George and I worked our little patooties off this weekend getting the house ready for Christmas. First on our list was some early Saturday morning Christmas shopping. We hit the stores at the right time and found many things that we think our family and friends will like. We had coffee and cocoa at Barnes and Nobel and I bought a fun book of Christmas cookie recipes that I just HAD to have. I plan on making candy cane cookies this weekend.
We went to the storage unit that we rent to get out the pre-lighted Christmas tree that we bought last year. It was big and beautiful in the store, and we set it up last year and really loved it. Then...reality struck when we had to take it down and put it away. These trees will NEVER again fit in the box they came in, so we wrapped it in three large black bags. As we were taking it out of storage on Saturday, we were amazed!! at how heavy it was. Somehow, when you are smiling up at these beautiful trees on display, you don't even consider whether you will be able to lift them or fit them in your car. But we got home with it, set it up and I decorated until my back hurt. We worked really hard on it, and I love my Southern Christmas Tree.
George put up lights outside to my "grand design". We decided that each year it is a little harder because I always come up with something different I want to do. This year we put two small trees on either side of the door, and a garland that frames the door, hanging on the posts. We have a big lighted wreath and I'm going to put small red bows on the trees--something I liked in a Martha Stewart magazine. We are going to skip the icicle lights this year.
Each year, when Michael comes, we have a "tradition" of driving around looking for droopy drawer lights. This may sound silly. It IS very silly. It just started when I was appalled at how many people put up icicle lights and drape them off their houses in a scallop pattern. Have you ever seen icicles hanging in a loosely draped pattern off a roofline? Not. Icicles hang hard, cold and straight across. So, now we drive around looking for these "droopy drawer" lights and have even though of surrepticiously leaving little flyers on doors that say, "You have Droopy Drawer Lights. Merry Christmas."
We are not finished decorating, and haven't even begun the wrapping and packing, but...Christmas is definitely here!
Have a great day.
