Christmas!

One of these days I will actually be good at blogging and keeping up without super long breaks at random.

I looveee Christmas <3 <3 I love decorating, I love gift buying, I love making my family hang out with me, I love the movies and the music,,, ouuugghhh I love you Christmas!!! 

We always put up our decorations the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, due to my older brother working night shift, that meant that the rest of us had to be up at 7:00am when he got home to put up the tree together. Wruff. It was still super fun even if I started to doze off on the couch as my brothers had to restring the lights on the whole tree for a THIRD time (they suck at lighting the tree so bad it's funny). We had some soft Christmas music playing over the stereo, and I had like three cups of the best coffee in the entire world forever (Cafe Du Monde original blend with chicory <3).

I took some pictures of my decorations this year because I recently got a photo album at the thrift store and I really want to fill it out with some pictures!! I had to dig through some of my bio mom's stuff a while back, and in a huge tub of photos I found a picture she had taken of my Nana's Christmas tree some time in the 00's. Finding that photo was one of the best feelings in the world. I didn't have any photos of it, and I have really been missing it since my Nana passed a few years ago. I just like preservation and stuff. I don't want my family to not have any pictures in a few years ya know?

Anyways enough sappy stuff. Photo blast!!!! (it's long sorry I don't want to ruin the image quality making them smaller)

Our tree <3 This thing is actually older than me. Yes it is leaning wayy to the right. It's literally tethered to the wall with a string and a wall hook to keep him upright <3

Every year we all pick out one ornament to hang on the tree. This year I ended up with two because I bought one and then ended up finding another. lols. The First one was of course, a Coca Cola polar bear. Unfortunately I am not immune to the Coca Cola Christmas propaganda... And then I found a Hallmark Keepsakes 1995 Holiday Barbie at the flea market for $2??? Of course she was coming with me. She matches my 1996 Holiday Barbie from two years ago <3

I <3 my kitties!!! The temperature dropped rather rapidly here, from 70F to 30F in a week, and my poor babies were not quite ready for that. I have some fuzzy blankets with heating pads set up for them right now, but I'm going to have to move them so I can actually sit on my couch. Top is George, and bottom is Shoopa curled up with Oswald the snowman. 

One of my favorite shelves this year!! Everyone I know has like their "thing" when it comes to Christmas decorations. My mom was snowmen, my aunt Connie is santas, my best friend has reindeer, it's just something I've noticed. Over the past few years I've been trying to figure out my "thing" since we lost so many of our decorations to a moldy shed. And I think I finally figured it out. I'm a big fan of angels, and darker colors. Lots of velveteen, and classic feeling textiles (crochet, embroidery, etc). I know I'm bad at explaining things, but I think a lot of it has to do with my missing going to catholic Nana's house at Christmas. I'm too sentimental for my own good. Also that's the photo of my Nana's tree!

Our big shelf doesn't have much room for decorations, we have too many books lol. But I am really happy with it still. Again with what I said before <3 catholic-esque decor!! I loovvveee the way the top came out with the garland and the candles and stuff. 

This certainly isn't all of my decorations, just like a highlight reel I guess. I'm still actively going to the thrifts and stuff to find some little things to fill in the gaps, but I am just so happy that it's finally Christmas!!!

One last thing while I'm here, I started making some really cute coasters and I'm very proud of them!! They are going to look so nice on my side tables <3