I Love A Rainy Night and Christmas
And I love rainy days. This past long weekend has been a real treat for me. It was cool and overcast, the heavens opening off and on to shower us with liquid sunshine. It was the best!
Steven took the holiday off. J. was out of school and with us. The only bad thing was Gracie having to go to school yesterday and having to get up at 6:30am.
Once we got Gracie off to school, the rest of us had breakfast. Colby reminded me she needed graph paper. The only place in this rural county to buy it is at Walmart. We all piled into the Excursion and went to Walmart with a stop at Lowe's to get supplies for me to paint J.'s room.
While at Walmart, Steven was looking at whatever it is that men look at, I took a few minutes to browse the Christmas decorations being put out. Hate me if you want for Christmas shopping but Christmas is my most favorite time of the year and I spend months beforehand planning and getting ready for it.
The staircase railings in this house are much larger than at the townhouse so I needed more garland and lights for the upstairs banisters as well as the railings. I needed a large wreath form for over the fireplace as well as a different centerpiece since this mantle is very thin. I also picked up premade outdoor red ribbons for the 14 wreaths I bought a couple months ago for the outside windows that face the public view of the house.
Steven wanted to get a stocking for the new baby but I was totally against it. The baby won't be born at Christmas and I feel it is wrong and tempting fate to hang a full stocking. We made a compromise. I agreed for him buy to a teeny tiny red stocking just as a momento.
I needed several hundred lights for the Christmas tree for the upstairs hallway and new lights for the small trees each of the girls have in the bedrooms at Christmas.
I have collected Christmas tree ornaments for over 20 years. Every room in my house has a decorated tree. I tend to stick to the same theme of rustic country. I love pinecones and cranberry beads. Handmade victorian ornaments and souvenirs from places we visit.
So anyway, back to yesterday ...
When we got back home Steven and I watched a movie (I, Robot) and then he took a nap. I was determined to find my fall wreath for the front door and headed up to the attic. Once there I realized that I should NEVER send Steven up there for anything. Things had been pulled from boxes and left laying in stacking. Things I had organized into like items had been knocked over and moved. It was a total wreck up there.
I did not intend to spend the entire afternoon cleaning out the attic but that is exactly what I did. I started sorting and stacking like things together, putting in nails for some items to hang on and repacking a few boxes that should have never been opened.
Within an hour Colby came up and started helping. Soon after up came Steven. One thing you don't want is for Steven to help. Not only does he make a bigger mess he gets all crazy and acts hog wild and starts shoving and throwing things around and not being careful. I asked him several time to leave and he wouldn't. Well in his flamming around he managed to drop a heavy thing on his foot and you can imagine how he was then. Actually it is quite funny watcing him be a caveman and laughing just makes it worse but sometimes you just have to laugh.
It took about 3 hours to get things done up there but it was time well spent. Before there was a tiny path to one side of the attic. Now, I have cleared all the empty boxes and mess that should have been thrown away when we moved and nearly half the attic is open space and not full of junk. I dare anyone to go up and pull out things.
I did bring down my maternity clothes for winter. I washed them too. They are in the dryer. I had forgotten what beautiful clothes they are. My friend, the retired clothing designer for whom I was a surrogate, made every piece. Custom made and designed for my pregnant body out of material she had collected from all over the world. I had forgotten about all of the beautiful silk scarves and ties. Not any of that frou frou bows and junk that make pregnant women look like little girls or hippies. Elegant peices that can be worn in day and dressed up to wear in the evening. Not too formal not too casual, just right.
I found my fall wreath and it is hanging on the front door. I'll take a photo and post it this week.
Christmas Preparations: (I try to be finished in October with all gift purchases)
I have finished my Christmas baskets. My mother and my sister and her family have recieved their Christmas gifts. They recieved all of their boxes last month. MommaK the BBQ sauce is excellent. I know everyone will enjoy it as part of their baskets.
I have purchased any new decorations I think I will need. I do not plan to buy anything else -except maybe lights. I hate when you are in the middle of decorating and you find a set of light have bit the dust.
I have a list of what Santa will be bringing and have my eye on several items I plan to pick up this week.
I also will be ordering our Christmas cards this week.
I still have so much to do! Christmas decorations go up the weekend following Thanksgiving. That is a little over a month away. After that I have to focus on my baking and cooking. I think I need some elves to help pull this off this year. I wonder how much energy I will have at month 8 of this pregnancy.
Gracie was born the week before Christmas on the 17th. She was due on the 24th but my doctor let me choose to induce so we would all be home for Christmas. I was the only patient he had due to deliver for the entire month. So among the Christmas preparations, I have also an 8 year old birthday party to plan for. I have gotten several gifts already and those are tucked away, too.
And yourself? Do you prepare far in advance for a perfect Christmas season?
Man, this is a rambling and scattered post. I am having trouble focusing with everything I have planned swirling in my mind this morning.
Wow, you are bursting with energy!
