HOLIDAY TAG!!!!

Found this cute painting on http://ashleyhoutz.com.  

She doesn't appear to sell them, but they are a wonderful gifts for your eyes.

I was tagged by my wonder friend Julie at Reading Without Restraint. Her blog is truly beautiful and if you haven't visited you should soon.

1. When do you usually know and feel that it's finally the holidays? The first snow prompts us to start decorating and planning.
2. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new gadget called a "GO" that would enable me to cut fabric again and maybe start creating quilts again for my family.  Note: This will mean less time for reading and blogging, but being able to make a quilt for my grandson would be priceless.  That is a present that is probably out of reach and really just a wish. I have asked Santa for more reading time in my day.  I would also like some new pillows for my bed and get a few of my old favorite movies on DVD's since the VHS copies are really just paperweights.
3. Do you go all out with decorations?If you have read any of my previous posts you know our decorating style has always been over the top, but last year I skipped Christmas completely.  This year, the tree is up and the snowmen are slowly appearing and today more lights and garland are going up and the decorations this year will be just right.
4. What are you doing Christmas Eve? We will be celebrating our Family Christmas as we head to my mother-in-laws for Christmas Day.
5. What are you doing Christmas Day? Celebrating with all the Caswell's!!
6. It's Christmas time. What are you reading? I am participating in a Christmas Spirit Challenge so I am trying to add some Holiday titles to my regular reading.
7. Favorite movie to watch during the holidays? Definitely White Christmas, but I love all the old movies, like The Bells of St, Mary's, Holiday Inn, The Bishop's Wife. But I like the new ones too.  Last night my daughter and I watched Call Me Mrs Miracle and we really enjoyed it.
8. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
9. Favorite holiday drink? A Ski Lift- hot chocolate with a little peppermint schnapps.
10. How is your Christmas shopping going? It's going o.k. just wish I had more money.
11. If you could spend Christmas Day anywhere else, where would you spend it? Years ago my immediate family would spend the days after Christmas through New Year's Day at a hotel in Door County, Wisconsin will some good friends and their family.  Some years we had the entire place almost all to ourselves.  I would love to do that again.
12. Any holiday traditions? Baking cookies with my mother-law is becoming a family tradition for the girls, I usually stay home because it is hard to watch and not participate.  Since my mother passed away we no longer get together with my side of the family and as our children grow and have to split time between all the families, our family traditions are adjusting and changing.
13. Favorite thing about the holidays? I absolutely LOVE giving presents. It makes me feel so happy when I see someone's face light up when they open a gift that I picked out for them! (This is Julie's exact answer, but it is my favorite thing too!)

The three bloggers I would like to tag are:

• Michelle at the Red Headed Book Child
• Debbie at Debbie Book Bag
• Sharon at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

They all have wonderful blogs and are friends I truly treasure.