lights and tree

so this past week (after almost a full household being sick!!) we finally put up christmas lights. we used to do all white but i had been wanting to go more traditional with color and since living in an older home and the majority of our neighbors going old school we decided to join in! 

we got our christmas tree too...isn't he cute (yes i refer to christmas trees as "he"). now i have ALWAYS done colored lights on our tree and ALWAYS get a real tree, somethings can not be changed :) last year we got a smaller tree and decided to do the same thing this year, i kinda like the smaller ones, they just seem more appropriate in our tiny house.

p.s. i can not for the life of me get any good christmas tree pictures with bokeh in it! photographers out there....what settings do i use?? shutter speed, ISO, aperture....??? i'm at a lost, and can not seem to get a good shot, help a girl out would ya!