Holiday Spirit

It's hard for me to prepare for Christmas before December, even though I know how long it takes to make, well, just about anything.
I love fall so much. I want to revel in it, until the last leaf falls until late November and the trees have become dormant skeletons against the winter-pale sky. Only then am I ready to dive into Christmas prep.

So, this creates a problem, because I love Christmas handicrafts and handmade gifts. So, I end up going project-crazy in December, and then only get half of the projects done. This year, I hope it will be different.  I sat down and wrote out a time budget for my handicrafts, deciding which ones to do, and which ones were too time-consuming and insane.
However, I keep seeing cute pins on Pinterest that tempt me to make just one more thing. God give me strength to resist!

A couple of weeks back, I spent some time in Wilmington, taking some Christmas portraits and having dinner with a wonderful lady (pics soon). After dinner, we bundled up as warm as we could and watched Wilmington's annual light-up float parade.  It was a lovely way to start off the pre-Christmas season.  It reminded me that this whole season is about hope, about light in dark time, new life in the depths of winter, and joy when you least expect it.
I hope these pictures will help you get in the Holiday mood.

tons more delicious pictures after the break.

 I just have to say, any parade where you're able to take a picture of a Belgian draft horse and a storm trooper at the same time is a parade that rocks!

 The large flame is the lamp for a hot air balloon, minus the balloon.  It lit up Main St., Wilmington for blocks.

Last but not least, a purple-lit Harley.  It's my favorite.  I even like it better than the Christmas Jedis and stormtroopers.

Happy Advent!