It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas...

Are you singing along yet? I've had that tune in my head for the past 4 or 5 days so I figured the rest of you could stand to be annoyed with me. LOL!

This past Friday we had the first real snowfall of the season. Up until now, we had just had a few flurries here & there, but nothing to write home about (or in my case, blog about) ;) But, on Friday a soft blanket of snow, about 3 or 4 inches deep, covered the ground and by mid-afternoon, when I picked Sophie up from school, there was enough moisture in it to stick together and give way to the the perfect snowball fight. The girls and I had a blast...

But as the weekend progressed, that soft blanket of snow turned into a hard frozen mess on the ground and the trees were covered with a layer of ice about an inch thick. We had an ice storm on Saturday night, which made it virtually impossible to do anything fun outside, but it did yield some pretty amazing pictures...

So, needless to say, we hung out inside all day Sunday, which was perfectly OK by us since the Christmas spirit has permeated our house too. Our tree is up and I find myself staring at it, just lost in thought all the time... I just love seeing the glow of the lights as they reflect off the walls, the ceiling, the furniture... ahhhh... so pretty. I just can't wait to see all the wrapped presents gathered around it... one of my favorite childhood memories that I still enjoy profusely as an adult.


Our otherwise modern and uncluttered hearth has received a sudden transformation as more and more Christmas decorations keep landing on top of it. Just as I thought I was finished with it, the girls would find yet another item that they thought needed to be properly displayed or keep the others company. "How 'bout we put this pretty snowglobe on there..." OK, OK. "Oh, and what about my Christmas Barbie... she can keep my picture company." Alright.

So now it looks like this...


Cuteness abounds...

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, yes, I DID take the handmade pledge, so I will go ahead and proudly display my badge:



It'll be a "partial pledge" as there are some members of my extended family that have some pretty specific things on their wish lists that definitely cannot fall into this category, but I think, as it looks now it'll be about a 60/40 split which is not bad compared to how it used to be. But I am just so excited about making a few things and seeing some other handmade beauties up-close.

I am making a couple of things myself but I will also be spending an ungodly amount of my Paypal $$$ on Etsy. I'll be buying those things that I cannot make myself, like jewelry. Some of my current favorite jewelry gals are Ash, Erin and Ann. And how 'bout those cute little handmade felt creatures that I keep seeing everywhere? Anyone else just as in love with those are I am??? Well, I just did spend a small fortune at this etsy store. OMG! I just love Irma's work and she was so sweet to deal with... highly recommended. I can't wait to see my girls and niece's faces as they open their presents! Weeee!

UGH... which reminds me, I'd better go get the rest of my orders in before it's too late.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, everyone! :)