New Year's Wishes

I hope you all had a great Christmas!

I spent the day today putting the last of my Christmas things away. I don't normally dismantle Christmas so quickly, but this week will be a full one as we wrap up our year's end.

Thank you to all of you who left such nice comments on the Christmas songs I sang and posted on my sidebar. It was fun to do, and has inspired me to sing around my house a bit more than I do.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May this new year be filled with love, grace, and provision for you. See you in 2010!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Time is of the essence, and all my Christmas fairies are putting the finishing touches on things. OK, the truth is there are no Christmas fairies, just me, buried under wrapping paper and ribbons. This year has been a busy one, and my Christmas shopping has been left to the last minutes of the season.

I want to thank all of you for another wonderful year of blogging!

Gifts From a Kindred Heart

There I was feeling a bit down, it had been raining hard all day and the blues were starting to set in.

Then I heard the ring at the front door, and there standing in front of me was the postman. To my delight he hands me a package. I thank him profusely and holding it tenderly closed the door.

It was addressed to me and sent by the wonderful Lori of Faerie Window . I had to share these gorgeous goodies with you.

Sweetly wrapped gifts

My initial and some lovely antique lace

Lori sewed this beautiful toile heart. It is perfection, and it smelled like heaven when I opened up the package.

This tag came tied to the gift below

I didn't know it was possible for your jaw to drop to the ground, but mine did when I unwrapped this amazing little box. When Lori first showed her boxes with the silk lining on her blog, I wanted one so BAD!!!!! I can’t believe my wish came true.

She filled the box with a lavender sachet

And this beautiful little cup from PARIS!! It is the perfect shade of eggshell blue.

Get ready for another cutie pie . . .





This stocking is now gracing my Christmas tree, and will for years to come.

I adore her!!

Lori, I want you to know I was deeply touched by your generosity, and the love that you put into every gift. Thank you again my dear kindred friend!

A Favorite Christmas Recipe

Christmas time is one of the most romantic times of the year. I've posted on my sidebar my favorite romantic Christmas story, and a sweet treat to go with it.

This lovely white tureen will grace our Christmas table this year. I'm still choosing the menu, but one dish I know I'll be serving: my saffron poached pears.

I usually cook them the day before Christmas. Here is my recipe:

First, core and peel 8 to 10 pears. It's nice to leave the stems on for presentation. Put them aside.

Next, pour an entire bottle of your favorite champagne into a large cook pot. Add a pinch of saffron, 1 cup of white sugar, 1 split vanilla bean pod, and 1 tablespoon of grated orange peel.

Add the pears to the pot, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pears are soft. Don’t overcook, or the pears will fall apart.

Turn off the heat and let the pears and liquid cool. Put the covered pot straight into the refrigerator, if it fits. Otherwise, gently lift the pears one by one with a large spoon into a smaller bowl, and slowly pour the liquid over the pears. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge.

Presentation:

Place each pear in a lovely wine glass or sherbet bowl, ladle a bit of the liquid over each pear, and serve.

These are not only yummy, but they look gorgeous.

Bon Appétit . . . and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Home

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time of hope, and in the air there is a feeling of the miraculous.

Our decorations are simple. They're pretty much the same every year, with a bit of a twist here and there. Every decoration is like an old cherished friend.

The wreath on our door

A deer sits silently in the middle of a mirrored lake

Every Christmas Princess must have a crown . . .

And every package, a beautiful bow

Halls bedecked with garlands

You have seen these before in photos from Christmases past. I love these present balls made by Wendy Addison.

White Christmas

Christmas silver and gold

Victorian Christmas

This little fellow makes me laugh. Do you see the little money bag he has lifted toward heaven?

Marie our Snow Queen

We hide this golden nest every year in our Christmas tree

I think this is my favorite image of Mary and Jesus. I love his expression. He is in Mommy Heaven.

I hope you've enjoyed the snippets of our holiday home.

Glittery Splendor ~ From Quill Cottage

I just received this lovely winter bird collage from Sandy at Quill Cottage.

The photos do not do justice to the glittery splendor of this piece.

Sandy was one of the first blogging friends I made here in blogland. Her writing is some of the most beautiful I've ever read, insightful, deep, and heartfelt.

When I went over to thank her for this sweet gift, I found to my delight that she had just opened Quill Cottage Curiosity Shoppe. She has the most wonderful hand made items and vintage goodie treasures posted there, from Christmas ornaments to gorgeous altered shoe art. You can visit her shoppe here.

Thank you for this gift, Sandy. I love it!

A Story of Lost Christmas Angels

I want to thank those of you who left comments about the photograph on my last post. I really do enjoy taking photos. Photos fill the gaps in my not so great writing, and help to communicate what I'm thinking and feeling better than words.

I have our Christmas decorations sitting out waiting to be placed. As I was going through them, I came across two kissing angels. I treasure these Christmas angels because they were given to me 25 years ago this Christmas by my best friend. They come with a story, so I think I will let him tell you himself. Welcome, guest blogger . . . my Hubby . . .


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It was Christmastime, and my sweetheart was 600 miles away.
All I could think about was not being with her. I was miserable.
Then I came up with the next best thing: I would send her The Perfect Gift.
All I had to do was find it.

The jewelry store had dazzling gems and shining gold and silver trinkets, but it wasn't there.
I found lovely scarves and delightful ornaments, but it wasn't among them.
I was beginning to think a nice card would have to suffice – and then I saw them, standing together.
In minutes, I was on my way to the post office.

The long line of fellow last-minute gift mailers finally brought me to a clerk, just before closing time.
"Three dollars and sixty cents," he said.
I had three fifty.
"Um, I need another ten cents," I mumbled, hoping the Christmas spirit would work its magic on him.
He stared at me until I said, "I'll be back," and slunk out of line.

After digging through my empty pockets for the fifth time, I wandered the halls, scanning the floors desperately for a dime. Finally, with moments left, I called out for help. "Lord, all I need is a dime. Please, just a dime."
Rounding the same corner once again, I saw it there on the floor, waiting for me.
Merry Christmas, my dear!

But Christmas came and went for my sweetheart with no kissing angels.
New Year's Day passed, then Valentine's Day, but no angels.
They faded from my mind.

We were apart once again for Spring Break, when she called.
"They're wonderful! I love them!"
"Love what?" I asked.
"The angels! They're here!"
"What angels?" I asked again. Oh . . .
"Thank you so much!" she said.
"Merry Christmas, at last," I answered.

It was my first experience with the phrase, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
It was also my first experience with the importance of knowing the right address.

Christmas and A Wonderful Post

Hi Everyone!

I've just had the best email from Miss Ulla. I think you will enjoy what she emailed me about. Visit her post here.

PS It's beginning to look like Christmas around here. I'll post more later.

~N

Decorating with Books

I've been organizing the books in our home, and came across a vintage book that was falling apart. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, so I took off the cover, tied string around the pages, and tucked in sprigs of summer dried lavender.

It has become a work of art to me. I love the dedication on the introduction page . . . To Leonora. What a beautifully romantic name.

I've decided that someday, I will travel to France, buy stacks of antique books that are falling apart, and create mounds of book displays throughout my home. Look at this post here to see books from the 1800s.