I LOVE the Christmas season. I love Every. Single. Part. of it!!! I love the story of Christmas. I love Santa. I love Christmas music playing while powdered sugar from marshmallow making floats through the air. I love to bake and fill tin cans with goodies just like my momma did. But, most of all, I love decorating my house. I got that from my momma, too. For those of you who are my fb friends, just take a peek at my cover photo and that'll give you an idea! I had so much fun creating that scene. Some years I do more than others but, overall, I'd say I do quite a bit of decorating. I want my house to feel and look like it belongs in the pages of a children's Christmas book. And, when it's time to take it all down, I always feel a sense of sadness. But, yesterday and today, that's what I did. Took it all down. Yes, I'm always ready for the house to be back in order but I miss the feelings of wonder and enchantment that those decorations give to me when they're up. It brings back all the feelings I had as a child.  You know that saying "it warms my heart?" Christmas time does that for me. Sure, I feel the stress like everyone else: work, shopping, finances etc. but when I'm home, I want to "feel" Christmas and that's what I strive for when I decorate. 

So, as I said above, today was the day. I carefully and lovingly wrapped so many items. All of them laid out on the dining room table waiting for me to find just the right spot for them in a box. Some belonged to my mom, some came from my aunt, some were from friends. All of them neat and tidy in boxes now. Packed up, stacked up, then carried downstairs. Boxes of enchantment (sigh.) 

Until next year...