It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

yes yes yes - Todd took it all down over Thanksgiving and finally it's about time we got things decorated.

Brent and I went to Lowe's and decided that this year we would go with a cheaper tree - so we bought one of the $20 ones, which looked plenty big enough at the store. Once we got it home, it was a pee wee.

THEN - while I was watching ECU beat Houston - go PIRATES - Brent put Shortie in its stand and on a BOX in the living room - omg - not so sure about that - but then on Sunday he fixed it and we covered the box with a sheet - white snow - think white snow - and then sat down and decorated it. And you know what? Shortie looks good - Here - you look and tell me what you think.

Next of course there was discussion of what else to put out. For those of you that don't know - and most all of you do - I have boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff. Tons of Santas in all shapes and forms. Well, Brent and I agreed we HAD to put out the stockings - so that meant something on the mantle - and of course we put out the wreath.

So here's the mantle - I used some star lights I got at IKEA - ah IKEA - *sighs* - and put my ECU Santa and Snowman out along with the Santa and Mrs. Claus I like - you know - as an old married lady - and this is what the mantle looks like (in the dark) -

So then for the final project for Christmas decorating, I wanted to try the whole Southern Living Christmas tree made out of tomato cages. Now, for those of you that don't know what tomato cages are, they are the wire frames you buy to put around your tomato plants so that the plant has some support when it gets big enough to begin bearing fruit. Soooo I borrowed two of these from Daddy (once again a reminder that this word is pronounced DEAD-EE) which Brent spray painted CHROME (yes we tricked out the tomato cages) and then I put these upside down - pointy ends up - into a large flower pot I had bought a year ago probably and never used.. I then proceeded to wrap it with three strings of outdoor lights, tie a bow on the top, run a very very long extension cord from the carport to the pot at the front door. And voila!

Of course the funniest part of making the tree was that as I put the third string of lights on, everytime I moved between the tree and the wreath, the wreath went off (motion detector) and sang its song. Needless to say by the time it was over the song was stuck in my head - as Stephen King would say - an ear worm.

So that's about it for holiday decorating - I know - I know - some of you (who will remain nameless) will be very disappointed. Sorry folks - maybe next year - there has already been talk of pulling a boat out into the yard and decorating it - even mention of Frosty on water skis . . .