the chilly air has me thinking...

It's been such a while since I've really had a chance to blog! :) I sometimes just forget all about it because life gets in the way. Last night I decided to put together a mini Christmas album for Ali Edwards December Daily. A book about the holidays, in a sense, a countdown to Christmas and all that goes on. I love Christmas, it's one of my favorite holidays because there's so much build up to Christmas. I love that we can celebrate for a long period of time. Growing up, my parents used to embarrass me by having our Christmas tree up by November 1st. Now, there's nothing wrong with that by all means, but I did find it weird that I was eating Halloween candy, listening to Christmas music. Plus, as a teenager, I would be so embarrassed because my parents would keep the living room curtains for all to see our lovely tree and my friends would tease me. Looking back at it now though, it's not that big of a deal and if anything, we got to appreciate our tree and the spirit of Christmas a little longer than anyone else. :)

Thinking back, I have a few favorite memories I would love to share. When I was a kid, my aunt showed me how to knit. Just the basics of course, so I made a lot of doll blankets and in the winter time, a lot of scarves. One night I sat hidden behind the Christmas tree, knitting. My parents had the living room lights off, with just the tree lit, and Christmas music playing in the background. I was at peace, knitting away. Another favorite memory is when my aunt and uncle and cousin would come and visit from up north once a year. They would come at Christmas time. My mom would go all out with the goodies. She would make homemade cookies, fudge, and have candy out. My cousin and I would go into my bedroom with a plate full of goodies and turn my closet into a "club house" and we would sit in there for hours, just snacking away.

Another favorite thing of mine is the popcorn tins you find in the store. Something about the three different flavors of popcorn scream the holidays to me. :)

I am really looking forward to the holidays this year with my family. Last year we were living in Kentucky, so we missed out on our families. We still made it a great time for the kids. I just want my kids to grow up with the same fond memories I had as a kid. That's so important to me!