It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas! I decorated our home for the holiday today! Wahoo!! (My anal-retentive rule is that the decorating must be done on the first Saturday of December--not a day before.)
This is a pain-staking and time-consuming activity that I thoroughly enjoy, simply because of the moment when everything is done and set out all pretty, and I can finally sit back and just look at it.
This year though, was a departure for me, in that Brian was home during the whole process. We usually try to work it so he's out at the library or seeing a patient while I decorate, simply because he (1.) gets in my way, and (2.) likes to be surprised by the Christmas explosion when he gets home. For him, the house just goes from normal to "Santa-terrific" while he's gone, and that preserves some of the magic to the holiday for both of us. But instead, he set up camp on the sofa all day, because really it was super cold out too, and watched the whole thing come to be. It made it less fun for him, and it kinda fried my nerves, simply because this process makes a huge mess, and takes a good four hours, and....well...I'd rather listen to Christmas carols and holiday CDs then college football.
So here are a couple of my favorite decorations for the holiday. The angel is actually a tree-topper that Mom bought me at the Price Club, back when it was the Price Club, which is at least 15 years ago. She plugs in, and has the most beautiful lights that glow from under her dress, and also moves her arms and wings in a most quiet, subtle and serene way. (Brian gets kinda creeped out by her, but I love her.) The stocking holders in the next picture are new, and the lights are there all year long, but I'm just really happy with how festive my mantle looks this year. Those are both mine and Brian's stockings.
Anyway, the whole place is very Christmas-y now, as is the pooch!
(Ack! A headless, tiny, barking, reindeer!! Flee!! Run for your lives!!!)