I envy those of you who are organized enough to have your house decorated and Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped by December 1st. I bet you've been enjoying the season while the rest of us have been running around like crazy people!
I tend to decorate gradually, rather than doing it all in one day. I've been thinking about what it must be like to survey your home for almost a month, enjoying the seasonal decorations. Elegant Mother is in the habit of taking her decorations down on New Year's Day. If I did that, I'd barely have one week to enjoy the completed decorations, so I let it linger just a bit.
One of my nieces brought us two poinsettias at Thanksgiving. The plant's are HUGE! One is white, the other is red. I'm going to add a pink poinsettia in the living room, and another smaller red one at the kitchen sink.
I started out by putting evergreen wreaths around the carriage lights at the garage. Then we put up EM's fake Christmas tree with the colored lights. The next day I put the lighted star in the window. We skipped the icicle lights in Elegante Mother's rooms this year, and I miss them, but not enough to battle with the window hardware to hang them.
I bought another fake tree this year. I don't know what I was thinking, because it's just a bit large to use in the kitchen or the informal dining room that we call the " Green Room." The tree ended up in my office. It has white lights and cinnamon ornaments with red bows. I may add miniature ornaments if there is time this week.
I put up a fake holly garland in the doorway between the kitchen and great room this year. Usually I put up fresh evergreens, but I was trying to spare Dear Husband, who seems to be allergic to the scent of evergreen. At the top of the door frame I've added burgundy bows with long streamers, and tomorrow I'll staple the Christmas cards to the streamers.
The chandelier in the dining room has gold stars and crystal ornaments hanging from it. I tried new ornaments, and decided that next year I'll try a blend of the old and new. That room is decorated in burgundy and spruce green, so it always seems ready for Christmas.
The fake Sitka spruce that is home to the hand made ornaments that my quilting bee members have given me resides in the foyer this year. There's a collection of pumpkins at the base, left over from Thanksgiving. I suppose I need to find a new home for them.
I have to decorate the two wreaths that go on the front and back of the fireplace, and hang them up tomorrow. I'd like to get one more wreath for the back door. With the leaves down, the neighbors can see the back of our house now, and it seems neighborly to put up a wreath. (Especially since Dear Husband refuses to put lights on the house!)
We've had Cookie Day, but we'll make a few more over the next two days. We're not hosting any holiday parties, so there isn't the usual cooking to do.
I have just a couple more gifts to get, and we have at least half the presents to wrap. With an 18 month old granddaughter, you can guess the kinds of toys and boxes we have to wrap. Let it be a challenge unto you!
So....I'm not quite ready for Christmas, but Christmas is not quite here. I think we may get things done in the "Nick" of time! *G* I'm organized, just never of a mind to rush into the season. Maybe next year. Remind me to start getting ready around November 1, won't you?