I'm calling her Pearl, because that's what she is, a pearl in the oyster of friendship. HUH? "Pearl" sent me an Advent box. Each day until Christmas I get to open one gift. The photo shows the contents of my first gift, which I opened yesterday (a box of my favorite tea), and the second gift, which I opened this morning (an ornament for my Red Bird Tree).
I also have a blogging friend, The Faerie Wysperer, who recently sent me a gift that I won in her giveaway: this lovely little bird house and another sweet red bird for my tree. Looks like I have to get to work and get that tree up.
I have vowed to never do any Christmas decorating until at least Dec. 1. October is for Halloween; November is for Thanksgiving. Then autumn is over and winter can begin. December is for Christmas. I don't believe in mixing holidays.
Today I'll hang my front door wreath, if I can find it. And I'll remove my scarecrow arrangement from around my mailbox. Soon, very soon, I'll put up my red bird tree.
When do you do your Christmas decorating? Do you do a little or a lot?
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On 12/01/2009, Beverly said ...
Good for you, Susan. I love your new pretties.
I try to get my decorating done the weekend after Thanksgiving. I like to get finished so I can enjoy it when I get home from work each evening.
We decorate the rooms on the main floor of our house - the foyer, dining room, living room, family room, kitchen, breakfast room and sunroom. Each year I try to cut back a bit, but it still seems like a lot.
On 12/01/2009, Sandy said ...
What would we do without our children? I thank God for mine, they're precious jewels..
Our Christmas village goes out first, the grandchildren like those, but the tree, well that's another story, Maybe , maybe not...
Enjoyed seeing your wedding pics,,ya'll were so fortunate to have each other..
On 12/01/2009, Karla Natale said ...
Secret Santas are so fun! Enjoy opening all of your gifts.
Karla
On 12/01/2009, Nicole said ...
Every year I vow to decorate less, and it doesn't happen. I have so many boxes of decorations it is ridiculous. It takes a whole weekend to put it all out and another to put it all away! My husband is in charge of getting the tree, and each year that seems to get bigger too!
On 12/01/2009, Donna said ...
Hi Susan, I love your new things..thank goodness for friends. I know it is hard for you as it is me to get in the Christmas spirit this year.
I am going to try to hang my front door wreath today too!
I made ornaments to remember Amber each year. You will have to visit my blog to see them. Everyone loves them that I have given them to. I want her memory to stay with everyone forever..especially at Christmas with the birth of our Saviour.
Blessings and Hugs
On 12/01/2009, Jan said ...
The "red birds" and the "bird house" are both gorgeous! What nice surprises :) It's normally right about the 1st of December when I decorate for Christmas, but there's a very good chance that I might be "Mrs. Scrooge" this year (LOL). It's been such a long year and I'm a bit tired, so I'm truly, for the first time ever, considering putting out just a few treasured pieces and forgetting the rest till next December. I keep thinking "what goes up" has to "come down," which sounds sooooo exhausting to me right now!
On 12/01/2009, awtemnymf said ...
Hi Sweetie- I am happy you like your little mushroom birdhouse and fluttered friend the "wee cardinal". I saw the bird and knew it had your name on it!
May it make you smile!
I decorate the inside of the house (all decked out) and used to start Dec. 1st. I hate that all the beautiful stuff should only be displayed for a month or so when it's such a big season and so much sweetness to look at (Christmas goodies). I changed that habit this year and decorated the day after Thanksgiving! Hubby is huge on Christmas (it's 2nd or 3rd for me - Halloween is #1). Hubby does the lights outside and we both do the tree!
On 12/01/2009, Janet said ...
I think Thanksgiving kind of gets left out sometimes so I never put any Christmas decorations out until the weekend after. THis year I'm way behind....
Your gifties are so sweet!
On 12/01/2009, Loribelle said ...
Well, Mr. Griswald and I are hoping to put the monstrous tree up this evening. We put our outside lights up the weekend before Thanksgiving - knowing we would be out of town this past weekend - and have tripped the breaker 3 times already. Well, hubby has since added a new outside receptacle with it's own circuit so guess what? We can now put up even MORE lights!! I'm looking forward to our first Christmas together as Mr. & Mrs and hope to get time with both of our beautiful granddaughters.
