I have not been posting of late, recovering from Thanksgiving and I've started my shopping for Christmas.
Doyle wanted to bring out Grimm and put a Santa hat on him, I told him "No" Jack Skeleton was one thing, Grimm with a Santa hat is another.
But the fake black Christmas tree is out, with red ornaments on it, I've even been able to find a Krampas ornament of all things, and he will be the featured one on the tree, the tree is sitting right now in the entrance Foyer. And Tomorrow I'll be having my brother's family over to help decorate it and we'll have a pot luck dinner, something Monica makes, I make, and Sis makes and a few other things.
In a way I'm glad I do not have a cat or even a kitten around the house---when ever I hear of a friend or two who has cats and the disaster with a Christmas tree I think of this line that I read some time ago:
"Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.
Your ornaments are history!"
That gives you an idea.
In another week, I'll be buying the big tree for the Formal Parlor and a smaller one for the family parlor, and we'll have family over again to help decorate including Louise and her friend and again pot luck.
Sunday Sis and I along with Monica and Coralline will be going to the Dickens' Fair and try and squeeze in the Nutcracker and Dunsmuir house as well during this season. I'm afraid this year will be missing "A Christmas Carol" but the Dickens' Fair will cover that in a way. And I found out that this weekend will be the lighting of the Christmas Tree lane in our neighboring town, so we'll take that in.
While there has been a break in the weather Doyle and our neighbor Mellissa's Dad has been helping Doyle put up the Christmas lights outside, Lot's of lights. Although Doyle was able to put up some before Thanksgiving, he's doing more on some of the fencing and such, and he bought a "live fir" wreath for the front door, very Victorian with a bright Red bow with gold trim.
Sis didn't have any clients today so we went to TJMax to shop for new luggage for her, she's planning to visit her family but in January since there will be several birthdays to celebrate so it will be squeezed into one weekend.
I love TJMax they seem to have improved their selections of last seasons things, so with shopping carts and credit cards in hand we went there this morning, and we were lucky, Sis found a luggage set by Tumi that is absolute classic, it was white with black trim, the white made to look like a basket weave, hard sided and there was a set of three in different sizes. So we grabbed them and had them hold it for us at the check out counter which gave us a chance to browse the store.
And it is Dangerous to browse Darklings, very dangerous, I found a Michael Kors hand bag in black suede, with gold leather trim and a gold chain for a strap that could be adjusted to over the shoulder, cross body or hand held, PERFECT for evening wear for a special night out but not overly formal but classic and rich in its styling almost reminiscent of a Chanel in a way, and the suede so perfect it was like velvet, and not overly large either.
Of course I had to pick up a bottle of Elizabeth Taylors "Passion" and then in the shoes (Yes Ladies you can never have enough shoes) Sis found a pair of beige Coach shoes and I found a pair of black suede heels with gold leather trim to match my Kors bag, and there was another pair for Sis as well.
Yes browsing while shopping can be dangerous, but when it came to jewelry, well I nearly "flipped" there was a necklace, just slightly longer than a choker that have large fake pearls overlaid with gold tone leaves as if the pearls were like pears and the leaves covering the top part of the "pear", laid end to end, I looked at it and drew my sister's attention to it and she agreed it looked in the style of some jewelry that we saw from the early 1950's but this was a modern rendition of it. I tried it on and it looked wonderful.
Yes Darklings browsing while shopping can be dangerous.
Sis insisted that I also get a bottle of "Red" cologne as well and she bought a bottle.
She found a lovely red pull over sweater that had crystals around the neck line perfect for the holidays or any winter evening out, red looks lovely on her.
Sis and I never exchange gifts between ourselves for Christmas anymore, as we seem to always know what we want, but I do have a gift certificate for dinner for two at her favorite restaurant, so I'll surprise her with it.
Doyle has found that getting a gift for me can be impossible so he prefers to surprise me with either taking me out somewhere or bringing something home of something I said we could use for the House. But we've found that enjoying experiences together is the best sort of gift.
Now we have a policy with family, only the children get gifts, otherwise it would be a financial burden on everyone, Adults get together to enjoy good food, good drinks, good conversation and good times. Children get the toys.
Since the time was early and the parents have not picked up their children from school, we decided to go to Tomatina's for lunch and then browse (that dangerous word) the main street, to see what it offered, it was a good walk, and good exercise to work our lunch down, the food is good there and so filling.
Since the bulk of the stores are in a 3 block area, we walked down one side of the street then up the other 6 blocks in all, and I had the pleasure of going through an antique co-op, and nearly swooned at the vintage evening purses (Never enough purses Darklings), there was one in lovely brown bronze beadwork, which I knew would go perfectly with a vintage evening gown I have. And Yes I bought it.
Yes Darklings browsing ---very dangerous. Which means I have to sew up a couple of bags to protect my bags.
What I do is I take a photo of my purchases, give them a number, then if it is to go with something in particular, the item goes into my special bag to protect it and is put with the item, dress usually in question, but then the assigned number and photo goes into a master book so I'll know exactly what I have and where it is, and what it goes with.
The Kors bag and the shoes will be kept together since they will match a number of my outfits, but the vintage beaded purse will go with that vintage gown I have.
It helps to have a huge closet or with the advantage of my house, a room for all of that.
Yes Darklings looking fantastic, well dressed at any age takes work, but it's worth it.
Shopping for the children is always fun, and thanks to Coralline's mother, Sis and I know what she wants and what the boys want, and thanks to Sis's daughters-in-laws we know what their children want. We don't shop the weekend of Thanksgiving, we don't need that insanity, but we've managed and sticking with paying in cash at Target and Wal-Mart (no we don't trust using their machines) it has been pretty good for us.
We have the bulk of what was on the children's Christmas lists, so now its just a few things, but I think for my brother I might slip him a bottle of Duke Bourbon (the one with John Wayne's image) to help him get through the holidays.
Yes Darklings browsing while shopping during the holidays is dangerous. And tiring, but so much fun!
Later Darklings
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