IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS...

Yes, we DO decorate for Christmas in Vegas, the 'Land of No Snow'.  I had a friend ask for tree pictures recently, and while I tried to pass off the atrium of the Bellagio Hotel as my home for a week, I figured I should probably post some actual pictures of my humble tree.  The tree picture, in and of itself, is pretty ordinary (actually, it looks pretty plain, with just a few presents tucked next to it right now), but the story lies in the ornaments.  I have over 300 of them on this very eclectic tree - I believe it is 8' tall, and weighs something like 900 lbs...my back pays for it each year.  It is probably time to get a bigger, lighter one, as the collection grows every time I travel.  I can tell you where each and every one came from, or who gifted it to me - no small feat the older I get.  Four houses, three moves, and not one broken in transit - of course, the number was considerably smaller the first two houses.

A picture perfect moment occurred as I was snapping ornaments - he doesn't sit still for long, our Voltron! (the exclamation mark is part of his name).  Eight lbs. of unbridled energy - he loves the tree.

The requisite, beautiful glass globes and Old World Santa...

Dorothy from my Oz Collection of ornaments; and a fabulous Victorian Pram; both gifts from my parents...

 Die Cut and Glitter Glass Santa; a precious glass ball from my grandparent's tree sits on the uppermost branch, probably my most treasured decoration; the Santa is my son's first ornament from my folks; Glinda the Good Witch; and Pinocchio from my daughter's trip to Italy, kickin' it in the branches on the lower level...

"Hands to work and hearts to God" from St. Charles, MO; what would a Vegas tree be without a Vegas ornament, from my friend, Melanie; beautiful blown glass present from Mom and Dad...

Which brings us to some of the more "interesting" items on the tree...yes, I did say eclectic.  The drunken, googly eyed skeleton from the Day of the Dead celebration a few years back, donated by my daughter; commemorative bulb of Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead, from the year he died; a monkey, since my parents found out I was terrorized by the black woolly spider monkey that hung and swung from tree to tree at the large house on the acre lot that I had to walk past on my walk to first grade...

Athletic supporter from my son's baseball days, gifted by a friend; my beautiful Polish blown glass wart hog (yes, wart hog!); a hollowed out gourd with sparkles inside (use your imagination - there is also dried gourd guts in there, too) and a shotgun shell (yes, it is), both from Missouri - them folks are a hoot, they are!

Blown glass alien for Area 51; Showgirl fish with dangly legs and the biggest, reddest lips ever, from Laguna Beach; a big tiger (let's just leave it at that, shall we)...

A luscious, full figured showgirl; a blown glass Diet Coke can (breakfast of champions), a gift from Susan Silva; and the ostrich with eyelashes (that you probably can't see)...

Handmade ornaments from both of my children are plentiful throughout the tree...a Nevada cutout from Louie, and a cartouche of Jaclyn's name; Christmas stocking from my friend Pat...

Beautiful little hand painted Christmas bulb snowman, from another friend, and another baseball ornament  from my son's AAU tournament in Burnsville, MN in 1999; and the newest addition that just showed up this week - a gingerbread bear in honor of our Golden getting ahold of the gingerbread accesories for the house we built last weekend...yes, my parents are a hoot, too!  If I left anyone out, who has donated to the cause over all these years, I promise I will get you on the next go 'round.  It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas...Happy Saturday, everyone!