree for $20. Holla!
December 5th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Growing up we almost always had not 1, not 2, but 3 trees. One we went to the tree farm and cut ourselves (Scotch Pine), and two were fake. The real tree was in the living room and had our family ornaments, the 1st fake tree was usually in the dining room and had my mom’s angel ornaments, and the 2nd fake tree was in the family room and had my heart ornaments (our last name has very strong ties to Feb. 14th).
It was fun to have my own tree to decorate with MY ornaments, and colored lights since the other two always had (boring!) white lights. Of course, now I use white lights (though DH did make noises abut getting a string or two of multi-color large LED lights, so that may change), and only hang my favorites of the heart ornaments along with tons of glass balls, and ornaments given to DH as he was going up.
Also I am jealous of your manicured nails, I’ve had 5 nails rip at the cuticle in the past week. 3 of them just yesterday! I guess it’s time to eat more jello.
December 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Tell your mom to buy the “Balsam and Cedar” scent of Yankee Candle. (Not surprisingly, it’s green.) It smells very Christmas-y and tree-y
I light it almost every night so I can pretend that my fake tree is real.
December 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Growing up we had real trees and I totally get what you and your parents mean about the smell. Unfortunately we switched to fake trees when my mom realized that I was allergic to the real thing (some time in middle school). I haven’t had a real one since. Mix that with moving to a temperate climate and it gets harder and harder to evoke that Christmas spirit.
I think I need to just crank up my Christmas music, bake some cookies, and force myself into the mood. I’ve been pretty “bah humbug” feeling this year.
December 5th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Every time I paint my nails I think of your amazing french manicuring talents. I do not have those talents.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Bill promised me *PROMISED* that we could go see Twilight. HE HAS NOT DELIVERED.
I will play the birthday card if I have to.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I was so geared up to HATE R. Pat. But then, I totally didn’t. And he sometimes makes it into my dreams.
Who knew?
(I kind of want to go see it again)
December 5th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I grew up with real trees, and I miss the whole event of going to pick one out. Because NOW I have a fake pre-lit tree. But I live alone and I will be out of town for several days at Christmas and didn’t want to leave a real tree alone for that long to get dried up and drop needles all over my floor and/or catch the house on fire (because that’s what happens with dried up trees?). I do miss the smell, but I intend to go to the tree place and get some real garland and maybe some cut branches to use for smelly purposes.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I grew up with fake trees, my husband with real. He is adament about ONLY real trees in our house. I’ll admit the smell is heavenly, but the cleanup and maintenance cancels it out for me. Not to mention the fact that real needles are a lot easier to pull off and eat (as my son has demonstrated).
December 5th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
We have a fake tree & i am conscious of the fact of all the environmental cons it entails, but i am a bit like Britt with the drawbacks to real trees.
i only hope i don’t need to get rid of it in the next 30 years. This way, i will feel less environmentally guilty. Never mind those poor foreign workers earning scant wages all the while exposing themselves to cancer-causing compounds while building my fake tree.
Le sigh.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Since I did not start reading your blog until recently, I was not aware of your french manicure skillz! I recently bought a new french white and did an AWESOME french pedicure. Seriously…it was awesome. I even impressed myself.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Glad Tootie commented with the right candle to get. My mother in law is in love with her new fake tree, but keeps complaining that it doesn’t smell like Christmas. And to compensate, it’s smelled like a lot of perfume-ey candles. We’ll try the Yankee Candle suggestion….
Your mom is in love with Edward Cullen. Does that make you worried? Discuss.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I can so relate to this post! I grew up getting a “real” tree every year, until we were all tested for allergies and realized that my entire family is horribly allergic to trees (and poinsettias) so now my parents have a very nice fake tree. I have 2 very small fake trees. And it doesn’t seem like Christmas.
Also, the ring you linked to was so cute! I’m hoping I win!
December 5th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Ooh tree smell!!
(And love your giveaways!)
December 5th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’d love to have a real tree, but I’m allergic. As is my sister. And my mom. And my dad. We never knew because growing up, we had fakes. So when we one year up and got a real one, we were SO! EXCITED! Smells like Christmas and all that good stuff. But Christmas with a real tree smells like calamine lotion and antihistamines to me now, so I burn a cinnamon-y candle and call it a day
December 5th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Mmm, I love the smell of real Christmas trees. For those who are worried about the planet, you can always buy those real trees that you re-plant after Christmas is over.
