Merry Christmas

Winter Memories

by Randy Van Beek

 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.



 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.


 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end... Isaiah 9:2, 6,7
 
 

Those who obey the gospel keep the teachings of Christ uppermost in their minds and whose lives reflect his glory, will experience the peace of knowing they are within his will.

Randy Van Beek is one of the few artists today who paints the kind of Victorian houses I like. I will be showing  some of these houses in future posts, with a link where you can get prints of these.

In the meantime, I discovered I had a "Randy Van Beek" in my home.  A print of his winter scene was on a gift bag I got at the Dollar Tree. This came in a package of two bags for a dollar, so I got the print for fifty cents.  Here you see it displayed on a table-top easel.  The ribbons could be tied in a neat bow, to hide the holes at the top of the bag. I have seen people frame these gift-bag pictures, and, to hide the holes, they just glue a decal or a fabric embroidered rose on them.  You can find a lot of good art on these gift bags if you will look. The bottem of the bag will tell you who the artist is, and then you can go home and look it up on the web.

                                                    

Here is a closer view of this wonderful painting. The horse and carriage are mounted on the bag to give it a dimensional look. You cannot really see it here.

So far, I have been enjoying a "pink Christmas" , but today I have been puttering around my house, changing it to white. Here is a glittered candle, which is very easy to make. I showed the step-by step directions a few years ago.

This is the same silver bowl in a previous post. I wanted to share what you could do without buying special decorations for different seasons. Just use a bowl and insert a glass jar, even a used jelly jar, and put one of those led-lights in it, surrounding it with a garland or ring of some kind, and laying it on an antique doily.

I had seen pictures of round ornaments in candle holders, but discovered icicle ornaments look more like candles, when turned upside down and inserted in the

candle holder.  Someone gave me this wrought iron candleabra, but I could not

burn candles, even in the little votive jars, because it was too close to the wall, and it got the wall so hot.  These icicle ornaments are perfect, and they came in a package of 8 for a dollar at the dollar store, a few years ago.

This room looks light and white today, but it could be red or blue tomorrow. For today, I am enjoying the calmness of the lighter decor. I use a clear shiny plastic on my table cloths to protect them.  In fact, I use it on every end table and every dresser top and every fireplace mantel, if I am using laces and doilies that I want to protect from damage. It does not detract from the warmth of the home, at all. It makes it more functional.

A lighted greeting from outside the front window,

and the little skates I made in the previous post, hanging up.

Please have a cup of tea and be at peace in the knowledge that as a homemaker, you have something very precious: freedom, and the blessings of the Lord, who makes it possible.

(Tea to follow, along with a craft for the children)