It's the most wonderful...

Christmas time is finally here in our home. After humming hawing for about two weeks, we decided (also because we have 2 weeks off and won't be home) to go artificial. It is my first deliberate choice to go artificial, but at least this way, we never need to worry about mold buildup, dogs or cats drinking from the water stand, vacuuming, and so on. Immediately after bringing it home I strung er up in lights and started decorating. It's hard to believe now I have several decorations from my childhood, still fully intact, as I often had a tendency as a kid to enjoy playing with "glass" toys, or taking them apart. One of which, a little plastic mailbox, is missing the "santa cat" waiting below. I loved cats as a kid, and I loved taking toys apart, even if they weren't meant to be.

I remember these other little ceramic cats, i think there were 8 of them in the set, And I'm not surprised they didn't make it to my tree, I think I broke or hid all of them. I just wasn't having them be put back after the holidays.

 View of modest tiny angel...

Having a sunroom with windows all around it and no shades to cover them, we chose that to be the place to show off a tree. This year we won't be decorating the house with lights, so the tree will have to suffice the drive-by gawkers.  Unfortunately, this year will be another year with the tiny inadequate angel, no more than 3 inches tall, with a teeny little light in her hand. I had my eye on one at work; but missed out. Hopefully she'll find her way in the returns bin this evening, or I migiht find one at the Dartmouth location. Oh please oh please!

(Our short-lived snow day)

I wrapped everything we had so far (except my Parents' giant gift, we're not sure how to do that one yet). We plan to finish up the shopping today, wrap it up, and call it a season. This year, because there is outdoor access to the basement, I can do all my wreathmaking in the basement, and just sweep the mess out. Last year everything was too sappy afterwards working in the kitchen. I think (and hope) it'll be a little less lonely this christmas eve, having more friends to visit here in our new town. We visit family christmas morning, it'll be a little bit of old and new. I like that!

In the new year, after our bills are tackled, we face the trials of finding a puppy. A valley bulldog; or any mutt, so long as it is young!

I also had to add that we had decided a month ago that this year, my bf and I would give ourselves a gift together, a nintendo Wii, but we were beat to the punch when we won it instead at our staff christmas party. I believe this may have been a Law of Attraction phenomenon, but I won't get into the details. Now we realize we have to get eachother something, and the pressure's on!

I've had a full year of knitting now. I'm currently working on a scarf as a gift, but I think it's just too bland, and I can't make the pattern I created look attractive enough to give, so I'm forfeiting this as a cursed ball of $10 yarn. Bah! Humbug. I think in the new year, I'm going to begin crocheting as well as learning to knit socks (or DPN knitting). It's gonna be a cold year. This spring I think we'll be doing a lot of insulation-related renovation.

That's all... if you have heard nothing by new year, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Grinchmas, New Year, and all that jazz!