If Only There Were Thanksgiving Carols…

This morning, I looked over at Topher and nonchalantly said, “I’m ready to put my tree up.”  He replied, “Christmas tree?”  And I said, “Yep.”

I know I haven’t packed away my Halloween decorations yet, but as soon as I do I want a Christmas wonderland.  Thanksgiving decorations are kind of lame, so I just want to fast forward to my favorite holiday.

Topher disagrees. He thinks it’s too soon. I usually but my tree up on the day after Thanksgiving (which he thinks is too early), but I think this year he might get overruled.

Here’s the thing, I put a lot of effort into my Christmas decor, and I want to enjoy it. The people out there that wait til the week of Christmas to get their trees baffle me (if you are one of these people I’m sure you have your reasons). Why go through the effort just to take it down again in a few days.

Not me. Don’t tell anyone, but one year when I still worked outside the home, I didn’t take my tree down until the Superbowl.

Yes, I agree that’s pushing it too far, but I was never home, and we didn’t have time to enjoy it.

Not to brag but I have really nice ornaments, and if there was a fire and every living being was out safely, my ornaments would be the first thing I would rescue.

Even the cat loves Christmas. She takes up residence under the tree for a month (or two), taking safe refuge from the pups.

I am, however, a bit of a control freak when it comes to my tree. It is silver and white, and I make sure my gifts underneath coordinate perfectly.

We do have a small problem, though with the cat living under the tree.  She seems to like to chew on the bows on the gifts. It was always so embarrassing giving someone a gift topped with the shredded bow with little teeth marks, so now I put the bows on right before the big day.

Ok, don’t judge (because I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this)…you know all of the ornaments your kiddos make you in school? Well, I do put most some of them on the tree — at least the silver and white ones.  They all have a special home near and dear to the backside, bottom quadrant. Yes, I know. I’m a bad person.

It should be the memories that count, but why can’t they count on the back of the tree? Mind you, my daughter is 15, so she really doesn’t get too worked up about her preschool toilet paper roll snowman covered in macaroni (and painted silver) being seen only be the cat.

And please don’t even get me started on Christmas music. If I had my way, I would probably listen to it year round, but since local radio is lame and only plays it “seasonally”, I have to listen to it nonstop for a solid month. It makes me happy. If you’re in my car or in my house, expect to hear the ring ting tingling of the holidays. Of course, this drives my daughter and hubby a little crazy after hearing Mariah Carry’s “All I want for Christmas Is You” for the 900th time. But tough cookies, it’s only for a month.

The last last item of business: the outdoor lights. Every year, I ask Topher to put them up before it turns cold, and he always says “next weekend”.

Every year, like clockwork, the next weekend is frozen-to-the-bone cold. Then he tries to use the excuse that he will freeze to death. I just tell him to suck it up, bundle-up like Ralphie, and don’t lick the frozen ladder on the way up .

He always thinks that if he puts it off long enough I won’t make him do it. Wrong!

He hates putting them up because he has a small fear of heights. I can’t blame him, I don’t like them either.

But it’s Christmas, dang it!  The season of joy and love, so get up there and be a man!  Side note:  I no longer wonder why I get weird gifts from him, it’s payback.

Well, it’s Nov 5 and I have most of my Christmas shopping finished. I buy throughout the year when I see great deals and hide them in the basement until Christmas morning.

So I’m counting down the days ’til I wear Topher down, and he makes me a happy little Shanna by dragging out the tree.

I know everyone has different Xmas traditions, and I’d love to hear about yours.

This is a commissioned headboard that I did for a client. It seemed to have problem after problem (the paint wouldn’t stick for some reason) but I loved the way it turned out. I used a bonding agent, then chalkpainted it ivory, used a somewhat different glazing process, and waxed it. I forgot to take a picture of the footboard with it. The pictures don’t really do it justice, you can’t really see the textured colors. This one was a lot of work so I’m glad it’s finished and that my client loved it!

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