Done - finally!

I finished the Christmas decorating yesterday and tonight - finally! I know you all thought it was done - but actually the only thing done were the two downstairs trees. The rest of the pictures I showed you were from a couple years ago. Everything goes in pretty much the same place each year so it now looks the same. I was all set to finish over a week ago - right after I spent all weekend finishing my last customer quilt. Unfortunately I tweaked my back bending over to tie my shoe last Tuesday morning, and pinched my sciatic nerve. I spent the rest of the week hobbling around and icing my back whenever I could - and finally gave up on Friday and went to the chiropractor. Saturday walking around with Cher and Cathi didn't help it at all, and by the time I got home I could hardly walk. Sent myself to bed with ibuprofin and felt much better Sunday. Tonight I'm almost back to normal. It's so nice to actually walk into each room and see the decorations where they are supposed to be instead of piled in heaps on every empty surface.

We have a little tree that sits on the window seat in the family room, and also stockings that match the tree skirt. Anyone remember this tree skirt and stockings? They came out one Christmas in the late '80's. The tree skirt and stockings were prequilted and easy to stitch together. I embellished the tree skirt with a coordinating ruffle and the stockings with plastic teddy bear eyes. Also available were lots of coordinating prints, plus yardage of cute square pictures that I made into little pillows, quilted hoops with ruffles around them (anyone remember those - a popular mainstay of "country decor"?), and pot holders - all to sell at my bazaar table. I think I sold several of these tree skirts and stocking sets also. I've included a picture that I took without flash because the tree is so much prettier when the lights show - unfortunately I don't have a tripod so it's a bit blurry. Theoretically this tree is supposed to be for all the homemade quilty ornaments I planned to make - but haven't made yet. So right now we use these tiny glass balls that I collected 25-30 years ago shortly after we were married.

We have one new decoration this year. I finally got around to framing this Merry Christmas needlepoint that I did in the late '70's - couldn't afford to frame it until now. I love how it looks over the piano. I tried to take a closer picture, but the flash kept reflecting off the glass.

I planned to stitch more flying geese and half square triangle squares tonight but it's after 8:00 and getting close to bed time. So I think I'll catch up on my blog reading and save sewing for another night.

Only six more days until Christmas - I still get as excited as a little child!