Hey, hey, hey! How was your weekend? I’m sitting here, Sunday night – exhausted but content, listening to the Arizona Cardinals game in the background, drinking a glass of wine, smelling the Christmas tree and the holiday scented candle burning away, smiling at our snoring puppy. It has been a pretty fantastic weekend, and I’m feeling nostalgic, lucky, blessed and slightly emotional about it all.
We took our niece out to dinner on Friday night, and I couldn’t help but get choked up while listening to her tell a funny little story. It brought me back to a time when she was about three, and I took her out to get ice cream one-on-one not long after her first sister was born. It was hard on her, going from being the only baby to sharing all that attention. It was a little rough on me, too, if I’m honest. She and I were so close, I missed lavishing only her with all my affection (even though I adored her beautiful chubby-cheeked sister!). But anyway. I took her out all those years ago, and she and I giggled over absolutely nothing until our stomachs ached and tears streamed down our cheeks while she ate her ice cream cone. I swore I’d remember it forever, and so far I have. At any rate, watching her eleven-year-old self giggle (and making Joe and I giggle) sort of hit a weepy nerve, you know? So, yea, nostalgic.
I almost finished our Christmas shopping this weekend, and ended up losing my purse in an incredibly crowded Costco (a giant warehouse store for those who don’t know). When I realized what I’d done, my heart sank, I broke into a sweat and immediately went into panic mode. I’d just been paid on Friday; I envisioned every last cent being drained from my bank account. How lucky am I that some sweet soul picked up my lost purse and returned it to the lost and found? I thanked the universe, all the gods, the planets, angels, EVERYTHING, for my good luck. Holy heart attack, I swear.
Blessed. I’m just blessed. Hot showers on cold mornings, puppy kisses, a warm bed, a sweet husband’s love. Family, friends, beautiful weather, the means to enjoy this life in a way that so many can’t. I don’t know what my deal is, but I’m feeling overwhelmingly grateful and emotional for my blessings right now… like my heart has been kidnapped by the holiday spirit or something. Total cheese ball, I swear!
As you know, I’ve been a little sideways with Joe being jacked up and so I sort of had to throw our Christmas decorations together this year. I didn’t put everything out, but I made sure to include the things that make me the happiest.
So. How to decorate for the holidays in a hurry when you have to? Scrounge up the sparkliest, festive-ist and fragile-st stuff you’ve got stored away, throw it together and call her pretty. Command brand hooks are super helpful with this. They’re cheap, they hold stuff up without doing any damage, and they come in clear so they’re pretty unobtrusive. And no, no one is paying me for this stuff. Although, maybe they should, huh? HA! I used the hooks to put stockings up on our kitchen cabinets, hung the silver star (see above) with one, and hung wreaths throughout the house with them. My sister hung her stockings up on the wall with them, in case your wondering on their strength.
Can you tell I love snowmen, angels, and that I’m torn between a red/green and blue/white color scheme? Or am I the only one who notices stuff like that? I got some of my grandma’s angels when she passed, they mean the world to me. Also, just for the record, a child helped me decorate that table-top tree and make that silver wreath, OK? Just throwing that out there, lest you judge me!
And you know what else? There’s this:
He’s celebrating his first Christmas ever. Fat little puppy! GAW! I hope you guys are having a good winter so far, and that you are appreciating the warmth, love and blessings surrounding you!
