Christmas On The Horizon!

When you start seeing words like JOY and PEACE, you know we're getting close to Christmas.  The decorations have come out in full force around my neighborhood, except for me.  My neighbor put up some amazing lights, so I tried to ply them with cookies and cakes to put the same up on my house.  Trouble is, the last time I had the trim painted, they took all those little hooks out, not to mention that my roofline is thirty feet high in places.  I think they might have picked up on how much I love icicle lights and really didn't want to see them year round.  

Since there's not much in the way of Christmas decoration shopping in my area, my girlfriend and I went North where they have cutesy little shops with so much stuff you could go four times and still not see it all.  That's where I found these letters ....  J  O  Y.   The light bulb went on over my head ... even Diane saw it ... just buy two letters and use "something" for the O.  Anything ... like a wreath, a small picture frame, a christmas box ... just about anything you used, people would know it said JOY.

Okay, not really anything ... my first attempt spelled  J A Y.   I guess I'm not so good at this Christmas decorating after all.   

It came out a little better when I used the box.  I even found a couple of tea towels for Diane's daughter that said "OMG My Mother Was Right About EVERYTHING", that I'm sure she will appreciate ..... Hahahaha!! 

There's one thing I always say about this little town ... they have the BEST places to eat.  So much to choose from ... Chilis, Olive Garden, Bistro 234 ... the list is endless, unlike my town where we have Taco Bell, McDonalds and KFC.  With two of our favorites closed, we chose Memos Cocina and Tequila Bar.  Here's what their chips and salsa look like!  I mean really ..... such a small changeup makes an amazing difference and draws huge crowds!!  

While Diane had three little chicken tostadas that I wish I had ordered, I had this huge chili verde burrito.  Talk about a nice presentation!!  Instead of being packaged in paper, this is draped in beautiful Christmasy green and white sauces.  That plate really IS as big as it looks too!!  I have enough food left over for three meals!!  The bill you ask??  $23 and that includes Diane's HUGE glass of beer.

With our stomachs full, it was back to checking out the local stores.  A couple of them are actually occupied by two or three different sellers (what a smart idea to share costs).  I really wasn't interested in decorating this year, other than hanging Cooper and Jessie's stockings, but there's SO MUCH CUTE STUFF!!  I was on Christmas overload!!

By the time we got home, my decorating addiction was in full bloom as I began to drag out all my old boxes of stuff.  The good news is that I didn't get far.  Without some serious thought beforehand about what to put where, I couldn't make anything work.  The cute little green wreath is still sitting on the counter without a home.

Maybe I'll be inspired again this afternoon when the sun comes out.  For now, it's foggy and damp ... I can't seem to get warm, even with the fireplace.  It's Magic Kingdom night at the Elks and I will finally be able to get rid of all those cookies I baked.  They are such a horrible temptation for my sweet tooth!!  Seventeen more days .... that's 17 .... until Christmas.  Do YOU have your Christmas shopping done??