deck the halls.

I find it odd that, this being the THIRD christmas on this blog, I have not yet titled a post “deck the halls.” That just seems like something I’d do. Anyways, I’m here to share with you my excitement over christmas.  Let’s start with the tree. Please ignore the grainy photos – I tried brightening them a little because my house is dark and drab. It sucks to live in a rental. Anyways…

This is our tree this year. Well, and it has been for the last three years, too – this is a cheapie we bought for $20 at Walmart that we plan on retiring next year. Anyways, I change the theme every year, and this year’s is like a hipster etsy (I redecorated from previous posts): it’s got felt owls, exposed stitching, some Japanese style kirie, and some kitsch things like silver tinsel garland and red berries. [Last year's theme was Elf, like the movie. It was an all silver and white tree and all across our living room, we hung three hundred feet of paper chains and probably 30-40 paper snowflakes, had paper trees on the mantle and tiny paper lanterns on the tree! Can you tell I really, really love themes?] You may have noticed the ducks there. I collect them – I probably have about 100? – and I put some out for Halloween and Christmas, Easter probably too. There are two Santa ducks because these are a special brand and they name each of their duck styles. But, you really didn’t care to know that.

This is my favorite ornament. Actually, we just got it last night, but I love it. You see, last weekend we froze our butts off helping my parents with this cool smores bar they set up at a holiday party for their church. We probably ate our weight in homemade graham crackers, hersheys & ghiradelli and jet-puffed marshmallows. So, it really does remind me of our first Christmas!

This photo sucks because my camera skills are sub par using Chad’s camera. Whoops. Anyways, we have some gifts wrapped, under the tree. I know you can’t tell from this, but I’m a serious gift wrapper. I layer different papers, different types of ribbon and bows and of course, use cute tags. I am aware that I am a dork.

Ouch, the grain in this picture is almost hurtful. Anyways, here are the stockings I hand embroidered while watching old episodes of SNL or the Kardashians or something. I think they were $1 each last year when we were doing the white theme, and I’m too cheap to go find better ones. They’re very nice, and I can’t find better for that price… and heaven knows I’m not sewing stockings. Tried that two years ago.

I understand that this is the worst photo in the history of cameras. In fact, if you stare at it too long, your eyes may bleed. The out of focusness, the ugly way the jar reflects… well, I’m sorry. But, I just wanted to share my pine-scented mistletoe. This reminds me of Chad’s house, because his mom has been burning this exact same candle all year.

You can’t tell, but this is the backdrop for the ducks. We only have a three foot banister where our stairs end, and it’s right behind the TV. I have no idea why they put the cable hookup on that wall, but that’s a story for another day. This has the same kirie plus some stars cut out of the world’s worst “survivor-esque” book. I was going to cut into a 1912 edition of a book no one has heard of, read or reviewed on the entire internet, but Chad stopped me, so we have lame stars. Oh well!

Cookies. This may be the best pic yet. Anyways, I halved Alton Brown’s recipe for “the Chewy” and got these babies. Mmmmmm.

Now, finally, the reason I was making cookies – to heat up the oven because it is 22 degrees, it feels like 11 and it is SNOWING!

Ok, I think these are the last of the dorky Christmas photos I’m going to share. Now… share your christmas decor with me!

arriving now.

So I tried making my own ornaments (see last post). I glued myself to Xyron permanent adhesive backing, crushed a ball ornament and lost two needles… fail. (I don’t get it, I’m actually a crafty person!) But, we made the best of it – we bought Santa hats and mint coffee and mint cookies from Target, tons of ornaments, candy canes and a pine-scented Yankee candle and we were ready to rock! Here’s some pics for our night… If I don’t post it here, I’m too lazy to scrapbook, so here’s the proof it happened. Please do not judge by the bad lighting, it’s pretty bad, I know.

Now, back to listening to Chad play guitar while listening to Pandora “Rockin’ Christmas” radio… and hand-embroidering our stockings to say “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in script… my one DIY. Pics to come!

