Christmas

Christmas will soon be upon us, my friends.  There is a flurry of activity at our house as we get ready for the holiday.  What a joy to spend time with family ~ and this year, our daughter, Amy, from NY, and Bruno and the two grandchildren, Esmé and Felix will be coming south!   We don't see them very often, so this is a real treat.  And, of course, our oldest daughter, Jen, and Rob, and granddaughter Maddie, will also be here.  I couldn't ask for more!  

Our tree is decorated, most of the shopping is done, and gifts are wrapped.  The stockings are hung..... one for Esmé, one for Felix, one for Maddie, and one for Otis.  
That gives me time for cookie baking and a few more decorations here and there.  

This time of year I like to cozy up by a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the the pretty lights of our Christmas tree before the celebration.  

I hope all of you have a wonderful and joyous holiday!  And as we go about our activities and preparations, let us not forget the really true meaning of Christmas.  

  

Quiet week....

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays it's nice to enjoy a peaceful quiet week at home.  I just finished reading "The Golden Cup" by Marcia Willett, and ready to start "The Way We Were".  Love cozying up by the crackling fire with Otis and Riley snuggled close to me.  

This weekend I will start preparations for our New Year's dinner.  The family is coming and I will be hosting.  Pork and sauerkraut for good luck!  

See you in 2013!  

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a joyful and happy holiday!  

Christmas decorations and preparations

I decided the back porch needed a little sprucing up for the holidays, so I added some fresh evergreens and pine cones to a rusty wire basket.  These evergreens were free when we bought our Christmas tree and I snatched up a bunch because I like to decorate with them, inside the house and out.  
I placed a Christmas pillow on the wicker loveseat, and more fresh greens around some old oil lamps filled with red oil.  It looks so pretty at night.  

I brought out a wool throw from the house for the back of the rocker.  Often times, even in December, the weather is mild enough to sit and enjoy the porch.    

As far as some of the preparations go, my Christmas cards are finished and mailed, 

and the cookies are baked (I decided not to go overboard this year)  just a few of our favorites 

like peanut blossoms and lemon bars.  

Some last minute gifts to buy and wrapping to be done.

How about you?  How are your decorations and preparations coming along?

Below is a night time picture of Mourning Dove Cottage.  Hurricane lamps with white candles line the walk way, lights in the jasmine over the door, and a fresh evergreen swag with a big red bow hangs on the front door.  

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season.  

The Christmas mantel

Happy December, everyone!

While travelling home from Pennsylvania over the Thanksgiving holiday Galen and I decided to take the "scenic" way home and avoid 95 as much as possible.  Travelling along the back roads we were able to enjoy all the bright Christmas lights and decorations that were on display and enjoyed the Christmas music in the car.  

I am now in the Christmas spirit and ready to decorate Mourning Dove Cottage for the holidays.  

I always start with the mantle for some reason.  Maybe it's the easiest place to start.  

  

I decided to make it simple this year with two hurricane lamps, candles and a white ceramic and gold angel.  I wrapped the greens with a light mauve and gold sheer ribbon and added some red berries.   

It gives off a warm glow at night when the candles are lit.  

I hung Otis and Riley's stockings (my two very spoiled dachshunds), and I'll be adding the granddaughter's stocking soon.  (I have to buy new ones this year.)

So, while I enjoy my coffee by the warm fire this morning, I am thinking of new ways to decorate the tree and the dining room and the kitchen and the outside and all the other nooks and crannies in the house, not to mention the outside.  

The boxes have been brought down from the attic.  

Now I just have to find a place for everything and let my creative juices flow.  

How about you?  Are you in the holiday spirit, and have you started decorating?  

I hope you're taking time to relax.......

during this sometimes hectic and stressful holiday season.

My cookies are baked, gifts are wrapped, stockings filled, and now I am taking a breather.

relaxing......

Galen and I will pick up our youngest daughter at the airport on Friday! Then all the family will be gathered here on Christmas day.

All I have to do yet is pick up groceries and prepare the Christmas meal.

Hope you're finding time to relax and enjoy!

Holiday decorating

Decorating has begun here at Mourning Dove Cottage.

The ornaments are hung....




and the Christmas tree is finished. I love red and gold and those are the colors I usually use in my decorating. The tree is decked out with some vintage Christmas ornaments that my mother and grandmother gave me along with some new fun ornaments too.







I decorated the mantel with a long evergreen garland and sparkly red snowflakes, a snow globe and a white and gold angel.








While we were decorating on Saturday, we had a light snow. It was beautiful. Galen took this photo of our house from across the street the next morning....by then some of the snow had already melted. Snow doesn't last very long here in the south but it was pretty while it lasted.

Enjoy your day!

Donna

Holly and holidays

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Holiday trays are in the works and ready for my shop.




These wooden serving trays are all handmade (by dearest hubby) and hand painted by moi!







Each one is an original painting and a piece of art. They make perfect holiday gifts!

Holiday memories

....2009 has come to an end but not without some wonderful memories. We traveled to New York to pick up our daughter and as you can see there was plenty of snow to greet us. Of course, what would Christmas be without some snow.

Otis and Riley took it all in stride.

We walked the boardwalk at Coney Island while in NY.

Then we traveled back to Pennsylvania and then to North Carolina.

Family fun and celebration all through the holidays!

And now another Christmas is behind us...

and it's on to a new year!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas watercolor painting

The tree is decorated,

the stockings are hung (one for Maddie and, of course, one for Otis and one for Riley),

the gifts are wrapped,

and we've been enjoying cozy warm fires by the Christmas tree.

Otis and Riley have been enjoying their time on the back of the sofa looking out the window.

What a beautiful time of year!

I'll be taking a blogging break until after the holidays. We will be traveling to Pennsylvania, New York and then back home to North Carolina. We will be having Christmas dinner here and getting together with all the family.

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday!