Oh, Christmas Tree

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Yes, my mother really put up a Thanksgiving tree :D


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208 responses to “Oh, Christmas Tree”

  1. on thehomefrontandbeyond Avatar

    so creative – I enjoy your art and stories

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you, and thanks for the tweet! :D

    2. selfprophet Avatar

      You are a neat person so it seems.

    3. HipsterApproved.net Avatar

      Yeah…these are awesome. And Mom’s can be a bit crazy. (Mostly Mother-In-Laws)

  2. sj Avatar

    Awwww, Thanksgiving Tree!

    I’m totally going to be singing this the REST OF THE DAY!

    I suppose it beats Chicken on a Raft?

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I don’t know what Chicken on a Raft is… but I’m about to find out!

      1. sj Avatar

        …so? What did you think?

  3. Terri at Time To Be Inspired Avatar

    We’re lucky to get Thanksgiving out of the way in October. We can start decorating without guilt, as long as the Christmas things don’t get in the way of Halloween!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Ha! I’m always envious of Thanksgiving in October… not that I want to give up Thanksgiving in November, though. I just want more Thanksgivings.

  4. sparksmcgee Avatar

    “Howwwww richly Mooooom has decked theeeeeeee……” It’s okay, everybody already thinks I’m crazy.

  5. Pete Howorth Avatar
    Pete Howorth

    I entered :D and who is the picture on the wall supposed to be of? Is it a flustered caveman?

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      That’s a portrait of my great grandmother :) She sat for her portrait wearing a very fancy gown that only had one shoulder. It was painted when she was a young woman, and she looks very glamorous in the real portrait– nothing like a caveman, I assure you! :D

      1. Pete Howorth Avatar
        Pete Howorth

        Ahhhhh well I’m sure she looked lovely, the felt didn’t do her justice haha :)

        1. Emily Avatar
          Emily

          There’s really only so much detail you can do with collage, but Nicki did a beautiful picture of her Pepere that way–you should check it out. :)

  6. missemmalou Avatar
    missemmalou

    Oh cool! I love that idea… I am not tempted to decorate my tree at earlier time this year….

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      My mom loves the Christmas tree so much. Her compromise makes me laugh.

  7. She's a Maineiac Avatar

    Ha! I’ll have to show this to my husband. He would love a Thanksgiving tree. As it is, I have to beg him not to put the tree up so early every year (it’s already up at our house).

    Love the sparkly lights! :)

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I think I’ll do one next year. It is awfully festive.

  8. Tin Roof Press Avatar

    well she has a point. might as well just get going on it

  9. Dounia Avatar

    That’s awesome! :)

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I think so, too. I love my mom. :)

      1. Dounia Avatar

        Just saw that you were freshly pressed for this post and wanted to tell you congrats!! :)

  10.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Funny, made me laugh out loud. Thanks for the giggle.
    Rebecca Pinckney

  11. afterthekidsleave Avatar

    Funny, as always! The turkey on the tree reminds me of the year we lost our Christmas Star so my daughter went into her room, found her skunk Beanie Buddy, dressed it in a bridal gown (esp made for Beanie Buddies) and brought it out to me, offering it as a replacement for the Star. We’ve had a Christmas Skunk every year since.
    Wendy

  12. This Sydney Life Avatar

    My Mum is a Christmas-a-holic, too

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      :) I guess you can’t blame them!

  13. bhbkidstyle Avatar

    Lohohoholol!!!!!!

  14. becomingcliche Avatar

    When else do you set up the Christmas tree? Thanksgiving!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      It is very nice to see a tree all lit up. I agree with you.

      1. becomingcliche Avatar

        Sadly, my husband does not.

  15. Go Jules Go Avatar

    First of all, I’m trying to figure out how you did the lights. Awesome. (I assume the mystery has something to do with the fact that I’m a Photoshop failure.) Second – is it okay if I believe the red dangling ornaments are really strips of bacon? Because nothing says Thanksgiving tree like ornamental pig parts.

    1. Indian Ad Divas Avatar

      same doubt with the lights…. :-?

    2. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I did it with the GIMP (free linux version of photoshop– it’s awesome.) And yes, you can believe that. :D

    3. trophydaughter Avatar

      “Because nothing says Thanksgiving tree like ornamental pig parts.” Best quote EVER. Have to figure out a way to work THAT into a conversation.

      1. Go Jules Go Avatar

        Ha! Thanks! I find it works well when people are really hungover. They don’t question, and it makes them squeamish.

  16. whatimeant2say Avatar

    How DID you do the lights? And did your mom really do that? She is awesome!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Just an easy filter with my photoshop knock-off, GIMP. It’s a free linux version that I highly recommend. And YES my mom did that. She is hilarious. These comics just write themselves.

  17. muddledmom Avatar

    I would probably do that if I didn’t hate putting up the tree so much. The question is, how long did she leave the tree up? You didn’t have a Valentine’s one too, did you?

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Haha… no, no Valentine’s tree… but don’t give her any ideas!

