I heart this time of year

I really want it to snow. Christmas music resonates through my house, the Home Sweet Home Yankee Candle is perpetually lit, and I'm making my master gift lists.

The coming of Christmas means a few things to me. If I had to list my Christmas love!priorities, they would probably be in this order: baking goodies, listening to festive music, playing in the snow, giving, and getting. When I was about thirteen, my mother told me that one day, I wouldn't care as much about getting presents. I naturally scoffed at this idea! The next year, even, I wasn't caring as much as I was the year before. Now, getting gifts is fun, but making wishlists isn't what it used to be.

I can't wait to give. I can't wait to bake. I can't wait.

Beyond the holidays, Christmas equals Christmas break. This signals the end of my college semester, which I have been looking forward to ever since about the third week in. I'm majoring in general studies at the moment (will switch my major after I get these required courses out of the way), and I am so bored with this stuff.

Here's what I'm not looking forward to:

o Loads more traffic (and I live across from Sam's Club for Christ's sake)
o Getting run over with a shopping cart while at the store because for some reason everyone thinks that Christmas = the time of goodwill towards all mankind = getting that Tickle Me Elmo TMX faster than anyone else. Don't forget the fact that the stores will also run out of fruitcakes if you don't hurry! Run! Get them!
o You know, speaking of fruitcakes..I have a story. Last year, we bought a three-pack of fruitcakes at Sam's Club, because I had never tried them before and I wanted to. (I don't know why; it was a moment of schoolgirl stupidity.) I took one little slice from one fruitcake and we still have two fruitcakes sitting in the pantry. Fruitcakes are not good.

This year will be extra special, since I'm making my Christmas cards. Last year, I sent out about 100 store-bought cards..not this year. Since I'm a scrapbooker now, I'm going to make really pretty cards with brads and ribbons and Sizzlit snowmen and I am going to send out like 20 of these. I might even emboss them! Yes, they are going to be beautiful.

Beautiful.