Staying Grounded

I find it nice to know that I am not the only one going crazy getting ready for the holidays (misery loves company?). But I am also noting from reading some of my favorite blogs that many of you have incredibly innovative ideas. I'm convinced though that I have to start early, say in June. How else can I possibly wrap all my gifts in robins egg blue paper with a brown satin bow (very popular color combo this year) with a handmade gift tag out of velvet with the name embroidered on in calligraphy? I lay on my bed at night reading my stacks of magazines and I see things like matching your gift wrap to your room's decor. And bows. I love bows but when one travels during the holidays, how does one keep the bows from smashing when the gifts are stacked sky high? And how to make your own placecards? Who uses placecards anymore? I mean the gall of someone telling you where you have to sit! I suppose the royals still do it in England. Princess Diana would be seated next to Colin Powell and that would make for very interesting conversation as each learned they were polar opposites. No, that's not true. Di was very much an ambassador for peace and Colin always looked amazing in kahki green And then you would have Prince Charles seated next to Madonna and he could warn her never to marry a Brit. But I was thinking about all these pretty placecards you can make and as you may know from my last psychotic blog-we are having a holiday cocktail party next Saturday and I thought maybe I could make some of these lttle darlings for said party. However, I went overboard on the inviting people part (I think I know that lady from the produce department at the grocery store..oh well, I'll know her better after next Saturday) and so it will definately be standing room only. And then a lightbulb went off, I don't know alot of the people invited (albeit Grocery Store Lady) so maybe I could improvise on the pretty placecards and add a little doublesided tape...voila, nametags! After all, the Husband is inviting all sorts of new people from work, I invited some new people in my neighborhood, and it's been so long since I had a holiday party I don't remember the names of the people at my last one. Well, some of the relatives. Anyway, that would be great. Great for people who forget names as well. I know I have been calling the Husband's secretary Linda for the last eight months and just found out it was Wendy. I don't know why she went along with it. Maybe she likes the name Linda. So anyway, there you have it. "Harry" smashed up against "Mary" chatting away like crazy because for years they have avoided one another because they couldn't remember each others names!! Anyway, I gleaned a few other party ideas from my mags while I was all snuggled up in bed last night (Do you guy's know it is only 22 degrees here in Chicago?). However procrastination is my only problem. I think I am so addicted to magazines not only because I get five in the mail everyday (suscribe to one and you will get incredible offers on the rest) , but because I get all these neat crafty ideas and I feel like I have already accomplished something! Having the idea is almost as exciting as the doing part! Sadly, I mark the page and then the magazine gets inadvertantly thrown out. Or I rip out the article and promptly misplace it. Or I put the article in my daily planner and I find it six months later. Well maybe I will get invited to a really posh party and my placecard will be next to Martha Stewarts. I can clue her in on how I organize my address book by the persons middle initial! Have a great day and stay warm:)