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Main Tree 2004

 

 

This is the tree after several weeks of lighting and decorating.  You can see the story below for details.  This picture was sent into the  Christopher Radko Best Tree in Town contest for 2004.  The above image will take you to a separate page which will have hot spots for viewing the detailed images.

Fully decorated, the tree has 5,150 lights, over 500 ornaments and the tree skirt is 5 yards of fabric.

Clicking on the image above will take you to another page with hot spots on the tree for detailed images.

 

In the past I have always done the lighting from the top down.  That is how we started to light this tree.  But, after getting it started and not being happy with the look of it, we went back to The Atrium, the store where we purchased it, and they gave us a lesson in how they light a tree.After returning from our tree lighting lesson, Rob took the tree apart, and we started all over.  Each one of these branches took 100 lights and that still left a big section of the branch unlit.  Not to worry, we had plans for that!  This is the bottom most layer of the tree - it is a 60 inch base!This is the second layer of the tree in place.  Each branch is still taking 100 lights and still not covering the full branch.  Each section of the tree has it's own heavy duty extension cord which goes into a surge protector.  The tree also goes into it's own circuit breaker.  This tree and the tree in the entryway are on their own circuit breakers.

 

While the main tree was being worked on, much of the living room furniture was moved into the dining room.  We had expected/hoped that we would be able to keep much of the furniture in place in the new home.  At least that was the plan!Here you can see the dining room as a staging area for several projects.  Once everything was done, we learned that while the rooms were larger, the larger trees didn't really help in any way other than they took up more space and didn't hold that much more in ornaments!

 

This is the start of the 3rd layer.  Each of the large branches are now being covered by two strands of 50 lights.  The smaller branches are covered with one strand of 50 lights.Looking from the dining room, here is another layer lit.  After each layer I would stop, take a short break, drink some water and breath.  The flocking was somewhat a challenge to breathing.  Rob wore a mask when he worked on the tree.  I couldn't breath through the mask when I wore it.This is what the tree looked like before the decorating started.  This is one of those trees that the finial had to be put in place before the decorating started.

 

Standing in the living room this is the arch leading into the dining room.  The Disney tree is just to your right, with the Hanukkah bush on the cabinet to your left.  The two large angels may be viewed in detail by clicking either image in the corner.

 

This arrangement was the centerpiece for the desert table in the dining table.  From the living room this was visible as you stepped up into the dining room.As you stepped down into the living room from the entryway, you were greeted by the Lynn Haney Santa on the floor.  The Magnificent Journey on the stand and a Russian Santa along with several finials on this stand.Next to the wing back chair is a new Santa by Jim Shore entitled The Joy of Giving.  There is also a hand carved Russian Santa.

You can view the detailed images of this tree by clicking on the image of this tree at the top of the page, but while in this room you can see the other pieces in this room either by clicking on the links above or by clicking on the living room link below.  The next tree on the tour is the Disney tree.  Please select the Disney tree next.

[ Up ] [ Teddy Bear 2004 ] [ Main Tree 2004 ] [ Living Room 2004 ] [ Disney 2004 ] [ Asian 2004 ] [ Southwest 2004 ] [ Rob's Tree 2004 ] [ Animal Tree 2004 ] [ Breen 2004 ]