After the rush

It's that post holiday hush. A sudden shift in energy after December's excitement and activity. For me it's instant.

 

The day after Christmas I feel a palpable sigh in the air. I am a creature that treasures peace and solitude so I welcome this return to tranquility.

 

 

No after Christmas clearance sales. No returning and exchanging presents until after New Year. Just quiet days relishing a house filled with midwinter magic.

 

 

The last full moon of the year rises tonight. A midwinter Cold Moon that beckons our bodies to slow down and prepare for the chillier temperatures that lie ahead. Time to snuggle under even more blankets and add an extra dollop of whipped cream to a hot mug of cocoa.

 

 

For a collection of mouth watering hot cocoa recipes visit HERE

 

 

The urge to put away the clutter and simplify strikes me right around now. I see delicate creamy hues like this and I daydream about the possibilities of changing things up in the new year.

 

My creative space can use a serious decluttering. Part of the reason I've put my art on hold is I simply can't get past the clutter to feel inspired. It's really time for me to sort out the mess from the carnival and Halloween.

 

As much as I would love to indulge my inner Martha Stewart I know I'm really more Molly Weasely at heart. Being surrounded by happy clutter is where I always end up no matter how many times I visit IKEA. If someone would only invent self organizing organizers!

 

How about something like this?

 

  

A very clever person from Deviantart came up with this revamped version of The Burrow. I imagine it's what Molly would do after a lovely chat with Martha or maybe watching a few programs on HGTV.

 

 

This is the original set from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I loved it so much that the year the movie came out my kitchen and dinning room had a very Burrow inspired look, complete with painted bricks on the wall and mismatched chairs.

 

 

I'm once again excited about the beginning of a brand new year. Another chance to start fresh, plant new possibilities and re-imagine ourselves as hopefully wiser, more content versions of who we are.

 

I have been thinking about my word for 2013. For this year it was FORWARD and in many ways that's the kind of year it's been. Looking back I can say that I didn't do too badly after the mess that was 2011 so I definitely kept myself moving forward in 2012.

 

 

A certain word has been popping in my head lately and the more I thought about it the more it seemed like the perfect word. I think I'll share it with you on my next post. Hint: it's a word I've been using a lot already.

 

Do you have a word for 2013?

Did you choose a word this year and how did you use that word?

Do you make New Year resolutions?

Do you keep them?

 

 

Our New Year celebration is pretty low key. Just our little family at home enjoying comforting food and even more comforting sweets. I have a few rituals I like to do each year and my son and I have silly traditions like making wacky pipe cleaner crowns to wear on New Years Eve.

 

 

I've been listening to this every day nearly all month long. I have had it since it was realeased in 1998 and it's still one of my favorites, especially on a quiet midwinter night. It's truly magical.

 

Enjoy tonight's full moon then snuggle up under warm blankets and imagine yourself surrounded with love and good things.

 

Thank you for sharing this past year with me.

 

 

 

 Image source: Country Living, Pottery Barn, Home Depot, Deviantart, Flickr and a really pretty bridal page I can't remember

 

Christmas Wishes

 

"We all shine on,

like the Moon

and the Stars

and the Sun"

-John Lennon

 

 

Wishing you a

 

magical

 

 

glittery

 

frosty

 

 

moon glowy

 

star glimmery

 

 

gingerbread merry

 

hot cocoa happy

 

Christmas!

 

 

A touch of winter cheer from my little home to yours.

 

 



Fa la la la la

Do you have your holly jolly elf hat on?
I hope you're blissfully decking the halls today.
 

 

happy

decorating

gift creating

mistletoe-ing

and falalalala-ing

:)

 



Lights on my tree

Much to my surprise I actually put up our tree this weekend! It has lights and a handful of ornaments and the rest of them will sit in boxes near the fireplace and converse with each other until I get around to finding the box of hooks which never seems to be in the same place I thought I put them last year.

 

I remember when I would finish the entire tree in one day. Lights, ornaments, ribbons and everything else, all done and ready to be admired before bedtime. But the last few years I started to take my time, putting a few up one day and a few more another. Last year nothing went on the tree until practically the day before Christmas. I usually have it done by Yule but my heart wasn't in it so this year I'm trying to make up.

