On the first day of Christmas...

Okay, so technically I decorated on Monday, but it's now December 1st, so I don't feel so odd having decorations up already.  I don't usually decorate that early, because I'm not one of those crazy people who are ready for their Christmas tree in October (I'm looking at both of you, Jessi and Matt).

We didn't bother decorating the apartment last year, because I went home for Christmas on November 30, and Stefan left a week later, so it didn't really seem worth it.  But this year, we're home for longer, so I thought it would be worth getting a few decorations.

I think Stefan was more interested in the table runner and the shiny gold candles than anything else.  Note Chompy's home on the windowsill, as that has the most light in the apartment and puts him out of the way, where I'm unlikely to knock him over.

I made the table runner, which took maybe an hour, tops.  It's all straight lines, after all.  I may make some less Christmassy runners after the holidays, because it greatly improves the appearance of our sad, sad kitchen table and the giant crack down its centre.





The rafters were just begging for garland wrapped around them.  And tiny ornaments dangling off them, too.

See?  All three rafters garlanded.  It's hard to tell in the photo, but I went with red and gold.  The stores seem to have a lot of white and a weird muted purple colour this Christmas, but that's not to my taste.  (Or Stefan's, who when asked whether he had any colour preferences, looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Red and green?)  Normal Christmas colours, thank you very much.  Plus, the red matches the couch.

Oh, and can you see the central ornament way up there...?

That's our Merry Kissmoose, who makes Stefan laugh every time he notices it, which is why I made him in the first place.

Now, if only I were finished my Christmas shopping, too.