Christmas - T minus 1 week.

I'm struggling to believe that Christmas is only a week away.  I knew it was coming...but as usual it seems to rush forward.   It's almost a given with everyone that early December is a crazy mad dash of holiday programs, holiday baking, family Christmas, possible travel and of course the regular ol' work or school. 

  I'm kinda half ready and half not ready for Christmas.  I've gotten 1/4 of my baking gifts completed, and still plenty to get done.  I have a few gifts, but I still have lots to purchase.  I've completed all holiday music programs (band and bells).  With just a week to go...I have the rest of my baking to complete, plenty of gifts to get and a few days left of work before family Christmas.  Oh I do have all Christmas Cards to complete, I'm not even sure how many I'm going to do, just don't feel into the cards this year. 

Some photos of the house at Christmas.  I love decorating for Christmas!

My Christmas Mantle.  Some of my favorite things. 

The Tree.  I love all of my ornaments and decorations, always a joy to decorate.

Somethings do take a year to accomplish

So a year ago I began putting up pictures around my house to attempt to decorate.  I don't always succeed in decorating attempts, but I try.  One of my projects was to put some wonderful storm pictures up over my stairs.  My brother got me these pictures for Christmas one year, and I added to it a couple years ago. 

Putting up pictures over the stairs was no easy project.  I got one up, and decided that since I was balancing on a board, about 4 feet in the air with one had, I should give up on this project.  I didn't know how I was going to get a ladder on my steps to fulfill this project and I didn't want to die trying. 

Well I've been eyeing a multi-position ladder for quite some time now, and it was on sale a few weeks ago.  I snatched it up! 

  With the help of a friend, and my new AWEsome ladder, I would attempt this project again.  I pulled out the ladder and figured out how I wanted the pictures on the wall and climbed on up.  Thankful for the ladder and scared to death I was gonna fall down.  However, the ladder was very stable and I had a safety mechanism in place, my friend. 

  About 20 minutes later, we had accomplished this year long project.  I'm glad to have it completed as I think it adds to the room.  I decided that as long as the project is completed, it doesn't matter how long it took.  Check it out.



Love

Spring day in December...?

Today it got to 62 degrees in Wichita, which is only 5 degrees from the record high. Yay!  I took this opportunity to do some outside work, well after I slept.  I tried to mow up a good bit of the enormous amount of leaves covering my back yard, then I cleaned out the flower pots and moved them to below the deck for winter storage.  All in about 1 hour and 15 minutes in a race to beat the sun going down.  It was nice to get this work done before it gets cold tonight and stays cold!  Yuck! 

Christmas decorations will come out soon...but I would like to have a day off to complete these tasks. 

An ode to spring....

Love!

1 year

A year ago this weekend I moved into my home and spent the first night.  I closed a couple weeks prior, but used that time to paint and get other things moved.  That weekend and week leading up to it, was insanely busy as I tried to get everything ready for the move.  I worked a couple midnight shifts and moved and hardly slept, but that seems to be a theme in my life. 

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I moved.  This house has been wonderful, and I love having my own home.  My mom has helped me decorate a lot of the home, with not only things on shelves etc., but curtains, bedspreads etc.  There's still plenty to be done, and now that I'm going to be here for a little while longer, I do hope to finish the basement, which will be more fun. 

Biggest moment: Probably the biggest moment was having 5-7 inch hail pound my home, which damaged the roof, gutters and my screens on the back of the house.  Dealing with the insurance was an experience.

Favorite moment: Decorating for Christmas last year...and I am so excited and looking forward to the same in the next couple of weeks.  Plus, I won't be moving at Christmas, so the house will actually be all Christmasy.  Fun. 

It's been a great year. 

Love