traditional is nice, but sometimes it's fun to decorate "outside the box"

i grew up with a traditional live tree, which I still love, but being in apartment living, sometimes there is no room for tradition and the space it takes up! aside from lugging a live tree up a flight of stairs, and cleaning pine needles up daily, and having to re arrange the entire living room to try to find just the right place, I would love to put up a live tree at christmas! Unfortuneatly, I was forced to get creative. So last year, I scoured the internet for something fun, unique and designer-y. Thats when I stumbed across a black christmas tree. At first I hesitated, thinking maybe gold or silver would be a better first choice in my foray into "out-there" christmas decor, but then I had an epiphany walking around target when I found these jewel-toned ornaments; both metallic snowflakes and brightly colored mini christmas balls. All of a sudden, I knew I had to use these, with some silver spiral ornaments, on the black christmas tree! I spent days trying to locate the black christmas tree in a store near by, and finally found one at Khols for only $15 and at four feet high! The perfect apartment sized tree, no needles to clean up and, best of all, once I decorated it, it was the most creative , fun, designer tree I had ever decorated! Now, some people's opinions are that a black christmas tree is anti-christian or flat out wrong. My argument is that a christmas tree has no religous meaning to begin with -christmas trees are just a holiday tradition! And what is so wrong with having a little fun and thinking outside the box, and applying that perspective to the longest running christmas decoration? With the white lights twinkling and the jewel-toned ornaments shimmering, its hard to see past that and realize the tree's color is black. But even when one does, isn't a huge part of christmas just to enjoy the holiday in the way you see fit and appreciate this magical time of year? I hope this tree can inspire the designer in all of you; and whether your tree is gold, silver, real or fake, hot pink or traditional green, remember- if it is beautiful in your eyes, than that's all that matters! Happy decorating!!