My Christmas tree substitute

After much hemming and hawing, I ended up not getting a tree for my home this year. While I loved the idea of it - a wonderful afternoon spent decorating while sipping eggnog and listening to carols, along with that festive smell - the logistics were troublesome. We don't own a car, and taking a tree on public transit, or walking it home, seemed like a less than pleasant undertaking. Plus, we'd need lights, decorations, a stand and a place to put it. Oh, and time to decorate it. Add in the fact that we're not actually going to be home for the big day and that I would get to help decorate the tree at my in-law's place, and, well, it just didn't happen.

But I wasn't going to skip the Christmas cheer entirely. Instead I opted for this five minute version, made using items already hanging around my house:

Our cupcake stand - perhaps not the most useful home goods purchase we've ever made - has been sitting unused since our wedding. But with its tree-like shape (and a desire to use it for the first time in a year and a half), what else could I do but pop on a few sparkly (and barely fitting) baubles? And, of course, I couldn't resist hanging my skate ornament, as a touch of whimsy and a nod to my love of hockey. 

And, because it's so much smaller than a traditional tree, it sits conveniently atop my dining room storage unit, as shown below, ready to be toted around the house wherever a big of holiday brightening is needed - for example, as a centrepiece on my dining room table or placed on a small table in a corner of the living room when entertaining friends.

It may not be the same as having the real thing, but I think it should certainly do the trick for this year!