I’m being such a dork this weekend, whipping myself into a frenzy about how to decorate Chez Skunkeye. Should I go festive or understated? I normally wouldn’t be bothered, and actually haven’t decorated the house for the holidays in a few years. However, I am hosting a big party/despidida next Saturday and it dawned on me earlier this week that I probably should make some effort to put up some Holiday trimmings. I’m leaning towards the more modest look but the event is for a friend who is about to be posted in Mexico. Since most of my trimmings are going to be my mother’s rejects from her MASSIVE collection (doing decorating tree duty at the family residence tomorrow) and it will all be invariably a mishmash - should Barrio Fiesta be the theme? I'm hardly coordinated enough at this point to be tasteful anyways.

Speaking of parties, The Ladies and I won a small battle with The Man this week when it was officailly decided that we will not be having a Holiday Party this year. Its too late in the game to organize and plus I goddamn hate the thing. Ostensibly its supposed to be a celebration just for our services with some extra guests (the folks from Mahogany Row the Man wants to blow), but this party is legendary and once the scent of Asian food wafts through the halls and vents – the whole building shows up. Fucking feeding frenzy. Lined up down the corridor. No fun at all. At any rate, the Ladies took a stand and it has been a relief to me since I always have to do the grunt work running around getting all that chow through security and setting up and coordinating all that shit.

So after some deliberation I decided on the Barrio Fiesta theme for Casa Skunkeye. I hauled up to my former hood, Mt. Pleasant, for thrift design solutions and inspiration. I found neither but I’m pleased to say the parts –the fruits of a productive and inspired afternoon - of a life sized Day of the Dead “Santa” that I painted this afternoon are drying and waiting to be assembled.
Feliz Navidad!