Time to Decorate Tuesday

After being gone for almost 2 weeks I am so far behind on my Christmas decorating.  For many years the minute Thanksgiving was over (not the leftovers, just the day), the Christmas decorating began and before the end of the weekend, I was ready for the Holidays.  Well, not this year.  Not only am I late, but I have no helper anymore.  The last couple of years Gary was not that much help, but he could at least carry the boxes up and down from the basement.  OK, now I think I hear you saying, "well why don't you hire some kid in the neighborhood to help you bring everything up?".....well to be blunt, I wouldn't even let my own Mother go down in my basement.  You can get lost just taking that last step.  We have lived here 30 + years, have accumulated an enormous amount of "stuff" along with all of my rubber stamping and scrapbook supplies, in other words one 'hellava' mess.  But the one thing I do keep straight is the Christmas decorations.  They are all in plastic containers, properly labeled (surprised aren't ya?)  and ready whenever I manage to get ready, get set, go.  And today was the day.  I am doing it backwards this year, I usually always pull the tree up and decorate the living & dining room first and then finish with the family room, entrance hall, kitchen & down-stairs bathroom.  This year I flipped the order, no reason, just cuz.  And this year I am changing some of the decorations around, part of the reason is, I can't remember what I did last year (don't laugh, I bet you have had this same problem) and because I bought some new electric candles from Restoration Hardware last year after Christmas that are linked together and fit perfectly on top of the TV cabinet.  So, that means everything I put there last year, now gets a new home this year.  I don't know about you, but I am just like a kid when it comes to unwrapping all of the decorations and ornaments.  As I unwrap each candle, wreath, all of my Santas (oh, boy do I have the Santas), I really do feel like that little girl of so long ago, still believing there really is a Santa Claus, and hoping that Santa leaves that special gift under the tree on Christmas Eve.  I don't want to ever lose that magical feeling, I don't want to ever lose that childlike feeling.  But when I see the mess I have made of the house today, a little bit of that magic fades and reality sets in....oh pooh, why do I make such a mess while decorating, do you do that too??  Anyway....I took a few pics today as I began the decorating.

I am adding this to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday....I added her new Look Up texture. 

Love this silly little reindeer......

 And this silly Santa.....

And how about this cute little snowman...he sits inside a green's arrangement.

This is one of the first Christmas decorations I ever purchased after we moved here over 30 years ago....It is a little wooden train that spells NOEL, the price-tag was still on the box...$12.95.
     

 Thinking about Christmas cards...yes, I still plan on sending them out....what do you think of this one??  It may be too dark, haven't printed it out yet.

And how about this one?? 

I had such fun today, I think I will be doing this for at least the next 2 or 3 days.  Tomorrow is our last Bible Study with a morning brunch and in the afternoon I have Book Club, so not much happening in the decorating department tomorrow.  But I will be back at it on Thursday.

And speaking of cleaning and keeping house....I absolutely love this quote, it makes me laugh out-loud.  "My second favorite household chore is ironing.  My first is hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint."  ~  Erma Bombeck

Until next time......