One Down - Four To Go

Allow me to put the Holiday Season into perspective for you. I just worked my first Sunday of the season and I have four more that I need to work before Christmas Day. Four more Sundays. That's not a lot of time to make and address cards, shop, make gifts, bake cookies, decorate trees, start Advent calendars, make suet gifts for the birds, decorate the outdoor trees for the animals, and choose a yule log - or whatever combination of the above are the ceremonies that set the holidays aside for your family. I need to make one gift, make my Solstice cards and send them out, and buy whatever small things I can for DH - we're both pretty broke this year, so there won't be a lot.

A garland of popcorn and berries is perfect for

decorating your outdoor trees. The birds will love it.

I don't decorate my house any more - I'm too busy working. But I am working on my G-Fic LOTR Community Exchange Fic and am enjoying that a great deal, and I am still working on my NaNo novel and love where it's going. I'm still doing Beta work, and I'm looking forward to playing with some pastels that I indulged in and bought (bows towards Lady O for the suggestions she's placed in my head over the months). I know I have some artwork projects that will be due in the beginning of 2013, so I'll get a chance to play with a new media.

This art piece of pastel over watercolor is called

"Tucson Three". Unfortunately, the artist didn't have

his name prominent on his website, so I don't know who

did the work. But it's lovely, isn't it?

Chickie and I are going to try to attend the midnight showing of "The Hobbit" even though I'll be a complete wreck. I think I can adjust my sleeping schedule so that I won't resemble a zombie at work the next day, but it won't be easy. Midnight is closer to my wake-up time than my sleep time, and by the time I get home, my alarm should be going off. I'll work it out somehow though, because I really want to see it. DH is totally unimpressed with the trailers he's seen on the TV and has decided to wait for the Director's Cut DVD. ARGH! MEN! Or...at least THIS man!

I rather liked this combined poster shot. Such a

pack of irreputable thieves and dwarves...

Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are two of our SALE days at the shop. We only offer sales two times a year, these two days being one, and after Christmas being the other. We had good sales all day on both days and I think we made what we had hoped we would. I'll do the books this morning and we'll find out for sure, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Of course, two days can't make up for a dreadful year, but it's a start to pulling it out at the end. *sigh* My advice...don't go into retail. Too stressful!