I do mine the day after Thanksgiving. Gives us more time to enjoy everything and the house looks so cozy with all the white string lights around. I love how it looks and feels at night especially.
I know I have at least a few things to post. It's so fun to unpack because I forget what I have from one year to the next. It's like I get to open Christmas presents early.

I've got a few projects I want to finish too. May skip the kitchen today and work on some although I only have one more wall to mud. I always bite off more than I can chew, but I figured it would give me incentive to get it done quickly if I wanted it done for the holidays. TGIF!! ~Anj

That's right, Anj, you're hosting Thanksgiving! Know you want your kitchen all finished before then. It will look so pretty and feel so nice and fresh--bet you'll get lots of nice compliments on it.

My DIL wants to do Thanksgiving again this year. Last year was her first time, and she found out it wasn't so hard after all. I'm helping out with pie, noodles, stuffing and making the gravy. Makes it easier on both of us--so nice to have another female in the family! ;o)

We have a small group--most of the relatives are in other states and even another country!

Luvs

Here in Canada Luvs we have already celebrated our thanksgiving so I have enjoyed my fall decorations. I quickly gathered them up last week and on Sunday I promptly started hauling out the boxes. I decorated all day Sunday and Monday and am still doing odds and ends stuff this week before going to work. I have my Christmas quilt on my bed and all my Christmas linens out. Set up my village, added the village people, ended up buying more pieces. Wow it never ends! I may have begun too early though, I'm finding now there is always more that I want to do. The earlier you start the more you want to do.

Anyways the moral of my story is that I only started painting this year so unfortuneatly I have no previous projects to post. I haven't as a matter of fact had any time for painting outside of painting class this week and even that was a little slow.

I'm wishing all of you a very nice and foodfull thanksgiving. Enjoy.

Hey Violet--that's right! You have a head start on those of us in the states. Good for you.

At least I got my windows washed, baseboards and carpets cleaned, etc. while getting ready for my DH's birthday party last weekend, so I can get right into putting up the Christmas decorations. Don't want to start until after Thanksgiving. I don't like to rush through that to get to the next one!

It's okay that you don't have any previously painted items--you get to start now and build up your stash of items.

Are you working on any Christmas items in class? Nice if you can try to do at least a couple items each holiday--then you soon have a real collection of items to decorate with.

Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes--love all the good food and being with family.

Luvs

There are times I've started the day after Turkey Day, sometimes seeing other folks decorations gives me the inspiration to put up my own, sometimes I've not even decorated at all (Luvs, I'm an ordinary person-I'm no one special, I'm just Sally). One year I only took out a few things and then put a sting of red lights with poinsetta silk flowers slipped over the bulbs and wrapped it around my very tall and full cactus. It's about six feet tall now, after 20 years of growing. Last year I gave a lot of my decorations away to a young girl with a new baby who was in deparate need of help for furnishings and food and I just wanted to be able to put a smile on her face for the holidays. (Now don't be getting all teary-eyed over this, as I said, I'm no one special.) Ok, ok, if you must know, I saw this article in the newspaper about a young girl in a shelter and there was a pic of her looking down at her newborn son and the look on her face was something I've had on my own in the past and I just wanted to help. Yes, she was grateful and when she asked what I wanted in return, I told her nothing, but if you would like to repay the favor then I will ask that one day down the road, when you read/hear or know about someone in the same situation, that you be kind and offer to help in whatever way you can, just help put that smile on a face and make them feel a little better. She looked me straight in the eyes, with a huge smile on her face and said she would do that.

Now please, I don't want to have to come back in this post and read, Oh Sal, you are so kind, blah, blah, blah. I will kick your aszzz and mop the floor with it (LOL). As I said, "if you would like," do what you can to help someone out. A single Mom or family in need, a little smile on their face(s) and the hope they will feel better.

You know...

Ahhh, Sal--I might have called you an ol' softy, but knowing you have a military background, I fear I had better refrain! Ha ha

What you told that young girl was told to me years ago by a neighbor/friend who was also our cook at the rural high school I attended. She was always helping us with our hair or loaning a sweater or giving a much needed hug. She always said "You don't need to thank me--just pass a kindness forward".

Your message is a good one for all of us to keep in mind--at the holidays, and all year through.

And you are very WRONG Sal--you are somebody very SPECIAL. God Bless!

Luvs