 

 

I was so proud of myself for actually getting started that I took a nice long break and indulged in my new copy of Where Women Create. Then I watched a little bit of figure skating because it's not the holidays without it, worked on my holiday gift list and listened to Luna who informed me that she's not fond of the new kitty bed I got for her so back it goes.

 

I somehow got distracted by this video by Stars for their new song Backlines. I love how it has the feel of assemblage art or a vintage vignette or shadow box and of course I love the stars.

 

  It also makes me think of The Borrowers just a little.   How do you do your decorating? Do you get it all done in one day? Take a few days or stretch it out over several weeks?   My son seems very happy that I didn't wait until the last minute to get started this year. He has always been my helper elf and it means the world to me when I can make him smile.  

 

Shiny and Bright

I need a little bit of inspiration to get started on my holiday decorating this weekend. Country Living always has beautiful ideas. Here's a few that might inspire you too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This reminds me of my mom's collection of vintage ornaments. I love seeing them on her tree every year. I started collecting German glass ornaments the year I got married so my collection is growing too but no where near the size of my mom's.

 

Have a lovely weekend.

 

 



'twas the night before christmas

I remember the first Christmas my son was old enough to really understand Santa. I think he was 4. I had so many things planned to get ready for Santa and his reindeer. Before tucking Sebastian in for the night we helped him with his letter, picked out cookies, poured the milk and set out a bowl of carrots, grapes and a bucket of water for the reindeer. Sebastian decided reindeer loved grapes.

We watched the news to see how far away Santa was from our house and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. We will read from the same book again tonight. After much giggling and stalling he would start falling asleep. Just about then I would sneak out the back door and walk by his window shaking jingle bells. Then off to work we would go.

There were cookies to nibble on, half a glass of milk to drink, grapes to gobble up (with a few bits left) and carrots to mash and carve teeth marks into. Then there was the glitter. Santa always left a trail of glitter. Glitter on all the stockings, around the fireplace and all around the plate of cookies and milk. The letter to Santa would be gone and in it's place would be a letter from Santa thanking our son for the yummy treats. The reindeer loved the grapes of course...and spilled some of the water.

Early Christmas morning I would be up before everyone to do one last thing. I had crushed ice waiting in the freezer. (We are snow less here in California) Out on the back patio I would throw all the ice in two long lines. Tracks left by Santa's sleigh. And finally a little bit of muddy reindeer prints and more glitter. Then it was time to wake up my little guy and watch the magic.

It's time to get ready for Santa once again. Even if my little guy isn't so little anymore (as you can see), and I find myself giving Santa a hand, we still love the magic of Christmas Eve. This day is just for our little family before we join the rest of our kin on Christmas day. We open some of our gifts tonight and the rest before breakfast in the morning.

My favorite elf trimming the tree while I work on packing up gifts.

Merry Christmas to all of you dear friends. Thank you for the gift of friendship and inspiration. May you be in the company of those you love, blessed with joy, hope and peace.....and oodles of sparkles all year!

dashing through the glitter

Oh my goodness! It's 10 days until Christmas! Eeeekk!!! This is usually when I start to panic just a wee bit. I've been cutting and pasting and glittering like a mad elf and my poor Luna seems to have a permanent patch of glitter on her whiskers and nose. But I've been having so much fun, even if I still have to get through the rest of my gift list.

I want to thank all of you for allowing me to share my Art Saves story with you. Your wonderful comments have meant so much to me. Although it is my art that has saved me from dwelling in doubt, it is you dear friends that inspires me everyday, to create the art that I love to share. Thank you again and again.

Since this is the first year I actually have my own little studio space I had to get a tree in honor of the amazing year I've had creating and blogging. It's just a tiny little thing but I love it. If I can only find tiny tiny fairy lights for it.

I know I've shown you my chandelier a bazillion times but I just love to keep adding stuff to it and the latest are these beads and ornaments, including this sweet little fairy from Wendy from Bliss Angels! Isn't she adorable? (Sweet Pea...and Wendy!)

Now it's time to rush out to the post to send more packages and then back to glittering again! Happy sparkly Wednesday to you, whatever lovely things you're up to today.

My Art Saves story will be up until Sunday if you would like to stop by and see.

♥