New Addiction.

I'm still here!  It hasn't been 1,000 months since my last post, only 1, unlike last year!  So, yes, Christmas happened and then went as quickly as it came, if not even more quickly.  And then the new year hit and I am still getting used to writing 13 and not 12.  I've packed all my decorations carefully away until next Christmas season and now everything has a very white/fresh feel, which is nice, I won't lie. 

I've been laying low and not really doing too much of anything.  Trying to load up on vitamin C and avoid all the nasty germs going around (knock on wood!).  I've been catching up on movie-watching and book reading.  In the past few weeks, I've read Erin Morgenstern's the Night Circus (loved it!), Kyra Davis' latest installment in the Sophie Katz series, Vanity, Vengeance and a Weekend in Vegas, and most recently Veronica Roth's Divergent (really loved this and flew threw it in less than 24 hours...Hunger Games-esque, but different as well).  Veronica Roth's Insurgent is next up on my list. 

Also, in the past few days I developed a new addiction...my local Goodwill by the pound outlet!  Totally felt grubby after but, found some great stuff digging around through all the bins.  Tim loved it too!  I found so much stuff...craft stuff, vintage stuff, Christmas stuff and I also found 18 cents, haha. 

In one bin, I found this plastic white lady's bust and I recognized it as part of a vintage thread spool holder, as I had purchased a pink one through Etsy last year after stumbling upon it.  Looking at these huge messy bins, I was thinking, yeah, right, as if I'll find the other 2 pieces, but I had to try.  Here I am digging and digging, looking for these 2 rather plain looking white plastic pieces.  Towards the other side of the bin, I couldn't believe it when I found her dress piece.  Then I had hope and I was determined.  I just needed to find her base and lo and behold, I did!  Now, I have one in pink and one in white...perfect!

The best thing about the outlet is that you pay by the pound, so for someone like me, who loves little things and generally light things, I can get quite a bit for little money.  It's great!  I think I kind of thought that the outlet would hold nothing but reject junk.  I was wrong and there are treasures to be found!  You just have to dig and shift and keep looking.  Can't wait to go back!

How is the new year treating you so far?
-Lindsay

Merry Christmas to All!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season with lots of fun, family, friends and good cheer!

I'll be back after the holidays...I promise! :)
-Lindsay

Ps., the image above was taken by my 2 year old cousin last night.  She may have a future as a photographer!  You never know!

Decking the Halls 2012

I just finished watching this year's Glee Christmas special, so I'm on a Christmas high right now.  Even if Glee isn't the same show I originally fell in love with, I think it's getting a little bit back on track and their Christmas episodes are always really fun!  So, while I'm on this Christmas high, I thought it would be a good time to share the rest of the photos of my Christmas decorations this year. Of course this means there's another photo-heavy post ahead!

I think I picked up more decorations this year than I had originally thought, because towards the end, I was really stretching to find places to put things.  In my eyes, you can never really have too much Christmas, as long as you really love everything you have.  I find I cherish my Christmas decorations a little bit more than my every day decorations.  Does that mean I want to keep them up all year? No. And not wanting to dust everything does have a lot to do with that.  Really, though, I think it makes them extra special bringing them out one time of year.

Every time I open a box or uncover a new layer in a box, I get so excited to see everything again.  It's especially exciting to see something you forgot you had.  This happens a lot with things I find over the summer at yard and estate sales.  Sometimes if I don't take a picture of it, and just put it away in the Christmas closet, I forget I picked it up and it's like finding it all over again!  Does that ever happen to you?

Most of all, I just love putting everything up and making it look like a mini Christmas wonderland in here. Sure, it's a process sometimes and it can get a little overwhelming at first, but it all comes together and when it does, it's the best!  There truly is something magical about Christmas to me and the decorations are just the icing on the cake!

Are you all decorated for Christmas yet?  When do you typically decorate...before or after Thanksgiving?
-Lindsay