It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!

OH how I love Christmas! Who doesn't? If you don't have Christmas music playing and your tree is not up and IF you haven't sipped on hot coco yet... THEN come over to my house so I can share some Christmas Cheer with ya, you Grinch!
Over here at the Blackwell house we set up our Christmas the week before Thanksgiving this year. Not because we hate Thanksgiving, but we just love our Christmas decorations more;)

How can this tree NOT make you feel Merry?

Brandon braved the roof to set up Christmas lights for the first time BUT then we realized he would most likely die if he attempted a latter that is three stories high SO my neighbor got the bright idea to rent a "Cherry Picker" and he and Brandon shared and split the costs. Now I have neighbors signed up and next year this will be a group effort and our block will look like Temple Square! Well... ok, it will be Merry and Bright, that's all I am promising!

 When I thought of a Cherry Picker, I am not sure what I had in mind, but this was NOT IT! 

In the end I was proud of Brandon for his first GO at Christmas lights. Our house is hard because of the roof pitches. If he had more time he would have done more but this is a great start. I am already excited for next year!

The 8ft snowman? Yea, that was all Brandon. He HAD to have it. haha

No matter how many years we have to perfect our lights, I hope Brandon never aspires to be like this. haha. My sister's across the street neighbor. Talk about Christmas cheer!

I love decorating for Christmas! And I have every intention of buying out every store in the valley of their clearance Christmas items because I NEED more Christmas decorations. It's just not cheery enough yet:)

I have already gotten to be apart of a gift exchange in my Bunco group! I love giving gifts and I LOVE my Bunco girls. We went to dinner the night of Bunco and then did a little exchange before the dice got a rollin'.

I gave to Laura. One of the happiest, genuine, sweetest people I know. I wish I could be more like her! I gave her a MAC eyeshadow (woodwinked, a personal fav) and a makeup bag.

Kim gave to me! Kim is my neighbor and the newest addition to the group! I love Kim. There isn't anything not to love. Ya know the kind of person that you just hit it off with from the start? Well that's Kim but with everyone! It would be hard to find a soul that couldn't talk or get along with her. She gave me a cute iron cage with ornaments and a necklace that she made herself! LOVE! She is the best;)

This year I got a little crafty with my sister Jen and we made a Christmas Advent calender. I got the idea from a friend who made one in a different way but the idea that I loved was picking something festive to do each day. So I went to Roberts (which is closing and it hurts my heart because we have history together) and got some supplies and I convinced Jen to join in with me. Well... we borrowed Jamie's Cricket die cutter... and it turned this simple craft into a work of art that we worked on till... oh, 3 am? Yea, we couldn't stop! I have no crafting-self-control!

Under the numbers is a little tag with a Festive activity to do that day

 I am thrilled to have this fun activity to do with Irey each day. Since the middle of November she has been asking if it's Christmas yet, this has been the perfect way to keep her excitement under control-ish! I will be posting about our Advent activities periodically through the month.

Oh, and of course after crafting with a Cricket I had to get one for myself! Merry Christmas to me?! 

Hope your holidays are MERRY and BRIGHT... and if they aren't, come and find me;)