Oh, Tannenbaum!

It may be 85 degrees, the date palms may be swaying in the breeze, but it's Christmas time! The Christmas spirit has hit Dubai and it's not a minute too soon - there's only 13 more days to go! Matt and I can't wait to travel home for the holidays but until then we are trying to soak up as much of the Christmas atmosphere as we can. Planning for Christmas in Dubai really constitutes an adventure and the cocktail conversations have turned to Christmas decorating war stories. "Hey, can you believe I found the red and green holiday M&M's at Ace Hardware?" "We found a place that sells live trees!" "Where did you find ornaments?"

My sister Lisa succeed succeeded in buying a live tree that was cut and imported from the US! Let's just say it was a bit more expensive than what your local volunteer fire department is charging, but that's the price of authenticity. The hotel lobbies are the best place to soak it all in, the displays are gorgeous. Matt and I just came from Christmas caroling in the lobby of the Palace hotel and I'm glad we stayed to the end when the special guest arrived. Santa! The kids eyes were as big as saucers! Who am I kidding, so were mine, you're never too old for Santa!

This beauty is strait from the States, and I love the star.

This is our neighbor the Palace hotel. A more modern take, but I like it!

Leave it to the Aussie's to go big! Fiona's decorated her new apartment with a 10 footer!

The beautiful lobby of the Madinat Theatre. You've got to love the staircase garland.

My favorite lobby in all of Dubai, the Al Qasr hotel. This Victorian-style tree was done up in light blue, gold and siver.

Another view of the Al Qasr hotel, they deserve it, they have three trees front and center!

The man of the hour - Santa!