I've got my house decorated, but haven't bought a single gift. I'll have to post of picture of our tree and stairwell -- I just LOVE holiday lights!!! I'd keep them up all year, but maybe then I'd get tired of them. I also got a really pretty wreath from Wilson Farm, my favorite produce stand.
There will be a family Christmas time dinner here on Saturday because my brother and sil are coming here from NC. This means all the state occasion prep + cleaning has to be accomplished before then. So things have been at a pressured roar. Thankfully I managed to get the upstairs woodwork and doors painted. The decorating is done and I am thoroughly enjoying all of it. It really is pretty and I love my Christmas trees. I have two. It's the kitchen that needs the thorough cleaning which has been happening. There will be a gift exchange with my brother + sil while they are here so that shopping is done. The Christmas cards are printed but not written. Am chewing myself out for putting my hands on the escalator railings in the malls. A chest cold put me into a crash and burn mode yesterday from which I am recovering. After the Saturday dinner, it will just be shopping and Christmas dinner. The cleaning part will be done. YAY!
Ruff, you must be a wicked cleaner if you knocked the knobs right off your stove! I am definitely in the gentle cleaner category, LOL!
Actually, I have given two gifts already. We got the boys hockey tickets for the Friday after Thanksgiving as an early Christmas present (the Bruins were playing the Devils) and I got Charlie a wet suit. He got it early to go on a late November canoe trip with his friend Grizzly Bob, which not his real name, he's just one of those extreme outdoor enthusiasts and he like to drag my husband along. He also happens to be a doctor, so I figure Charlie's in good hands -- unless it's Bob who goes overboard. Men! sigh...
Ruff, hope your cold feels better soon! That STINKS!
-- Edited by KarenK on Saturday 5th of December 2009 01:19:32 PM
Ruff, sorry you're sick but glad most of the heavy cleaning and things you need to do are behind you. Sounds like things are looking pretty good and I know you've been working at getting the house spiffy for months. Enjoy the time with your family (and take along one of those clip to your purse hand sanitizers- they sell them at Target's checkout) With it hanging from the outside of your purse, it's always available for those times when you've had to touch something germy.
KK, your early gifts sound nice :) Hope all goes well with the game and the canoe trip- got yourself a little "me" time in the process, too, huh? THat's pretty nice :)
All of my gifts have to be mailed except for the ones I'm taking over to my son and his family so my shopping has been done and I'm finishing up the last bit of sewing for some stuff I'm taking when I visit. I've got two boxes to go out- one is mailed and the other will get mailed today. I was going to do it this morning but it's still storming so might wait until after the Christmas luncheon and take it on my way home.
The house doesn't get decorated like it did when the kids lived at home. As tough as my working hours are in Dec, it's tough to find the time to put it all away and I'm not home enough to enjoy it so I've downsized a LOT in that respect. The creche is out, Advent candles and miniature Christmas tree are on the dining room table, atop the plaid Christmas tablecloth I made a few years ago, the towels have all been changed over to Christmas (kitchen and both bathrooms), soap dispensers have been changed over to Christmas and all I need to do now is to take the regular pictures down and put up my Christmas pictures and stitcheries. Oh, the throw pillows now have Christmas covers on them now, too. All ready to sit back and have fun doing the things I want to do. Oh, and if the storms and rain will let up, I'll get the lights on the outside of the house. I usually have them up and on by Dec 1 but held off with the storms rolling in... they would have just taken the lights down again for me :P
A wet suit? Is this something he would be using if he's in the dog house?
light....You decorate in ways I've never thought of doing! It all sounds so homey and warm. You ?MADE? a plaid table cloth? How did you do that?
Don't know how long this will last, but I've found there's a huge satisfaction level in doing some cleaning that is thorough. There's not enough time or energy for this sort of thing when one is working. At that point, it was a make do with a 'this is as good as it gets' and then keep the lights low. I don't really like housework but a 'project' is something else. Right now I like the fact that I can do it the way that it really needs to happen. Once the kitchen is done, I can go back to the lick + a promise attitude. The fact that my brother is coming is a major motivator!
I'd really like to hear how everyone's life is shaping up for Christmas
-- Edited by ruffles on Saturday 5th of December 2009 02:47:14 PM
Oh, I used to go all out with garlands, red velvet bows tied on lights, etc, pointsettas set everywhere and I had a huge number of ceramic decorative pieces that were made by other members of my family and given to me over the years- those are in storage for now and will be passed down when the time is right. Decorating is much simpler now that I'm the only one going to see it. I just figured everyone decorates like I do.
As for the tablecloth, well, I have an oval table and can't always find an oval tablecloth that I like at the price I want so I take a huge oversized rectangular tablecloth (like those wonderful ones Wal-Mart has had on sale lately for $7 each), cut it to size and attach a ruffle to the hangover. Turns out nice and has the soil release features of a nice tablecloth :)
I have a few inexpensive plain tablecloths that I bought, too, which I use under my monthly table topper cloths- A cotton square featuring something special about the month, set diagonally in the middle of the table where most drips occur. It dresses things up and makes the table pretty. I don't use a topper for Christmas since I love the plaid tablecloth and don't want to cover it up but my January one is a bunch of snowmen and snowflakes on a blue background. Feb is miniature red hearts on white, March is mini green shamrocks on white, etc... going thru the months. It's a fun and inexpensive way to decorate.
Here's a picture of the table (you can see the Advent Calendar I made for the kids yrs ago- a new ornament goes up on the tree each day, ending with the star on the top), and one of the bathroom with the Christmas shower curtain I made. Hope I attached them right :P
Light, your table is lovely! The ruffle on your table cloth is very generous and obviously made from the trimmings. Clever. Your curtains add a lot to your atmosphere and I really like your Christmas Tree Advent calendar. LOVE your Christmas at home pics!!
It's interesting how people personalize their decorations. My daughter has started collecting unique table top Christmas trees. Each one is distinctly different from all the others. They also have a collection of Nutcrackers. I never knew nutcrackers came in so many sizes! So there is a display of trees and nutcrackers across the top of the television which has a great deal of character. Plus, there are other trees scattered around the house. It is fun to note and admire the collection because it is so charming. The kids love it.
Her collection of mini trees and nutcrackers sound charming :) I'm always amazed at how many different types of nutcrackers there are- I've got a small collection of maybe about 20, ranging from 3 inches up to the ones which stand about 1.5 ft high. I have 3 which stand guard up on top of my German hutch all year round :) My favorites of all of them are the carved one from Germany and the Uncle Sam one I got last year :)
I'd like to pick up a few mini trees for the bathrooms but haven't since I don't know exactly where I'd put them yet. I have elf shaped hand soaps in one and wreath shaped hand soaps in the other but we all leave them for decoration and use the soap in the Christmas pumps LOL. I still don't want to take them out of there, though since they are so cute. At this point, they've become tradition ;)
Ruff, you've seen my santa collection. It has grown a little bit since then and has spread around the rooms as well. I put my lights and my tree up yesterday. The boxes and the rest of the decorations are still waiting to be put out and then put away. I am almost done shopping, the major presents are bought. I might hold off on the wrapping, decorating has been an adventure so far with 2 kittens in the house! Over the next week or so I will do some baking. The holiday party schedule has me running a little ragged so I will try to get my baking done after all the rush. I had three parties last week, two this week, and a few the week after. I'm also running the holiday potluck at the office.
I love Christmas, but right now I'm feeling a little beat after the hectic party schedule. LOL.
I am definitely in the gentle cleaner category, LOL!
