Today: Deck the condo.

I waited as long as I possibly could (specifically, the day before Thanksgiving) to deck the condo.  We are waiting until next weekend to pick up our Christmas tree, so I suppose I have practiced some restraint.  I capitalized on my half day Wednesday and dug through our storage unit for our Christmas boxes.  I squealed as I peeled back the covers of each box.  Clark was very interested in their contents too, and as a result, I spent much of the afternoon cleaning glitter from his fur.  He lives for sparkle.  As the photos below will tell you, so do I.

I cashed in a Crate and Barrel gift card a while back when this sparkly wreath (it’s far more sparkly in person, I assure you) caught my eye.

This little vignette on our mantle came together when our somewhat Catholic-looking Buddha (he’s very St. Francis from the neck down, wouldn’t you say?) kept threatening to topple from a side table and needed to be relocated.  I can never decide if the horse head is The Godfather creepy or equestrian chic.  Or both.  For now… it sparkles, so it stays.

One of my favorite things to come out of storage is my improvised Advent wreath, which I pulled together last year, two hours before my Advent faith sharing group came together for the first time.  I couldn’t find an actual Advent wreath anywhere (likely because everyone else in Boston planned ahead), so I grabbed four crystal candle holders and a strand of glass garland and voila.  As much as I love traditional holiday decor, I really like the simple beauty of this wreath and what it symbolizes for me.  Plus, it doesn’t need to be kept alive.

My sole Black Friday purchase this year was this perfect set of sparkly, yet subtle, linen and sequin stockings.  They match our real life and holiday decor perfectly.  Because I am the worst secret keeper in the history of secrets, and have to fight a strong urge to give everyone their presents the second I have them in hand, I like being able to drop small gifts for Nick and Clark in their stockings in the days leading up to Christmas.  Neither of them peek before the 25th.  It’s quite remarkable, really.

Yep, the condo has been decked and the stockings have been hung.  With care.  Despite the lack of a chimney.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Committing to #fmsphotoaday for December
• Giving the Frenchie a (long overdue) bath
• In case you’re shopping for all “12 Days of Christmas” items…