Post-Christmas calm...

Whew!!!

I love Christmas.  I really do.  The decorations, the feelings of good will, the desire to hug everyone I meet and sing Christmas carols all day long.  What I don't like is how fast the month of December flies.  Especially when I haven't got all my presents bought and wrapped.  This year, for the first time, I found myself wrapping hubby's presents ON CHRISTMAS EVE after he went to bed.  That does NOT happen to me.  I'm normally so on top of this stuff, that I get to share in the childlike sense of anticipation about the coming holiday.  I don't know why I was so far behind.  Especially because I love shopping for people.

And, you know, I love shopping for me.  I am the quintessential American consumer.  As soon as I see it pitched by Billy Mays (rest his loud little soul!), I want it.  If it's "New and Improved" (which always makes me stop and think - how can something be new AND improved...?), I want it.  If it's Christmas sales before Halloween, I WANT IT.  This is really probably the reason I'm usually so on top of my game when it comes to getting everyones' presents.  Because I love to explore places like my favorite store in Ridgedale called "The Afternoon" (which, I believe, has closed down since I moved away from that area), or Spencer's - you can always find a hilarious gift there! - or any other fun little shops like that.

Maybe I spent too much time thinking about the things that I wanted to get a drop on my shopping for others?  :)  Things that were on this year's Christmas list:  a BumpIt (thank you, sister Jenny), my favorite Jonathan Adler item (WHICH I GOT - THANK YOU, HUBBY!!!!!), more picture frames in which to someday hang my favorite photos, and a lovely Mercury Glass vase - on my verbal list - from Pottery Barn (thank you sister Tessa!!!!).  Like I told my little sister:  I'm not one step (the first step...) closer to getting that Pottery Barn house I want.  An unexpected but much-loved couple of gifts:  large glass jars in which to prettily infuse my own vodkas and my dad offering to plane the wood we'll need to build all the shelving systems we want in our house.  If only he'd offered to buy, plane, and install the wood floors we'll need to lay down first!  :)

All-in-all, it was another wonderful Christmas.  And, my birthday's just three short weeks away!  Hope you're all ready for a par-tay!