Winter is in the air...

My son's very first snowman, ever.  The spirit of winters past...  He lived in our front yard in the snow of my son's seventh year...  I love his face.

Every year Omi sends Christmas ornaments to her grandson.  

This was his very first ornament... a wooden pony.

My Christmas craft from years ago, when they were Handmade By the Sea.  Now they are Made By Hand in an Acorn Forest in the wee hours of the night.  Same energy, different little cottage.  I lovingly apply the glass glitter to the reproduced images from my antique postcard collection.  Some of the glitter is vintage mica, but most is from Germany.  Silver glass glitter and Frost Flake from Japan.  I buy most of my beautiful glitter and tinsel from D. Blumchen.  Go to www.blumchen.com, you will love their advent calenders too!  The silver lametta that I use to hang the decorations was made in the same factory in Germany for the last 300 years on the original Victorian machines...  It is real silver, it develops a beautiful patina with age...  Unfortunately, some how the world forgot, or no longer values beautiful, handcrafted Christmas decorations and the company closed last year.  A 300 year old tradition gone in the blink of an eye.  How many things do we have access to that are still being created from that long ago?  How many can we count?  How many can we honor and save?  

I love to collect vintage Christmas items.  I love to think of the mothers and fathers that decorated their house with all of the sweet little trinkets and the children that sat mesmerized by their magic in anticipation of Christmas morning... Those wonderful, old treasures remind me of my childhood, they feel sweet, they have soul.

I made 31 decorations as a gift to the Friends of our little library.  They are on sale at our local art gallery.  I had to be invited by the director before they would offer my decorations so I was deeply flattered when they accepted my work.  I love the way the glitter sparkles in the evening light.  

Hot chocolate, ginger cakes, Christmas music, dim lights and ahhhh, my favorite holiday is right around the corner....  but Thanksgiving first.  

I am thankful for my life... Namaste.