It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas... Sparkles and All!

So Nicole and I worked the shop this past Saturday. It was surprisingly busy. But we did manage to get a bunch of stuff done in our booth and it is truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas... But it is weird... because it feels like we are kind of skipping right over Thanksgiving totally. And to be honest... I think that is exactly what we are going to do. (sad face)

We actually made the decision a while back to skip getting together on Thanksgiving Day, partly because everyone has multiple Thanksgivings to attend usually anyway. So we decided we would have a "Sunday Funday" instead. Complete with CRAPS at the COLBENSON'S! (Well... we sorta like to gamble. Shhh!)

But now, as the COVID numbers are going up, we are starting to rethink things. PLUS!!! We have a very important wedding we need everyone to be healthy for the very next weekend. My son is getting married!!! And not only are my daughters and their significant others (sigs) half the wedding party, but... Joe, Nicole's husband, is the officiant and Anna, her daughter, the musician... so yeah... gotta stay healthy. This poor groom and bride have already had to cut the wedding guests down twice! We are now down to only 50 people being invited. UGH! Stupid COVID. 

​Things have sure not been at all what we have expected this year... and that doesn't seem to be changing. I expect that Christmas will not be immune from the effects of the virus either. But at least Christmas has pretty decorations, right? Technically there is much we can still be thankful for, even when it can be hard to stay focused on our blessings. Maybe this is the lesson of 2020.
Don't forget to COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

Count Your Blessings

 Hmmm... well like I said before... at least the Christmas decorations are pretty!
All the lights and the sparkles!

Sparkly Stockings

Speaking of sparkles... we did a thing...
The girls in my family and I took my future daughter-in-law, Madi, and instead of having a wedding shower, we had a tattooing. We all got a sparkle tattoo in remembrance of my mom and to adopt Madi into our family tribe. "Sparkle" was kind of the mantra of the eulogy I gave at my mom's funeral. In short... my mom sparkled. She had a way about her. She just had a way of making things feel special. Like Christmas. She LOVED to decorate for Christmas and every year there was a different theme for the Christmas tree. Angles, sheep, 12-Days-of-Christmas, Radio-Flyer, and more... and... sometimes there were some weird things... like "creepy blue Santa." 

Creepy Blue Santa

But no matter what "theme" she had for the Christmas, it was always special... and little did we know then, that the special FEELING we had at Christmas was really the FEELING of a mom who loved us. We know that now. Especially now that she is gone. Christmas has never been the same without her. But we are trying our best to still make it special. Especially for our kids.

My sister has become the Christmas host and she has been doing an amazing job of making Christmas extra special. And I suspect that no matter what our Christmas looks like this year it will still be a blessing. Who knows... it might be a CRAPPY Christmas! Pun intended! Right Nicole?

But BTW- Nicole is selling a bunch of her "old" Christmas stuff... cause that's how she rolls... if you need some good stuff to SPARKLE UP your Christmas, maybe swing by the shop and check it out! In the meantime...
DON'T LET ANYONE DULL YOUR SPARKLE!
​Not even stupid COVID!
WISHING YOU WELL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!