Holiday Shopping Madness...

Can you believe it's that time of year again? It snuck up on me last year; I didn't feel like I was really able to enjoy it. Call me crazy, but I think we even left the tree up until mid February because we put it up the week before Christmas.
I discovered blogging late last year and it opened up a whole new world of possibilities! I was inspired by so many of you! Ever since, I've been waiting for this time of year to come! Last year, a friend and I vowed that we would make this year more relaxing by starting early! So far, so good! I have completed almost all of the Christmas shopping and it's not even Thanksgiving yet! Woo-hoo! That's a record for me! My hope is to get the tree up in the next few days. The in-laws are visiting us for Thanksgiving and my MIL is very talented with tree decorating.  I'm hoping she can do her magic on my tree.  She always has such a beautiful tree every year! I went to Canton (crafters paradise!) with a friend a few weeks ago and purchased some metallic bronze mesh, I love the look and think it will help make our tree look nice and full!
Every year, I love to find my gift wrap at The Container Store.  They have such a beautiful selection, it's hard to pick just one. I fell in LOVE with this pinecone paper. Picture this... metallic bronze background with white glitter pinecones and silver branches!  Oh my, it's just stunning!  This paper has gotten me in so much trouble! I never thought of putting those colors together! The combination is just GORG! So, what is a girl to do?  Drive over to the local HobLob and pick out some el cheapo ornaments, of course! Half off, baby! YAY! I found these vintage inspired silver and bronze ornaments for $2 dollars each ($4 before discount)! Last year, our tree was just metallic bronze, so I was super excited to see what this would look like! I'll keep you posted as to the progress we make. It's such a huge relief to have most of the shopping finished. I'm not a huge fan of fighting those mall crowds. I'm a fast pace walker and I go a little crazy when I get stuck behind someone going at a snail's pace. "Out of my way, I'm on a mission!" LOL! I work retail and have to endure Black Friday this year!  And it WILL be crazy! The perk of working BF, is being able to snag up some deals before the public! Now that's my idea of shopping!

Here's a picture of our tree!  I loved how it turned out!

Alicia