2019 10th Annual OT Christmas Tree Decorating Contest

Dearest Friends of the OT,

It's the most wonderful time of the year again. You can feel in in the crisp late November air. You can smell it in the roast turkeys in the oven. You are beginning to see it as the wise and anticipatory put up a scattering of lights -- Chicken assures me that the TD lights are in the final phases of testing. Rummey is tinkering with the final few strands, replacing those that have dimmed since last year. And, of course, the Annual OT Christmas Tree Decorating Contest!

We celebrate a full decade of this friendly yet highly competitive contest. Once again, a panel of five judges including TulaneLSU, SuperSaint, Jim Rockford and two rotating judges will determine this year's winner. As is our tradition, if you would like to be considered for a judgeship, please respond to this thread a brief essay describing your motivation for being a judge and a description of what you believe a beautiful tree looks like.

To be considered for a winning submission, please post a simple picture of your tree. Those deemed to have stolen pictures or taken pictures of others' trees will be disqualified and forever banned from the competition. I keep a running list, so if you have been caught cheating in the past, don't waste your time. If you win, you will need to post proof that the tree is yours (e.g., a paper with your screen name next to the tree).

Winners may receive a handmade TulaneLSU Christmas ornament as well as bragging rights for the year. You will join the ranks of Y.A. Tittle, stout, NIH, and Degas as holder of the most prestigious title in all the OT. You will also be invited to a two year term as a judge in the competition the following two years. If you are curious what the judges are looking for, please read TulaneLSU's Top 10 Tips to Decorating a Christmas Tree.

Now that the rules are established and understood, let's get to the decorating! As is my custom, I do not submit a Christmas tree. I do, however, submit a picture of my Giving Tree. As you may remember, each Thanksgiving night, I go around the neighborhood and carol to whomever will open their doors to me. At the end, I give each person a handmade ornament. This year I have been busy designing and creating lots of crafts. I have chosen the tri-bead and fuzzy sticks as my medium. Over the last week I have made hundreds of crosses, snowflakes, candy canes, trees, stars, words, and Ichthys fish. Here are just a few of my crafts:



The competition has officially begun. May the best decorator win.