Tree Trimming of Christmas's Past

After T-day, I'm not feeling very trim.  But that's not the point here.  

The tree is the point.  It is up, and it is trim.  Trim-izzled, if you will.

And I'd like you to know that this is no small wonder for me.  Last year was my first real tree in the South, as Handsome had some strong feelings about putting up a Christmas tree when we weren't here for Christmas anyhow (we run to the cold North for Christmas frivolity).  Strong feelings, as in, conversations that went like this:

M: Can we get a Christmas tree this year?

H: You mean a real one?

M: Yes.

H: Oh, because you love Christmas and a tree makes it feel like the holidays?

M: Yes.

H: You mean the holiday that we're not actually going to be here for?

M: ... yes...

H: Oh, I see. NO.

And like this:

H: Christmas trees are ridiculous.

M: What?! Why?

H: Really, holidays are ridiculous in general.  Think about it.  At Christmas, we take a tree from the outside and bring it inside.  At Easter, we take eggs out of the fridge, which is inside, and, put them in the grass.  It's just weird.  And ridiculous.  It makes no sense, and so we're not going to participate in it.

Before you brand him a grinch, please bear in mind that there was also the small factor of us being P-double-O-R-poor for the first two years.  Paying for a tree to come die in our house just wasn't something Handsome could get behind, as it would have meant putting it on the credit card or something.  That's not the American dream, so we I had to get creative to make it feel like Christmas with 60* weather, on a less-than-non-existent budget.  Enter Tree One:

Tree One
Cellophane and old scrapbook paper.
Favorite parts: Christmas lights and tree skirt
This pose was Handsome's idea :)

The next year, we had a few more materials at our disposal, but Handsome was still dead set against the real tree idea.  I went with something more sturdy, and attached the paper to some cardboard first.  Enter Tree Two:

Tree Two
This one could handle some actual ornaments, even if it is skinny.
Favorite part: The stump.  Not sure why.

Last year, Hansome was gainfully employed, and, both directly and indirectly due to that (since we were in SC for Christmas day so Handsome could work) we got a real tree.  All of my dreams came true, and it was everything I had hoped for.  It was wonderful.  Not to mention that, in a turn of beautiful weather and timing, it snowed on Christmas day.  But that's a later story.  Enter Tree Three:

Tree Three
A real tree.  B-E-A-utiful!
Favorite part: The lights, the needles, THE SMELL!

I'll update on this year's tree later.  What was your favorite tree?  Do you go with a real tree, or artificial?  Anybody else ever tape a paper tree to the wall?  Any one?? Any one?  Bueller?

Loving the outdoors in,

TFW

*********Update for 2011 & 2012***********

Tree Four: Fraiser Fir.
Placed it in the middle of the room, just so you could see it through the window.
Magical.
Still didn't have any curtains...

Tree Five: Shorter than last year.
Slightly imperfect.
Smells DIVINE!
(Amazing what a good camera & natural light will do, eh?)