Show me your Christmas stuff! Have you even started yet? Am I crazy? [Don't answer the last one.]

 

it’s about time…

for christmas! Seeing as I planned thanksgiving weeks early and Christmas is my favorite holiday… I think it’s acceptable. Here in the Morgan household, we went shopping for Christmas stuff starting this weekend. I’d been making small owl ornaments, but I decided I didn’t want to go that way. (Want 9 felt owl ornaments? Hit me up!) I always have a differently themed tree each and this year, it’s red/white with fun and funky ornaments. Want to see what I’m planning? Just pretend they’re all red and white…

All of these are from bhg.com!

material girl.

Okay, I grabbed one of these at Macy’s so I didn’t miss my chance. Plus, my place settings are backordered until like next forever, so they owe me a little something.

ho ho ho, you say.

Wow, I was pretty determined not to be hampered from my goal of being active daily… and then I pulled a muscle in my back. Seriously, not just any muscle, the one that hurts every time you bend, sit, stand, lift, twist and roll over. Chad’s been pushing me not to take Advil (something about killing kidneys… since mine already have stones) and I’ve been ok with warm baths and heat packs and stretching and massages until now. I don’t know what I did, but I do know one thing: tonight, it’s Advil time. I’m about to sob in pain.

Anyways. Life update time. Chad and I have been dealing with how to handle splitting holidays. It’s hard… very hard. And it’s not smooth, no matter what… someone is always, always going to be upset. And, as everyone knows, the holidays are supposed to be cheerful!

We’ve already decided what to do about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is really easy: it’s one day, no waking up activities involved, and our families live in the same metro area. Well, that’s kind of a DUH then. One family has dinner earlier, one later, and we eat almost nothing at each – problem solved. (Well, in my case, we finish up at the family who has the Black Friday paper… I don’t care who it is, but Chad needs a new computer, even if we wait all night at Best Buy!)

But… Christmas. Christmas is much, much harder, especially when you know your MIL is a really sentimental person and you don’t want to intentionally make her sad on Christmas. Oh, and try adding in the fact that your husband’s birthday is on CHRISTMAS EVE. Yeah, there’s no fun way to spin this holiday.

So we’ve got options on the table. Lots, and lots, and lots of options. Do we go the weekend before? Do we go mid-week after Christmas and stay through New Years? Do we just suck it up and figure out how to split it, despite the fact that it won’t be even? I’m basically going bonkers over this decision. I want to be at home for Christmas, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. However, why is it fair that they get to be at their own homes, not rushing around? Yeah, sooo not fair. I want us to establish our own traditions and get to actually spend time TOGETHER at the holidays.

What’s your solution to this? Any insights as to what I should do, keeping in mind that we’d have to spend Christmas Eve with Chad’s family if we were home, no matter what?

before the beginning.

Have you ever Pre-halloween Christmas shopped for yourself? I know, that sounds freaking crazy. I start making my list around September of each year (because if I didn’t, there would be five things on it, I’m indecisive and Chad needs direction) and we happened to be at the mall looking for boots (let’s just say Target was sold out and DSW needs more gray boots). Oh, but not our mall, the good mall that’s second closest to home – so we’re there, walking around and I SAW IT. I told Chad I was going to help him out with Christmas shopping and promptly whisked him in to get this:

[source]

so, I fully admit that it is weird to buy yourself christmas gifts. However, seeing as I couldn’t find three of the other things online this afternoon that I’d put on my list, it’s a good thing I grabbed them while they were still around… I wanted those babies! And they were cheap – Chad didn’t complain. I think he likes when I pick the stuff out, because he knows I want it. Also, he felt totally uncomfortable with the teenage girls milling about in forever21 and h&m… I probably never would have gotten it. I know, it all sounds like excuses, but it’s what’s worked for us for a while now.

And with that said… I am excited for christmas. I love new (even extremely cheap) jewelry!

