Color and sparkle, old and new

I added a bit of sparkly editing today just for fun, but I enjoy having actual sparkles during Christmas. The blue tinsel garland has silver stars in it while the cluster of colorful stars on the right look as if they’re erupting from the base. The two white angels were purchased years ago at a church Christmas sale and are taking a ride in the horseless sleigh. 🙂 In the background in the mirror you get just a peek of our French Christmas table cloth.

This is our Noah tree, gifted to us by my sister-in-law many years ago. The base is the ark, Noah and his wife, and duos of animals while there are two sets of similar small ornaments on the tree supplemented by tiny gardening-themed ornaments from who-remembers-where-or-when. Candle St. Nick/Santa stands ready to deliver gifts over on the left. On the right is one of my latest additions, our Swedish gnome with whom I fell instantly in love at an IKEA visit in southern California. Still deciding on a name. Lars? Sven? Ragnar (more of a Viking sound)? No matter, he’s adorable.

Life in Colour: kaleidoscope

Let’s get seasonal 1

I love Christmas and although we don’t have outdoor decorations, we have lots of indoor ones. Outside we rely on our neighbors on either side who have enough decorations for all three of our houses. In fact our entire neighborhood shines brightly at night.

But I digress. When we moved, I had to find new places for some of our decorations. Since Jude wants us to close out the year with bright, colorful, let me start with two shelves in our living room. The stockings hang below this first shelf on the holders with the stars and the reindeer. The sculptured Indian serenely oversees everything while rocking his sparkly boa. Is that culturally inappropriate? He doesn’t seem to mind.

The next shelf up hosts a small town and miscellaneous decorations. The blue lights add color and brightness. Most of these used to go on our mantel but although we have a gas fireplace here, the wide shelf above it holds our TV and PlayStation, so no room for decorations.

I used to put all my decorations in one large plastic bin. Each year I’d have to take them all out and try to remember where they all went, taking up a great deal of space and time in the interim. One day I realized I could put all the decorations for each area (piano top, mantel, various shelves) in one box per area, label it, and each year it would be simple to decorate one small bit at a time. It works a treat!

Life in Colour: kaleidoscope

Merry Christmas!

The girls are home, I have one day of work left (today), and it’s almost Christmas.  That means it’s time to take a blogging break and enjoy the season.  I’m going to share a few of our Christmas decorations and wish each of you and yours the most merry and blessed Christmas you’ve ever had.  Count your blessings, hold your loved ones close, and take time to enjoy the season.  Thanks for being part of the blessings of my blogging life!  I greatly appreciate all of you.

Our nature tree

Part of the nature tree experience

Time for glitz and glitter

And of course, the real Reason for the season.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Christmas at our house

Come on in for a bit of Christmas cheer to help get you in the mood. I’m not claiming our decorations out-rival Martha Stewart, but we like them and they have special meanings for our family. I have a hot pot of tea ready for you and some dark chocolate-cherry scones.

Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin’?

Come in.  I’m glad you could visit.

Christmas redux