Christmas Time at Our House and Garden

Just want to pop by quickly to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and share some pics from our house and garden on this wonderful day!

We didn't have a Christmas tree for many years, but this year I felt like having one again. I went with a white, gold, and silver theme and tadaaaa..., here is our tree in all its glory!

All our ornaments are glass and I really like the warmth and festiveness of the colors.

Highest temperatures today are forecasted to be 71 F/21 C and lowest 38F/3 C, so our evening will get pretty chilly for California circumstances. I am looking forward to liting the fire in the fireplace tonight and getting cozy with my husband on the sofa, which these days is covered with warming sheepskins,...

...and simply enjoying the twinkle lights of the Christmas tree and the warm glow of the ornaments.

This is the view out of the window of our dining room on a foggy cold morning. This is as close to a white Christmas as it gets here in Southern California.

Instead of a big bouquet, we are having just one single white rose to beautify our house, but this rose is so special and precious to me because it is from our own garden.

I loved adding just subtle touches of Christmas to certain areas of the house like these gilded pine cones on a vintage silver plated tray. Who needs more to feel festive?

 I love the "icy atmosphere" in this photo.

This three tired tray, that I found for free on the street in Santa Fee, New Mexico, a few years ago, holds some pitchers of my brown transferware collection and got dressed up for Christmas with a few more gilded pine cones and silver decorative birds.

Out in the garden, there are still a few roses blooming, like this soft apricot 'Chandos Beauty'.

I was never lucky with Paperwhites so far, but each year I plant a few bulbs in a different location hoping for the best.

Looks like I finally found a spot in the backyard that they like.

We had our first winter rain just a few days ago and the roses covered with raindrops always look so magical.

It always amazed me how strong the fragrance of the paperwhites is. Even in our low humidity it wafts and brings joy to the olfactory senses.

Now, does this rose not look like clad in jewels? This is 'Climbing Devoniensis', a Tea Rose, which is so dear to me.

I planted only six paperwhite bulbs, but they brought me so much joy this year already.

Love my roses, even as they fade away. To me, this photo captures the melancholy perfectly that goes along with the winter time. The pictured rose is 'Le Vesuve', another Tea Rose.

I hope, I could convey a little bit of the Christmas spirit in our house and garden during my favorite holiday of the year to you in this post and that you enjoyed it.

May you find some joy, peace, quiet, and happiness during the holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

Christina

PS. If you want to see more photos from our house and garden please visit me on Instagram. Unfortunately, timewise I am not able to blog that often, but I am posting a photo almost daily there!

I am linking up to
Between Naps On The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday  //  Rustic & Refined - Dishing It & Digging It  //  A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday  //  Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays  //  A Delightsome Life - Home and Garden Thursday  //  21 Rosemary Lane - Share Your Style  //  Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup  //  Eclectic Red Barn - Thursday Favorite Things  //  Shabbyfufu - Style Showcase  //  French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday  //  Rattlebridge Farm - Foodie Friday and Everything Else  //  Shabby Art Boutique - Create, Bake Grow & Gather  //  How Sweet The Sound - "Anything Goes" Pink Saturday  //  Rustic & Refined - Dishing It & Digging It  //