Search for the Perfect Christmas Tree

While I'm finishing up some art projects I can't show just yet, I thought I'd post these little jewels. If you'd like any of them, please visit my DailyPainters gallery page.
These three little tree miniatures are some I haven't shown before. Painting them brought childhood Christmas decorating memories to mind. I hope they bring smiles of remembrance to you, too.
When I was growing up, our family would begin the hunt for a tree after Thanksgiving, to display in the living room, and on which to hang our collection of Christmas ornaments... and our memories of the season. Back then, it was de rigueur to add, as a final decorating touch, tiny fragile strips of aluminum known as "icicles".

My parents, who grew up during the depression, always insisted we save those strips, year by year, along with used wrapping paper. It was simply being thrifty ~ "recycling" before the term and concept became fashionable.
However, preceding adding those final touches to the tree, we had to find the right one... something affordable but not too reminiscent of Charlie Brown's tree. It had to have some fullness and balance, or at least one good side even if it failed to look lovely from all angles.

We would search a nearby Christmas tree lot to find ours and settle on one that wasn't too spendy or straggly, even though there were bigger and better ones available (if price hadn't been part of the necessary equation).
Once we got it home, added lights, our treasured collection of baubles, home made decorations, and those special icicles, we all declared it was "the best tree ever" and enjoyed the glowing lights and the fresh piney smell through the Christmas season.