This weekend, I noticed that it was Feb 25^th which means that in ten short months Christmas will be here again!  I celebrated by listening to Christmas music (more than usual).   This is the time when I begin to feel overwhelmed… wondering if I have all my planning done, but the truth is that I haven’t even finished packing away all the ornaments and other fragile décor.   All throughout January I was purchasing those nifty storage containers (in red and green of course) that were 75% off at Lowe’s.   Then I would print storage labels, reorganize my basement (this time adding craft tables around the entire basement so that I don’t have to freak out of we get any flooding), and then stack all the boxes strategically.

Since the Hallmark Ornament Premiere in July (and really before that) I could “feel” Christmas approaching, and by the time we went to the Hallmark Open House in October… I [knew] it was Christmastime.   As I sit here looking at yet another Hallmark invite (this time it’s to promote Santa’s visit for picture-taking) I realize that this is the last promotional for the store and Christmas is here!   I love the Hallmark Store.

I love the fall, I love the holiday season from Halloween through New Year’s; when Halloween is over,  I stay up late to pack all the décor and have Christmas going up on November 1^st.  Since the kids went back to school (and I was part of that this year since my youngest granddaughter lives with me and was just starting first grade), I was “investigating” the local stores to see who would put out Christmas décor early.  The first store, of course was Hallmark but one night I walked in Home Depot to see if they had anything large for Halloween, and to my surprise ALL of their Christmas decorations were lit up and stocked up in their “Christmas Corner”.  As I approached the corner I noticed the barricade tape. What?  They were blocking me out?  We asked the manager if we could walk down the aisles and see the new products and he said “no”… we had to wait a few days because it takes a ‘crew’ to unveil the décor and put up the trees and formally present the displays – WOW!  I even offered to stay and help 🙂