deck the halls..continued.

In case you missed part I, click here-- Deck the Halls. I have a feeling this is turning into a series. 

So I ventured up into the attic this afternoon.  It was every bit as bad as I originally pictured. That's just not a place for us women. That is a man's spot. Sorry to sound old fashioned, but I figure that if human beings came out of my body that I'm exempt from atticing if I choose to be...is that a word? Atticing? I guess it is now.  Anyway, I shouldn't have to clean the pool either, but I have at least 6 months to get my case together for that.


I originally thought that Will was going to be the child that terrorized my Christmas decorating. This wasn't the case. I mean, look at this face! He wouldn't bother a fly. mmmhmm.

That being said, he was asleep. This made it easier to get a little done. I remember when Will would nap, I would have 4 glorious hours of Jordie time. I could nap, I could clean, I could do whatever I wanted. That isn't the case anymore. Those two just cannot seem to get on the same schedule in the afternoons. (Kids, if you are listening, the hours of 1pm-4pm are really my favorite. Christmas is coming up, you know. Mommy needs a little present. You can give me wine too. Serves the same purpose.)

Now let us get back to business.

I went into the attic.  Did I mention that? Yup, I'm still thinking about it.  And now that I am really thinking about it, I can't figure out what the hell is in there besides Christmas decorations. All I could think about is that I was 110% positive that there was probably a homeless man living in there waiting for the right time to strike. Chances are slim, but I have a limitless imagination when it comes to scaring myself. There wasn't really a homeless man, but there are lamps that I don't know where they came from.  Granted, I was 20 feet away (you don't think I would actually climb in the attic, did you? No, this girls feet didn't leave that top step.) so the lamps could actually be mine.

I brought down three tubs of glittery goodness. Thank goodness John is so smart, because he put all my decorations right by the entrance. I bet it was for his own ease, but still- I benefited. I hauled the tubs in and then I did this:

I took this at night, so my photography friends aren't going to be thrilled with my lack of natural light, but I didn't want to use my flash.  It still needs work, but I was okay with it for today. I will label this "work in progress" and make a note that if I ever build a house, an outlet is a MUST on the mantle. duh.

Then look what happened:

drool.

Someone woke up from their nap. He really loved those bells too. He had a complete blast. So, I figured that I would move on to another area of the house.

My mother in law bought us piece of furniture when we first got hitched, and I just love it. I don't decorate my house for every holiday- but I love to put festive decorations on this piece. First impressions are everything, and if you can get past the weeds in the flower bed, this lovely piece is there to welcome you. Well, maybe you can't see the whole thing, but there she is. I usually sprinkle snow all over it so you can't see any of the top, but I don't think I will be able to do that again until 2020. Now that I am looking at this picture, the angel looks super country sitting there, and she isn't. She is very Anthropologie. She must be moved.

So, folks, that's all I know today. Well, that's all I know about decorating for Christmas.

Other things I know are this: 

1) My friend Patrick at work has me obsessed with needtobreathe and they are incredible. I suggest "garden" and "the outsiders". You won't regret spending the $1.29 on itunes for those. I guarantee.

2) I'm reading at church tomorrow.  Last time I was in front of church for Luke's Christening I tripped, so I'm sure this will be hilarious. I love mispronouncing Bible names, places, and things. My sister in law, Amy, is lighting a candle.  She falls too. Wish us luck.

3) I'm SO excited to see my brother on Thursday. Haven't seen him since May and I literally feel like it's been a lifetime. I am so proud of him, and his company is just taking off! Check them out at  http://rydbikes.com/.

Can you tell I learned how to insert links today? Yeah, I'm big time.

Ciao.

teeth and tinsel

I only did a little decorating, and then I was scared for my life. Not for a good reason at all. I'm just really goosey after last weeks events. I really need a dog to keep me safe. Do they make hypoallergenic dogs that weigh more than 15 lbs? We really don't do the yapper dogs..plus, they really aren't that scary. I need a spider monkey. That would scare them. Or an epipent. (elephant in will lingo.) John thinks I am crazy central. He's probably right.

I'll post pictures from last night when I have them uploaded, and the house is fully Christmased out. I really need a laptop to make this easier (hint, hint)....

I will spoil a bit of the fun and reveal that Will has a love affair with a skiing nutracker. He ripped his legs off and broke his pole. Don't worry Nanny's nutcracker! Gorilla glue to the rescue! It's modern duct tape- fixes EVERYTHING. I have glued my fingers together, and glued my lamp to my desk accidentally. Funny moment. Lamp lived.  Desk, well. Desk is still here, just has a bit of a black eye. It's serious glue.

So, I just got a call from Luke's babysitter, Rarey, (shari), and the kid cut one tooth today with 4 more on the way. Not going to lie, I'll miss this look, I hear fangs are in right now. :) That kid is the best. Never complained one iota. Cool toothed Luke. :)

Deck the halls, and your husband.

It's time to decorate for Christmas. It's time to send a miffed John into the attic for all my junk so I can attempt to make the house look somewhat festive. Should I do it myself? I have this image of listening to Amy Grant Christmas and drinking spiked egg nog (of course) while my family and I decorate the house. John hasn't bought into it quite yet. It really is a pretty ridiculous dream, so I am vowing this year to do it by myself with cheer in my heart and happiness on my face, no matter what.

Do you know my sister? She's pretty much the most incredible Christmas hoarder in the entire universe. She has like 1500 square feet in her house dedicated to Christmas storage (ok- slight exaggeration). She started with a passion for Radko ornaments when she was 20. TWENTY. She was on the home tour in our town at 23. TWENTY THREE. She started decorating her house weeks ago. IN OCTOBER.

At 20 I was illegally at Murphy's drinking beer. At 23 I was about to get married, and I still loved beer. This past October I was getting pumpkins stolen off my front porch (I'm sure the punk kids were drinking beer.) Needless to say, any attempt at my really decorating was wiped out long ago. So really, the pressure to be great is entirely off. And- I get hand me downs. Its really a win win, I don't understand Radko and villages anyway, and I don't understand massive amounts of sparkle either, she teaches me about the importance of these objects. Apparently everything must have a little shimmer in order to be truly Christmasy. I'm learning. 

What she hasn't taught me is how incredibly hard it is to decorate with a 2 year old thinking that your incredibly expensive Santa belongs in a bucket with Buzz Lightyear.  

So tonight I will embark on many firsts. The first time I am taking my princess self in the attic. The first time I will try to stay up past Will and still be productive. I will take pictures chronicling this experience.

It may require wine.

Ciao.