The Coziness of December

 This picture is for Hans Gerd and Marion. Caitlin and Cyrous want to say thank you for the lovely wedding gift. Since they both really enjoy beer, this was a very nice gift for them.

Oh boy December, you sure are a cozy month.  I took a little walk around  the yard this morning and snapped some pictures of all the trees taking a long winter's nap. Some are naked completely and some have a few stubborn leaves clinging to them. I love the lacy quality of some trees in the winter. We have lemons galore out back, as well as oranges! If you follow me on Instagram I also posted a photo of all the beautiful avocados I picked clean from the tree in the front yard. Excited for them to ripen to enjoy their tastiness.
After my horrible luck with a Christmas tree, that I bought at Ace hardware last year, I skipped going to them this year.  I decided to go to an actual nursery near by. We paid a bit more, but boy, oh boy, they were all so beautiful and fresh! Each one was sitting in a nifty stand in water. The staff was cheery and very knowledgeable, and this made the experience of getting a tree so much more fun. I also bought a beautiful mantle bough as well. It changed my whole Christmas decor theme, but oh well. I just couldn't resist. Most of my decorations are slightly on the vintage homey side, so I should know better than to sway to something more modern, especially since I don't want to have to buy more decor that would lean that way. So at the moment, my house looks more like a cozy old time Christmas.
I've only done a little shopping, which makes me a bit anxious because I also have a special order to complete and other holiday things to fit in, like cookie baking etc.  Oh, and I wanted to plant some bulbs out back as well. When will I be able to do this?!
I finished the special order above finally! There was a lot of hand sewing in this little guy! I sure hope they parents love it. Next up is an order for twin girls, and there is a lot of embroidery in this as well. So after I complete this post, I will be in the think of it with this order.
We finally got some much needed rain and things have finally started to feel more seasonal around here for a change. Looks like the east coast is getting the warmer side of El Nino, and we are getting the colder wetter side of it, which is totally fine with me!
Aren't the pictures of the squirrels funny? I sure do love watching them race back and forth on those wires. I caught that one having snacks on the tree and zoomed in as far as I could. I know some people don't like them, but I think they are the sweetest of the outdoor creatures, birds being my favorite of course.
Well, I best be on my way to do some work! I hope everyone is having a joyful holiday season. I'll check in again hopefully before Christmas.    Warm wishes to all at this hectic time of year.