Freebies to make up for my absence!

Oy. With the whole wedding switching date thing, It’s been a busy couple of weeks! Plus, I haven’t had much to blog about… I haven’t been cooking too much!

But… I do have something for you, since you’ve waited patiently. Close your eyes. Now open them. Now pull up my flickr here and download, for yourselves… HOLIDAY RECIPE CARDS!

Doing these free. Not even attaching a “copyright sociallysb 2009″ to them like I did the freebies on my wedding blog. Nope, I didn’t put a lot of work into these, so if someone takes credit for them somewhere… lol, I’m sorry. But really, you might find you like them. Two sizes, 4×6 and 3×5. So yeah… there’s your update. Keep your eyes peeled for some matching tags or something, if I get spare time in the next week or so.

Expect more after Christmas, when I get my tablet and hopefully Adobe Illustrator! (I’m going to be cricut-ing stuff like you wouldn’t believe with that bad boy.)

busy-ness.

I have been sooooo busy lately, it’s not that i’ve forgotten to post–more like there are just TOO many things to do and not enough hours.

My mom had some surgery done today, I’m worried she’ll be in the hospital over christmas. She is supposed to be out tomorrow, but I’m not too sure that will happen.

Let’s see… I got my christmas presents from Chad tonight! They rock! I got the monogrammed sterling silver necklace, sleep pants (so soft!), two sweaters, a really soft scarf, the boots i’ve been wanting and a brown purse (finally!)… YAY! I hope he liked his christmas gifts. They were a little random, but… he’ll like tomorrow’s (BIRTHDAY!) gifts better: I’ll post now b/c its 9 mins away from his birthday–He’s getting a beer brewing kit, a book on the best beers around the world (The Beer Book) and beer tasting journals! I know it’s something he’ll enjoy. I just wish his birthday didn’t have to be Christmas Eve!

I’m a little upset with some situations at my house now, but I won’t go into detail until after christmas.

Just 2 more days!

cookies are the new black.

The cookie swap was a terrific success! Ashley, Kit, Jessica and Betsy joined Mandy and I here at the apartment and it was fun! The bad part was that several people didn’t make it (Kelly and Carmen, I’m looking at you)–but they did have good reasons. I wanted to take pictures but the camera batteries were dead! Charging them now, going to take pictures of the wonderful Christmas festiveness that has taken over the apartment!

I decorated more, and still on the cheap. I made like 50 feet of paper chain (tiny little strips 3″ x 1/4″) with “gingerbread” colors–brown, white, green, red, beige. It turned out really cute. I bought $1 wire garland from Dollar Tree and tied two little bows in the corners of where I hung it above the doors. Mandy took a vase she got from IKEA for $1 or so, and filled it with holly berries (free–from the bush around the corner) and a $1 white candle from Dollar Tree, then we tied a green ribbon around it, cute!

What else to say… excited for christmas. I love the christmas spirit, the giving. We bought a lot of toys and clothes to donate this weekend. I think we’ve each spent around $15, and we have 3 outfits, a porcelain tea set, a bath play set, a play food set, two different packs of play-doh, disney princess playing cards, tinkerbell play makeup and walkie-talkies! I’m so glad we decided to do this, and it’s so easy that we can donate in the main office. It makes me feel good that some child will have a better christmas now.

Finals this week! Good luck and happy holidays!

it’s been a little slow.

sorry. i’ve been so busy with the end of the semester, holiday shopping and whatnot…

and guess what?

I GOT A JOB! I work for the America Reads program starting next semester. It’s 10 hours a week, 5 on site and 5 for lesson plans… basically, i work with kids after school to teach them how to read. Also, i’m taking 19 hours next semester… haha. i guess we’ll see how it goes! I know it will be hard, but I really want to get things done.

in other news… i dont really have much! maybe that’s why i haven’t written. just been so busy and so tired!

Cookie swap with the girls this weekend, can’t wait!