Lots Happening Round Here

I put my Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving this year. I guess going over to decorate my mom's assisted living apartment put me in the holiday mood... I love the look of my mantel from this angle! I bought some of those battery operated votive candles to give them a try.... My daughter can't have candles in her on-campus apartment so we bought a pack for her. I love love love them and went back for more for me! When they're turned on in my JOY snowman candleholders on the mantel, you'd swear they were real votives. The light flickers just like a real candle. The lights on the left side of the swag have decided to go out on me since this picture was taken. Just can't figure out why all my light strings tend to do that! Here's a view of my tree.... Doesn't it look nice in front of my newly cased windows?

And a closer view.... My grandgirls are coming over today. I'm going to have them write a Christmas list for Santa to slip into the LETTERS TO SANTA ornaments. Trying to start a tradition with that.... Hope to pass those ornaments down to them for their own children one day....

But the best news of all is that I'M GETTING NEW TILE TODAY!!! I'm starting with the master bath and will tackle the hall bath next weekend. This is something I've yearned to do for years and years. When my former husband and I built our home 18 years ago, our budget was lean by the time we got to the flooring. So we put sheet vinyl down instead of tile, which is what I really wanted. It's coming up and there'll be 16 by 16 inch ceramic tiles laid in its place. WOOHOO!!!! Stay tuned for updates....