I love the holidays I love every single thing about them. Not just the music, the lights, and the beautiful decorations; but also the baking, getting together with friends and family, sparkly earrings, and the general chaos of the season. However, nothing makes me happier than Christmas trees. They are like snowflakes…no two are exactly alike. The trees reflect the personalities and the lives of the people who decorate them. From the exotic to the whimsical to the traditional, each and every tree has its own special beauty.
You can imagine the overwhelming sense of delight I felt when I entered the Saratoga City Center during the Victorian Streetwalk to check out this year’s Festival of Trees which ran from Dec. 4-7, and benefited the mission of Catholic Charities.
With more than 250 elaborately decorated and sparkling trees, wreaths and centerpieces, it was truly a winter wonderland and a veritable holiday feast for the eyes. All were donated and decorated by area sponsors.
By day, I work for an interior landscaping company (we provide the plants and plant maintenance to offices, hotels, restaurants and malls throughout the Capital Region). We also do a majority of the professional holiday decorating in the area, so I am completely able to appreciate the amount of hard work, time and creativity that went into each and every creation. These were masterpieces of thought and effort!
Love dogs? Check out this unique tree with a theme sure to thrill any dog lover out there. Very creative!
The crowds were impressive and it was difficult to get good, clear shots of the trees with so many people milling around enjoying them. I’m sure I am not doing them justice, but I think you can get a good idea of how magical the entire Festival of Trees actually was.
If you are decorating your tree this week, or if you already have it up and shining, I hope it is filled with happy memories of the people and moments that have filled up your years. Mine certainly is! I have ornaments my kids made in both nursery and elementary school, as well as many small frames with photos of them as they were growing up. Ornaments commemorating special vacations, special friends, special events – I have them all. As I first mentioned, I love the holidays and, most especially, my tree and all the love that it represents.
I’m thinking about doing a post next week about favorite family ornaments, and I may be asking for photos to share here. I will let you know when I’m ready and, if you have something you’d like to have posted in this blog, I will ask you to send me a photo. In the meantime, here’s my tree:
