Brandy Jesperson
All of us at Paper Crafts eat lunch together every day. When I first started working here I thought this was a bit odd. Okay, maybe odd isn’t the right word. Let’s just say I found this practice to be unexpected.
Prior to working at Paper Crafts, I’d worked for a TV station so lunch time was when everyone would close their office doors and watch the news or the latest episode of Days of Our Lives. I’ll admit to being somewhat sucked into the plot of this cheesy soap opera, but as an excuse I was working for an NBC affiliate and couldn’t very well change the channel! However, now I can’t imagine lunch any other way than with my co-workers and friends.
Today was an extra special lunch because we were able to visit with our cute summer 2008 intern, Ms. Kalyn Kepner. Kalyn is visiting from Pennsylvania and met us for lunch. We all had lots of fun catching up with Kalyn and exchanging our usual team banter.
One particular topic of conversation: Christmas decorations. I typically put up my Christmas decorations days after Halloween. I’m a little crazy like that. In fact, my neighbors’ and friends’ gifts are already purchased and wrapped in their cute kraft and orange packaging. Like I said, I’m Christmas crazy! Jennifer begins setting things out on Nov. 1, but everything isn’t completely Christmas-fied until later in the month. (As a side note, I can hear Christmas music drifting from Jennifer’s office as we speak!) Cath however has strict guidelines and will not put out her holiday decorations until the Thanksgiving feast has been enjoyed by all.
The Paper Crafts offices aren’t decorated yet, but Santa’s elves have been busy snatching up hot pink, lime green and red ornaments. As a team we’re decorating a tree for a fundraiser called the Festival of Trees. We donate a decorated tree that is later auctioned off. All the money earned goes to the patients at a local children’s hospital and the person who purchases the tree gets a one-of-a-kind creation to decorate their home. Here’s a little sneak peek of some of the ornaments we’ve purchased. Stay tuned for a pic of the final product in a few weeks!
I {heart} Christmas…and IKEA!
It seems most people have pretty strong opinions about the whole when-to-decorate topic. So, I’d like to make you all honorary Paper Crafts lunch ladies. If you were eating lunch with us today (which is WAY COOLER than watching Days of Our Lives, by the way), when would you say you begin decorating your abode for the holidays? Leave me a comment and I’ll randomly select one winner to receive this assortment of product generously donated by K&Company. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
One lucky winner will take home K&Company's Evergreen collection!
Yours in holiday gladness,
Brandy
Ok I might buy so Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but there is no way I would put up the tree until the weekend after Thanksgiving. Thanks for a chance.
I’m a procrastinator. I start in December. Very late, very last minute.
well.. as soon as the beautiful feeling of christmas eve starts floating in me.. the decorations start in full swing!..
Not till after thanksgiving, though it’s very tempting to do it before then.
I put out the decorations the Friday after Thanksgiving. My new husband was a bit reluctant about that, but last night said he was ready for the holidays, so I guess he has gotten into the spirit of things!
Oooh! lime, red, and hot pink! I love it! Can’t wait to see hwat your tree looks like. As long as I can convince my husband to start dragging stuff down from the loft, usually the thanksgiving weekend …sometimes even BEFORE if we aren’t hosting thanksgiving dinner. That K&Co set is gorgeous! THank you for the opportunity to win some
My husband proposed to me by placing my engagement ring on the branch of the tree we were decorating… So for us, Christmas decorations go up on December 2nd (the Anniversary of that awesome proposal!)… I always love your posts… Thanks!
I always do my decorating mid-december. I like to enjoy everything at hoem before all the holiday craziness begins.
Call me crazy but I can’t do anything Christasy until I see the first Salvation Army Bell ringer. Than it’s all systems go! Thank you for the chance at such a beautiful give away.
I love Christmas so I usually like to start decorating on Thanksgiving weekend. We’re traveling the first week of December this year so I have to wait to decorate until we get back. Two years ago we decorated before we left for a long weekend and our kitties had a field day while we were gone. The tree was knocked over and some of the ornaments looked like they had been used as soccer balls. Lesson learned.
In order to get some joy out of all that holiday decorating, I decorate on Thanksgiving. This way I can enjoy all my hard work for a month before I have to put it up (the most dreaded part).
I always put something up just after Dec. 1st. For me Dec. is Christmas month and anytime after it starts is a great time to start decorating and begin enjoying the season.
We usually begin decorating about the first weekend in December. But we begin purchasing our items after Thanksgiving in preparation for the that day.
I already have half of my christmas gifts wrapped up, but the decorations don’t go up until after we return from the black friday sales!
I always start the weekend after Thanksgiving (have to shop on Friday) then it’s busy with the decorating. I love the Holidays.
we decorate after thanksgiving. that’s also when i officially get out all of the Christmas cd’s. but i’ve been known to sneak out some Christmas music a little early in the past few years.
I’ll put up some lights in the windows at december 1th – and then wait. We’re always chopping our own tree, so if we put it up too early, it will be ugly when finally Christmas. So we’ll put up the decorations the last weekend before Christmas eve – very Scandinavian.
