Even The Small Linings Count

This week I am thankful for projects that work out. hahaha Now, you may think that is a very small silver lining to celebrate...and while in the grand scheme of things, you are right...but I am seriously taking ANY and ALL positives I can get this year. lol

As for Christmas decorating, usually I just put up whatever decorations we have, what people have given us (yes, we have people who give us Christmas decorations almost every year...mostly my mother...hahaha) whenever I feel like for that year. Sometimes some of them stay in the boxes downstairs, other years I bring it all up and find places for it. Just depends on how I feel. I do, always, ask the others in the house if there is anything they are missing....and if there is, I go get it from the basement and find it a home...you know, cause I am nice like that. hahaha

This year, 3 different times which is a crazy amount, I had 3 projects in my head of what I wanted particular decorations to look like....which meant I was going to have to purchase things for these projects, which is not normally something I do. But the 1st one, I just could not get it out of my head that I wanted it. So off we went one day, in search of matching stockings to hang on our mantel. I only wanted two....since we do use our fireplace, we don't normally actually hang our stockings on it, in fact, we do not use stockings at Christmas at all.....on Christmas Eve Santa sacks (bags) get filled, never stockings. 

So, in order to do this project, I needed to purchase stockings....we actually do have some, but they do not match and was not really what I had in mind. hahaha I looked at the Dollarama....bust, they looked like they came from the Dollarama, were about $4 and were smaller than I was hoping for. We then went to Kent Discount close to us, I remember seeing some there, with a sign for $5.99....well, when we arrived the sign was gone and the prices were different. But I did find two really cute, big ones that matched, one was a red plaid with snowflakes and one was a grey plaid with snowflakes. Exactly what I was looking for....they were good quality too. A little more than I was hoping to pay, but my options were limited. hahahaha They look great, perfect in fact! Exactly what I had pictured. 

The second project was to spruce up a family heirloom. It was an old wooden sleigh that Ben's father actually used as a kid. It is red and super cute. We hang it on our wall behind the couch. I always put a wreath on it, and I had always pictured either a pair of skates or cute mittens hanging on it...but had tried both and neither looked right (well the skates were cute but dangerous since it right above everyone's head hahahah). This year at Turners Christmas at the Coliseum, the booth across from us was selling wooden ornaments. And lo and behold, they had skates! So, I got one and added it to my wreath on the sled and boom, second project this Christmas that worked out, how I had envisioned it in my head. Score! 

And today, while cleaning my room...I looked at the top of a pie shelf I have and I thought, we need something Christmasy in this room....and I think it should be right here. So, I went downstairs to my boxes of Christmas stuff and started looking through....I found several "trees" they are metal but all a little different, some gold, some green, some white and some silver (from my mother...of course)....I was like, if I had some pretty lights I could make a forest....so I found a garland of lights and put the trees in them....then changed up the picture we had of a flower hanging behind it to a silver star....and boom! It happened again...I felt like an interior decorator. I mean, someone could pay me....I doubt anyone would....cause I don't usually have such luck....but it's worth patting myself on the back over this one. 

Trust me when I say, I have had many, many, many projects over the years NOT work out....so yes, during this 2022, I am thankful that some of them did...and that I can enjoy them for this Christmas season...since they are pretty AND they make me happy since they are one of my silver linings in such a cloudy year.