Christmas trees: what are your preferred decorations?

[Vkw10]

Instead of a tree, I do extensive mantel decorations or table decor if I don't have a mantel. The central item is a rough wooden bowl that my grandfather carved from a storm-downed tree as my grandmother's Christmas gift the first year of their marriage, filled with hand blown glass ornaments I've slowly collected, tucked between colored lights. I have a shadow box manger scene that one of my uncle's carved, candlesticks bought at thrift shops, several metal stars another uncle made in his shop wrapped in fairy lights, and a selection of holiday photos from childhood. Live evergreen boughs are woven through the collection and more glass ornaments hang from red ribbons, with net lighting twinkling in the background. Some years, I add the Dala horses that a friend collected and left to me.

I usually spend a week putting it up and reading through the stories my mother wrote about many of the pieces.