Thankful...

Day 29

I am Thankful for the love of decorating that I inherited from my mom.

I still remember watching her hang tinsel and ornaments in the front windows when I was in elementary school. 

Even without a lot of money spent, she always made our home warm and pretty and wonderful, 

and it made a huge impact on me... that's exactly what I always tried to do for my own family. 

Today we talked about those days while we were decorating Mom's house for Christmas, 

and it reminded me that decorating is part of my family heritage - just like Disneyland is.

I am grateful that for ten years, I decorated stores and offices and other people's homes for the Holidays...

that I was able to give them the gift of my vision and skill to bring beauty and joy into their rooms. 

I am blessed that my decorating allowed me to make a good living doing what I loved, 

and opened doors for me professionally - 

 but the best part of it has been the wonderful people I have met and friends I have made!

My 'favorite client' Linda Tweedie-Yates and her amazing hubby & family 

(those twin boys who just won't stop growing up!) 

allowed me to become a part of their lives every November as I decorated their home. 

It was a lot of work, but always so much fun... 

the magic of the lattes and the gourmet lunches 

and the hundreds of trips up the ladder to bring down HUNDREDS of nutcrackers 

and the dozens and dozens of bins of ornaments and garland and Department 56 villages, the music 

(even though none of us could ever get the computerized system to work right and Alan had to fix it for us!) 

and the snow and Bear Creek right outside the doors...

and the tumbling teddy bears on the tree in this photo that made the twins stop and smile.

I think this may be the best tree I ever decorated!

what lovely memories!

And what lovely people, 

to have been so welcoming and appreciative of the work I did for them each year. 

It was a work of love, 

and I am so blessed and Thankful to have spent time with them doing what I love....