Angels Among Us…

Ever felt an angel’s breath in the gentle breeze?  A teardrop in the falling rain?  Hear a whisper amongst the rustle of leaves?  Or been kissed by a lone snowflake?  Nature is an angel’s favorite hiding place.  ~Terri Guillemets

Dear Friends, Welcome!

I haven’t posted in awhile – I was away last week on a special mission but I’ll tell you a bit about that in my next post. And, I’ll announce the winner of my give-away then, too!

I am thankful that you are here now to share some tea with me and pre-Christmas spirit.  It’s nice to be together.  The holiday season is, after all, just around the corner, and I thought you might enjoy seeing these ‘heavenly’ photos of our living room mantel and tree.  These photos are from a Christmas past, so when you see the room next time, it will look a little different as I’ve been making some changes…

How do you like to decorate for the holidays?  Do you generally pick a theme and stick with it throughout the entire house? Or, do you like to mix it up from room to room?  There are so many beautiful things to choose from nowadays! I enjoy romantic decorating at Christmastime.  In these photos, our living room was decorated in warm hues: pinks, greys, browns, taupes, and gold and silver in celebration of the holidays!  I think it’s important to not pay too much attention to the ‘rules’ and just to do whatever it is that you love.  Then you are sure to be happy with whatever you create.  Wouldn’t you agree?!

These  pics were taken late at night by the glow of the Christmas lights.  The  result is equivalent to the “squint test”, a soft look that is almost magical.  I hope you can experience at least a little of the feel of the room’s ambience through them…

You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you’d like to see more detail…

Specially treasured ornaments that might otherwise be lost among those on the tree are given a place of honour high up on the mantel.  I like to sit them snugly in old-fashioned crystal wine goblets.  They fit perfectly for my purposes! And, I love how the twinkling faerie lights woven through the flocked garlands beneath are refracted in the crystal facets and cast dancing patterns all along the walls…so pretty in the quiet evening hours.  Glass candlesticks do duty as pedestals to also support precious ornaments.

These glorious angels were made for me many years ago by my friend Jean, whom you might remember from a previous post The Santa Lady of Farm Road. The figurines and Grecian columns that grace our mantle are ceramic, as well as the sweet cherubs that adorn our tree every year.  I think they add a certain magic to our holiday decor, and I love how the room looks when they are perched high up in the snowy branches.  I look forward to unwrapping them year after year and sharing them with family and friends through my holiday decorating. Jean doesn’t make these anymore, so I feel lucky to have them.  Sheer ribbons, glittering twigs, and sparkly stars, berries and pinecones are delicately woven through the flocked garland beneath the angels’ feet and act as fillers, offering  lots of fascinating texture. Strands of chandelier prisms strung across the front of the garland create a luxe look. Won’t you come on in for a closer look?

In the photo below, a small, inexpensive department store angel chosen solely for her sweet face is made splendid with a new skirt of glistening rose taffeta. A gilded twig star hangs directly overhead, illuminated with twinkling faerie lights and adorned with roses of frosted velvet, together with the most beautiful wired ribbons that twirl all the way down to the tree below.  A teeny wooden heart (one of more than a half dozen made by my friend Joan) rests on the face of the star shape and  is handpainted in custom colours to herald the season of  Peace. Its fellows can be found scattered here and there throughout the tree branches – they bring messages of Faith, Hope, Charity, Love, Joy and Eternity.  There are many objects on my tree collected through the the years and are cherished, which make it all the more meaningful at Christmas…

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.  ~Author Unknown

Anyone can be an angel.  ~Author Unknown

Authentic Venetian masks are clustered near the flocked treetop.  I brought them home with me all the way from Italy especially for our tree!  Whenever I travel I am thinking of something that I can bring home with me to use at Christmastime. My friend Gail also brought me masks from New Orleans when she visited there during Christmas several years ago.  I also like to incorporate a mask or two in a companion garland that is normally draped overheard from the ceiling near the treetop!

This spectacular feline mask seems to glow with Swarovski crystals.  It was in a shop window in Venice and I knew it had to come home with me for my tree…

Angels have no philosophy but love.  ~ Terri Guillemets

A series of favourite teacup prints are trimmed with velvet flowers, sparkly twigs and glittery glass ornaments.  Cherub faces, handpainted by the same dear friend who created the trio of musical angels on the mantle, hang from the teapot print at the top of the wall arrangement. The Christmas tree stands adjacent to the wall of teacups, and ribbons twine and twirl from the tree though the art prints and onto an overhead garland that is nearby! The ribbons seem as if they have a life of their own, reaching out and up to touch whatever is near! If teacups could talk…

Fantasy Santa, companion figurine to the angels on the mantle and cherubs that trim the tree, were all made by my friend Jean.  See the post below for a story about her work:

https://beautifulideas.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/santa-watch-the-santa-lady-of-farm-road/

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little trip down Memory Lane with me today.  Thanks for coming by, and please leave a comment to let me know you were here.  I’d love to hear about how you decorate for the season. There’ll be lots more Christmas to see in the weeks ahead, so I hope you’ll drop by again one day soon…

Wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Linda

I am  happy to be joining Lily-Rose Cottage for Simply Sweet (January 15, 2012).