3D and Christmas trees...

There is something magical about the smell of a real Christmas tree. Just catching a whiff of it fills my mind with a hundred holiday memories. Me and my brother used to always insist on a real tree, and now that my brother has become a Christmas Grinch, me and my dad insisted on it. I don't exactly have anything against artificial trees (after all, the aluminum tree in my room is hardly natural), but I always want at least one real one in the house. It just wouldn't seem like Christmas without it. Here it is our real tree that we got this past weekend, with only lights and an angel:

Now, I know that you are all going to be insanely jealous of my Christmas stocking. But try to contain yourselves. You can purchase one at your local Lowe's or Kmart. This just happens to be the most beautiful, tackiest stocking ever created.

Yes, a white jumpsuit pant leg and boot, completely with embroidery, sequins, an Elvis Christmas song, and flashing lights that blink in time with the song.

The completed tree, with all sorts of ornaments collected over the years, from little expectant mother and father ornaments (that my parents got when they were pregnant with me) to Eeyore to Precious Moments to hunters to handmade ornaments to passed down ornaments. It's truly beautiful.

This is our tree and the decorated railing. I just started doing the railing a year or two ago, and I really love it. It lights up the whole room. Forgive the TV. Dad didn't have anything to read so he was forced to watch the news. The tree looks a little crooked, but it's really not. Or at least I hope it's not, especially after our catastophe last year. Last year, we had a huge tree. Much bigger than usual, and we had to put it in a different spot. The tree was so huge that it wasn't sitting straight in the tree stand, but we didn't realize it. One morning, about 2:00 am, we all heard an enormous crash and rushed into the living room. There lay the tree, fallen over the coffee table, lights strewn every where, dozens of broken ornaments on the floor. We hardly spoke a words, just began cleaning up and putting ornaments back on after Dad sat the tree up correctly. We had a lot of vintage-looking ornaments that got busted, which was sad. But none of our really treasured ones were damaged, thank goodness. We vacuumed up glass for a week.

This is my Christmas village on my piano. You can't see it too well, unfortunately. Probably my favorite is the blue Victorian house on the top shelf, second from the right. I've had that one as long as I can remember...someone gave it to me for Christmas when I was little. I also love the one on the bottom, far left. It's Fezziwig's ballroom, from "A Christmas Carol." The little couples inside of the window dance around the room, and Ebenezer Scrooge stands outside, peeking in.

Speaking of "A Christmas Carol," me and my parents went to see it on Saturday afternoon (and that's a pretty big deal...we generally only go see Harry Potter or Narnia movies). It was very good. I haven't read the book (something else I need to do this Christmas season), but by the script and lines, it seems like it stuck pretty close along with it. Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge (along with 3 or 4 other characters) was very good. It's amazing how a character can be as detestable and cruel as Scrooge is, and yet you can still feel sorry for him. This movie was very creepy. Definitely not for really young kids. The Ghost of Christmas Future scene was especially frightening. He gave me the creeps.

The only thing that bothered me about the movie is that it was in 3D. Now, I like 3D, but in short little bits, like the quick movies at Disney World. A 3D movie that is an hour and a half long bothers me, makes my eyes hurt for some reason. Movie theaters already make my contacts go funky and dry my eyes out, causing me to constantly rub my eyes, which 1) probably spreads germs everywhere, and 2) makes it look like I'm crying. But I'm not going to say I didn't get a little teary-eyed at the end, but as you have on 3D glasses, no one can tell. The 3D was really amazing, especially the snow (I actually instinctively blinked a few times, thinking a snowflake was going to land in my eye) and the parts where you fly over the city.

So 3D is overall not my friend. It's cool and all, but I wish they offered a plain version choice, too. I'm super excited about "Alice In Wonderland" in the spring, but I hope it won't be all in 3D.

Now I'm off to do some homework, in particular writing an essay that I have to read in class tomorrow and reviewing my PSY presentation that I have to give tomorrow. Good grief.

So what do you guys think? Artificial Christmas tree or real Christmas tree? 3D movie or regular movie?

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)