My Christmas stuff has been sitting up all summer long--I simply got a paint brush (a new one) and dusted off the bulbs that were showing dust, and they still look as fine as new. And I have taken virtually all the Devil worship Day Halloween stuff down and put Christmas stuff in the hall outside of my apartment complex. Due to the fact that I want to make it difficult for hounders to connect me to apostasy to waste their time (that could be used for other matters), I am not posting pictures of my decorated hall because it would limit such waste of their time.
While I do think of that second tree as rather wimpy, it is a good first time. The one at the top is fine, if a bit skimpy on the lights. Again, this is good if it's your first tree or if you are limited by still-in relatives or spouses. Even that small tree (the second one) is better than the ones I have seen at my work place, where they place dark colors (plain dark brown pine cones) on dark colors (dark green). And, I can be assured that they will continue to improve with time--first efforts always seem to turn out skimpy when it comes to decorating a Christmas tree.
Which is why I always advise first-timers to start as early as possible in the season. Even doing a dry run in the middle of July or even May is not too soon, since you will have plenty of time to fix problems. Many people will start out with 1 or 2 boxes of lights, a topper, one run of tinsel garland that is around 4 or 5 meters long, and 2 dozen ornaments and think that's enough. Then, when it goes up, things just don't look right. This is actually very common--the important thing is at least you are trying. I recommend viewing videos done by various people decorating a Christmas tree, and looking at pictures of upscale trees. I noticed that they have relatively few big ornaments that look ridiculously big (say, 5-8 depending on the size of the tree) placed on diagonal lines, a moderate number of medium sized ornaments, and large numbers of smaller ones (say, 5 cm or less). Most successful trees have 2-4 color groups (not including the tree itself), but you should vary yours according to personal preferences. And lighting--use excessive numbers of undersized lights (even running them in along the lengths of the branches) to get that magical appearance. You might prefer fewer, bigger bulbs. Colored is best for children; clear, for formal situations.
And, if it's your first time out, don't be too discouraged if it is wimpy. For some, just getting the courage to do anything is a start, and putting a tree with a single dozen ornaments is all they can get up the nerve to do. Others are going to underestimate what they need for that magical look. Still others can't afford much because of the recessionDEPRESSION. (Or being bled by the Washtowel Slaveholdery.) Others cannot do much because they live with still-in relatives or because Brother Hounder is watching them. And still others do a poor job simply because it's their first time. If that's you, be assured that your little piddling attempt will improve as you get more experience--or, as you can afford more ornaments. Just keep at it, and eventually you will get better.