Flowers in the House!

It's Monday.

It's New Year's Eve!

And, it's Flowers in the House!

These will go on the dining room table, but don't photograph well against the cherry wood.

Three reasons to celebrate today.  Sadly, nothing really blooming in the yard - altho the hellebores are trying hard and will join us in a few days.  Maybe a camellia or two, as well. 

A new vase for Christmas - you'll see lots of it in the spring, I think.

So, it's purchased poseys for me - mini-carnations in the most shocking purple and a bit of white stuff, plus the obligatory rosemary from the garden.

On the coffee table with a mirror underneath for tonight.

I do like a little bling for New Year's Eve, so have mixed silver and purple balls (not even left over from Christmas, but purchased for NYE several years ago).

Bowls of balls - just wherever!

If you haven't already been over to visit our Hostess, Jane, please hop over there and see who else is joining the party today.  It promises to be Small, but Charming!

 

And, Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, One and All!

Wishing each and every one of you the Merriest of Christmases, or just the most perfect possible day with family and friends - whatever you wish!

Thank you for visiting with me this year, especially this past three months when I have lurked more than sharing.  Your good thoughts and wishes were really helpful and I have missed communicating with you. 

Hope 2013 will a wonderful year for us all and that we will finally find lasting Peace in our world!

Love to you, All! 

Peace and Joy.

(Unauthorized) Flowers in the House

Near the top of my list of things I love at Christmas is the table: making an arrangement, deciding just how I want to set it and all that good stuff. 

This year there will be five of us: our friend from South Africa who has joined us for many years and a happy new addition.  One of the Lebanese teens we sponsored for immigration to the U.S. is all grown up and married.  He and his new bride will join us for their first "American" Christmas.  His parents are visiting family in Lebanon this year and his brothers are with family in other cities, so they will enlarge our circle this year.

I hope Jane will forgive me for sharing flowers on "her day", but I know she is working today and doesn't have time or energy to host a flower party this month.

She would be proud of me, tho, that I filled both containers with water and oasis last night and let them sit and soak.  Although I purchased the flowers in a ready-chosen bunch, I did gather the greens from the yard:  'Otto Lueken' myrtle, rosemary and some 'Blue Rug' juniper that grows as a ground cover by the door. (I cleverly used it to cover the oasis in the sides of glass bowl.)

 

When I got the greens in, I wanted to stop.  

 

I loved how they looked and didn't want to tackle the challenge of adding the flowers.  But I am glad that I did.  Here are the finished products.  The tall one (at the top) for the buffet in a milk glass compote that I bought recently just for this purpose.

And Mother's gorgeous glass dish.  A wedding gift to my parents during WWII that has survived children, moves and many Christmases.  One of my favorite things!  And, just think ... we only have to be good for one more night!

Noel!

Wednesday Workday!

Back in the garden at last!  I was beginning to doubt that I would see this day.  While still under the one-pound rule (I can't lift more than one pound in my right hand!), I was able to cut some greenery and make an arrangement for the foot of the steps.

At the Sackler Gallery on Sunday we saw lovely urns filled with pine, bittersweet and dried stems.  They lined the sides of the parterre and were quite uniform and formal. I really loved them and wanted to do something similar for the house - since we are having guests for Christmas dinner this year.

A foraging trip into the woods behind our neighbor's house produced cedar, which I augmented with euonymous from the hedge, stems of Harry Lauter's walking stick, dried sedum heads, rosemary and nandina berries.  My arrangement is more natural than the inspiration, but fits better with our more laid back home and style.

With Mitchell to move the finished product into place, we are officially decorated outside.