Phase 1: The Tree
Stella and I had a talk. She won’t be eating the tree this year.
Phase 2: The House
There are 50 glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling of the entire first floor.
MAGICAL
And this is Jingle Pup.
Jingle Pup does not sit still.
December 23: JT and Amanda conspired with Husband to bestow upon me the most glorious gift in Christmas history: a bubbly goldfish named Penelope and a sweet baby betta fish named Constantine…since JT managed to starve Sebastian to death on our last vacation. Tears of joy. Dinner at Uncle Mike’s. Walked into a weird hat competition that I wasn’t aware of. Baby brother burned me an awesome c.d. Family discussion of my mom’s weirdest recurring childhood dream. Lead to a discussion on jackalopes, which naturally lead to my family dressing me as a jackalope, which then lead to me winning the weird hat competition and the googling of ‘jackalope.’ Watched Pink Floyd’s The Wall, which apparently is a Christmas tradition. Scored some awesome gift cards, coasters, ornaments, and a working turntable for our record player. Then my eye swelled shut because someone tried to poison me and put cat hair in my ravioli.
December 24: Spent many hours baking and curling ribbon and other such festive things. Painted our homemade cornhole/beanbag toss game for Matt & Cori. Kicked Husband out of the house and made up a bunch of crap so that I could have sufficient alone time to wrap and hide his presents. Two went inside our coffee table trunk, two went behind the couch, and one went in my car under a sheet. He never had a clue. Then dinner at Grandma Sandy’s where the most perfect lawn gnome was waiting for us and we had a photo shoot with baby Ryder and we were told we were ‘special’ at least three dozen times. Trey sassed me and almost got beat up by Husband. But we left before the family sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus. Then Matt & Cori’s where I had two babies and two pugs to play with. More super special/thoughtful gift exchanging commenced and Cori cooked a lovely dinner and I was promised some pink plastic flamingos, like I’ve always wanted. We watched the Boondock Saints and discussed Husband’s tattoo and then he refused to go to bed without me so I spent 2 hours wasting time. Finally he gave up and I took all of his presents out of hiding and set them up Santa Claus style. Then I crawled into bed and he pulled me towards him, poking my back and making robot noises in his sleep. I spent the night giggling instead of sleeping.
December 25: Surprised Husband with his Christmas present: a professional beer and wine brewing kit and ingredients. I think he’ll make a genius brew-master. The girls got a kitcshy can of dog treats. Then I slipped on my Christmas boots and we played outside in the puddles waiting for JT and Amanda to wake up. Then we cooked breakfast and Caden was very surprised to see me so early. I love him. Then we swung by Julie’s and went to Aunt Chelle’s. Skyler sent me 37 texts on her new cell phone and we had lunch and goofed off and I saw Dad for the first time in months. Scored some sweet smelling candles and gift cards and a new Porcupine Tree t-shirt and hand carved brass keychain from a man dad met in India. Sky picked us out a pretty picture frame and Dad partially gave away Becka’s surprise gift. Then he got scolded. Then we went home and napped and then raced Madre & Padre to Nana and Papa’s and we took pictures in front of both Christmas trees and I listened while the boys talked politics. Then at home we snuggled.
December 26: Dad accompanied us for the day and helped Husband pick out the perfect amp and electric guitar. And we had lunch together and saw the new studio in Seminole Heights and I sat in the Boy House out back warming my feet by the heater and Husband shook his head and gave me curious looks. Becka gave us the velvet rope from the old studio that will go at the foot of our stairs and a new Dali print that will live in the living room and Bella was sweet and gave me kisses. Then dinner and many rounds of Rummy at Madre & Padre’s. And Stella got in trouble. Again.
We had our Christmas photo shoot and I can’t decide which one I like the best
I think I’ll just stick all three in everyone’s cards this year
I love it when Husband plays along with my ideas…dragging chairs into the woods and documenting me hanging lights in the trees in a skirt and heels. If it wasn’t for HOA…I’d hang them in the woods and leave them there forever because from our house they look like fireflies.
And Caden had a photo shoot of his very own
And then we had a photo shoot in the woods with Madre and Padre…I wish we could have video taped the whole thing. Those boys are trouble when they get together.
…and Stella won. She attacked our poor little Christmas tree and ripped it to shreds. Tinsel, peacock feathers, glass, glitter…everywhere. You could hardly see the carpet underneath her path of destruction. The second I saw it my heart stopped beating and I burst into tears. Alex threw his arms around me and Stella hid under the tree where she thought I couldn’t reach her. She’s been pooping glitter for days.
I put it back together as best as I could…but it isn’t the same. Stella…if you come within 10 feet of the tree ever again, it’s game over. She attacked the wreath Linda made us last year too…so I had to get creative on it. And I finally got around to making our stockings and impressed Husband with my painting skils
And then the boys impressed me with their muscles and the puppies cuddled
Next on the agenda is mistletoe and paper snowflakes.
Here is a decently long list of things, in no particular order, that tickle my fancy…just in case you were planning on stopping by.
Love, Jamie
This Alice in Wonderland Cabinet…and nearly everything else on the site
this kitschy little First Aid Box
this brown cupcake bowl thing
this mermaid wall-mount bottle opener
This chandelier (and light kit)
this fireplace
This cardboard deer head
this flower light chain
these plastic flamingos
this whale doormat
or this doormat
this perfect garden gnome
moss bunny
this glorious calendar
this glass head to hold all of my feather masquerade masks
this because it’s funny
this circus letter
this awesome tea contraption
a set of these to add to to the mix-matched chaos of our kitchen cabinets
these sweet cups
this globe
this umbrella
these peacock feather earrings to replace the ones I lost a year ago
this snow globe
this necklace
this gorgeous bikini
…and these rain boots
I haven’t made a Christmas List since I was little…and consequently forgot how much fun it was to pick out things that make your heart sing.
