I'm Working On Lyrics To A New Holiday Tune, 'O Crispy Tree'. Struggling A Bit To Find Something That Rhymes With 'Fire Hazard' While Still Maintaining A Festive Tone.

We're at that point in the holiday season where I'm glad I'm serving cocktails to most anyone that comes into my home because if you look too closely, some of our holiday decor has a 'past it's prime' kind of vibe.  Take our greens for instance.  I went au naturel this year and opted to use only real ones in our home rather than the vast collection of fake pines and spruces we have filling boxes in our basement.  It looks cool and I think I'll do it again next year, but they've moved from a deep, rich, healthy green to the color Oscar the Grouch might turn in his final days.  I can see why Grayish Green isn't found anywhere on a list of popular holiday hues.

I've debated about buying some new garlands and wreaths to replace the old ones before all our guests arrive, but we're so close to the holiday it's hardly worth the investment now since I'll want everything down by the 27th at the very latest.  So I'm keeping the old ones up and hoping no one tries touching them because, along with no longer being officially 'green,' they are also as crunchy as a tortilla chip.  Best observed from a safe distance and a few sips into a cocktail.

I am also preparing myself for an unavoidable ironing session in the next 24 hours.  Donning our gay apparel requires more than a run through the 'wrinkle release' cycle on our dryer.  I can replicate pretty closely any ironing job by heating the clothes up to a level just below spontaneous combustion and folding them with military precision while they're still warm, but some of our fancier frocks will not be fooled by that technique.  So ironing it is.  Kind of an early Christmas present for the family, I think.

I'll be taking time away from the blog until after the New Year.  Please be sure to check back then as I'm certain there will be quite a few insights gained over the holiday season.  Mark your calendars.

I'm wearing this:

A silky satin t-shirt with a jeweled neckline layered over a long sleeve grey t-shirt captures the juxtaposition of my day.   It's festive, but functional.

gratitude:  bright red and aqua blue (new favorite holiday color combo, perhaps?), family time, traditions, life (it really is a gift)

thanks and love.