Sunday, December 11, 2011

Some Days, it's the Simple things

    
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As you know, this Christmas is a bit unconventional for me. I'll be spending most of it with family and friends on a quick trip back to my hometown, since My Sailor is underway.
That said, we're still planning to have our own Christmas celebration when he returns. I think that is when it'll really feel like Christmas to me.

Anyway, it's odd to think we won't be creating any traditions this year - or will we?

Well, I think this one is going to stick. You see, we live in a very small apartment already stuffed to the gills with stuff in storage. I'm working on making it festive, and keeping it up for when he comes home, but the biggest challenge was what to do about a tree. All the local tree farms will be closed by the time he's back, and I don't think I want to deal with moving furniture around to find space to put it up. And I don't care for tiny table top trees. Don't get me wrong, they are fine on their own, but a Christmas tree (to me) should be REAL and should be at least as tall as me.

So that said, I figured it out.

And I think I may just have started a tradition on accident.

I was inspired by watching a Hallmark Family Movie (of which the title eludes me currently) where a small family didn't think they had space for a tree - so they drew one on a wall. I'm not a fan of trying to match paint colors, so I put a more portable twist on it. I'm doing it on a huge roll of paper instead!

After going to several stores and not finding paper big enough (remember, I'm around 5'9" and it has to be AT LEAST as tall as me), I decided to ask at a FedEx store - and it was truly ment to be.

When I walked in, I was helped by a lady who helped me out with a problem before, so it was a familiar face I felt comfortable talking with. Once I explained my situation and my plan, she started to think of ways to get me the paper I needed. Finally, she covertly motioned for me to follow her. We went over to a HUGE printing machine, and she opened it up, letting me pull out as much as I needed, and cut it off for me. She rang me up for something small to charge for it and I was so thrilled! Now, don't try this at your local FedEx store - they don't typically sell paper like this, but I'd mentioned to her that I'd tried several places before (and asked if she had any suggestions if she couldn't help me). I was never rude or putting on a sob story or anything like that.

Now for the medium! I was thinking of markers, but that would probably kill my budget on dead pens, so I'm starting to think water color maybe?

My master plan is to pin it up to a wall, and use other thumb tacks to hang garland (and maybe even lights) on it. Then I was going to hang on to a box of thumb tacks and the ornaments, so we can hang them together when he gets back - if he's game. I wouldn't blame him for having other things on his mind just wanting to enjoy it too.

Why is this a tradition?
Well, it's something we could hang on the back of a door or some less elaborate place every year to remind us of how precious time together really is - or, if we have to spend Christmas apart again, he can take it with him as a little piece of home.

And don't even get me started on how our future kids could get involved with this! SO many options!
So tomorrow starts my Christmas care packages, and mission decorate!

Wish me luck! Photos will follow!

2 comments:

  1. That's a great idea!

    You could use ribbon to make a garland like pattern that you could then hang the ornaments on. That way you only have holes where the ribbon is tacked to the wall :)!

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  2. Great ideal Amanda! I didn't find any garlands in the stores that I liked, so ribbon might just do the trick! :)

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