{Our Nativity & Angels from Italy}

Christmas is getting very close now. So let me show you our hand carved wooden nativity scene with angels from South Tyrol, Italy. The birth of Jesus is the reason for the season... Our Saviour who came into this world because of LOVE.

The wood carving is so meticulously done by the Italian craftsmen!

Love the angel holding a HEART; the universal symbol of Love...

At present we do have some Paperwhites blooming again. 

As well as fragrant Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthus p.) (C. fragrans) which you see in the center of this Mandalay Chartreuse vase by Mason, together with Ilex decidua 'Finches Golden' a yellow berried Ilex. 

Last year we only had the yellow Ilex (holly berries) but this year there are plenty of red Ilex.

Do you have a special nativity scene in your home?

Wishing you a Merry Christmas with all your loved ones!

Related link:
{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} my previous post about this Wintersweet flower...
Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my vase above...

{Wishing YOU a Happy 4th Advent 2012!}

All of us will be very busy in the few days before Christmas 2012. Therefore we like to wish You all a Happy 4th Advent Sunday. That is a very short 4th Advent, as we go straight into Christmas Eve! Enjoy this time with family and friends and wishing you safe travels for those that still are in transit to meet with their loved ones. We know how much traffic there was on the road on Friday when we went to Atlanta for stocking up. Stay warm and cozy!

May the Angels keep you and your loved ones safe...

Related links:

{4th Advent} previous post by me, 2011
{Wishing you a Happy 3rd Advent 2012!} previous post by me

{First Week of Advent 2012} my previous post

{Second Week of Advent 2012} my previous post
{2nd Advent & Great Family Time} last year, 2011 post by me
{Silk Brocade for our PRINCE OF PEACE} last year about 3rd Advent, post by me
Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my plate above...

{Second Week of Advent 2012}

2nd Sunday of Advent went by too fast; so many things to do. Today was also for a big part phone call day with loved ones, after coming home from Church. We still have fond memories from last year when our daughter Liz was staying with us during 2nd Advent Week. That is always special to be with family. We have never had that for any Advent or Christmas in all 29 years...

Our oval Mandalay Chartreuse plate by Masons with two scented candles.

The green rose on the left is a French Point A La Ligne.

The green star emits a wonderful balsam of fir needles...

Just guessing that a lot of you didn't see my post from last year.

You can read here about: {2nd Advent & Great Family Time}

Today was as lovely as last year and tomorrow it will be 24°C. But than it is getting cooler.

This was in the afternoon...

Wishing you all a lovely Second Week of Advent for 2012!

Related link:

{Point A La Ligne the Rolls Royce of Candles} my previous post

Christie's Mandalay by Masons

{4th Advent}

The final Sunday of Advent is there and soon we have Christmas! Another short and speedy year... Are you having the same experience too? Especially if one is not feeling totally fit, it kind of slips through your fingers. There is no halting to time, we are forced to move forward with the masses. But again I'd like to show some Advent photos to you.

Inside our veranda, in front of the shaded windows. Shadows from the live oak cast onto the linen shades due to the sunshine we had on Saturday. The green cotton Zweigart Aida tablecloth now with a Mason's Mandalay Chartreuse plate for the brass spiral candle holders.

In the back is a group of angels looking on, all from South Tyrol, Italy.

The one on the left is a ceramic one and was a gift from Italian friend Maria from Ristorante da Maria and the others are all wooden angels from Italy.

Our healthy Sago Palm makes it look more exotic, like our years living in Indonesia where we spent Christmas in the tropics.

Seen is also the Lampe Berger with Cherub from our private collection.

All the angels - cherubs

Wishing you all a Happy 4th Advent!

Related articles

{3rd Advent} previous post by me
{2nd Advent & Great Family Time} previous post by me
Christie's Mandalay by Masons

{2nd Advent & Great Family Time}

After a hectic week, I finally got almost rid of my cough. Our daughter Liz is staying with us and that made the 2nd Advent very special for all three of us. Sunday we had a lovely dinner together at home and Monday night we did dine at Ristorante da Maria. That was another delicous 5-course meal together with our extended family. The weather on Monday was incredible; 24°C or 75°F. Monday afternoon while Pieter went biking with daughter Liz, I finally could add the French rose ribbon around our Rosemary topiary and make some Advent photos.