I am planning a trip up to my own attic to reorganize. The Christmas decorations take up a good portion of our attic space. It gets so hot up there in the summer time that only emergency trips are made- When the weather cools off, I put everything to rights.
I bought all the supplies I'll need for a Thanksgiving wreath, inspired by yours! Right now, I have a carved pumpkin up on the door, so once Halloween is over, the wreath will go up. Total materials cost: $15. Michael's was having a half-off sale.
Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Our house never looks better. We have all kinds of decorations and we have a big dessert party each December, to which we invite absolutely everyone we know and love. It is great fun. And a lot of work. But I don't mind...
I love rainy days too, but I only WISH I started getting ready for Christmas so early! I always get to about December 20th and then am depressed because I didn't get everything done I wanted to. Or I'm behind on my present buying. Perhaps you can inspire me this year! (I just bought my mom's present -- it's a start!)
I need a nap after reading this and I'm not even pregnant!!!!
I've discovered the joy of ordering from catalogs and the internet for Xmas gifts. Nothing destroys my good cheer like having to go out among the masses and getting into fistfights over the last must-have toy on the shelf. And with discounted shipping, I can be as last minute as my little heart desires and the stuff will still get here. THANKS, MR. POSTMAN!
Dr. B thinks my two trees (artificial due to his blasted allergies. Note to self: next husband must be healthier than this one)are excessive. Please post pictures of your trees so I can show him how practically Amish I am compared to you!
The tree in the formal living is the fancy one. White lights and antique (well, mostly. Some good reproductions) German glass ornaments. Our hodge podge tree is in our eating area, that one has colored lights and ornaments from when I was a child as well as the impressive collection of ones the boys have made over the years.
I love both trees.
Now I need to deep clean so I can put out the Halloween shit. This place has been sorely neglected lately. Bah.
You win the title for Most Well-Organized. I did beat you to the Christmas cards. Ours came a couple of weeks ago. When I ordered, I said, print our names as Betty and Gene.
Can you use any cards that say: "Christmas Greetings from Betty and Jean"?
Gosh, you made me tired reading all your activity!
I AM planning to get some pictures this weekend to try to capture the perfect family shot for our Christmas cards this year. That alone will probably take me until December 21 or so. Heh.
LOLOL you had a LOT on your mind, didn't you. I didn't think you were rambling at all, it was just like a conversation!
By the way, I like Lucinda's idea about the Christmas dessert party. I thinnk i'll do that this year instead of cookie swap. hmm, or maybe both.....
I have ranted in the past about Christmas decorations coming out in September but I confess I'm starting to look at them more closely now that October is moving in. I've already put out the fall decorations, but I usually wait till about a week before halloween to put out the scary stuff. We almost always do a haunted walkway in front of our house.
Hub and I have been making mental lists of what to get people for Christmas. If I see certain things, i'll get them now instead.
Can't wait to see the picts of the wreath and any other decorations you come up with.
By the way, I tagged you with a meme!
Angie, you make me tired reading this and I am an organized and busy woman! I have to start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving, at country clubs and city clubs and one restaurant. By the time we are finished with that, usually by Dec. 4th-5th, I am so fed up with Christmas I don't want to do my own house, but I must, for the sake of the grandchildren and hubs, who is more of a child about it than they are.
I know what you mean, I usually try to get my Christmas shopping all wrapped up by... say 5:59 pm on Christmas eve.
Yep, I'm a procrastinator. I wonder, would you allow me to hire you to do my shopping this year??? hahaha!
I'm still on Halloween!!! But your Christmas sounds wonderful! Right now I'd just be happy if we get the painting done before Thanksgiving and our yards landscaped. We also celebrate Hannakuh so it's a very full season for us. Lots of fun.
I feel lazy since all my thoughts have been if I could take a famous person trick or treating so I got the most candy who would it be? I would be returning gifts before Christmas if I bought them this early, people around here hint then go out and get it for themselves, grrrr. I'm happy my son helps me decorate since I seem to be shrinking.
I'm currently trying to talk myself out of a panic about the upcoming months. I am planning a surprise birthday party for my husband on 11/11 and am stressed to all get out with those details. (What's worse is I can't talk about it on my blog for obvious reasons) Then there is Thanksgiving and Christmas, which will both be here because ours is the only house that will fit everyone since my mom moved into her condo. Then there are the family issues and relatives that seem to be popping in out of thin air to let me know that they too will be joining us for the holidays. Let's not forget about the annual family drama that happens during or as a result of any holiday at my home. Do I bring out the worst in people or do they just come here to let it all hang out?
Sorry for the rant there. I think I am a bit stressed. Once the party is behind me, the holidays will probably be a breeze(as long as everyone behaves themselves).
Glad you got your maternity clothes out. You're getting closer!!
I am one of those people who swears every year that she is going to be really organized and start preparing for the holidays early. But then I get distracted. Feel free to nag me now and then.
Wow. You hold nothing back! I can't imagine how special the holiday is with your family. Trees in every room. Divine!
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