Christmas 2011

Last year was the first time in my life that I didn't get a Christmas tree.  The kitchen renovation had started.  This year was lovely.  It was nice and warm.  I took the week off before Christmas to get ready.  I started sanding the woodwork in the kitchen--what a mess!  I'm still cleaning up.  Then I primed, caulked and painted.

On the 19th I got my tree from a nursery which had a coupon--40 dollars for a huge, beautiful balsam fir.  It was the perfect height for my almost-nine-foot ceilings.  I'll probably do this again next year because otherwise the cost might be double.

I had to throw away two strands of lights, then the new ones I bought from CVS didn't all light up.  I bought a cute lighted wreath for the porch.  I had seen one on a friend's house and really loved it but I didn't have an outlet until last year when one was installed during my kitchen reno.  Now I don't have to use a super-long extension cord going around the side of the house from the deck out back.  It's hard to tell but the wreath is on the left and there are lights strung on the wisteria.