Point a la Ligne Christmas rose candle (see page 12) to the left and star candle to the right on a Mason's Mandalay Chartreuse platter.

The green star candle emits a wonderful balsam of fir needles...

The French candles: {Point à la Ligne the Royce Rolls of Candles} 

December 5 was a SUNNY day in many ways...

At 4:58 PM still 22°C or 72°F.

Related link:

{Point A La Ligne the Rolls Royce of Candles} | previous post by me

{TIP New Purpose for Cigarette Holder}

Having quite some china and also different sets of teaspoons, demitasse spoons, pastry forks and such, made me start using Cigarette Holders for keeping those different spoons/forks. Smoking is almost extinct here in the U.S. but we certainly can give a NEW PURPOSE to CIGARETTE HOLDERS...

Shown here is a Mason Mandalay Chartreuse Cigarette Holder, to the left  and a silver plate one to the right with demitasse spoons.

Oval Mason Mandalay Chartreuse Cigarette Holder close up with some gold plated teaspoons.

Silver plated Cigarette Holder with demitasse spoons.

From Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color I got three Cigarette Holders for different pastry forks and teaspoons.

One for the gold plated pastry forks...

I learned now that for my Rosenthal Sanssouci Rose-Ivory there even is a matching Cigarette Holder!

Another Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color is holding silver plated teaspoons.

This Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color holds gold plated teaspoons and coffeespoons.

Do you have already such a Cigarette Holder?

Related articles

Weekly Finds № 22  (Haute Design by Sarah Klassen):

Learn from Mariette my website for classes

{Enjoy some Fig Cake with Tea Jelly!}

For you I did bake some Fig Cake and made also the Tea Jelly to go with it. Recipe follows below. So let's have a cup of tea with a slice of this home baked cake! The flavor of the Tea Jelly gives it a surprising taste. When figs are no longer in season you can also use apple, pear or peach.

Because it is still way too hot outside, I served it inside...

The China seen here is Mandalay Chartreuse by Mason's ←Click hyperlink to see some pieces at Replacements, Ltd.  

Mason's is part of Wedgwood, read more here: Christie's Mandalay by Mason's

The spoon inside the jar with tea jelly is a silver Alvin Bridal Rose.

Okay, for those of you that would love to have the recipe, I will list it here below.

Fig Cake

225 g whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

150 g butter or margarine softened at room temperature

175 g sugar

¾ cup of egg beaters or other low cholesterol product

zest of 1 lemon

250 g fresh figs cut into small pieces

75 g sliced almonds

Cake mold of 22 cm (8½"), greased

Preheat the oven at 320° F (160°C).

Blend the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whip the butter with the sugar till it is creamy and add bit by bit the egg beaters.

With a spatula carefully blend in the lemon zest, the flour mixture, the figs and the almonds.

Spoon the dough into the cake mold and bake the cake in 1¾ hour till light brown.

Let the cake cool down and serve in slices, with the tea jelly.

Tea Jelly

For two jars of tea jelly:

Pour 3⅓ dl boiling water over 50 g earl grey tea (or tea of your choice) with one cinnamon stick. Let this tea with the cinamon stick steep for 10 min. Bring the tea with 500 g sugar and Certo with 1½ tablespoon lemon juice to a boil and let this boil for approx. 4 min. Pour the jelly through a sieve into clean jars. Close the jars immediately and let them stand upside down on their lids for about 5 min.

I did not use loose tea but instead I took 10 bags of Black tea with Mango from Trader Joe's.

For Dutch readers, they can use the Van Gilse Geleisuiker met 1 zakje gelei poeder. 

German readers also have access to Gelierzucker und bestimmt gibt es auch Gelierpuder. 

I have not used the Certo but it should be calculated for the amount of sugar and liquid.

To use my oven more efficiently I always bake two cakes together.

Just a small 24" German Miele oven...

Voilà...

The extra cake makes a great gift for a friend, complete with a jar of tea jelly...

{Fragrant Double Narcissus Obdam}

On March 15 we did enjoy our very first arrangement of Narcissus Obdam, a perennial bulb in double cream yellow. They make superb cut flowers and almost look like gardenias or roses. 

