Christmas Time's a Comin'......

I am going to start off by showing off a card I made for my Card of the Month (COTM) partner on my stamping group. I smashed the bottlecaps in my cuttlebug, and the background was embossed using my bug as well. The stickers are just stuck on the bottlecaps,but I thought it turned out really well. This was my NOVEMBER COTM, will post the one I am sending to my partner this month tomorrow (hopefully!!!)

Now to show off my Christmas Decor! We had so much fun decorating this house this year. Part of the reason was because of "Mumble" below. We inflated him inside just to make sure he worked!!! You should have seen the look on Marlie's face, she was like "What the heck is this thing???" He is so cute and looks super cute outside the house. :o)

The wreaths we still had from our house in Gallatin. I made the bows myself! I was so proud, and they still looked nice after 3 1/2 years in storage. We didn't put any lights up this year. We decided we'd add a little something every year. Keith is getting excited about decorating the outside of the house, he has all these plans for next year about making wooden cutouts and painting them to go out in the yard. Then of course the tree! My mom bought the tree for us, and it is so NICE to have a pre-lit tree. On the left you see Marlie, Missie & I putting it up. Which is NOT much trouble at all considering, you just pop it out of the box, plug it in and fluff the branches. SO FUN! No frustrations about tangled lights. We went for a FUN tree this year. We got rid of any ornaments that didn't mean anything or that were broken (& I had tried to save) and we used everything we loved on the tree. Then I took a Pink Feather Boa and some Red Marabou, cut them up, hot glued them to little clips and clipped them all over my tree. I LOVE IT! I just knew Keith would hate it, but he thought it looked great! Then of course my

very traditional angel DID NOT match the tree. So we hit Hobby Lobby and found This adorable Santa dressed in PINK for the top of the tree. He was $5.00! I just couldn't believe it. There are MANY other things around the house, but I'll start with showing off these things, and share a few more pictures every couple of days.

The next big deal for us, is we are going to be spending the first Christmas in our own home. We have been married since 2000, and have always gone to my Mom's at Christmas, but we decided last year if we bought a new house we would stay in it this year. So here we are. Then my mom decided she would just come Christmas Day for brunch and presents, so I am busy figuring out what to cook for Christmas Breakfast and for Christmas Eve Dinner.

My mom left the Rehab facility last week, and went to stay with a friend. Then yesterday we drove over and took her back to her house. She was very nervous to go home at first, but as soon as she got there she was so glad to be there. We got her unpacked, washed some clothes, went to the grocery store. And my wonderful husband cleaned up her kitchen and cleaned out her refrigerator for her. (I got a good one girls, I'm tellin' ya!) I called her today and she was resting and doing laundry. She was happy to be in her house, and sitting in her recliner. Now that she is home I am a little more relaxed. I will still worry about her for a little while, but I know she will do fine. And me worrying is NOT out of the ordinary anyway!

I have Christmas Cards to finish up, Red Circles to Punch for my mom, & Ornaments to make for a party. WHY am I punching red circles you ask??? Well last night I got Mom's circle punch out for her so she wouldn't hunt for it. I handed it to Keith and thought I told him to put it in her scrapbook bag, well as we pulled into Columbia he says "Why do I have a circle punch in my pocket?" So when I called Mom to tell her we were home, I told her I would punch the circles and mail them to her. AND BOY AM I GLAD I AM DOING IT! There is no way she would have gotten them done - they are being little stinkers to punch! I punched tin foil with the punch and everything, and it is still stiff. Oh well! And then my ornaments I am making are for my best friend's 1st Annual Ornament Exchange Party next Friday! I am so excited!!! I asked if I could make ornaments and she said "YES!" So I got busy. I cannot wait to finish them, but have to wait till my stinkin' Christmas cards are done. WHEW!

Life is busy as always. Keith's truck was in the shop for two days this week, we went to dinner in Cool Springs and did some shopping for Christmas (YIKES!) Keith's mom adopted a new doggie this week - he is a little 8 pound Shih Tzu named Scrappy! He is SO CUTE! He was being neglected, and my MIL loves to help out. Her doggie Muffet just died a few months ago - she was over 13 years old, blind and deaf, and my MIL had adopted her like that because Muffie's real mom was in the nursing home. But Muffie has gone to heaven, and now Scrappy has a new home. And he is a little bundle of cute I'm tellin' ya! As soon as I get a picture I will post.

Well, it is time to go get busy on my Christmas Cards.......................