Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

The Christmas spirit came late to our house this year, but now it finally has arrived! Here are a few scenes from my Christmas decoration. I wanted it to be plain and simple, a little bit like the Nordic Style.



I didn't buy anything new this year, but made use of what I already had, which I consider a good thing. The decorated silver plated plate will be our center piece for the Christmas dinner table tomorrow.




When I was decorating I realized that each of the items holds a story and wonderful memories for me. This little bell for example was used by my parents each Christmas when I was a child at the time when the unwrapping of the Christmas presents was due on Christmas Eve. They locked me out of the living room where the Christmas tree was already lit and my mom was secretly putting the presents for the whole family under the tree. Then she rang the bell (which I couldn't see, but only hear) and said that Santa Claus was here, brought presents for all of us, and rang the bell as he left. After that I was allowed to come into the living room and mom, dad and I all unwrapped our presents alternating. You can imagine the excitement that I felt each year when I heard the bell ring. Of course, this little bell is still very dear to me and my husband and I started our own new tradition and ring it before we begin our Christmas dinner.



Here is a detail shot of the metal cone. It is from Berlin, Germany where my husband and I lived a long time. You put a simple tea light under it and voila, Christmas atmosphere.



I love the white flowers made out of biscuit porcelain. They are so delicate. I got them from a wonderful florist shop, which was part of an exquisite nursery in the Bay Area, close by San Francisco, where we lived some years ago.



The candle holders are made for Christmas trees, but I decided to clip them to the plate. It works like a charm.




The photo above shows our fireplace mantle this year.



The Christmas angels are originally elves, but I think for Christmas I get away with re-purposing them as angels.



The other elf/angel can even fly, if you tie a ribbon to the little hook between her wings.



 This cast iron planter is a well loved flea market find from many years ago.



If you want to see more Christmas photos from the previous two years at our place please click here:

Christmas 2012
Christmas 2011

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays wherever you are and however you celebrate! I hope you spend some wonderful, joyous, quiet, and peaceful days surrounded by your loved ones!

Christina



46 comments:

  1. Beautiful Christmas decoration Christina. For me, Christmas is about bringing light into the house and your photos brings all the spirit of decorating with light. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

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    1. Helene, thanks for your kind comment! For Christmas or winter in general in this house there can never be enough candles or Christmas lights ;-)!

      Christina

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  2. The decorations that bring back special memories are the best kind! And you have some lovely decorations. The bell is an especially nice tradition! Have a wonderful Chistmas and a happy healthy New Year!

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    1. Dorothy, thanks! I just realized how many fond memories are attached to my Christmas decoration. Kind of fun to rediscover them!

      Christina

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  3. Liebe Christina,
    Sehr stimmungsvoll ist deine Weihnachtsdekoration verbunden mit deinen Erinnerungen an andere Stationen in deinem Leben!
    Ich wünsche dir frohe Weihnachtstage mit deinen Lieben - Merry Christmas!
    Liebe Grüsse,
    Ingrid

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    1. Ingrid, it is wonderful how much we can create moods with decorations. The memories are just the icing on the cake!

      Christina

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  4. Such a beautiful pictures, love the christmas angels and cast iron planter.
    Wish you a very Merry Christmas Christina!

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    1. Janneke, thanks, nice to see you commenting again! The angels are one of my favorites, too! I think they become elves after Christmas again, so that I can have them around a little longer ;-)!

      Christina

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  5. Hallo liebe Christina....schön, dass du wieder einmal bei mir vorbeigeschaut hast...
    Dein Weihnachtsschmuck gefällt mir wunderbar...er ist sehr dezent gehalten, was ich eigentlich aus Amerika anders kenne....
    Ich glaube du kannst deine Herkunft nicht verleugnen...;-)....
    Etwas neidisch bin ich schon auf dich wenn du schreibst, dass es bei dir in Kalifornien sonnig ist...ich liebe Sonne....hm...eigentlich wohne ich in der falschen Gegend...Hier bei uns in der Gegend von Bayreuth ist es schon die ganze Zeit neblig und so nasskalt. Wir haben auch keinen Schnee, obwohl sich besonders die Kinder drauf freuen würden.

    Es hat so zwischen 0 und 10 Grad ....ich denke mal das dies kein Vergleich zu deinen Temperaturen ist.

    Ich wünsche dir eine gute Zeit...und vor allem für das Neue Jahr viel Gesundheit....bis bald mal...herzlichst Erwin

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    1. Erwin, I am glad that you like my Christmas decorations. You are right in America the decorations are usually more over the top and colorful, so my German roots may shine through the way I like to decorate. The weather is very warm and sunny here the last days, today for example we had 24 C/76 F, which is certainly nice, but I am worried since we still didn't have any winter rains so too speak off. I hope we don't get water restrictions next year, again.

      Christina

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    1. Mark and Gaz, hope you had a nice Christmas as well!

      Christina

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  7. Dear, dear Christina ~ Such lovely decorations, full of love and memories. It is all very peaceful, thank you for sharing and telling their stories.

    I enjoyed the photos from Christmas 2011 and 2012 too.

    Love and hugs to you and your dear husband. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful 2014.

    FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, thank you so much for your nice words! Quiet and peace is what we needed this Christmas and I would be happy if my decorations would radiate these qualities.

      Christina

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  8. Christina what exquisite memories and decorations....wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year!!