Here you see cup & saucers from Lady Alexander Rose by Queen Anne, England and available at Replacements Ltd. Hand crocheted tablecloth done by me.

We did have a second showing on March 20 and they looked even prettier and next day they opened up wider and fuller and changing color more to white.

The vase is a Mandalay Chartreuse by Mason
 available at Replacements Ltd.

This is one day later, see that they turn whiter as they open up fully.

Here they are in the garden, waiting to be taken home with us or to be given to a dear friend... Today Maria Runggaldier from Ristorante da Maria was the lucky recipient!

The fragrance only adds to the beauty!

In our garden we do have one spot with Narcissus Snowbird and they do resemble the Obdam  like a twin.  When we bought them the description read: Captivation! Opens lemony yellow and quickly lightens to pure white with a hint of yellow in the center. Strong 20-inch stems withstand bad weather  and make long-lasting cut flowers. Midseason. All that is TRUE, it is a very pleasing, maybe the very best and longest lasting of Narcissi!

At McLure & Zimmerman you can find this Obdam Daffodil. Strange is that they have them listed as being not fragrant and they are highly fragrant! If you do like these, don't forget to order them for fall planting  in order  to start enjoying this spring show annually.

Related links:

MASON'S PATENT IRONSTONE 'MANDALAY' 20th CENTURY | Christie's
{Daffodils in a Vase on a Dark Day...} | previous post by me showing Mason's

{Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Enjoy some Fig Cake with Tea Jelly!} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{TIP New Purpose for Cigarette Holder} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{Wishing YOU a Happy 4th Advent 2012!} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Nativity & Angels from Italy} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{USEFUL TIP: Peppermint Tea for Anti Bloating} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December}

Just want to show you these beautiful Paperwhite flowers that we had in a vase the first week of December. They are the very first bulbs in our garden to show their flowers and their fragrance is heavenly.

For our local paper The Courier Herald I did write on December 24, of 1985 an article about color and scent of flowers making them truly great gifts.

In The Kingdom of The Netherlands they have brought via mass-media this slogan to the notice of the Dutch people: "Do it naturally, make life green and flowery".

The Netherlands may be rightly called the country full of flowers.

World famous is the Keukenhof -- the greatest bulb-flower show on earth! During only two months of the year, in April and May, a grand bulb flower exhibition can be admired in the Keukenhof in Lisse, in the western part of The Netherlands, the province of South Holland in the west of the country.

In The Netherlands there is always room for flowers for all seasons and plants are used for atmosphere. Especially around Christmas time we "say it with flowers." Beautiful centerpieces with "real" greens, holly and some orchids, completed with candles will be the finishing touch of a nice Christmas dinner.

Watching flowers and plants is an agreeable occupation for many people. Yet, this pastime is not given to everybody. The visually disabled normally have no opportunity to admire the many flowers and plants. But also the fragrance of flowers and plants often means a pleasant experience. Consequently, for the visually disabled people many highly fragrant plants and flowers are placed together. Usually the varieties with vivid colors are chosen for this purpose. The high fragrance and the vivid colors together make people with poor eyesight also enjoy flowers and plants.

High fragrance plants include waxplant (hoya carnosa) stephanotis, gardenia and bulb-flowers such as paperwhites, hyacinths and freesias.

So also for blind people a gift such as hyacinths in a planter, will make a nice present for the holiday season. It is also a great gift idea for elderly people in nursing homes, or our loved ones in the hospital. Add some color to their lives and at the same time the scent.

These are two solid silver boxes with roses, from my private collection. The one on the left is from France from the end of the 19th century and the one on the right is from the Netherlands.

For Johanna Gehrlein, here at Mandalay Chartreuse by Mason's you can see the details about the above Mason Mandalay China vase from. It sure is a lovely pattern!

Related links:

MASON'S PATENT IRONSTONE 'MANDALAY' 20th CENTURY | Christie's
{Daffodils in a Vase on a Dark Day...} | previous post by me showing Mason's

{Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Enjoy some Fig Cake with Tea Jelly!} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{TIP New Purpose for Cigarette Holder} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{Wishing YOU a Happy 4th Advent 2012!} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Nativity & Angels from Italy} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{USEFUL TIP: Peppermint Tea for Anti Bloating} | previous post by me with MASON'S