it's hard to nail down why I find it overwhelming. I'm not a total scrooge, and I enjoy seeing the lights that everyone puts up. But for me, personally, I just prefer a quieter holiday and sometimes feel like it's too much effort to try to keep up with something that I don't aspire to. The best I can manage for outdoor decorations is a wreath on the front door.I get that. 3 years ago, we bought a pre-lit artificial. I didn’t want a pre-lit, because I know how crappy light strings are—why would I want them fixed to the tree? Alas, that’s pretty much all they sell anymore. True to form, last year half the lights went out. It took me FOREVER to de-wire it when I took it down last year, and then forever again to light it the ol‘ fashioned way this year. I planned ahead and bought 3 boxes of new lights on clearance last season (all they had left). Fast forward to this year, and we ended up not having enough lights, so made a trip to the store to get more. I bought the exact same brand and ”warmth,” but surprise surprise, the white balance was not the same. It wasn’t just not good enough for my amateur photographer eye, but Mrs Darmok would certainly not have it. Back to store to get an entirely different ones! Even then, it took forever to get the lights evenly balanced. I think with the rough last few years, I wanted to put more effort into it. It’s all done now, and it looks good. Overhead indeed!
I do love our family tradition of cutting down a tree (and I did take photos this year, but they are on my film camera, so not accessible yet), and we did have our family tree trimming night, and I took photos of that too, but haven't looked at them yet (and wouldn't post them here anyway). But, yes, I did have to run to Home Depot at 6:15 one Sunday night when I realized we had a bad light string. Luckily they stocked the same light brand that i bought a few years ago, so the lights do match. (Also, this year I strung vertically rather than round and round. Total game changer and so much better and easier.)
I feel like when I was a kid Christmas was full of wonder and quiet, and now it's ugly sweater parties and 1.21 jigowatts of holiday decorations. There isn't anything wrong with that, and if it makes people happy, then they should have at it. I'm definitely not judging poorly on people doing that stuff. It just isn't me, so seeing so much at the front of everything just makes me want to curl up by the fire with a cup of coffee.
This is all totally a me issue, and I love seeing everyone else's holiday photos in this thread! I just personally can't keep up or participate much. ?
