An American in Provence

For Christmas this year, we decided to get a fake tree (I don't really like real ones- besides the pine needles everywhere, I don't like that a tree died in order to sit in my apartment for two weeks before being tossed in the trash. But that is just me. I have nothing against other people having real ones. Moving on.)
If you are going to have a fake small tree, it might as well be obviously fake, so we got a half size white plastic one. We bought gold balls, goldy-orange and blue garlands, blue lights, and a blue star on top. Woohoo! Total cost of Christmas decorations- approximately 20 dollars.
I gave Alain the start of our creche, or nativity scene. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus santon figurines. We will add to each year. Mom and Dad gave Alain a stocking from LLBean? Land's End? to match my stocking. Incidentally, they don't do stockings here, at least not to put stuff inside. They sometimes hang them up for decorations. Some people do a tradition of leaving shoes (wooden or regular) by the fireplace. I think huge stockings are definetely preferrable.
Merry (late) Christmas!
Joyeux Noël!