It's beginning to look...

a lot like Christmas :)

While most precocious law students spend the valuable hours between final exams buried in their books, I find that taking therapeutic study breaks is a better use of my time and helps me really process what I've studied. That's a lie. I just procrastinate a lot and am trying to justify my shameful study (or lack thereof) habits. 

Instead of putting the precious few days between my first couple of finals and the next three to good use, the afternoon after my second exam I headed to Home Depot to put my plastic to good use instead. Logical, right? I stocked up on a new holiday-ish wreath, outdoor "snowflake" lights and some totally unnecessary light timers. The last item on the list wasn't festive or Christmas-y, but I did talk my hubbs into putting the outdoor lights on one of the timers so that I didn't have to turn them on and off in the cold (or, more likely, just leave them on until February). Then I rushed home to dig out the holiday decorations I accumulated from last year!

These are the easy and inexpensive holiday touches I put on our home to be enjoyed for the 2 short weeks between Thanksgiving and when we head back home to Ohio for the holidays.

Our Charlie Brown tree (aka Bella's newest toy)

3 ft. of pre-lit, mini ornament adorned cuteness :)

The "tree" is more of a shrub than a tree. This fact was only magnified after watching my dad put up my family's 10 foot live tree just a few days prior to dragging this little nugget out of storage. But it has really grown on me!

A red place mat and a some inexpensive bulbs = my simple holiday centerpiece

My tackiest purchase by far... but I just liked the thought of this guy hanging from our door knob!

Festive little towels add some holiday cheer to both bathrooms

I had some left over ornaments, so I put some in a bowl on our counter

I think I have dish towels to accompany every holiday... but these might be my fave. I love all things "fruffled!"

Red ball and pine cone delish smelling potpourri was another easy change of holiday scenery

And last but not least....... my lights. I have never had outdoor Christmas decorations of my own, so I was pretty excited about these. Since the Ohio snow typically doesn't make its way down to Atlanta {the past two days have been a rare and unexpected exception to the norm!} I got these cute little snowflake shaped lights for our balcony. Andrew was a trooper and changed the light timer settings for me until I got it down just right - I can see them light up while we eat dinner, and they shut off while we are snuggled in bed. These are the little things in life that brighten my day :)

I was so anxious to get my lights lit up that I forgot to take in my off-season decorations!

The view from inside was even cuter, but hard to photograph through the glass!

Andrew and I aren't the only ones who have been loving the outdoor lighting... or the falling snow flurries! The curiosities of a certain indoor kitty never cease to entertain us.

Miss Bella stares at the little twinkle lights every time they pop on :)

Going home to spend the holidays with our families makes Christmas decorating in our little abode slightly impractical... but there is just something about studying for finals beside the dim light of a miniature Christmas tree and then crawling into bed for a few precious hours of sleep with the subtle glow of snowflake lights peeking through the bedroom window that is good for my soul. And I would trade practicality for good-for-the-soul-decor any day!