  18. jell jell @ I'll Sleep When They're Grown Avatar

    I like the frame of your mom’s sad face. Or thinking face, as the case may be.

  19. genkiduck Avatar

    I love the turkey topper! Us Canadians get Thanksgiving taken care of in October, so it’s fair game for Christmas from mid-November on! I’m not sure if it’s just me, but it feels like everyone’s trying to start extra early this year in particular, though.

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I know, I am always so envious of Canada’s October Thanksgiving. I wish there was a Thanksgiving every month.

      1. genkiduck Avatar

        Get yourself some Canadian relatives, then you can have both! ;)

  20. deedialogueblog Avatar

    You have a simply amazing talent! Keep on doing what you’re doing! I’m thoroughly enjoying your cartoons! ~Vicki

  21. RoseMarie Raffel Avatar
    RoseMarie Raffel

    Keep doing your art. I just love it. You are such a talented girl. Keep sending to Mom so she can let me see them I wait for the next one all the time. You really out did yourself with this Thanksgiving one I just love it. Your humor comes from your Mom we love her

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you RoseMarie :)

  22.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    great,, thanks,
    vince

  23. Miranda Gargasz Avatar
    Miranda Gargasz

    ….with pumpikins, yams and turkey wings…LOL I LOVE this post!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Haha, thank you Miranda!

  24. becca3416 Avatar

    It’s crazy good how you depict the emotions on their faces with such little detail.

  25. Bonnie at {PaperKeeper} Avatar

    I love this and am going to re-blog this..it’s EXACTLY how I feel! Great work, as with each of your creations! Happy Thanksgiving!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you and thanks for the re-blog! Happy Thanksgiving!

  26. Bonnie at {PaperKeeper} Avatar

    Reblogged this on {PaperKeeper} and commented:
    I could not agree more..One Holiday at a Time! Happy Thanksgiving to all…I hope you each enjoy at least one thing you are so grateful for on Thanksgiving! Cheers, Bonnie

  27. GiggsMcGill Jill Avatar

    Hahaha! Why have I never thought of turkey on a christmas tree! Then we can have a heart for Valetine’s day, a mom for mother’s day, dad for father’s day, etc! Keep it up all year round! =D

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      It’s the next logical step!

      1. Emily Avatar
        Emily

        Hmm…….I’m not sure I can really get on board with the idea of the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day trees, because if you really loved your mother and father, you probably wouldn’t hang them from a tree. Also, Nicki, I have to ask, did your mom later take down the Thanksgiving decorations from the tree, and re-decorate it for Christmas?

  28. morristownmemos by Ronnie Hammer Avatar

    Delightful! I love the little cheeks chomping away at the table, while Chissie is scowling, mother is smiling, Dad is chewing. Just like my family; some happy, others grouchy, but all sitting there together.

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      :D I love to do the dinner scenes. Dad always insisted that we eat dinner as a family, so I have so many memories of sitting around that table.

  29. speaker7 Avatar

    Perfect meld of the holidays!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I died when I saw Mom’s Thanksgiving tree. It’s always funny to me when someone manages to get around one of Chrissy’s “decrees” anyway :)

  30. Le Clown Avatar
    Le Clown

    The Middlest Sister,
    I gobbled this post up…
    Le Clown

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      I’m so thankful for you, Le Clown.

  31. Ben Stuart Avatar

    Love this so clever, and such a unique blog idea, brilliant stuff.

      1. Ben Stuart Avatar

        You’re welcome, Nicole.

  32. Madame Weebles Avatar

    I love the turkey topper on the Christmas tree. What is it with mothers and Christmas, anyway??

    1. Emily Avatar
      Emily

      Simple. A lot of stay-at-home mothers feel like their only “achievements” in life are in the domestic arena–cooking, cleaning, gardening, raising kids, etc. However, meals get eaten and have to be made again each day, the house gets dirty after being cleaned (as does the laundry), and gardens will wither if not tended regularly. So, running a household is a thankless job, because the rest of the family only notices what doesn’t get done. As for the kids, well, you can read all the parenting books on the market, and do the Baby Mozart/Suzuki violin/Kumon math/French immersion thing all you want, only to have your child run in the other direction. A lot of working moms feel this way too, except with the added stress of having to balance career and home, and feeling stigmatized for not being able to give 100% of themselves to both things, even knowing that that’s mathematically inaccurate, and knowing that SAHM’s often get lambasted for being “lazy,” and “lacking ambition.” However, Christmas is something of a “redemption” for both sides, because it’s an opportunity to create memories. Now, these memories rarely come from having everything look and be “perfect” (food, decorations, lights, “Santa Claus” fulfilling each child’s wishes completely), but the media manipulates people (all people, not just women) into thinking that it can, to the point that it pervades everyone’s collective consciousness. Most people see all those cheery “holiday” messages, and either like it or hate it, but a lot of women (especially mothers) see it as something that they feel they have to attain themselves. Of course, other holidays and events (Thanksgiving, Halloween, birthdays, etc)., can incite similar feelings, but Christmas is the biggest one, because it gets dragged out for about three months each year.

