Merry Christmas 2011!

Sometimes the joys of the season are to be found in the smallest things, such as a Christmas card from a special friend, a homemade gift, a surprise in the mailbox, the lights on the tree, a little baby's smile.

Here are just a few of the small joys of Christmas that I've been enjoying.

 This is a card from the late 50's or early 60's that shows my family's Maine farmhouse. The Hudsons were friends of my grandmother, and she let them stay in her house for the winter.

 The madonna and child was a card my dad created in the 1960's.

It's amazing how that 60's design vibe still seems fresh today.

 My good friend Patty sent me these yummy chocolate-dipped berries as a Christmas surprise.

 My friend Julie gave me this cute little bird candleholder. I have it going on my mantle tonight.

And here's another shot of the mantle with both cards and the bird, plus a handmade angel that was also a gift. The wooden Merry Christmas is from a previous holiday.

Wishing all of my blog visitors a very Merry Christmas!! I hope that yours will be magical and filled with your own happy surprises and small joys of the season.

A round-up of inspirational links

It's that time again! (Here's a picture of my tree from last Christmas. This year, I just have a small table-top one.)

I've never shared blog links before, but today I have to -- there are so many blogs out there that I think will help inspire you for the holidays and beyond. I hope you enjoy them! Cheers!

Pretty holiday decorations

Fun holiday cards. I like the snow globe.

A very cool video on 25 ways to tie a scarf.

More romantic holiday decorations

A British shop filled with beautiful jewelry and Christmas decorations. They are adept at creating eye-catching displays. My favorite is the toy piano.

Chanel held its ParisPalais, and you can take a peek here

A wintery wonderland for vintage lovers, including a spectacular gown handmade of paper

And last but not least,

A mini online Home Companion magazine from MaryEngelbreit

The Simple Joys of Christmas ~ Dec. 24th

It's Christmas Eve, and just like a little kid, I woke up early today, filled with excitement! For me, it's the little things that all add up to making Christmas a special time...


I love my little Christmas tree with all its special ornaments! The angel that tops my tree this year decorated my friend Maria's tree for many years, and now she watches over mine.


I love the shadows that the tree lights make against the wall -- in the same way I love cloud shadows on the mountains in summer.



I have collected so many special ornaments over the years. My dad was the first to get me started with an ornnament collection when he gave me a group of vintage ornaments back in the late 1970's. This lovely red bird was given to me just last year by Maria.



It's fun to wrap presents. These were sent off to Silke & Daniel in Savannah.



And it's fun to see how others wrap gifts. This is one of my favorites this year. Thanks, Maria! I'm enjoying it without even having opened it yet.



I don't typically decorate with themes the way some folks do. But this year I did end up creating a little pastel tablescape in one corner of my living room. The centerpiece is a pretty blue and white tea cup my friend Barb brought back from Russia. It's holding this wonderful old corsage that Silke gave me a few years ago. In the back is a DREAMS jar that I made as part of my Artist's Way group and a bright magenta tree in a silver pot.



I also made this little grouping on my porch to greet visitors as they come into my house. It started with a little red chair, circa 1920's, that I found at a flea market in Jersey about 15 years ago. It holds 2 little volumes of poetry from the 1880's and a reproduction bottle brush tree.



I like to make small gifts for my friends. This is a wreath I decorated for my dog-loving friend, DeeDee, who owns a biz making all-natural dog food.



I love stationery and I always have fun choosing Christmas cards to send.



Sometimes I like to relax on my couch with my favorite mug filled with hot chocolate and just enjoy the little presents underneath the sparkling Christmas tree. (My Christmas tree lights are doing magical things this year: sometimes they blink, and sometimes they don't.)




I'm blessed to have wonderful friends, several of whom are also fabulous bakers. Every year my friend Patty sends me a box of what I think of as THE COOKIES. Patty and I have known each other since kindergarten -- and believe me when I tell you, that's a loooonnnggg time! With 400 miles or so separating us, we don't get to see each other that often, but she is never far from my thoughts. This year she sent 16 (!) different types of cookies. Here are some of her pretty sugar cookies on a vintage plate that Maria, another close friend, gave me one year for my birthday.

And so, I'll wrap this up by wishing a very Merry Christmas to all my blog readers! Thank you for reading my little blog. I hope that wherever you are, whatever you're celebrating, you take some time to enjoy the little things that make the season special!

The busy season is upon us ~ Dec. 20th

As I finish up my holiday prep -- decorating my little tree, organizing my home, writing and mailing the Christmas cards -- I want to take a moment here to thank my blog readers for honoring me with their attention to this blog! I'd also like to remind everyone to take pleasure in the busyness of the season. It's a privilege to have loved ones in our lives for whom we can shop, wrap, mail, decorate, cook, and clean. And if it's getting to be just too much, find a quiet corner and take a brief timeout for yourself -- even if it's just 10 minutes with a cup of gingerbread cocoa at Starbucks. Take care of others, but take care of yourself too. And above all, make fun a priority this holiday season!

A Good Time to Remember Loved Ones

This blog has been sadly neglected as I've been busy the last couple of weeks writing copy for this client and this one and getting ready for Christmas. I did manage to buy my Christmas tree last Saturday, but it sits on my porch waiting patiently for me to find time to decorate it.





Yesterday the last of the out-of-state gifts were put in the mail, so that's one less thing to think about. By the end of the day tomorrow, I should be caught up with work. Then I'll take the weekend to clean and decorate my place. I'm looking forward to getting out the old favorite ornaments.

Since today is December 16th, my thoughts turn to two good women: my Grandma, who was born on this day in 1890. And my good friend Barb M., who departed this earth on December 16, 2005. I know they're both watching over me!



As you prepare to celebrate the holidays, please remember to take time to hug your loved ones. For one reason or another, they may not always be right there with you. With Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year, it's the perfect time to count your blessings and appreciate those who matter most! Neglect things like writing a blog or cleaning house? Sure -- it's not the end of the world. Neglect showing your love and affection? Never!

Holiday greetings to all

I don't know what's kept me so busy lately, but I have gotten way behind on my blogging. It has been about 6 weeks -- yikes! -- since I posted something here, so let me remedy that right now! Is it too late to post Christmas photos? No, right? 'Cause New Year's is not here yet. I hope everyone is enjoying a fabulous holiday, whatever it might be that you celebrate. Cheers, all!












And may we all enjoy peace, prosperity, love, & good health in the New Year!