Seasonal Shopoholic

It's the time of year, again, when I haunt craft, bargain, and home decorating stores day and night (really, that just means I shop on my lunch hour and after work).  Because each year, I like to pull something new into the Christmas decorations, just to keep things fresh and interesting.  AND, of course, I like little craft projects, so I've picked out a couple I want to try this year.  That all means I've had to go out to gather my supplies.

In something like four days, I've been to three different Michael's stores.  Why?  Well, three things:  First, three shopping trips means three 40% off coupons.  But, second, I also blame it on these.

I showed these to you the other day, remember?  That first day, I bought five "bushes"--each bush has six poinsettia stems.  I showed the photo to my friend Missy, and she loved them too, so I told her if I went back to Michael's, I'd try to pick some up for her.  Yesterday I went back to Michael's and picked up five bushes for her and two more for me--because I'd had an idea that red and white polka dotted poinsettias would be the decorating theme this year.  I'd figured I'd use them in the kitchen and in the adjoining living room.  But the more I thought about it, the more I thought seven bushes (42 flowers) just might not be enough.  So tonight I stopped at another Michael's.  They only had two bushes left.  Is that enough?  Nine bushes?  Maybe.  Or maybe I'll stop at Michael's one more time--the store I visited last night still had a few bushes when I left.

Besides Michael's, I've been to JoAnn's, Tuesday Morning (two different stores, two different shopping trips), and the Dollar Tree.  The "office" room where my computer lives tends to be the room that collects things like craft projects, supplies, decorating goodies, gifts, etc.  If I don't stop shopping soon, I'm not going to be able to find the computer any more, because it will be buried under "stuff."

Tonight we had our monthly Thimbleberries Club meeting, and we always have show and tell.  My stitchery friends, who also belong to Thimbleberries, brought their gingerbread men arrangements--I did too.  I've got to tell you, though, that darn Imelda outdid all of us!  She is so darn imaginative and clever, she always manages to do something special; this time that meant adding a battery powered string of Christmas lights to her gingerbread men arrangement!  Sheesh!

Well, that brings us to the third reason I had to go to Michael's yet again.

Hubby says the only way Imelda can out do the rest of us now is if she adds motion-activated Christmas music to hers.  I sure wouldn't put it past her!  I wonder if Michael's carries anything like that?  I may have to go back again tomorrow to find out.