Over the Top Tree Topper

(Click to enlarge)

We used to live next to the flower shop, when my daughter Ashley was age three to ten. This is the top of a tree I decorated back in the mid eighties in our home. As you can see, living near the shop was handy. I was constantly borrowing plants, silk flowers, decorations, etc. I kinda went crazy with this Christmas tree as a practice for an annual fundraiser called the Festival of Trees hosted by a local hospice program. I envisioned fireworks coming out of the top, when I designed this.

I had participated the first two years in the Festival of Trees and none of the trees were very fancy for "designer trees," as they were called--not even my own. One thing I quickly learned. This was a very expensive charity function for my sponsor--our shop. Each year both the shop and me personally would spend more and more money on these trees. I designed trees for the event for about fifteen years, and it became a challenge to out do last year's tree. In the next few posts, I will show some of those trees.

This particular tree at home though was so pretty and I wish I had more photos of it. I do have several photos of a sleepy looking girl opening gifts under this tree on Christmas morning back in 1985 (guessing), but I won't embarrass her with them! Even little Ashley thought this tree was over the top! She had never seen anything like it. She thought it was bit much and too big, and hated flowers being on it. She was never that interested in flowers. But this tree was a good practice for the future Festival of Trees that we all would enjoy.