Making Christmas, Making Christmas...

Christmas!

Marmalade, you do not match, GTFO. 

The floral arrangement section at Joann's is a treasure trove of sparkly miscellania for present-topping. Just make sure you have wire-cutters.

 

 Of course they get one. But they have to share. And neither of them will like it.

   

 I know what you're thinking but it says "Curt". CURT.

   

 I found this ornament in the back of a closet in our old house in Portland. The previous residents had left it, I guess. It is huge and over the top and the back has a glittery eagle. I love it.

   

 Garlic bulb. GET IT?? 

We went with sort of a seafoamy-minty-green/white/silvery theme this year, and just reused last year's black tree to save money and time. (And when I say "we went with" I mean "I went with and Travis followed along dutifully by using the paper I provided for him.") While I do really like real trees, I can't say enough good things about not having to hang lights (the fake ones tend to come pre-lit. So nice.) Somehow I failed to get a picture of the lights over the window...or the super weird seafoam green gnome candle. D'aww. 

 And of course the deer-frame found a home by its new deer-friend:

 

Christoween Part 2: Gift wrap

I'm kinda weird, I love wrapping gifts. I spend way too much time and money on it. I grew up in a home where we were very "anything goes" with Christmas decorations- no Martha Stewarty tree themes, lots of mismatched giftwrap and bows and ribbon. Which is great and fun, and I think if Travis had his way we'd definitely go that route, but now that I get to do Christmas "my way" I think I'm rebelling by getting all matchy-matchy about it and all ;-) I like Martha Stewart, dammit.

(It helps that I don't have kids, playing Santa would probably wear out the best of my intentions.)

Anyway! Giftwrap!

I went with kraft-brown, black, white, gray, and little touches of orange, especially in the ribbons. I had some tiny old paper "luggage tags" or whatever you call them, so used those for names. There are some mini unbreakable ornaments on a few of them.

 

 The stamp set I used for my wedding place cards just happened to have a pumpkin! Those labels are leftover from our invitations, too. Here are the insides (sorry, cell pic):

 

 

 I would never put a subtle ribbon cross of St Peter on a child's Christmas present. What would make you say such a thing? (I didn't really mean to, it just happened.) 

 

Travis let me decorate my own presents (he wrapped them) because he knows how psychotic I get about these things. (Um, so, of course I used a weird mesh tube thing that I didn't actually want to part with because I have crazy dreams of putting it on a hat. Heh.)

By the time I got to my sister's gifts, I was out of useful bags and ended up putting them in these weird planters I got from Ikea awhile ago. They're cool, but the bottoms are rounded which is a wee bit impractical.

And then there's this, my pièce de résistance:

 Fuck yeah spider bow.

 

Nevermind the tape...I was worried hot glue would melt the weird gummy-rubber. (And obviously those are the only two options.)

 (Bonus shot:

   

 That's our weird faux fur tree skirt, peeking through... and the beginnings of a REAL spiderweb. After being up for like a week. Ridiculous.)


PS, Happy Apocalypse! If you missed it, there's a sale on over at my other blog.