dreamgoddess, I'm so sorry for all of your frustration with your tree lights, but I have to say, you must have the patience of a saint to not be in jail this morning. ;~)

Yes, wrapping the lights take a very long time, BUT you don't have to do it again unless you have lights go out and STAY out (sorry I couldn't resist. I've been there too) or you buy a new tree. My tree is very, very bright with lights also, but after it is fully decorated it is perfect. I know your tree is going to be gorgeous and can't wait to see your pics.

dreamgoddess, I really feel your pain, because that is usually how things go for me. I always encounter problems & just chalk it up to my lack of luck!

I am so sorry for you, what a long job that turned into!!!
And, I know what a pain it is to STOP & have to run to a store in the middle of everything! UGH!

I sure hope your family appreciates all your effort this year and can't wait to see pics!!!

I'm sooo sorry for what you went through. I feel your pain and frustration and it actually 'hurt' me to read on. However,....I'm sorry, but you did have me chuckeling as I read, cause that was one funny story besides being sad - :)
I agree, your tree will look beautiful. I'm sure your family will enjoy the huge effort that went into it, and I'm sure you will have such a sense of satisfaction as well.
Take lots of pics..we want to see.
I always do the tree and DH does the lights..but guess what, after years and yrs of him turning into a 'Christmas Demon' struggeling w/the lights and with everyone wanting to run from him, AND two bins filled w/dud lights...we finially bought a prelit tree >>> Guess what, on that tree, (2yrs old) there is a run of lights that are out!! Go Figure. Now, all he manages is the live Porch Tree and he gets that done pretty quickly..cause it's usually VERY cold!!
jane

Oh, DD, I felt so sorry for you while reading your story! I've had problems with a string of lights so many times and it isn't funny! (I will confess that while reading your story, I did chuckle once or twice--but it was more from thinking how frazzled you must have looked and the irritation of having a DH walk in with the answer when you think you've already checked everything! THAT'S happened to me waaay more often than I care to remember!) LOL

Last year, my DS went out and bought lights for his new house. His FIL was visiting so the two of them spent the whole day getting the lights on his house--only to find that the 2nd string wouldn't light! He was sooo frustrated he wanted to just rip them all off and say "forget it". After taking a break, they went back and solved the problem--but it was NOT a good day for him either.

I know your tree will be gorgeous, and you will enjoy it all the more after having struggled with it so much. Kinda like childbirth isn't it? You forget the pain when you see the beautiful result! ;o)

Luvs

Great story writing! It reminded me of Erma Bombeck, LOL!

Your experience is EXACTLY why I dread starting the winter decorating. Putting up the lights is the most frustrating, and sometimes painful, part of the whole thing for me. But I can't NOT do it, because they are so pretty after all of that mental and physical anguish. I'm looking forward to the pics, too.

You are a trooper!

Been there - done that over my 43 years of decorating our family tree - I really feel your pain and frustration. I tried something totally new this year on my bedroom pink tree - It is a 6ft Dollar General tree and I took a stand of 100 lights and wrapped it on the inner part of the tree - more at the botton than the top. Then I took a strand of web/netting lights that you put on your outdoor shrubs and encased the tree with that. The reason I concentrated the 100 strand at the bottom is because the netting lights will overlap each other more on the narrow part of the tree and you will need the extra lights on the bottom. It took me all of about 1/2hour to do the tree - I shoved the lights in at different depths and it looks very pretty. There seems to be alot less light cord visible and the spacing is great. I bought 4 boxes of the netting lights after Christmas at 75%off and had no idea at the time how I would use them since we don't have shrubs to decorate but the price was right :) ......

Lynne

oh dreamgoddess, you are so very patient. That extensive work with the lights is the exact reason why I switched to a prelit tree. No, they are not as bright and pretty as yours is but with 20 bins of decorations and the frustrations involved with that, I truly think I would go off the deep end if I had to string lights on top of everything else.
I spend all of Saturday to put my village up and just messing with the lights for the houses was enough to almost send me up a wall. Then yesterday I started pulling all my Christmas bins out and I suffered all day because of a major mess up after the season last year. I must have been so sick of putting it all away that I just put it in whatever bin had space instead of my usual organization with bins by room. Needless to say I had to unpack every single bin and my home looked like Christmas exploded in it. It's still a mess but at least there is various pathways across the rooms now...and my family and the dogs won't have to hop from one empty spot on the carpet to the next one...LOL
So dreamy...take a deep breath and be happy that the dreadful lights are up and hopefully all of your decorations are more organized then mine. Make yourself a nice cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate put on some Christmas music and start the decorating, 'cause we all wanna see pictures ya know...:)

Wow - sorry for all that hassle! I bet that was exceedingly frustrating.

I hate looking for burned out bulbs after light strings are up, so I always plug them in before they go on the tree (or window, or outside), so I can replace any burned bulbs, check that all bulbs are solid in the sockets, and toss any bad strings. It takes extra time, but it's really worth it in the end...

hmmm, maybe I won't put lights on the wall tree afterall.
LOL. Dream, the way you wrote was great for a morning chuckle but I could almost hear the manical laughter you were starting to emit. I admire your dedication, LOL, I'd probably have tossed the whole thing and gone to buy a pre-lit. I'll think of you for inspiration when I'm putting my lights on since my tree is not as big.
You have a very smart DH by the way, for not cracking that smile. LOL

Tam...Christmas explosion is a great description. I hear ya. I too was upset last year and didn't pack as organized as I should. Lesson learned.

hugs, Karen

I've been there and it is no fun. I had them all lit and finally get done only to see a set or two blow out. I purchased a prelit so hopefully I wont' have problems for a few years.