      1. Kylie Avatar

        And that is why the Elf on the Shelf is evil. Yet another thing to stay up late to do after the kids go to bed. If you remember. And then you have to make up lies about it. And then you have to witness all the clever things crafty moms do with their Elves (they must let their kids watch a lot of TV so they have time for things like that!). And the Elf doesn’t really inspire enough good behavior to make it all worthwhile. But, I guess, seeing my daughter whisper to him and write him notes and make him an umbrella and other gifts sort of does. Almost.

  33. pegoleg Avatar

    I love your mom protectively cradling the Christmas tree branch. Way to go, Mom!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      She really, truly loves the Christmas tree. I think Chrissy must have allowed her to put it up by now.

  34. stephwest Avatar

    Amazing! How long does it take you to assemble each scene? This is true art. Love it. :)

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you! It takes anywhere from 5-20+ hours depending on the complexity of the scene.

  35. Angie Z. Avatar

    My husband and I joke that he’s going to one day quit his job and invent “the fan-tastic Christmas tree” which will be sort of like a fan (if you can remember the 3-D fold-out paper holiday decorations that teachers used to hang from the ceiling in school) that you can flip/open to whatever holiday, whether an Easter egg tree or a Halloween tree (we never thought of the Thanksgiving tree!) and thereby allowing you to never have to take the damn tree down.

    Second thought, maybe this shouldn’t be a joke. Patent pending…

    1. pegoleg Avatar

      Sorry, Peg-Co already has that in production.

      1. Angie Z. Avatar

        That’s okay, Peg. I guess I’ll go break it to the kids as to why they’re not getting any Christmas presents this year.

    2. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Wow… I think you guys have something there!

  36. Geek 20/20 Avatar
    Geek 20/20

    Did you wear pilgrim dresses in the dinner scene? I wish i had thought of this. I’ve been longing for the first of December. Decoration will have to wait ’til Saturday

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Ha! They might as well have been. Mom used to sew us matching seasonal dresses. They were… special.

  37. Things I suck at | Fear No Weebles Avatar

    […] eye or the talent for it.  And that’s okay.  That’s why there are people like her and her and him, to name just a few shining […]

  38. quirkymelbournian Avatar

    beautifully funny as usual!

  39. Charlotte Avatar
    Charlotte

    Ahhhh hahahahaha, my favorite frame has to be Mom hugging the Christmas tree branches as she takes them out of the box. Hahahahahahaha

  40. indytony Avatar

    This is adorable. Thanks for sharing such a creative post.

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you! That’s so kind.

  41. Anita Neuman Avatar

    Ha! This is awesome!!! I love the dinner table scene – with cheeks full of food even! So, so great! I’m so glad you got freshly pressed. A little late, but so much better than never!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thanks! Maybe WordPress agrees that the Christmas tree shouldn’t come out ’til after Thanksgiving as well.

  42. neutralkiseki Avatar
    neutralkiseki

    Wow! I love the art style you use! Also, I tend to be that way, especially when I saw Christmas-related decorations and such near Thanksgiving. :)

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thanks! I’m pretty sure I started seeing Christmas decorations in August this year!

  43. yield2dstonelegacy Avatar
    yield2dstonelegacy

    This reminds me of my mom. She doesn’t go as far as a tree but she does play the dreaded Christmas music. In fact I just did a quick little post about it.

    BTW your art is SO cool! Really creative!

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Haha! My mom starts the Christmas music on Thanksgiving… and we’re all thankful it doesn’t start any earlier.

      1. yield2dstonelegacy Avatar
        yield2dstonelegacy

        Ha! So true!

  44. sparksmcgee Avatar

    Yay Freshly Pressed!

      1. Indian Ad Divas Avatar

        I wonder if it’s the 3rd or 4th or 5th time you got freshly pressed! :D

        1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

          Haha… it’s the 3rd :)

  45. iRuniBreathe Avatar

    This was gobbly good! Amazing what you can do. Love seeing you up here again.

    Tania

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Hahaha… thanks Tania!

  46. uglynovel Avatar

    That was awesome, did you make the pics?

    1. Nicole Smeltzer Avatar

      Thank you! Yes, I did, I make all the comics out of scrap paper from junk mail, cards, and stuff from the recycling bin :)

  47. earwaxdissertation Avatar

    This reminds me of what my brother did on Halloween. He put up the Christmas lights on my folks house to combat “the day of the devil” in his mind. Kids still went there to trick or treat…confused but otherwise wacky. Typical of my family. Super great post. Love it!

  48. Vicki Avatar

    Aha! That’s brilliant! Love it :)

  49. McCracken Love Avatar

    Definitely not the ending I had in mind. Extremely creative! http://mccrackenlove.wordpress.com/

  50. Chandler Tomayko Avatar

    My grandmother had one when I was growing up, small and she decorated it for every holiday…valentine’s, thanksgiving, easter…you name it!

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