The Price I was Willing to Pay

*Warning: If you are the type of person who is upset that the radio is already playing Christmas music, this post might very well send you over the edge.

It started out very innocently.

Bridget reluctantly asked me to join her and Sarah on a trip to a wholesale store that was opening its doors to the public for a Christmas extravaganza. In all fairness, they were hesitant to allow me to accompany them because they have known me long enough to realize I don't have the shopping stamina it takes for such an outing.

In fact, I vividly remember taking a trip to Canton (a flea market on steroids) with both Bridget and Sarah several years back where I ended up sitting down in an open field begging for mercy.

"Please just leave me here. I can't go a step further. If you force me to look at one more thing it might send me into a Sensory Overload Induced Coma!" I pleaded, hoping that my creative medical terminology would sway them to take pity on me.

Exchanging looks of disgust, they reminded me that we had only been there an hour and I had nothing to show for it. Not to mention we had driven 2 hours just to get there and planned to "stay 'til our cars couldn't fit our packages." Then and there they promised I would never get a shopping invite again.

But this time, I somehow made the cut. Quite possibly because they have both had children that have eaten up all their memory capability since the Canton Disaster, but either way, I was in.

However, after Sarah had to cancel last minute, I believe Bridget feared the trip might be a wash. After all, she was forced into shopping with the same girl who believed simply having a Christmas tree was going "all out". This does not impress people like my mom, sis and Bridget who believe holiday decorating is not complete until every inch of house partakes in the festivity.

Boy, did I surprise everyone, myself included.

Upon entering the Christmas haven of beauty, it was as if something or someone took over my body. Surrounded by endless rows of designer ornaments, beautifully woven ribbon, and insane amounts of sparkly goodness, I was ready and able to endure the shopping marathon. No more sitting the bench for this girl, I was in the game. Once I caught the vision of the transformation that needed to happen in my holiday decor, there was no stopping me.

Bridget created a monster.

So much so, that in my living room, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree currently resides.

Let's just take a moment to let that fully sink in.

Still 2 weeks to go until Thanksgiving, and yet my house already holds massive volumes of Christmas cheer. And as if that weren't enough, Chris, Park and I spent Friday night scouring the town for a second tree that can hold all sentimental ornaments. In my new-found holiday decorating obsession, all homemade ornaments or those with the ugly factor have been banished to a separate existence.

As it turns out, I'm not only an overly-anxious decorator, but an ornament snob, as well.

And although I had some serious reservations about bringing in so many sparkly items that would require mass quantities of cleaning due to extreme glitter shed, Bridget dismissed such notions with a flick of her hand.

"That's a price you've just got to be willing to pay," she explained.

Considering I've still got over a month left for possible Christmas decor additions.....

Well, let's just say , if Sensory Overload Induced Comas do, in fact, exist, you may want to steer clear of our house until the New Year.