(Also mmm? Edward Cullen.)
December 5th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Please don’t invite me to discuss Edward. I don’t need encouragement.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I LOVE real trees, BUT, we had the unfortunate luck of our real tree falling over 2 years in a row. This meant that all my husbands “favorite” ornaments were broken b/c they were hung in the front – you know, where everyone could see them. So after that, we started getting a fake tree – which while I miss my real tree, still looks nice. And, it hasnt (yet) fallen over in the 3 years we’ve had it.
Eventually, I’d like to get a real tree for the front of my house (front living room windows) but for now, I will keep my fake tree, and my box of broken ornaments…
December 5th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
We had a couple of real trees when I was younger, but usually went with the fake tree. However, the tree I did this year for my girls was a real tree. And I can smell it when I come in my house. It does make all the difference.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
We always had fake trees growing up, but my now EX-husband brought me to the REAL Christmas tree party, and I immediately understood. It’s WAY more awesome to have a real tree…but has anyone noticed that the damn pine needles DESTROY the vacuum cleaner?
December 5th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Growing up we always had a real tree – a lot of years we’d go buy a permit and cut it ourselves. Ah the memories… Now that I’m married, I’ve told my husband I don’t want a fake tree. He’s not quite on board, and talks about getting fake one every year – but so far I’ve managed to get a real one. I love them. I love the smell and that they’re not “perfect” looking, but they have character.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
as a kid we always had a real tree and it wasnt until i moved out on my own and got a fake tree that realized how nice a real tree is. the smell is great. makes it really feel like Christmas (not like the giant, light-up, ornamented tree in your living room suggests anything other than Christmas). I buy the christmas wreath and miseltoe candles from yankee candle and the smell is a pretty close second. but aint nothin like the real thing.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I think you’re a good crafting blogger and I’m actually going to make those magnets with the photos behind the glass disc thing. Thanks!
December 5th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I am a total Christmas tree snob. When I went to my father’s one Christmas when I was 25 and he and his wife had a fake tree, I browbeat my dad into going out and getting a real tree Christmas Eve. Because it ain’t Christmas without the smell.
December 6th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Growing up, we always had a real tree.
And it always looked terrible – full of holes, missing branches, and then add to that the fact that my mom would always pick a tree that was too tall, so my dad almost always had to cut off part of the top. It sounds terrible, but the tree always ended up looking great to us because we had so much fun putting it up and decorating it.
When my grandmother passed away 2 years ago, my husband and I inherited her fake Christmas tree, which is good, because our rental agreement says no real trees. It still has some of her tinsel on it and I haven’t cleaned it up. We’ll put it up like that for as long as we have it, no matter how old and wrinkly the tinsel gets because I’m a sentimental fool
December 6th, 2008 at 1:02 am
EDWARD’S HOTTTTT!
Speaking of Edward and Christmas (which really isn’t related to what I’m about to tell you), I had a dream last night that Rob and I were dating and he took me home to London to meet his family for Christmas. And he was super romantic and sweet to me, and I loved the way he said my name in his adorable British accent, and his parents totally loved me. And then K-Fed showed up and ruined everything! Don’t ask me why he showed up, I have no clue. But everything before that way totally awesome.
December 6th, 2008 at 4:55 am
Alright…I’ll be the first to comment that Rhett Miller is so hot he makes my ovaries quiver like an Aspen on a warm, breezy day. We’re going to see him next Friday in Hoboken and the thought of sitting a mere three to four feet away and getting Rhett Sweat splattered on me is almost too much for my girl parts to handle. Dude, He is SMOKING H-A-W-T!! (My poor, dear hubby is tolerant way beyond the bonds of matrimony)
Isabel, you and I are like Stalker Sisters when it comes to the lovely blue-eyed one. He lives near my brother, which tempts me to do a drive-by…but that just seems wrong and …sad.
Anyhoo, I’m hoping I don’t make a complete arse of meself and manage to get a picture with him which I’ll post on my blog named in his honor (http://blame-it-on-being-a-girl.blogspot.com/). I’m hoping to get him to jump for me, too. Wish me luck!
