Mona, congratulations on the deal. I think the drought was the main factor in trees not having fragrance this year. None of the trees around our area had any fragrance, and I had noticed this in years past when there was a serious drought. I guess we are just lucky to have some trees left here, as the drought was so bad and remains so even though we did get some rain yesterday, Christmas day, but not enough to compensate. Okay I did not mean to get on a soapbox, but I did. I apologize. Congratulations on the tree. Next year, providing we are not in a drought, buy some branches from a local tree dealer where they cut them off the around the bottom of the tree, cut them into smaller branches and make small bouquets of greenery in each room, keep spritzing with water throughout the season, which is what I usually do but this year, even that did not work. I did have mistletoe and holly however, which makes it look Christmas-like.

Mona, Thanks for the heads up. I need a 9' slim, I will go tomorrow to see if the still have them. On NDM & Erlich or BBD? I ask because I saw a variance in the stock between the two stores.

Mine was too short this year...
{{gwi:1458961}}

Mustangs, I think your tree is very pretty.

Mona, I'm so glad you got a great deal and thanks for the tip about Michaels!

I have to say I'm a little bit glad the merchants had such a bad year... maybe it's time they see they can only squeeze the masses so far before it affects them too! Our politicians are all bought and sold, the buzzards.

I bought a little 4' faux this year and already the middle of the tree has become unlit. Does anyone know what I need to do to fix that?

I really don't want an artificial tree, but this year, for the first time, my DS, home from college, was miserable with allergies!. His eyes were stinging and he had phlegm clogging up everything. He was this way only in the house. We were hoping it wasn't the cats, I mean, he grew up with the cats, but I know that people develop allergies at any time. His doctor told him to get rid of the tree, so today, we took it down and threw it outside. Immediately he started to feel better. This year I picked out a Fraser Fir for the first time, usually we get Balsams. I wonder if that made any difference.

Allergies are awful, my father had them and my sister and her son have them really bad. I lucked out, but my son wasn't so lucky.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas.
I hope I don't have to now get an artificial tree....I really have no place to store it. sigh.
Anyway, I'm glad you got such a good deal on the artificial tree!!

Mustangs, the store on N Dale Mabry. They had a gorgeous one in an urn like yours that I was tempted to get, but I passed on it.

Patricia, we,too, are dry here in Florida. And the new development projects continue to stress our already limited natural resources.

I still can't believe we're not going to have a real tree next year. Hope I don't regret it.

Oh, Patricia, what I did for added tree scent this year was buy the Scent of a Tree oil I found at Dillards and oiled some pinecones with it. It was wonderfully natural smelling.

Thanks Oceana. It's a real tree so I had a trace of pine fragrance for a while. It's a 7 1/2' in a 3' planter and I struggled with it. Looking at some of the really tall trees posted on this forum, I wonder how they were handled and decorated.

monablair, Great deal! I hope you enjoy your new tree in 2008! This is my 4th year with a faux tree after 30 or more years with a cut or live tree. Most years we cut the tree ourselves at a tree farm. Two of our trees are now part of our landscape.(One year we had a deer run into the side of our tree covered van as we hauled it home) I do miss the scent, the crazy lopsidedness, and sometimes even the increasingly leaning real tree BUT I don't miss the needles in the carpet, the drooping branches, watering daily and dragging a very dry tree out the door on 12/26.