Anyone who knows me, knows that this is my favorite time of year. From the first day of school in early August until the first day of the new year, I revel in the scents of Autumn, or Fall, as it’s known in Southeast Texas (and most of the US, I think). My favorite colors are associated with Fall – deep purples, complex oranges, beautiful golds, and eye popping greens all make my heart sing. And then the colors of Christmas – burgundy, gold, silver, green all make their way into my home before Thanksgiving. Yes, I know that most people don’t mix Halloween and Thanksgiving, let alone those AND Christmas, but I quit worrying what others thought and started to do my own thing years ago, and it works for me.

When I was a child, my mother never put up the Christmas tree until the day after Thanksgiving, and I followed that tradition until 2020. That year, with COVID hanging over all of us, unable to visit my parents due to my fears of taking COVID to them, I pulled out the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. November 1 that year was a Sunday, and I needed to do something to lift my spirits. I think that for most of us, 2020 was a dark year, and I needed something cheerful. Enter Thanksmas decorating. I kept all the Fall decor, but added my Christmas tree and decorations. It made me happy, and I have kept that schedule ever since. This year is the exception. I have been so busy, I haven’t had time to pull out the decorations yet.

I haven’t gotten around to putting out Fall & Christmas decorations yet, mostly because I need to make a trip to my daughter’s house to get them. But I have noticed that my email inbox is filled with promotional messages from various companies about all of the Black Friday sales, already! I will pick up the tree and all my decorations today, probably, and start working to get everything decorated this next week, when I’m off.

I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about this, but I am a sucker for holiday projects. And it doesn’t matter which holiday. Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, St, Patrick’s Day, Easter, 4th of July … Groundhog Day. I love projects that brighten up my house and my day, and holiday projects always seem to do just that.

Sadly, as much as I love holiday projects, I haven’t really made one in a very long time. My current job has just sucked all of the life out of me, but there are only a few days left in my career. I have given my official resignation, which is effective the first week of December, and then my career will come to an end, and I can start getting projects done. I know it will be a little late to get all the Christmas projects done that I have collected over the years, but I can get them started for next year. And this might be the first year where I’m actually looking forward to Winter, because I can focus on machine embroidery and quilting instead of going to work. I think it will help with my seasonal depression quite a bit to be able to surround myself with bright colors and beautiful designs. One of the things that I am most looking forward to this Winter is staying cozy at home with my electric fireplace and my sewing/embroidery machines.

I have dozens of projects I have bought to fill my time, as well as various ways to mix and match said projects to make something new and different. I will have plenty of time after the first of the year to tackle myriad projects – quilt tops that need to be quilted and bound, machine embroidery projects that are waiting to be made, fabrics that are waiting to be turned into quilts, fabric waiting to be dyed.

I could probably work for five years with what I have sitting in my studio.

I have a ton of ideas I want to flesh out, quilts that are living in my head, just waiting to be designed and made. I can hardly wait to get started!