Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether summer clothe the general earth
With greeness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Images for Yule


I thought I'd do a post about some of my Yule decorating, I still have to make a table centre and bring in my little live tree which goes on the kitchen counter but I shall do those on Christmas Eve so that they stay fresh. The wreath above is now on my back door, it was made for my daughter and was hanging on the inside of the kitchen door waiting for her. When she arrived she said she preferred the one I'd made for us so we are left with the reject:)


I love all my tree decorations which have been collected gradually over the last thirty nine years. I have special favourites though and this green Santa is one of them.


The photo doesn't do my little glass hummingbird justice, it sparkles beautifully with the tree lights shining through it.


I cross-stitched this little goose ornament about 25 years ago.


My beautiful porcelain stag cost an arm and a leg at Country Living Christmas Fair a few years ago but I had to have him.


If I could only keep one of my ornaments I think this would be the one I chose.


I made this little primitive pin tuck a couple of years ago. I keep meaning to do more as I have some lovely designs. There's still time......


I love the little mouse peeping out of the top of the stocking, it's another primitive piece that I found at a Christmas Craft Fair at Nostell Priory a year or two back.


The sledge belonged to one of my sons, every Christmas for several years now I have loaded it with holly and added tiny lights, there are actually 80 on there! The holly looks dark because I used the 'fireworks' setting on my camera to try and show the lights without any glare. The boys had a sledge each but Neil's is now in Suffolk waiting for the first snowfall so that Gabriel and George can play on it:)

The wreath on the front of the house - I'm not thrilled with any of my wreaths this year, they took forever and I just couldn't get them the way I wanted so I ended up just settling for what I'd got before I threw them on the floor and jumped on them!


And finally - this tree decoration is 35 years old now. Stephen made it out of egg cartons and silver foil at nursery school when he was 3 years old. I still hang it on the tree every year though not necessarily at the front:)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rowan, your Christmas house looks beautiful!

Merry Christmas!

Lynda (Granny K) said...

'Compliments of the Season' dear Rowan! Your decorations are splendid - how can it look wrong with all that lovely greenery!

La Maison said...

Nice memories and beautiful decorations.

Merry Christmas dear Rowan

Hermine XX

Hearthwife said...

I think all the decs are really lovely and the wreaths are gorgeous!!

I know how it is when you're not happy with your own work, but really they are so pretty, Rowan!

MorningAJ said...

Your decorations are wonderful. I love the wreaths - so don't go jumping on them!

Heidi said...

Thank you for letting me peek into your pretty holiday home. I love items that hold special memories. My mother has my ornaments from kindergarten but does not decorate any longer for Christmas.

The wreaths are beautiful so please do not be too hard on yourself. They welcome people with festive cheer.

You asked about my village being Dutch. I immigrated to Holland over 25 years ago and it was a reproduction of the one my mother made for herself when I was a little girl in America. She wanted to make one just like it for me when I married. I just love it and think it is so much nicer than all the villages you can buy now in the shops. It is one of my most prized Christmas items.

Hugs from Holland ~
Heidi

Medieval Muse said...

I think your wreaths are absolutely gorgeous and bet they smell divine too. All of this is so lovely!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Karen said...

Thanks for sharing your decorations. They are lovely!
Merry Christmas! x

Granny Sue said...

So pretty, Rowan :) I have a few things that hang in hidden spots too, but they are still must-haves every year.

I'm glad to see you blogging again.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Everything is so wonderful. I love the wreaths - I've not made any for a long time now.

Our daughter made a darling ornament in kindergarten too - it is the front of a christmas card with a christmas tree and she made a house-shaped frame of popsicle sticks - we still hang it right out front.

Nana Mari said...

Please don't jump on those wreaths...they are beautiful! How magical your home must look with all those wonderful decorations and fresh holly and greenery as well! Thank you for sharing! It is in the few quiet moments one can catch amidst the hustle and bustle of the season that is a feast for the eyes to enjoy. Wishing you a Happy Yule.

Victoria said...

Hello Rowan...what a dazzling post..full of spirit and beauty! I love the glass hummingbird and that gorgeous stag!very powerful symbols! and i LOVE your creations you are very talented..shine on.. and please share more..beautiful!
Gorgeous post..thankyou for adding sparkles to my day!

Wishing you a beautiful Solstice and Yule and a magical new year!
Victoria

Morning's Minion said...

I like your kind of Christmas decorating as I prefer fresh greenery. Your wreaths look very nice--but I do understand the feeling that can overtake us when we are crafting of "this is not coming out well and I'm about to lose it!"
I'm admiring your preparedness for the holiday.

Rosie said...

What wonderful treasures you have collected over the years to put on your tree. Your wreaths are lovely and I love the little mouse in the top of the christmas stocking. Wishing you and yours peace and joy at this festive season:)

Mimi Foxmorton said...

How magical is the Christmas box of decorations!

(And the stocking toe looks like a mouse's nose, as well!)
;)

Merry Christmas!
~Mimi

Mac n' Janet said...

Love your decorations, particularly the little drum with the music. The sledge looks so Christmasy! Have a Merry Christmas Rowan

Kathy said...

Your decorations are so pretty Rowan. I love it when there's a story to go with the special ones.
Love the sledge too ... what a great idea!

Have a wonderful Yule tide!
xxx

Diane said...

Your decorations look so lovely Rowan - the "reject" wreaths are so much nicer than any I have seen in the shops. I love the stories behind every trinkett. x

Dartford Warbler said...

I love your collection of tree decorations, old and new. Don`t they bring back memories as they are brought out of the box again, year after year?

This afternoon I cut a few more sprigs of holly out on the heath, watched by a bunch of curious New Forest ponies.

WOL said...

I love the winter picture on your blog's masthead. What lovely ornaments. My folks have a pair of white bells with red clappers, small, rather tatty looking, that they've put on the tree every year of the 65 years they've been married. Isn't decorating the tree like a delightful stroll down memory lane?