Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Is...

 
Christmas is a warm thing
by Shirley Powell McPhillips
 
Christmas is a warm thing, wrinkled or new;
A softness and bright lights all red, green, and blue;
A tingle, a tiptoe, a fire aglow;
All crispy and nippy-a snowflake and snow.
 
Christmas is tinsel, a present, a tree;
A crying and laughter, a giggle of glee;
Or quiet, a candle, a flicker of flame;
A whisper, a touch-the soft falling rain.
 
Christmas is good folks, old, young, the same;
Visitors and carols again and again;
A pudding, a plum, a goose full of fat;
A smelling, a stuffing of this, those, and that.
 
Christmas is a shepherd, a journey, a stall;
A mother's wee baby-a gift to us all-
A reverence, a service, a towering spire;
A feeling, a surging, a triumphant choir.
 
Christmas is everything, poorest or bare;
Richly ornated, embraced with care;
A vision for all or one hope, set apart;
A tree thing, a real thing that lives in my heart.



Sunday, December 23, 2012

Annual Parade of Ornaments












Merry Christmas to all who stop by Bits and Pieces. Some of you I know well...others I have never met. However, we are connected through our shared interests and feelings.


In love and friendship,
Sandy

Friday, December 21, 2012

Memories

Wishing you sweet memories...either from the past or the present. I find myself experiencing both.


Fun decorations were added                      This little tree was
to this pencil sketch of Grams                    presented to my
and Grandad. Our oldest                              mother last year.
son Jo did the drawing of us                     It now sits on my
years ago.                                                            closet work table
                                                                                 as a keepsake  
                                                                                 from 2011. 
                                                                                
In November my mom turned ninety.
 
I love this happy photo of her and my husband Corkey.
Hopefully we can make her smile during our Christmas visits. 
 
 Our tree of memories 
 
In 1990 I found these kids' ornaments to represent our five.
The year and their names are written on the backs. It's hard to believe that was twenty-two years ago.
 
Have a MERRY weekend making memories!  

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Word Tags


 
 
 
Simple tags
Soothing words
Tie on a package.
Hang on the tree.
Tuck inside a book.
Keep or give away.
 
 
Making tags remains a favorite form of relaxation for me.
Sending these off in a mailer tomorrow. 


 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Hesitant

I was hesitant about writing in the wake of the tragedy and grief concerning Newtown, Connecticut. There are no words for such a shocking attack. But feel we must for these families who have lost precious ones at a time when joyful anticipation has been replaced by heartbreaking sadness. Feel and pray.
 
 
Tonight I'm continuing to share pictures of Christmas decorating. Maybe in some way they will offer a little bit of peace.
 
 


 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Decorating Pleasures

Last  year this toy cabinet was on the mantel. This year it's  resting on a small desk in the guest bedroom. I tend to use special pieces from year to year but in different locations.


The cloche is filled with green, blue, and gold ornaments. These are colors in the guest bedroom.


On a side table is the Skating Santa, sleigh, and collection of trees.









This treasured nativity is on the seat of the hall tree. The star I found this year.


This hutch in the hallway always get decorated with Christmasy items. Filling bowls with ornaments is almost as much fun as hanging them on the tree.     



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Winter Wonderland

I like looking through magazines for decorating ideas. For weeks I've enjoyed this one, and one page kept drawing my attention. Having a cake plate, trees, and a snowman...
  
 
I put together this grouping on the dining room table.
 
 
This centerpiece goes with my corner cabinet decorations.
 
            
These miniature trees are my newest addiction. Vintage ones are hard to find, so I've grown attached to these current ones on the market. 
 
Have you finished your decorating? I was telling a friend that I love to decorate, but there's some sadness with it, too. Loved ones who won't be at the dining table...hanging ornaments from friends who have gone before us...treasures and trinkets that stir memories of past times. But hopefully there will be other happy surprises and new memories to make. Take care. 

Monday, December 10, 2012

From my house to yours

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I wanted to share a few decorative touches around my house. So this post is Merry Christmas from my house to yours.



 


Thursday, December 6, 2012

Hello

Sorry I've been away for awhile. I had to acquire some extra storage space in order to post photos, and you know how I love to share pics. I have been Christmas decorating almost every room in the house with sentimental treasures. Sometimes I leave them in place, but other times I move them around until I am pleased with the look.

  
 
I am glad to be back, and I hope you are enjoying this first week of December.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Bits of Saturday

I should have done some deep cleaning today, but was sidetracked when looking through old diary entries, saved magazines, boxes of ornaments, and seasonal decorations.

Since we had our Thanksgiving meal when the kids were home for the wedding, my mind has shifted to what do I want to display for the Christmas holidays. Also I'm trying to reduce my inventory of stuff by taking items to the booth. Now to the forgotten little treasures I came across...

See the two thin volumes on the right side of the photo. These tiny Whitman books were purchased by me long before I had children. 

I think I chose this book because the little girl had red hair. On each of the 25 pages the little girl tells something she likes.


    The last page endeared this little book to me.
 
 
 Throughout this book a child named Grace is looking for a quiet place. 
 
A boy disturbs the quiet place she finds at last, but after sharing her snack with him, she discovers what the last page reveals... 
 
I'm glad I stumbled across these tiny books a long time ago.
The copyrights are from the 1960's. I don't know if they are still available. My copies are certainly showing wear and tear. However, they continue to delight with their sweet messages.

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