Christmas Is Coming!!

I absolutely love Thanksgiving but the holiday that really gets me excited and happy is Christmas.  Everything about it puts me in a happy giddy mood.  I have been fighting the urge the last couple of weeks to put up my Christmas tree and start decorating.  I usually can hold off until Thanksgiving but man I'm having a hard time this year.  Its really kind of sad because I want to enjoy what little Thanksgiving décor I have, especially since I acquired a few new pieces in Canton but I think I'm going to have to give in this weekend.  There will be a cold front blowing in so I think that will make it perfect weather for the task, although it does take me a few days to get it all done. 

Part of my Christmas décor includes a nutcracker collection I started several years back thanks to my sweet girlfriend Amye Jo.  Usually Target puts out a new line every year however, this year they must have forgotten about us because they don't have anything.  We had to look elsewhere which I must confess was kind of fun.  Amye Jo started the hunt last week by hitting Hobby Lobby.  I guess I've never really paid attention to their nutcracker collection but I was giddy with excitement when I received his picture from AJ...

 

 

AJ went with the Santa in the far right bottom corner.  I had my eye on the candy cane Santa down in front. The elf nutcracker was very cute but he just wasn't Santa.  I set out to find my nutcracker Saturday while my children were with their dad--I needed concentration.  ha!  I found one but remembered AJ telling me she saw more down one of the aisles so I set off to see if there were other choices.  I found a whole slew of them, all candy cane inspired but with different features.  I picked out a couple I liked and put them in my basket to mull over while I looked around.  I turned around to see what was on the other side of the aisle to find this....

 

ME SQUEALING!!!!!!

pardon the blurry picture...but isn't he the cutest little dang nutcracker??

 

 

He even comes with a piece of chalk hanging off the board!  I sent the picture to AJ with the caption "Squeal!!!!", and laughed when I got her response.  Apparently she didn't see these and wanted to know where he came from.  I still can't believe she missed these but you can bet she'll probably end up with one of these too.  He was a little more $$ but still half off.  I could NOT pass him up.  He's so purdy!  One thing I liked about the Target line of nutcrackers is that they always had the date on them each year but I will just write the date on the bottom of this one. Problem solved.

 

Last year I purchased a skinny Christmas tree from my girlfriend's flower shop in town.  I LOVE it!!  I absolutely love sitting in the living room with just the tree lights on at night, candles burning, Christmas movie playing.  Perfectness in my book.  Only thing that would make it even better is if I had a fireplace.  Maybe some day. 

 

I'm hoping/planning to incorporate baking Christmas cut-out cookies this year.  I have never done it.  I know, its sad.  But I so want to tackle it this year so I've given my Aunt Carolyn a holler and she is going to send me the best sugar cookie recipe.  I wish y'all could enjoy all the baking she does each year.  I always look forward to sampling her work Christmas Day.  Total yumminess!  I bake but not to the extent she does.  I'll get there one year.  :)

 

I'm going to do my best to make this the best Christmas ever for my children.  I have no idea why I am so excited about this year but I am.  And no...there is no special man in my life, but that is another subject and posting all its own. 

 

Until then, y'all have a good one!

 

P.S.....what are your Christmas traditions??