{Third Week of Advent 2014}

Wishing you all a very cozy and happy Third Week of Advent 2014!

Creating a warm and cozy atmosphere works wonders for the colder season.

Used our cotton Zweigart Aida tablecloth with the German Arzberg porcelain votive candle holders in white with real gold.

My sister Diny, was so kind for getting these for me in The Netherlands, when I found them in a Dutch magazine.

Having our own Magnolia Grandiflora trees, does also provide leaves that I have sprayed with gold paint.

Added Nandina berries with a few Ilex berries as well.

Nosegay from spices, seeds and hazelnuts, made in South Tyrol, Italy.

Thanks Johanna from +Silber-und-Rosen-Shop  for the name: In the Salzburger Land "Gewürzsträusschen".

Our gold sprayed Magnolia leaves tied with raffia. 

The big candle is still from our 25th wedding anniversary, it was a gift from dear friends.

This fireplace is from The Netherlands, Doensen Sfeerhaarden & bouwbedrijf in Venlo.

On eBay I once got a hold of this Baccarat Crystal Vesuve / Vesuvius Caviar Server (2 pcs) because the inset was missing... But it works perfect for floating candles with fresh flowers.

Here I used fresh cranberries for inside.

The table runner in Portuguese Guimarães white work, we bought in Coimbra in 1994,  while on tour through Spain Portugal for 19 days.

Used on top of this red Hardangar tablecloth it looks perfect.

Making photos during the dark days of the year is hard in itself but trying to capture those flames of burning votives is even harder...

Don't you love the hand embroiderd detail of that Portuguese Guimarães white work?

Wishing all of you a very warm and meaningful 3rd Advent Sunday and a great week ahead!

Stay warm and healthy...

{Fall Colors & Clearing the Underbrush}

A pity that the spectacular golden color of our Sugar Maple tree Acer saccharum never lasted that long... This year the leaves went all down in one week time!

This is on November 12, and only one third of its golden leaves are on the tree, the rest is on the lawn...

Husband Pieter, the gardener, is seen on the other side of the creek, to the left...

This is a photo from November 5, and the color starts to become golden and the Red Maple Tree, or Acer rubrum is not quite red...

Back to November 12...

This photo is from November 5, after husband Pieter did clear the underbrush on this side.

You can see the clippings piled up alongside the creek.

First time in four years, since his quadruple bypass in September of 2010.

A chain saw of 16" (it got replaced recently as this one died...); hand saw with an extendable lopper for cutting thick and high branches.

The wood garden's floor in this section, is full of long pine needles...

The final wild corner to be tackled!

Hard work and a lot of muscle power is needed for doing so.

Pieter is blessed with a strong and 'again' healthy body.

Pieter holding the loppers, they were a steal of a deal at Tuesday Morning 

Those heaps of cut off branches make for safe hiding places where chipmunks and other critters can hide.

Soon it will decompose and be added to the soil as humus.

The creek is always changing its shape.

Lovely when it is calm, but it can become a roaring river.

We both are pleased with the open view of our wood garden.

Lots of shrubs have been removed, for easier maintenance in the coming years.

{Second Week of Advent 2014}

Time is slipping through our fingers during December... or is it just us?!

Wishing all readers from whatever country, a very warm and meaningful 2nd Advent Week!

Fragrant star candle and French Point A La Ligne candle.

Ribbon fabric is French and has roses on it...

China is Mason's Mandalay Chartreuse

Angel clinging onto a candle with bobèche in a Royal Selangor candle holder.

Related link: Christie's Mandalay by Masons

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