Kim (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
grammarwoman) wrote2009-06-12 04:48 pm
grammarwoman) wrote2009-06-12 04:48 pm
The Amazing Space Battle Tree!
(I know we're long past Christmas here - this was prompted by the long-overdue DL of pictures from my camera to the computer.)
In my family, any interests you develop inevitably result in similarly-themed Christmas ornaments. Since I've been a sci-fi and fantasy kind of girl for a very long time, this means I've racked up a lot of Star Wars, Star Trek, and celestial ornaments over the years.
Sometime after I moved out on my own, I decided to devote a tabletop tree entirely to my crazy collection and proudly labeled it the Space Battle Tree. (It couldn't be anything less with that many spaceships from that many sources!) Over the years, my collection has only grown, and now it has a full-size (though skinny) tree. The ornaments in boxes take up one full tote, with another couple partial totes for the lights and sundries.
Box 1: Vintage Holder of the lights
This box has been around a loooong time. My mom used to work for IBM back in the late 60s - I don't think this box is as old as that, but I never asked. Now it is home to the indoor Christmas lights.
The contents are carefully fit like 3D pieces inside, because heaven forbid I upgrade to another box.
The tree is stored in a bag that had to have been based on a hockey duffel; the thing is HUGE and stores lots more in addition to the tree.
When assembled, said tree looks like this:
I believe it's technically called a pencil tree. It does the job.
This might be the last year that the ornaments all fit in one tote:
*sniff* Look at how big they've gotten!
It takes many hours to decorate the tree. I inherited light stringing fussiness from my dad, where lights are not draped across the branches in gentle swoops (the scandal!) but wrapped around for maximum sparkle. Granted, more lights is better for this tree, both because lots of the ornaments are plugged into the light strand (though the later models are using batteries, which is IRRITATING, as replacing those puppies is EXPENSIVE), and to better simulate a star field. I mean, c'mon, what's a space battle without a star field in the background?
So, are you ready?
Left view
Front view
Right view
(with bonus photos behind it.)
If I were any kind of proper documentarian, I'd be able to give you stats on the time involved, number of light strings and ornaments. Sorry!
Here are some of my favorite pieces in the collection (a tad blurry because I pulled them from the tree pictures and didn't do individual zooms):
The first actual spaced-themed one. It's Spock's shuttlecraft, and it comes with a voiceprint from Nimoy himself! "Shuttlecraft to Enterprise, Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy holidays. Live long, and prosper." (From memory. Because I play it a bunch of times every year.)
Locutus and the Borg Queen. This one plays a bunch of different voice clips and has cool light effects.
Luke being given his father's light saber. One of the coolest ones, as it does synched light effects with the multiple voice clips.
The Millennium Falcon escaping Mos Eisley. It plays the Star Wars Theme.
Two kinda famous guys duking it out. They played a featured backup role behind our Christmas picture of the Emperor.
Marvin the Martian.
And last but not least...
Serenity. I danced a giddy dance of joy when I found this at a con.
I still want to get an actual Moya, as opposed to just a picture. I'm also planning on acquring the Minimates BSG Cylon Raider and Viper, though Hot Dog will be taking a hike while Starbuck resumes her rightful place. Oh, and a Stargate and a Puddlejumper wouldn't suck, either.
I love my tree. It's one of the top reasons why I look forward to Christmas every year.
In my family, any interests you develop inevitably result in similarly-themed Christmas ornaments. Since I've been a sci-fi and fantasy kind of girl for a very long time, this means I've racked up a lot of Star Wars, Star Trek, and celestial ornaments over the years.
Sometime after I moved out on my own, I decided to devote a tabletop tree entirely to my crazy collection and proudly labeled it the Space Battle Tree. (It couldn't be anything less with that many spaceships from that many sources!) Over the years, my collection has only grown, and now it has a full-size (though skinny) tree. The ornaments in boxes take up one full tote, with another couple partial totes for the lights and sundries.
Box 1: Vintage Holder of the lights
This box has been around a loooong time. My mom used to work for IBM back in the late 60s - I don't think this box is as old as that, but I never asked. Now it is home to the indoor Christmas lights.
The contents are carefully fit like 3D pieces inside, because heaven forbid I upgrade to another box.
The tree is stored in a bag that had to have been based on a hockey duffel; the thing is HUGE and stores lots more in addition to the tree.
When assembled, said tree looks like this:
I believe it's technically called a pencil tree. It does the job.
This might be the last year that the ornaments all fit in one tote:
*sniff* Look at how big they've gotten!
It takes many hours to decorate the tree. I inherited light stringing fussiness from my dad, where lights are not draped across the branches in gentle swoops (the scandal!) but wrapped around for maximum sparkle. Granted, more lights is better for this tree, both because lots of the ornaments are plugged into the light strand (though the later models are using batteries, which is IRRITATING, as replacing those puppies is EXPENSIVE), and to better simulate a star field. I mean, c'mon, what's a space battle without a star field in the background?
So, are you ready?
Left view
Front view
Right view
(with bonus photos behind it.)
If I were any kind of proper documentarian, I'd be able to give you stats on the time involved, number of light strings and ornaments. Sorry!
Here are some of my favorite pieces in the collection (a tad blurry because I pulled them from the tree pictures and didn't do individual zooms):
The first actual spaced-themed one. It's Spock's shuttlecraft, and it comes with a voiceprint from Nimoy himself! "Shuttlecraft to Enterprise, Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy holidays. Live long, and prosper." (From memory. Because I play it a bunch of times every year.)
Locutus and the Borg Queen. This one plays a bunch of different voice clips and has cool light effects.
Luke being given his father's light saber. One of the coolest ones, as it does synched light effects with the multiple voice clips.
The Millennium Falcon escaping Mos Eisley. It plays the Star Wars Theme.
Two kinda famous guys duking it out. They played a featured backup role behind our Christmas picture of the Emperor.
Marvin the Martian.
And last but not least...
Serenity. I danced a giddy dance of joy when I found this at a con.
I still want to get an actual Moya, as opposed to just a picture. I'm also planning on acquring the Minimates BSG Cylon Raider and Viper, though Hot Dog will be taking a hike while Starbuck resumes her rightful place. Oh, and a Stargate and a Puddlejumper wouldn't suck, either.
I love my tree. It's one of the top reasons why I look forward to Christmas every year.
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