It's Black and White and Read All Over

Remember these?

I got a wild hair to doll up this year's Christmas tree in letters and numbers. I'm obsessed, you're obsessed, we're all pretty obsessed with typography. Why not use it to celebrate the season, right?

The only problem was, I didn't really have any numbers or letters fit for the tree.

Then Sandy came to my rescue and I never looked back.

Here's a fact about me: I'm very ficklish.

Every year, our tree is different. Growing up we did the whole "drag the boxes out and decorate the tree", but I don't know what to say - I change my mind a little every year.

Last year, we had this:

The raspberry tree. You know how much I love raspberries...

There was actually just one, lone raspberry. The overall vibe of the tree was fairly bland - Shiny Brites with some other random miscellany tossed on for good measure.

This year, I longed for something different. Something less... pink.

After securing my $10 box of goods, my next dilemma was some sort of a garland. I thought of vintage measuring tapes, I tried unsuccessfully to locate "Contractor's Tape" per the suggestion of an in-the-know friend. I came up empty handed.

Then, late one night, tossing and turning in my bed, it hit me: newspaper garland.

Paper chain.

Newspaper chain.

We're currently in budget lockdown mode, so this was perfect. It's true that most of my good ideas strike when I'm supposed to be sleeping...some of them strike when I am sleeping. But more on that another time.

Actually, I'll just tell you now: There for a while I would dream first lines of a chapter in a book I was writing. (In my dream.) I'm not really writing a book. And I never really knew what these obscure lines meant, but I always had the feeling that I should write them down.

Alas - too tired.

Now, I give you: The Newspaper Tree.

It's my favorite tree of all time. I may even resurrect it next year.

Although, by then I'll probably be scrounging around for my white pom pom fringe...

and unearthing my stash of individual white silk flower blossoms that I hand strung...

Regardless, I'll always have this guy. I wonder which look he likes best?


Check out The Inspired Room for more Christmas ideas from people far craftier than I. :)