Christmas Eve

We had a dusting of snow overnight.

Here it is in black and white.

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S

From my cottage to all of my followers.

Carl Larsson "Christmas Eve"

Carl Larsson watercolor 1904-1906 in the Nationalmuseum, Sweden. I adore seeing his family gatherings. Isn't this Christmas Eve buffet spectacular?

Santa's Problem With Old Houses

I honestly never thought about how hard is for Santa to land on the roof and get to the chimney of an old house like this one. Click to enlarge this delightful image is by illustrator Jan Brett in the 1998 edition of "The Night Before Christmas"

Happy Christmas Eve

My weather sounds pretty ominous for later in the day or early evening for rain and strong winds. I posted these hares on my blog back in 2013. See more of my Christmas Eve Posts Here. Be safe and blessed tonight. xo

Cute Christmas Pancakes

I found this image somewhere this morning when I was browsing and fell in love with this idea for decorating pancakes this time of year. Please share with your loved ones! I added the text below the image.

xo

Christmas Illustration by Thomas Nast

Christmas decor by Thomas Nast illustrating the poem 'Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Moore. I have never seen this one and I love the mice not stirring in their cozy little beds. I but have often blogged about Nast and his famous Santa Claus illustration in my collection. I copied this delightful image from @maccullochhall on Instagram, a local house museum across the street from Thomas Nast's house in Morristown, NJ.

Christmas Decor by Mother Nature

These holly leaves dusted and outlined with frost plus the blurred red berries in the background make a beautiful living Christmas card on this Christmas Eve morning. via

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes: Movie Review

An endearing and quietly rhapsodic slice of Americana about a single year among the Norwegian immigrants in a Wisconsin farm town, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes enthralled 1945 audiences and critics with its timeless joys. Told from the viewpoint of little Selma (Margaret O’Brien), the film explores grand childhood adventures: making friends, a pet calf, Christmas, a terrifying trip down a flood-swollen river, a barn fire and a ride on a circus elephant’s trunk. In a change-of-pace role, Edward G. Robinson is a revelation of wisdom and compassion as Selma’s father, leading a fine cast that illuminates the profound power of everyday triumphs and sorrows.

I have watched this movie twice on TCM and love it. It follows the life of a close Norwegian family in a Wisconsin settlement. The family values of the whole village are wonderful and Margaret O'Brien is a treasure. I love her telling of the Nativity in the church Christmas pageant.

Maybe you can find the DVD at your library. You can stream it on Amazon and iTunes. This is a must-see movie. I have never read the book but it must be wonderful too.

Christmas Eve at My Cottage with Luminaria

Christmas Eve 2018 at My Cottage

I finally edited an iPhone photo and made it good enough to post. I used the photo editor built into my phone. I am so happy my across-the-street neighbors invited me to participate in luminaries to set out on Christmas Eve. I did my walkway too and it was magical. The long-burning fat candles amazed me. I had no idea they would burn between 10 and 12 hours depending on the wind conditions. My neighbors ordered the bags and candles here. This is going to be a tradition for me for sure. I took this photo about 10:30 pm when the full moon was above my cottage and the stars were plentiful and bright. Only 6 families signed up, two next to me and three contiguous properties on the other side. Several friends said they drove through and commented on how beautiful it was. Maybe more will participate next year. I hope so. One more day until year's end. Where did it go? xo

Simple Christmas Decor

I love this minimalist Christmas tree and package wrapping. Simple is good. My neighbors across the street put out luminaria last year on Christmas Eve and this year they invited all the people on the street to do so too. They ordered all the supplies. I decided to only do my front walk and just finished putting out my white paper bags filled with sand with a fat candle inside. I won't be home when it's time to light them so my neighbors will light mine. It will look so nice when I come home.

lu·mi·nar·i·a

noun

a Christmas lantern consisting of a votive candle set in a small paper bag weighted with sand and typically placed with others along a driveway, sidewalk, or rooftop as a holiday decoration.

UPDATE: I was amazed at how long the luminaries lasted after they were lit at dusk. The special candles lasted for almost 12 hours. My neighbors ordered them here.

Christmas Eve in Iceland

Yes. This does sound perfect. via