I grew up adjacent to the wilderness, and my father used to go out and cut down a tree so gigantic that he'd have to take our front double doors off their hinges just to drag it inside. So maybe that's why I have such a fondness for real trees. The smell is a sense-memory thing.
But here's the deal: When Jack and I bought our house upstate, we found two complete fake trees in the garage. After attempting to donate them (the local thrift store said thanks, but no thanks), I decided to use the nicer of the two as our official Christmas tree. Then, I sent Jack to buy a few boughs and a garland for the staircase to satisfy my smell jones.

I'd probably never buy a fake tree, but since it was there and was (I discovered) a really nice retro version, I opted to roll with it, and I think I'm a convert. It looks amazing! I went in a completely vintage direction and decorated it with old-school Shiny Brite ornaments from the 1950s and a bunch of the antique chandelier crystals I've been hoarding. The result is sparkly-vibey goodness.

If you do the tree thing, what kind are you using?