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12/04/2008

Tell me you can relate

Why was Thanksgiving so late this year? I feel like I have one less week to squeeze everything in. Yes, I'm blaming Abraham Lincoln for my procrastination.

Monday we managed to get our tree and Christmas decorations up for FHE. I let the kids do most of the tree this year and while they didn't do a bad job, there are definitely some funny spots on our tree. Like a clump at the bottom where Sadie chose to hang all her ornaments. Or the glob of green ornaments at Nate's height. Plus a few totally blank spots on the sides.

The bad part -- Nate now thinks every morning is Christmas morning. He'll run out and look at the tree, "Awwwwww, Santa didn't come." I really need to get my advent calendar stuffed so he knows when the end is.

Sunday instead of taking a nap, I stayed up and finished up my Christmas cards. I made them. Next year I SWEAR I am not making them. Really -- don't let me make them. PLEASE! I started making a few, didn't love them and started over making another kind, didn't love those. . . you get the gist. So there's like 20 of every kind of card. I'd let you pick out which one you want -- but you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!

By Wednesday I realized that actually making the cards was not getting them out of my house and so I set off to print pictures, letters and get envelopes. I thought Micheal's would be great since I needed a few other things from there for Ellie's class party. HOLY COW -- they wanted $4.50 for 10 envelopes. I was in a time crunch, so I sucked it up and got the envelopes and then walked past the $1 spot, when what to my wondering eyes should appear. . . ENVELOPES! Of course they're completely the wrong size, but I decided that my friends didn't care that the envelopes would have 4 extra inches of space because it saved me $30. If it were $5, even $10 you know I would have sacrificed for you, but $30 is a lot of money to waste on something that gets thrown away. You still love me, right?

I was feeling so productive until I got home to start addressing. Then I started hating myself again -- why can I not write down an address in my address book? I'll go to look someone up and I'll have their address from two houses ago. So then I have to e-mail them AGAIN -- because I'm sure I did it last year too -- and do the lame, "Oops, I need your address." And I'm sure they're thinking, "I've lived here for 6 years and you still don't have my address? Are we even friends?"

Plus in all my awesome productivity you know what I forgot -- STAMPS! So this is what my table looks like right now. I think we'll be eating dinner at the bar for awhile. And don't be expecting your card anytime soon. And if you're really worried about getting a card, I would send me your address, just in case.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes, I can relate. Ugh- that's what my table looks like for half the month of December. I finally wised up and typed an address list into Word and saved it on my desktop. That way, whenever someone moves, I have immediate access to it and can update it with ease. And it's right there for when I finally get around to finishing the cards. :)

And I can definitely relate on the envelopes and went thru the same exact scenario at Michael's two years ago. That's why I do photo cards at Costco now (with my own photoshopped background so I feel like I'm still "making" them)- they provide the envelopes! ;)

I'll be stalking my mailbox daily, awaiting your fabulous creation... :P

Unknown said...

Oh- and I de-clump the Christmas tree a little bit each night after the kids go to bed. They don't get their feelings hurt (cause they don't notice it), and I can enjoy the wonderfulness of evenly spread ornaments without going insane. ;)

Chelsea said...

Cute cards! You are way too talented. My mind can't even think up of one idea let alone 10 ideas. And about the envelopes, I guess it will be okay :) But, I absolutely loved your "You get what you get, so don't throw a fit" comment. We say that in our family! See, Besties proved once again.
Good luck on all your card endeavors!

swampbaby said...

Overachidver. I just now started thinking, "Oh yeah, maybe we should get some cards or something." And that's only because I received one in the mail yesterday. I did get some lights up on the porch yesterday - does that count?

Lara Neves said...

Hey, you're way ahead of me. Usually I have them done and out by now, but I am totally lame this year. All I have is a picture. It's not printed, though. :) I guess I better get going!

Brenda Janda said...

You are doing good Maddy. I am being a grinch and not even putting up a tree since we are going to Utah on the 22nd. I guess I getta check on thing off. If you need envelopes I buy them by bulk so I have tons.

Meredith said...

So, didn't need all those crystals after all? I have stamps, my letter is written, my card is semi-designed, have the ribbon that didn't cost a bloody forture because I bought it by the pound at SAS, our photos were rescheduled because our photog was sick, and I have envelopes. Always buy a box of a gazillion at the paper supply store. Oh, and I print my envelopes. Love that. But you have really great handwriting so it is OK to write yours! (hand cramp for you, not me.)

Anonymous said...

hmm, you forgot our address? and as for your slightly lopsided tree....the apples didn't fall far from the trees.
:)

Anonymous said...

woops.... tree not trees.....

Keyona said...

Man that seems like too much work! :o)

Lisa said...

lovely cards. i'll take the back, back middle one please.

Burwell's Bits said...

You have Chistmas cards done??? I will be unpacking for the next week before I can even get my tree up. I think I will send out Valentine's cards instead.

Anonymous said...

I love a good lop-sided tree -- I will never forget the year that Ellie tried to eat all the ornaments off the bottom of our tree -- we kept moving them farther and farther up the tree. I wish they were all going to be here this year I would gladly take a glob of green ornaments, and a clump at the bottom!

Love you!

Janel said...

I swear someday I am going to make cards, but it's just too easy with the premade ones nowadays! Your's are so cute, I don't care which one I get! :D

Kaelene said...

The thing about lopsided trees and kids . . . you have kids, so you can blame it on them! My excuse?? I don't know, maybe I should NOT multi-task while decorating the tree????
I'll take the card next to Lisa's! LOL

Rach said...

I can totally relate!! You're one step ahead of me because you have your cards done. I planned on making mine this year, but the $15 dollar cards (plus envelopes) from Costco are looking good right now.

Casey said...

My kids are allowed to decorate the lower half of the tree with non-breakable ornaments. They love it! As a matter of fact everyday they take them all down and re-decorate their half of the tree.

Lisa Brown said...

The address thing sounds so familiar - especially because most of mine end up on scraps of paper shoved into my address book or lost. Or in an old saved email that I eventually threw away. So, long story short, I don't have your address :). And your cards are gorgeous!

Kathleen said...

the only thing that would make this better is if there were blue ornaments...

14 bromley dr
williamsburg, va 23185

Unknown said...

Okay, Maddy, I can make you feel a lot better right now. 1st, your Christmas card is always the first one we receive every year! 2nd--Our hard drive crashed and so we have NO addresses. Not even my parents because they recently moved and I don't have their new one memorized. And 3rd--it's looking slim that I will even do Christmas cards this year :D U R awesome!

Anonymous said...

Dave & Kristine Hodson
387 West 160 north
Blackfoot, ID 83221

Rogers said...

Madey you always amaze me! After reading your blog it guilts me into doing more. I decided to put up a second christmas tree downstairs. Christmas cards this year may be New Year cards for me. I have a hard time throwing out cards and pictures so I have your from last year still!

Amy F. said...

Oh Maddy, relate?? No, no, I can not relate ;) You are above and beyond! That is awesome. I know next year will be the year I do: Decorations, picture cards, and deliver goodies. This year? Not quite. Your cards are adorable. I'm so proud of you!