I'm happy to report that the tree is lit. Ornaments are sure to follow, right?
Baby steps, folks.
I wouldn't want to rush the process or be
too timely.
I haven't been entirely unproductive, though. Here's what else I did:

A couple of weeks ago I became suddenly and perplexedly obsessed with finding large 3-D tissue paper snowflakes to hang above the table. It's more difficult than you'd think...
And they were cheap. And speedy.

I'm the type of gal who likes a decoration that doesn't expire after a month. There's no need to revisit my track record for this sort of thing. Just trust me.
All I know is, I'm
LOVING these flakes. And when the kids puttered downstairs this morning I heard, "Holy Moley!". I smiled in my bed.
That's right, the kids are our personal wake-up call. Can you imagine anything better? Not me.

Snowflake shadows. Swoony.

And now, my dirty little secret, which perfectly illustrates the point I really didn't want to make in the first place.
(Do you see what I see? I'm a mess...)