Icicles 101

I failed that course.  I attended it for a few years, but then I just completely dropped out and didn't go back for my IED (icicle edumacation diploma).

In the beginning, with my first Oh-FFICIAL Christmas tree, oh my gosh - I made sure to have each light just so, each ornament placed JUST SO (I think they even all matched...huh) and... each icicle got seperated and placed

one
at
a
time,

one
per
branch.

Not kidding!!!  I know, I'm so not right... but that's just all part of my appeal.  hee-hee  And, oh, they were GOLD icicles 'cause that's just the way I rolled. All finishes had to match. Good grief, I'm so glad that with age comes wisdom...

Well... a few years ago I was given my Grandmother's tree!  As you all know, I'm incredibly sentimental, so of course I was over-the-tree-top HapPy!!! I STILL do the whole swirlin', swing my arms over my head, HapPy red.neck dance when I break it out of it's cardboard prison for the Christmas season!!!  And, it's a PLASTIC TREE!  Seriously!  LUVIN' IT!!!

I just go raid the local cedar trees and make off with their branches to get the smell... only a few times have I brought in wild-life with the tree branches.  The way I figure it, any and all wild-life that choose to attend the par-tay REALLY add to the whole "fooling of the senses" covert operation I've got goin' on. And, I should also say...the tree really isn't crooked like it may appear...I'm just slightly off-kilter. Yet another characteristic to add to my appeal.  LOLOL

Back to the icicles.
WITH my Grandmother's tree came silver icicles!  See, she never took them off because...well...why when she was going to put it up again the next year?  So - YIKES!  What's a girl to do?!!? I couldn't go removing my Grandmother's handi-work - no way!

Oh, I know - switch to silver!!! By the time I received her wondrously silver tree I had built up a pretty massive collection of vintage ornaments (YAY!) and from that point on, it's been a free-for-all when it comes to decorating my tree.

No more matching ornaments and sportin' some SHINY SPARKLIN' silver icicles (but I'm still pretty attentive to the "lights just so" part)!  Again, with age comes wisdom (and perhaps...a tee-tiny bit of impatience...) so now when I put the icicles on I make sure there are some on each branch... it's just how ever many of them I happen to have in my hand.  HA HA! I figure by the time I'm 50 I should have enough build up that I won't have to worry with 'em anymore - and if that's not the case then I'm going to buy that 12' package of tinsley garland.

So, do tell...when you add the icicles (or the tinsel) do you add them one at a time?  Do you stand back and place them carefully on each branch?  Do you just THROW them on? (That's what the resident teen did last year...I just covered the baby blues and tried not to visibly cringe.) AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!  When you have them stuck in your hair do you pretend you just got extensions or a high-lite job?  I did...this morning...when I walked into the grocery store... with my sparkles hangin' out for the world to see....

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...hee-hee
;-) Robelyn