So, I put up the tree yesterday to see if Hera would leave it alone overnight. She did, so today I dragged out all the ornaments. Oy, veh, have we got ornaments. We gave away a good third of them fifteen years ago when Anna started her own household, but we've kept on buying more ornaments (for the grandcubs -- yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it). For the last few years, we didn't put up a full-sized tree, since Hera and Lightning wouldn't leave it alone. One forgets just how much Christmas junk there is in one's closets. I started unpacking ornaments and laying them out. I couldn't find the angel to put on top of the tree, so I sorta went with the idea of a "concept tree." Here's the beginning of a couple with different toppers. Victorian Tree The top hat adds a bit of distinction to the old tree, don't you think? Voyageur Tree On the other hand, the red of this voyageur's bonnet brightens up the tree considerably. The angel was in the second box of Christmas stuff I brought down. So, on with the lights we went. Heavy and/or unbreakable ornaments on first, down below. Lighter and more delicate ornaments as we ascend. Last of all, lots of little glass balls from my parents' trees, all over. Eclectic Tree No single concept, just Christmas Overload Ooh, shiny Natural light - no flash - brings out all the gauzy, glittering charm.