it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I officially do not want to go anywhere besides my own apartment between now and Christmas.  I recognize that this could put a strain on some of my friendships, but everyone is invited over!  I just can't leave the coziness:

Don't Christmas lights automatically make things wonderful?  They're particularly great, because I really didn't want to buy many Christmas decorations that we would need to haul around each time we move [especially since we'll more likely be moving semi-frequently and into rather small places for the foreseeable future].  And the one wall that couldn't get some Christmas lights got a pretty happy treatment too - a wooden cranberry string like we have every year on my Christmas tree at home, and a gold paper star chain that I bought on King Street in Old Town last year:

We got a boxwood wreath (the best) from the farmers' market this Saturday, and some branches of winterberries that I mixed in.  This thing is a beast, and Will took charge of hanging it up (probably in part to make sure that I didn't let it come crashing down on his wine...):

And our tiny Christmas tree also got some of the winterberries, in addition to its lights and star garland...and birdie!

Add to this the fact that it smells like Christmas, and we've been playing a lot of Christmas music, and I'm happy as a clam.  Now if only it would snow!  But we might have to go to Michigan in search of snow...