Tree Time - come and gone

The tree went out yesterday and all the needles are vacuumed up.  Well, not all, I'm sure I'll find stray needles until next July.  How do they hide so well?

Taking down the tree is a mix of "it's time to get back to normal" and sadness.  I just finished this layout on getting the tree.  I take photos every year and I think this is the first time it has ever made it to the scrapbook.  Tree shopping is special because it is something Daddy and I do together - just us.  He loves a bargain (He still talks about the one he got on a roadside stand for $15 one year) and always scouts out potential locations before we go shopping.  This year's tree was $25 and truly fresh cut!  We live only about 40-60 miles from NC's many tree farms but that is a deal even for us.  I loved it because it was the perfect size - tall and trim.

Project Notes:

• For this quick layout, I placed the 4 photos with one corner together and built everything out from there.  The 'trees' are cut from one of the designer papers and colored in with markers.  
• I was going to stitch this on the machine but it was so close to done, I just did a little faux stitching with a white gel pen rather than go all the way down to the basement for my sewing machine.  I have an old home sewing machine I could use for this, but I just don't have anymore room in my scrap space.

If you had a tree, is it still up?  What about your other decorations?  I'm leaving the garlands on the mantle and fireplace up for at least a couple more weeks.  It just looks too empty to take it all down at once.  

Thanks for visiting:

Ingredients:  DSP:  Candy cane Christmas by Stampin' Up!

Cardstock:  Colormates Light Spring green (Hobby Lobby)

Stickers:  Two Scoops by Basic Grey and Thickers from American Crafts

Button:  Baja Breeze by SU!

Baker's Twine:  Martha Stewart