Christmas with the Masses: Part 1

Christmas with the Masses started with The Festival of Trees. What they don't tell you is that, in addition to hundreds of trees, each one attempting to outdo their neighboring trees in the name of a good cause (proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital) and the newly-added gingerbread house exhibit, there will be 1.2 million people-- 3/4 of which are required to bring 2+ kids complete with strollers and screaming-- pushing and shoving to see the next BYU or UofU decorated tree. Options also include standing in an astronomically long line to get the homemade scones, the smell of which is pumped through the air ducts throughout the expo center. And you don't want to wait in said line, but you start feeling desperate for the fried goodness by the end. Not desperate enough to make a run to Sconecutters afterward, but still.

GO CHRISTMAS.

This tree was the most phenomenal of all of the trees exhibited, in my opinion. That's all hand blown glass placed lily pad-ily on top of each other to create this utterly spectacular tree. We went by it once and then I went back to take a picture. It was just that amazing. I mean, it was the only exhibit with its own how-it-was-made video playing beside it. Feel free to have a watch yourself.
Making of a Glass Christmas Tree from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.


This is us by one of the home decor ideas. I don't think the mantle was for sale, but I think all of the other table setting, mantle toppers, etc. were part of the bidding. Who knows, really. There was so much stuff there it was home decor / Christmas decor overload.

Lovely, really, but it seemed a little overwhelming trying to take in all in amidst of the pushing, shoving, and toddler meltdowns. But that pretty much sums up the mayhem of pre-Christmas, doesn't it?


I guess this post makes me sound a little bit like I hate people. I don't, in case you were still wondering. I think I just envisioned that, since we were going on a weekend night, it wouldn't have been that crazy and we could just kind of walk around and take it all in. Not exactly meeting my expectations, but still a Christmas-ey feeling experience, and good for kids in hospitals, which I approve of. See? I don't hate people.

More soon,

Melanie