December 6th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I just smile at the tree debate.
We’ve done both and probably will do a variation of both the rest of our lives. Right now we are in a house I don’t care for (that we were only supposed to live here for a year or two in anyway!!!!!!!) that has 9 foot ceilings so I had to pack away my favorite fake tree (14 feet tall and beautiful in a grand ceiling home!) and have had to make due with this stupid 7 footer.
But I love the smell of real trees. They don’t really give off as much scent after a few days, once the sap starts to seal the stump again but oh the scent of a real tree is heavenly.
Kind of makes up for the stupid needles that you’ll be vacuuming up until next July.
December 6th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I had two Christmas trees delivered this week, one upstairs, one downstairs, and I’m so excited to put on the Christmas music and break out the lights and sparkly ornaments.
xox
December 7th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I agree that you need a real tree for it to smell like Christmas. And to really save the planet – a real living tree, in a pot, that will not die after Christmas. Because fake trees are made out of plastic (well, here in Australia they are) which is made from oil which is a fossil fuel of which burning is bad for the planet and yada, yada, yada. Also – living trees mean no (fewer) needles in the carpet. Having said that, Christmas trees in Australia are nothing like Christmas trees in the US. We’re generally happy if they’re a few branches of green. Basically, we suck at Christmas.
December 7th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
We bought a fake tree at Target and bought a Yankee candle that smells like a Christmas tree.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I love Edward Cullen. I haven’t seen the movie yet and I’m not sure he will live up to my expectations. My husband and I are going, how will I contain myself?
We always have a fake tree. My mom gave me paranoia about real trees starting on fire and I can’t even go there. It’s a sore subject at my house. Plus I’m a big fan of apple cinnamon plugins at Christmas time, so I’m okay with the odorless fake tree.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I have to add another Rhett is so hot comment. Love the “super hott” link. I spent a little too long gazing at the pictures. Hee hee. When ever I’ve seen him live, and its been lots of times, I always feel like he’s singing right to me, probably because I’m staring intently at him the whole time….
When I was growing up the ‘burbs of Seattle, we used to cut our Christmas tree from our backyard. My brothers and I would choose which tree would be moving into our house. Some years we had the “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree, but it always was special to us. Now my parents buy their tree and it just isn’t the same.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Because you and I are Rhett lovers and I love your writing style, I nominated you for a little award. Check it out at http://choosethewrite.blogspot.com
Thanks!
AnnaM
December 8th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I totally agree about the Christmas tree smell- you just can’t beat it. Love the apron, by the way.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I loved Twilight, and I am scared the movie won’t live up to my expectations. I think Edward sounded so hot in the book and how is it I feel like a teenager writing this?
December 8th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Most of my life we’ve had a fake tree. And I really don’t mind it. But then I worked at an office that got a real tree every year, and oh man, it just smelled so delightful. I don’t think we’ll ever switch over to real trees, because of all the work they involve. I’ll just have to sniff other peoples’ trees.
December 9th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Ok. So Edward Cullen is hot. I agree. More so in the book than in the movie…I think that he would have been hotter in the movie if a) he didn’t pull a face like he got a whiff of some bad cheese when Bella first walked into the room b) he didn’t wear skinny jeans (or maybe they just look skinny because he is skinny) c) he didn’t glimmer like a troll doll or a my little pony and glimmered like a hot god of the underworld instead. I especially loved what the actress who played Bella said about him in an interview on the today show: check it out around 5 minutes, she definitely says that he’s “small inside.” She basically trips all over herself the whole interview. It’s amusing, and you can really see that she’s a bit disgruntled about being pushed into the background all of the time. My favorite question from the public was, “What was the hardest part of the movie?” For Bella…it was an incomprehensible answer. Apparently, for Edward, it was most difficult for him to be “scary and pretty” at the same time.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Thats so great u guys got a real tree!!! I want one so bad!!! Yes, I bet it smells great. Once I ordered this Christmas tree scented candle from this salt lake candle people but it never arrived.
I can’t wait to experience Christmas in winter – in the snow one day.
That would be so great!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
My sister in law dropped off twilight last week…ive started reading it. will let u know.
October 6th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
[...] who this week’s lucky winner of a lovely Kate Gadd fused glass piece is? It’s [...]