What do you want Santa to bring you? Besides new jammies??? ;-) Love you, LBJ
On 12/01/2009, Thearica Burroughs said ...
Your giftees are very nice. Isnt it grand to receive surprise treasures from women you dont even know. :)
I don't usually do a lot of decorating. My hubby and I have a pig tree that we put up each year. All of my friends and my mother-n-law are always trying to find me the perfect pig ornament each year. :)
I am not much of a holiday person period. I put out a village and some figurines when my children were growing up but now I do not put out anything past our pig tree. I live 650 miles from my family now so they can't come and I dont see the point.
On 12/01/2009, Rachel @ Grasping for Objectivity in my Subjective Life said ...
That's so sweet! I want to be a Secret Santa! I want to HAVE a secret santa!!
On 12/01/2009, Zannah said ...
I usually do my decorating from about the 20th December onwards.
Oops - that seems really late compared to a lot of you!! I did think about getting decorations up this weekend, but thought it might still be too early!
When I was younger, my parents had a rule that NO decorations were to go up before the 24th December - that's probably where I get it from.
I decorate the living room, and sometimes the hall as well.
But looking at what you are all up to is making me think about really cracking on with doing up our house this year, so that I can decorate it with pride next year!
On 12/01/2009, Linda J.W. said ...
Hi Susan,I have my Tree up for Thanksgiving day and i put my lights up outside that weekend,because my tree takes so long for me to put up that i decided that i might as well enjoy it and have it up for my grandchildren
to enjoy it while they are here.We live out in the country so they don't come see us that often.
Linda W
On 12/01/2009, Barbara Anne said ...
Your Secret Santa gifts are just perfect as is the birdhouse you won. Sweet!
I seem to have started decorating in stages. Christmas pillows, tablecloths,candles, and a few wall decorations are up, but the rest will wait another week or so ... but I'm not certain why!
AMIL love all things Christmas, so I helped get her things out of the attic and up on the day after Thanksgiving and yesterday FIL asked for a tree in the den. Today AMIL and I got another tree, a topper, a tree skirt, and more ornaments and we'll put it up, add the lights, and decorate it tomorrow.
Maybe doing Christmas next door is making me happy to wait to do ours?
I'm looking forward to seeing other Secret Santa gifts and your cardinal tree.
Hugs!
On 12/01/2009, Gayle said ...
We've actually toned down our decorating this year and it feels calmer. We decorated last night. :-)
On 12/01/2009, Debra Spincic said ...
My steadfast rule has always been after my birthday which is the 7th. I never wanted my birthday to be overshadowed by Christmas. Decorations here are done in a day and then, that's it. If I can't get it done in a day, too bad. But, I do have help, even if it is begrudgingly. *wink*
On 12/01/2009, Nancy said ...
What precious gifts and precious friends. I can't wait to see each day's gift. What a wonderfully fun and touching idea for the holiday. I'm with you, I get so irritated seeing Christmas decorations in the stores in October...don't get me started on that. I don't decorate much. I did when my children were small and then again when we raised our two oldest grandsons but now it is a very small fiberoptic artificial tree, but very pretty with the lights off, and my Nativity. What more do I need? We don't do much shopping, the adult children need $$ and we just don't know what to buy the teenagers so it's giftcards for them. I don't go out much in the winter cold anyway as with it comes a huge increase in pain levels and lots of physical limitations. My main activity being quilting, when I am able. It is my therapy and takes my mind off of health issues. As I said in my profile, quilting is the window God opened for me when other doors closed. It is a window he threw wide open and I thank Him for it every day.
On 12/02/2009, Rae Ann said ...
I absolutely adore the red bird gifts that you received! How great it is to have a sweet secret Santa and to win a giveaway, all at the same time.
I am SO like you! I want to take time to enjoy each seperate holiday until it is over before I start the next. To me they are much more enjoyable that way.
On 12/02/2009, Deb said ...
Gorgeous gifts Susan. Our decorations have been up for 2 weeks and if I could have my way would be up at the beginning of November but then we don't celebrate thanksgiving. I adore all of the decorations and the work put into placing them on the tree and around the house. I love love love looking at all of them but having said that come Boxing day or the day after they have to come over as Christmas is finished for me.
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