Residents in a Seattle neighborhood probably gasped out loud when they saw their neighbor's house: It looks like someone's too-big Christmas tree burst through the roof! You can see the tree with lights in the window. And right above that, a tree top pokes out from a pile of broken shingles.

Jiminy Christmas, did someone forget to measure? And who knew the tip of a Christmas tree could be strong enough to push through a ceiling and roof, anyway! Seriously, what's going on there in Seattle with the trees? Concerned neighbors have been stopping by to find out how this all happened.

BeforeThe challenge was simple: Spend $50 and decorate your house for Christmas. Being as how I have a mother-in-law who has gifted me enough Christmas decorations for 10 houses, I was a little stumped as to where to start. Then (after about 2 million hours on Pinterest) I thought about the one place that has been too overwhelming for me to go in Christmases past -- this huge wrought-iron railing that leads upstairs.

For years, I've imagined the greenery and glitz that would make a picturesque pop in the middle of our home. But that's as far as I have ever gotten. This year, however, I was determined to do it ... and off to Michael's I went. Then I went back again. And again. And again.

I'm a tad indecisive when it comes to matters of the home, as I've told you before, and I'm NOT a crafty person at all. So this was a matter of trial and (lots of) error, and multiple returns for me. But in the end, I'm thrilled with the results. Here's what I did.

There was a time when my visions of a Christmas tree were perfectly color-coordinated with matching ornaments, loads of flowing ribbons, and nary a light out of place. I may have even once hyperventilated when some out-of-town in-laws came with their loads of gifts wrapped in bright and boisterous paper that clashed with the picture-perfect ones under MY tree.

Time and kids came, and I loosened up A LOT. Now my tree is one big explosion of kids' crafts, random ornaments they've begged me to buy, and whatever else they choose to throw up there.

Still, there's a limit as to how low I will go when it comes to what goes on my tree. And apparently some in the ornament-making business will go pretty low because there are some doozies out there. Here five truly terrible and tacky ornaments that should grace no tree.

What is the tackiest Christmas tree ornament you've seen?

Image via Etsy

I'm all about the pretty packaging and now that we're smack in the middle of prime gift wrapping season, I thought it would be an excellent idea to share some simple embellishment ideas to make your presents as fun to look at as they are to unwrap!

Fiskars has some great ideas for using felt, as you can see above. Read on for a few more great inspirations!

Hello, my name is Mary, and I have a huge inferiority complex thanks to my lack of enthusiasm and patience for holiday decorating.

Yes, we have a Christmas tree, and yes, there's a pretty candle and a festive runner displayed on my dining room table, so the inside of the house looks pretty good.

But as for the outside of my home? Yeah, that's another story, because other than an artificial wreath that hangs on the front door, there isn't one ounce of Christmas cheer going on with this pad. (My husband and I affectionately call our place "The Dungeon.")

Back to the inferiority thing -- which stems directly from the dozens of gorgeous houses in my neighborhood decorated with picture perfect lights adorning every window, door, tree, and all of the above. (They're seriously killing me.)

Knock knock, it's Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Why not take some time to craft up your own holiday wreath to deck those halls? There's nothing like the smell of fresh pine to make your home into a holiday haven. Scatter in some star anise like the beautiful wreath above, and you've got something that not only smells good, but looks amazing too! 

See 5 more inspirations below.

'Tis the season for fun, festivities, and all sorts of merry fa la la-ing. There are presents to wrap, trees to adorn, parties to attend, and meals to make. As the song says, "It's the hap-happiest season of all" ... until someone ends up in the emergency room.

Amidst all the merriment lurk plenty of holiday hazards, and decking those halls can be flat-out dangerous. Some of the traditions we hold dear are also rife with potential risks that are easy to forget about as we get caught up in the fun. Here are five of the most dangerous holiday traditions.

The halls are decked for the holidays at the White House, and I got the special treat of touring it Friday! Of course, seeing all the trees and the Christmastime splendor was incredibly fun. And of course I was looking out all the windows hoping to catch a glimpse of the President, Michelle Obama, or even Bo. (No such luck for me.) But I was also impressed with all the work that went into putting the White House into its holiday trimmings -- much of it by volunteers. How many trees? How many hours? How many ornaments? Read on to find out what goes into the White House holiday decorations.