My DH use to do the outside lighting and would always screw it up. I always light the lights and then proceed. He always checks the lights first and then puts them up but a few years he had the plug at the end of the driveway instead of up by the house. Had to pull them out and start over.

Oh my! I'll admit your thread made me smile. :)

Did you get your tree finished? My tree is prelit but I'd like to add more lights.... Growing up at home my Dad always had the light job. I can remember him year after year fighting with them.

I love the way you told your story.

I hope you'll post pictures. My family thinks you can't put too many lights on a tree. That being said, most years I manage to avoid the lights, but after the ceremonial decorating of the living room tree, I put 80% of the oranments on by myself. The other trees are smaller, but sometimes hubby helps with the lights and I always appreciate it.

I have had strings of lights go out, when the tree is already decorated and it's just sickening. Usually hubby finds the plugs, so he can check the fuses, that generally fixes it, but one year I just threaded another set of lights in that area and it looked okay.

The prelit trees are tempting, they'd save SO much time, but for us, there just aren't enough lights. - Gail

Sandi, I'm just praying none of the rest go out! I don't think I could go through this again!

Yachter, I was thinking the same thing last night about luck. I kept thinking why is it that everyone else's stuff always ends up so beautiful and everything I try messes up! I was almost in the middle of a major pity party. LOL!

Slinkey, the "Christmas Demon" made me laugh! I just wish I could get my husband to help with something. As soon as he sees me pulling out the Christmas stuff, he heads out the door like greased lightning.

Luvs, frazzled is an excellent description of how I was feeling last night. I can totally sympathize with your DS. I wanted to open the door and just throw the whole thing out. How is it that something so simple like a string of lights can be soooo complicated???

Lynne, I would never have thought of using the netting! I can't wait to see photos of the tree.

Wow Tam, your home sounds like mine! I've got containers pulled out everywhere. I did manage to make a tiny pathway going through the kitchen. My sofa and all the chairs are piled up with ornaments and decorations - no where to sit in the living room right now except the floor (and not very much floor space). I'm so tired of seeing plastic tubs around everywhere. It seems like I'm never going to get finished.

Purplemoon, believe me pre-lit was looking really good last night! Hopefully your lights will be on with no problems! I have officially decided that I loathe putting lights on the tree. LOL

dd50, how aggravating for your husband having to redo the lights! That sounds alot like my husband except he probably wouldn't have redone them. He has no patience at all when it comes to Christmas decorating.

Sheesharee, nope the tree isn't finished yet. It was probably about 9:00 last night when I figured out why the middle wasn't lighting up. I did get the garland on and started putting some of my filler ornaments on the tree. I finally stopped at 10 last night...just couldn't do any more. I was just treed out! I guess it'll be back to decorating tonight after I get finished cooking.

ncnana, I'm not sure my husband would agree with you about the number of lights. It took 53 strands of lights to wrap the branches and I don't even have that big a tree! It is kinda big at the bottom though which is what took so many strands. It has totally blown his mind that I put 5300 lights on the tree. He told a friend about it last night and the two of them decided I had totally lost it. LOL!

Fifty-three strands! I'm sure they can see it from outer space. As I said, we believe in using a lot of lights, but I'm pretty sure we've never approached 5300.

You MUST post a picture. I'll bet it's wonderful. - Gail

Ah, Kim, I feel your pain! That was never my job though, dh was the light meister! Notice I said was...we went to prelit ...but even then sometimes there are probs. I bought a new one last year in Michael's, the one in the urn...and for some reason the top part kept shorting out. So we just strung lights in it, and I went back and told them, said I would return it (the whole dang tree) after Christmas. (but I really liked the tree, and it was the 3rd one I had tried..) He was so nice, and took the top off the floor model (they were all sold out) and gave it to me... So I was happy..
You had a very "ENLIGHTENIG: experience! (don't hit me!)
And any time you work on something that long...STEP AWAY!!:)
I think I would have blown my fuse...
Can't wait to see it!

5,300 lights. I bet you will get a sunburn from the tree. LOL Did you wrap every inch of the tree?

OMG I'm ROFLMAO! Please know I'm not laughing at you, but that story is SOOOOO something I would go through. That is my typical Christmas routine! I'll do you one better in the stupid department...one year I thought I'd be smart and place chairs all the way around the tree (so I could reach)and just walk around on the chairs to put the lights on. WELL, let's just say that if somebody would've had a video camera, I'd be rich. I stepped onto a chair and it tipped over (like you didn't see that one coming!) and down I went smacking my head and hip into the sharp corner of the coffee table and falling into the tree. I just laid on the floor laughing and crying!!! Of course, that all happened after working on the tree for several hours by myself, so I'm sure exhaustion had nothing to do with it! Then after I finally got done with the lights half of them went out and that's the way they stayed!!! :)

Oh, boy, what Christmas memories!!!

dreamgoddess,
LMAO. Be patient - just wait until your friends and the rest of your family see it. They're going to be in awe. :)

Oh, and kudos for doing the job right. 5,300 lights = one big tree. sandi_w is right, this will be the worst year. Just be careful storing the darn thing.