Twas the day before Christmas Eve...

I wonder how many of us will start our blogs that way this morning.  It's my Dad's birthday!  Happy Birthday, Dad!  I hope your day is peaceful.

We spent the weekend busy as elves.  Rob wrapped presents.  He must enjoy it.  He wrapped everything, including the gifts to him.  And, I really appreciated it because I was at deadline for a surprise that I'm making and locked myself in the studio for several hours.  I'm practically finished.  Actually, I'm finished enough to give, but not finished enough to be perfect.  And, since I have extra time... 

We also did some last minute shopping and ordering on Amazon.  I've given myself several things, like a new iron and a rice cooker and a new coffeepot.  We are frugal all the year long, but at the end of the year, we splurge on all the things we've been thinking and learning about and shopping for all year.  Rob gets a nail gun; Sydney, a new set of pots and pans.  We are practical gift givers.  Christmas is when we get new sheets and towels and underwear, so I don't feel bad that under our tree looks like the gift wrapping room at an Amazon shipping center.  And, man am I looking forward to my new pair of shoes!  (I've become shoe obsessed.  I really need to talk to the therapist about it.  And it must be contagious because Rob bought two pair of shoes this weekend, too!  And, he never buys shoes.)

I wanted to show the last of the holiday decorations.  For many years, we collected a new Santa every year.  We've had to slow that down and just go for the ones we really like now, but this is the collection. 

 

And, this is the rest of the village.  We have tons of victorian village pieces, but Retroville is the one we prefer, so he just puts out a few favorites every year.  The farm scene and the shops and some people milling about. 

 

Rob loves these ceramic trees.  He saw them everywhere when he was a child (as did so many of us...my Mom's was all white), but his family didn't own one.  He shopped for one for several years as they were gaining renewed popularity and couldn't find a vintage one he liked enough to pay the price, but he was about to bite the bullet and buy one anyway.  Then, one day we stopped at a garage sale and there was one for about $10.  He insisted on giving her about $20 for it because it felt like taking advantage of her.  It was a fun find and everyone ended up happy and it sits on this table every year. 

One of the last Christmas gifts from Linda.  Cute little glass decorated tree. 

The other thing I did this weekend was finish some boxers.  When I started Rob's shirt, I cut me out a pair of boxers.  I didn't choose well and they needed different color thread and I didn't get much done on the boxers until Saturday morning.  When they were finished, I put them on and they were huge!  I turned the hem up , but they're still baggy in the seat and the legs are really big around.  This is not the time of year for failures (too many sweets in the house), so yesterday, I bought a pattern online and put it together and cut a pair out of a fabric that was in my Linus bin.  The plan was to tailor the pattern to fit me, so most of my stitching is basting length stitches.  And, when I tried them on, they fit perfect.  No adjustments needed.  So, I'm going to be making some boxers.  I don't know when.  But, I'm going to be.  !Voy a!

Everybody have a wonderful holiday week.  I hope whatever you're cooking comes out perfect and that if you burn something, it gives your family something to laugh about for many years to come.  I hope it's peaceful and quiet, like ours will be.  Or rowdy and rambunctious, which is what many others of you enjoy.  But, I hope it's filled with love and laughter and joy and kindness.  Think about the people that have to work this week and if you encounter them, be kind. 

Lane