Texture

So I was walking back to the news room after taking some pictures of christmas trees in the library and I saw this tree. I used some sharpening and blurring to help focus the viewers attention inside of the frame, but I feel the image is lifeless.

It's funny but often I will think to myself, this is going to be an awesome photo and it turns out flat and then when I least expect it, I come up with something good.

What do you think?