I love the stuff you bought at IKEA. Maybe because I bought some of the same items last weekend. *lol*
The Christmas china comes out Thanksgiving night after Thanksgiving guests have left and the house is straightened. The tree goes up and the house is decorated on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
We usually start decorating about the 2nd week in December. But with a toddler I’ve already started making Christmas crafts (like little snowmen)!
I would love to start at Halloween… I love Christmas and love to decorate. But sadly we start after Thanksgiving. The lights, the tree, the baking and most of all the time with family. Thanks for the Blog Candy.
My daughter’s birthday is Dec 8, so we wait until after she has her party, then decorate for Christmas.
I begin decorating on the weekend after Thanksgiving. We have a large artificial tree and it takes a lot to get it up. I love having the house decorated, so the sooner the better.
I don’t start until after Thanksgiving and usually the first week of Dec. per my husband.
Oh, I am with Cath….I have to celebrate Thanksgiving before moving onto Christmas! I fell like Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday and so sadly neglected!
I love, love, LOVE the holidays and especially Christmas! I put up 8 decorated trees in my Victorian home – ranging in size from table top to 9′ tall! So I can fully enjoy the season and sit back and relax as much as possible during December, using this precious time to spend with family and friends and hosting fun cookie exchange parties and such, I begin decorating my home a little bit before Thanksgiving! It’s not rare for me to have all of the trees up and decorated on Thanksgiving Day — leaving just the final, large 9′ tree to put up and decorate the day after Thanksgiving. It’s such a special and magical time of the year and I simply like to squeeze every precious second out of it that I can and savor each and every single minute of this joyous time!!!
Happy Holidays to all!!
I pretty much start decorating right after Thanksgiving…but I must confess, I always keep a few Christmas lovelies out ALL year long!!! It is my favorite holiday and I would be one happy girl to win this package!!!
Lori
I decorate for both Halloween and Thanksgiving so I don’t begin to decorate for Christmas until around December 1st. I have one 4′ artificial tree and we purchase a live tree. The live tree is traditionally not purchased until around December 15th at the earliest. We leave it up until January 6th. Then I put out my snowmen to enjoy for the winter.
we always put the tree up the Saturday after thanksgiving.
I’m with Cath on this one! Not until after Thanksgiving for me! I like to have each holiday one at a time and appreciate each one!
We always put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the second day of the new year. Christmas things start popping up shortly after the tree goes up.
I usually start decorating when the mood hits me, which can be anywhere from the day after thanks giving to the second weekend of December.
It’s been a family tradition as long as I can remember, and I have passed it on to my daughter…we decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving…we take down Christmas decorations the first weekend after New Year’s Day.
when i worked outside the home as a teacher we all ate lunch together. i totally miss it now that i’m at home.
as for decorating for christmas — i shoot for about 2 weeks out from christmas. i love the holiday but i try not to get wrapped up in all the “trappings” of the holiday and just enjoy the season, the family and the REASON for the season!
I start decorating around Nov 20th (my oldest’s birthday is just before that so I wait til after his birthday) – winter decorations tend to go up first with the tree up and Christmas stuff out by Dec 1st and then Christmas decorations/tree are down within a few days of Christmas (my youngest’s birthday is early Jan). I tend to leave a few winter/snowmen things out around the house a bit longer.
After Thanksgiving….. that is soon enough for me!
I start around December 1st. I feel that you can’t just skip over thanksgiving, it needs it own month just like the rest of the big holidays do. The christmas package would be great to win because money has been tight and I LOVE to homemake the family christmas card. It would be a great start to making the christmas cards for this year. Thanks.
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the day after thanksgiving. I shop around 4 am and then hot cholcolate and start decorating
We usually start decorating shortly after Thanksgiving. We have tons of Christmas decorations so that gives us enough time to put up a little bit here and there. Of course the decorating isn’t complete until we get out tree! Since we’re in Hawaii and the trees aren’t the freshest by the time they get here, we don’t get our tree until a couple weeks before Christmas. I want to make sure it still smells nice on Christmas day!
I usually start decorating right after my Thanksgiving decorations are put away, which is the weekend after Thanksgiving. I have a TON of Christmas decorations so usually by the second week of December my house is fully decorated for Christmas! Also, I leave my Christmas decorations up until the second week of January! (Christmas is my favorite holiday…I wish I could leave the decorations up all year round! LOL)
My birthday is Nov. 29th and I love to spend the day decorating for Christmas… unless I break down sooner.
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Thanks for the sweet shout out, Brandy!
I had so much fun catching up with you ladies!
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I love to decorate for Christmas and usually I put Fall away the day after Thanksgiving. Then, I bring out the Christmas decorations- first the dishes and table wear, inside house decor, and finally, helping my hubby with the outdoor lights. It usually takes me most of the first week of Dec. Then , I do all of my out of town pckges and cards. Last I finish shopping and wrapping for family, bake and plan the meals. The tree goes up one evening during the first week but may not get decorated until the next week.