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    1. Donna, thank you, as I get older I feel that memories are getting more and more precious!

      Christina

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  9. Hallo Christina,
    ich halte auch nichts davon, jedes Jahr neue Weihnachtsdeko zu kaufen und schöpfe immer aus meinem großen, über viele Jahre angesammelten Fundus. Deine Deko gefällt mir ausgesprochen gut, sie ist sehr edel und dezent, und besonders wertvoll ist es, wenn noch schöne Erinnerungen mit so manchem Stück verbunden sind. So einen Metall-Teelichtkegel habe ich auch! ;-)

    Ich wünsche Dir und Deinen Lieben noch schöne Weihnachtstage und alles Gute für 2014.

    Liebe Grüße ins sonnige Kalifornien! Bärbel

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    1. Baerbel, I also have collected lots of Christmas decoration over the years and enjoy reusing them, but still try to decorate a little differently each year. That is really funny that we have the same metal tea light cone!

      Christina

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    1. Casa Mariposa, hope you had a lovely Christmas!

      Christina

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  11. Très joli décor et chaude ambiance, j'espère que ce Noel a été merveilleux pour toi. Je te souhaite une belle semaine entre ces deux fêtes.
    Belle journée jocelyne

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    1. Jocelyne, thanks, I hope I get some gardening done between Christmas and the New Year. We are having wonderful weather and I can't think of anything more fun!

      Christina

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  12. Your decorations look lovely! I really like the candle clips on a plate.

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    1. Gardener on Sherlock Street, thank you, re-purposing the Christmas tree candle holders was really fun! I have them lit on our Christmas table center piece in front of me as I am typing this and I still enjoy them very much!

      Christina

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  13. Keine Holidays, Christina, Mr. W. ist schon wieder am Arbeiten. Schön hast du es euch gemacht.

    Ich wünsche einen guten Rutsch - kommt gut rüber.

    Sigrun

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    1. Sigrun, too bad that your husband has to get back to work already. Here in the US many companies have a shut down between Christmas and New Year. My husbands company does it as too, so he is home. In the beginning I wasn't entirely convinced about my Christmas decoration, but is has really grown on me. By now I like it quite a bit myself.

      Christina

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  14. Oh friend! Your story of the bell is just beautiful! And the fact that you have it now is all the more sweeter! All of your decor is beautiful and your mantel is gorgeous with your angels! I hope that you had a lovely Christmas filled with great joy! Here is to a very Happy New Year!!! Nicole xoxo

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    1. Nicole, thank you very much for your kind comment! I am really thankful to my mom, that she passed on the bell to me a few years ago. It certainly helps to keep precious childhood memories alive!

      Christina

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  15. You are so creative, Christina! I LOVE the idea of using things I already have and repurposing them and combining them for a new display. I'm afraid I don't quite have the design vision that you do, but you've definitely inspired me! I think I'll try to do this for Easter (and Thanksgiving and Christmas next year). Very well-done!

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    1. Beth, you make me blush with your nice compliments! Thanks a bunch! Decorating definitively can be a lot of fun and I would love to do it more often. Maybe in the New Year. Next official opportunity is Valentine's Day ;-)!

      Christina

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  16. Merry Christmas. Your silver things are quite beautiful. I came over from May Dreams.~~Dee

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  17. Dee, welcome to my blog! I am glad you like my "silver things" :-)!

    Christina

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  18. I looove your angels-elves :) Beautiful decorations and sweet memories ... Happy New Year, my dear Christina ! Best wishes for you and your family !

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  19. Dani, thanks for your kind note! Time for the angel/elves to become just elves again ;-)!

    Christina

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  20. What lovely images and stories you share with us. I especially like the porcelain flowers and the story of the bell. Many of my decorations are home-made, by myself or by friends and, like yours, are full of memories. The same things are displayed each year and my now very grown-up daughters always check carefully to see that all the little objects are in place!

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  21. Share my Garden, thanks for your nice comment. The porcelain flowers are my favorites as well. They are so delicate and white is my favorite color, anyway. How great that you make your decorations yourself, that is so much more special than just buying them. Cute that your grown-up daughters make sure that all the Christmas decorations are in place :-), I guess they also hold precious memories for them.

    Christina

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  22. Meilleurs vœux Christina pour toi et ta famille. Je te souhaite une belle année dans ta vie privée et de merveilleux moments dans ton jardin.
    belle soirée de réveillon.
    Jocelyne

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  23. Jocelyne, thank you very much for your good wishes! I hope the same will become true for you as well! Gosh, Christmas Eve seems to be so long gone already. I guess that is a sign that it is time to wrap up the decorations and put them away...

    Christina

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  24. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Christina! Like you, I have sentimental items on the the Christmas table, etc. as well. I also have lots of ornaments from loved ones no longer with us on the Christmas tree. I so enjoyed reading about your special Christmas bell. Thank you for sharing that lovely story with us. All the best! :-)

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    1. Beth, so nice of you to stop by, again! Decorating with items that hold sentimental value is just the best. After all Christmas and New Year is a time where we want to be close to our loved ones in reality or at least in our hearts. Item that hold memories of them just help to make the connection. Happy New Year to you as well!

      Christina

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  25. Like the candle holder and the angel holder.

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  26. Barbara, the Christmas tree candle holders have become my favorites, too, over this Christmas season.

    Christina

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