Rudolph Day Report for November

 I didn't find time to work on any Christmas gifts yesterday, although I did some cross stitching on a project for a late-December birthday.   My other crafting yesterday was trying to finish up a second Thanksgiving-themed candle mat,
 
 just so I can have the set of two completed and can cross it off my list.  It isn't quite finished yet, but should be today.

I did, however, complete a Christmas project, with Mr. T's help.  Last year we had purchased a clearance pre-lighted Christmas tree at Jo-Ann's, which we had not been pleased with.  It was sold to us as being new, but it was clearly used.  The box also contained a number of playing cards from assorted games, plus instructions and spare parts for a lighted Christmas gift sculpture.  Plus, the tree seemed much narrower than the one pictured on the box.  In short, the price was right, but the tree was not.

We looked into taking it back but would only get a store credit, if I remember right.  It was the last tree they had.  So sometime during the year, we had a brainstorm:  Although this was not the tree we wanted to replace our very aged (but high-quality) artificial tree, we could set it up somewhere else, like the upstairs hallway, or our bedroom.

Years ago, I put up a small, real tree in the bedroom dormer every year and decorated it with an assortment of Victorian-style ornaments. 

One of many Victorian style ornaments I have made

But over time our furniture configuration changed and I stopped doing that.  So we both liked the idea of a Christmas tree in that room again. 

Since I was working in zone 4, the bedrooms last week anyway, I did an extra-thorough dusting and also placed Christmas cards under the glass on my crafting desk while Mr. T vacuumed, then he set up the tree.  It looks so nice, with its myriad of colored lights, that I may not even add ornaments!  I draped a small bit of vintage poinsettia fabric over the tree stand.  And the narrow shape of the tree is perfect for the available space.

Just to the left of the tree, you can see my little glass topped crafting desk tucked into the dormer.

So there is my November Rudy Day project!  It is getting us into the Christmas spirit already.  Now I can wrap completed gifts and place them beneath the tree!