Undecoration Day

We started 2009 like this in last January.







And ended like this last week.



















After we opened our gifts last week, the house looked like this:





And just now as I took down the stockings and wreaths and banners, and undecorated the tree, folded up the tree skirt, put away the wrapping paper and tape and cards and ribbons and all the folderol that comes with Christmas, I thought about how when we decorate, everyone helps. Our background music is carols and we drink spiced hot cider and eggnog, eat cookies and holiday snacks, but oh man, when you UNdecorate, you are ALONE. There are no carols that sing about the joys of unwrapping the lights from the tree. No one writes about the fun they have with their kids taking down the ornaments. No one writes charming essays about the meaning of putting away Christmas. There are no holiday specials about cleaning up the mess. Now all of the commercials on TV are about Jack Bauer's new season of bad guys and terrorists, and Dan Marino's new diet. Not a one mentions that half of Christmas is a tremendous amount of putting all of this stuff away.
My daughter was telling me this morning that the gym was PACKED with people in the morning before work. January gym rats, starting their shape up resolutions. And all of them were on diets. There is probably not one single can of water-packed albacore in Arlington this week.
None of those people, I'd be prepared to wager, are helping someone put the decorations away.

However, once everything is all put away,(by moms all over the country, working to the background noise of NFL playoffs) the house looks so light and airy, so much more spacious and gracious and uncluttered. At least until the next party.
Happy New Year!

Holiday Photo Gift Tags

Here is a last minute holiday idea for you. I made these cute Holiday Photo Gift tags with a free template from HP. You can too; just go to HP's website. They took less than a minute to make and they are so cute! You could customize with the picture of the recipient or a theme to give a hint...you can use your own photos so the sky's the limit.
Merry Gift Tags!

Christmas Presents!

My family decided that there are three stages of Christmas: stage one is when you are So Excited you can't go to sleep Christmas Eve. The day seems endless and parents heartlessly send the kids to bed at the regular time. Now of course we know that they needed time to finish wrapping and assembling all the toys. My father says the three most frightening words in the English language are "some assembly required". This is from a man who assembled not one, not two, but THREE bicycles one Christmas Eve. The second stage is when you have kids yourself, so YOU are the one staying up til 2am getting everything ready. And finally, the third stage is when you have older children and get everything done ahead of time. The kids let you sleep late, so no need to get up at 6am to see what Santa brought. We are at that stage at Chez Hunting Creek, so we get to sleep late, drink coffee and open gifts in a leisurely fashion. We started Christmas Eve at my sister's house, and opened gifts there too. It's just nonstop gift opening from Christmas Eve til Inauguration day here.
Ann said she wanted to know what everyone got, so here goes:
My brother and sister, who shall henceforth be known as Best Sister Ever and Best Brother Ever, shopped Victoriously on eBay and had scored over TWO HUNDRED vintage patterns from the 1940's to the 1970's. Here is a picture of one of our favorites:

This pattern was declared by all present as the BEST. It is multi purpose: you can use it for Manson Family-style cultwear, I Dream of Jeannie fantasy wear, and I'm not even sure what the blond in the bizarre Jetson pigtails represents. Did we really dress like this in the 70's? If yes, Time has mercifully drawn a veil over the memory.
I took a picture of some of the patterns spilled out on the dining room table...but that's not even half! See picture at the top.
I also received perfume, cool new speakers for my computer so I can listen to tunes while I work, a giant bottle of Mexican Vanilla, a designer Apron, and several new books, including a biography of Colette and a memoir by Marcella Hazan. We will have another celebration with our family on January 17th when my daughter returns from her Christmas in Italy (oh the life she leads!) We will open Even More Presents then.
I hope Santa brought everything you wanted.
Merry Christmas!