Rainy Day Ramblins

This year, I haven't been in the Christmas spirit like a lot of folks I know. I didn't rush to get my tree up the day after Thanksgiving (which I usually do every year). I have bought exactly ONE gift thus far ~glancing at calendar~. I just put up the first of my decorations this past Thursday night, after a sudden wave of Christmas Cheer overcame me while in the holiday section at Walgreens. I went in to pick up a $5 prescription and somehow came out with $60 worth of Christmas stuff! I hate when that happens.

Today I've been debating on whether to even put up the big tree this year. I bought two little porch trees, and was thinking maybe just one of those on a table in the living room. The thought of this makes me feel like my grandmother, who stopped putting up "real" trees years ago. She had a little one that she would put in the den on a little round table, with tiny little decorations on it - if she felt like decorating it at all. Sometimes, it would just be a simple little tree with lights. I always felt sad for her, not having a big tree like when we were little. In my mind, it somehow signaled that she was giving up on life - that even the simplest thing like decorating a tree wasn't worth the effort. I would try to get her to allow me to put up a big tree for her every year, and she'd have none of it. I used to think "This may be her last Christmas, and she'll have spent it with this sad, tiny little tree!"

Now, in my old age, I think I've realized that she was just TIRED!! She practically raised 7 grand-children along with her 1 daughter (my mom), plus all the assorted strays that we'd bring to her house on a regular basis. You can imagine the Thanksgiving through New Years season with 7 grandkids, their spouses or significant others as they grew up, great-grandchildren as they came along... I think around 75 years old, she decided enough is enough - no more of this holiday madness! Her little tree was sufficient cheer for her little house, and it was quite beautiful in it's simplicity.

So today..."Big tree, or no big tree. That is the question."

I *have* gotten into the spirit by printing up some nice business-card tags for homemade gifts. I'm going to make some cocoa and coffees for those friends that might enjoy that sort of thing, some body scrub for all the special ladies in my life, and for the men...uhhh...what do men like that I can make at home & put in a pretty jar?? (any suggestions?)

I found the templates for my cards at Avery Design & Print Online - since I had some Avery business-card stock in my desk that would never get used for anything else. I made not only the gift tags, but cute little instruction tags for each mix. They turned out really nice, if I do say so myself!

Oh, by the way - Nana (my grandmother of the tiny trees) just turned 99 in October. I guess she wasn't giving up on life at all! ;)

Bedroom blues...

No, this is not going to be a post about what you might think...

I'm being inspired by other blogger-ladies to get my home in a more comfy and warm space for my family. Today's dilemma is our bedroom. We don't have a lot of room because of the queen-sized waterbed frame that my hubby refuses to part with (his grandmother gave it to him when he was 16). We have California Queen mattress in it, so I'm not floating around all night, at least. We also have a dresser/chest of drawers set that was my grandmother's. So, we have some mismatched peices of sentimental furniture in there. That's not really the problem, though.

Clutter! Clutter is the problem. (can I get an "Amen"??)
I can go through and put things where I think they belong - in pretty baskets and boxes, etc. But it still seems so cluttered (these live on top of the dresser, since I can't find anywhere else that I can put them that will still be accessible). I want a dresser like Michelle's (you might notice I am very taken with Michelle's homemaking skills!) - with nothing but a nice vase of flowers or something. But ours seems to get covered with hubby's pocket change and wallet and cell phone and random papers and whatever else lands there at the end of the day. Plus the aforementioned baskets and boxes of things like deodorants, colognes, vitamins, hair brushes, etc. (another bathroom cabinet might work for these - duh!).
I seem to accumulate books on my nightstand that are threatening to kill me if they happen to tumble in the middle of the night. Seriously, the stack (ok, both of them) are up to the bottom of my lampshade. I literally have NO more room.
(Plus, I'm fairly sure that's some sort of fire code violation)

How do you all keep your 'sanctuary' clutter-free and comfy??