Holiday Preparations In Full Swing

Here are a few pics from the weekend. We baked. The Boss and the Gang got a tree out in the woods. Then He decked out the front of the house. We all had a great time! There were Irish Gingersnaps, Peppermint Snowballs, Oreo Truffles, Coconut Macaroons, Butter Pecan Turtle bars, and mini cheesecakes. Beef stew simmered in the laundry room and Cracked Wheat bread whirred in the bread machine.

There was lots of coffee, carols in the background and a sweet little baby girl in the middle of it all, getting her first experience at family female bonding. I'm unofficially known as the "sap" of the family, so it's probably no surprise to some of you that I was full of tender emotions and happy feelings most of the day. And the happiest feeling of all: The Boss and the Gang got totally muddy and gross while out chopping down the tree and I didn't have to be muddy too! :) I will post pics of our gorgeous tree once we get it in and decorated. Right now, it's in the garage steeping in bug spray!

Here's some shots of the lovely nativity scene that friends of ours sell every year on e-bay. It's a little "family" business that spreads the Good News in a beautiful and tasteful manner. Buying any yard ornamentation is a huge deal for me, as I fall in the "Less Is More" camp of Christmas yard decor. We live up the street from perhaps the tackiest, gaudiest, most horrific yard display ever imaginable. No theme, no rhyme or reason, no taste. You get the idea. Actually, get that idea and multiply it by 100 times of tackiness. Then that's the real idea. And until this spring, there was a "(In-) famous" family around the other side of our neighborhood that had a HUGE, EYE-POPPING, "Christmas in Vegas" type display complete with their own radio station. They moved. To Colorado. Far away. But if I look carefully on a clear night, I bet I can still see the light show. Since we moved here, I'm perhaps even more extreme in my "Less Is More" camp-out. You can understand why. Anyway . . . . this one won me over with its simplicity. If you like it, drop me a comment and I'll put ya in touch with my friends.

Finally, here is the wreath that has been with us since the last Christmas in our first home. I "splurged" one year after the holidays and bought two wreaths and some old-fashioned plaid ribbon and silk florals and created matching Christmas wreaths. I was so excited about them that I could hardly wait to hang them - the day after the following Thanksgiving! And I'm so pleased with the way they've held up over the years - 8 years! I love the spotlight on the big one, and I am just OCD enough to really love that my front and side doors match. Sad . . . I know! ;)

So, there you have it - we are in full holiday mode now. Except for the shopping. I still haven't really done the shopping. I will, I will, just as soon as I can stop baking and just as soon as Baby Blue Eyes gets over this nasty cold. Which better be soon. Only 15 days left till Christmas Day! Wooooo Hoooooo! Merry Christmas, all!