The Mantle

I liked the effect of the trailing lights over the mantle so much last year that I never packed them away. They were a beautiful warm glow on short winter days as the sun dropped swiftly into evenings. They were a bit of a pain when it came to dusting though.

They are gone.

I have cleared the clutter and renewed the space.

Something simple and white with a hint of the Christmas colour scheme.

The white rabbit was given to me by one of my daughters and was part of a trio. She also gave one to my mother and kept one herself. They struck her as symbolic of her family unit and generational line, each one different but part of a family. I feel very special when I look at it. 

And that is how "things" become so much more.

The ball is called a friendship ball and for obvious reasons has sentimental attachment too.

My mother also has a vase like this one, we bought them together. She keeps water in it stop the air drying out. When Bella visits (poodle) she heads straight for it and drinks from it if mum forgets to get it up high. We usually end up roaring with laughter as we try to head her off but we usually fail.

Another vase from my other daughter which is beautiful as a sculptural piece and a dear reminder of her too.

My angels have lived through many Christmas times and were a really good buy. Being neutral white, gold and silver, they go with anything and being made of tin, they are quite durable. 

To some they may look like they are "making a list and checking it twice" but they are singing and heralding the birth of Christ. I like birthdays. They give us a chance to celebrate someone dear and special in our life. Sometimes we celebrate that date even after they are gone, like Martin Luther King Day or like on my Nan's birthday, we toast her with a drink still and place flowers on her grave.

Whatever your religious beliefs, there is no denying that Jesus was a pretty special man and certainly we should celebrate his birth and give thanks that he taught the message of love and forgiveness.

I have changed the lampshades for these vintage ones that just add a nod to my tree colour scheme without getting too tizzy with it.

The little white candle dome when lit shows the nativity scene in relief.

I haven't got the nativity set out this year but you can see it in this post here.

This statue features though and is the statue of Joseph with the baby Jesus.

Christmas time can be a very hard time for broken families and lots of fathers in particular will feel the loss of their family and traditions at this time when obligations are divided.

Please be aware of those around you this Christmas. The poor and homeless have networks in place but let us not forget the lonely too. Check around and make sure someone at your workplace or in your group is not alone this Christmas. Take them into your family and offer them some sensitive distraction on the day.

 I just had to include this shot because it shows you my (amazing?crazy?) ceiling reflected in the mantle mirror. It has these large circles within circles pressed into the plaster. I have never seen it before and everyone who comes here is amazed, so I would love to hear from anyone else who has a unique ceiling like this. It takes a bit of cleaning in all those grooves I can tell you!

Hope your Christmas preparations are coming along.

Next post I will show you the cushions I have made to carry the theme through.