O Christmas Tree

I love Christmas. Growing up, my mom would decorate the entire house for Christmas - and I mean the ENTIRE house! Every room had at least a mini tree in it, we had 2 regular Christmas trees, garlands on the doorways, candles in the windows, and a theme for every bedroom. My room was a winter wonderland theme, since it was all white and sky blue, and I decorated it with glittery snowflakes and white chiffon. Needless to say, it just isn't Christmas for me unless every room has at least a touch of holiday joy. I have several Christmas crafts planned this year. I just got an old 1950 Kenmore cabinet sewing machine, so I'm super excited about making a set of stockings and a tree skirt. This year, we are getting an early start on Christmas decorating in the Meriwether home! We got our Christmas trees the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the rest is history! An old tradition that my family used to do when I was little was to go to Burnsville, NC and eat breakfast at the Nu Wray Inn before going to a Christmas tree farm and picking out trees. The first year I was married was actually the first time I had ever bought a tree from a parking lot. I almost didn't know what to do! Well, Chris had never been to a tree farm before, so my Dad offered to continue the tradition and take us to Burnsville.

The Nu Wray Inn was built in 1833, and still has the original iron work, oak ceiling beams and rock fireplace. The breakfast is served family style for all guests and visitors, and man was it a feast! It was like Thanksgiving all over again, but with breakfast food (which, in my opinion, is better). We had yogurt, fruit, and granola served in mason jars, homemade biscuits with homemade jelly and apple butter, sausage, free-range scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole, and buttermilk pancakes with steamed apples and whipped cream on top. Delicious!

We had all the coffee and tea we could drink, and relaxed by the fire. Neither Chris nor I are morning people, but it was totally worth the early get-up time. :) Then we went to the same tree farm that we had always gone to, run by the same man. Looking at some old family pictures, I realized that we had been going there to get trees since I was 5 or 6. My dad picked out a 8-ft tree for himself, and we picked out a 6-foot one. Each tree only cost $15! Chris and I even got a little baby tree to put in our bedroom. I love it!!

Chris got to help carry and bale the trees. Such a manly man! :)

Then we went by the Penland School of crafts to look at their gallery - all glass-blowing, metal-working, weaving, dying, artsy stuff. We decided to drive the parkway back, listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra (another Christmas tradition) and made a quick stop to go to the top of Mt. Mitchell. I do miss my Blue Ridge Mountains. All in all, I would say it was a wonderful holi-day. Can't wait to decorate!