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All is calm

Hi everyone,
This post is long in coming and I’ve been looking at it for several days now, but the truth is that I’m finding Christmas very hard this year.

Ok, I’m just going to stop writing about that now because it’s been two more days of writing and deleting and writing and deleting since I started this post, and if I keep on trying to, and failing so spectacularly to explain myself, it will suddenly be New Year and this post will still be in the draft stage, so nuff said.

This year, although I cannot have Robbie with me, I do have my two oldest children and my four grandchildren for Christmas day, so I’m thrilled and looking forward to seeing their shiny faces. I’ve never had Christmas morning with my grandchildren since they were born, so that’s wonderful for me.

I usually get my tree on the 15th of December because it has to stick around till the feast of the three kings (January 6th), but this year I just couldn’t get my act together and so didn’t get it till the 17th!
By that time, my favourite charity tree lot had about four trees left, and they were all 8′ tall. Perfect for me and for my house.

I put the tree in the stand…with the usual help from my crew…and set about decorating it.

I’m up to four crates worth of vintage and Czech glass ornaments and it took about four hours to get them all out and on the tree. Then I decided to repair last year’s broken ornaments and get those on the tree as well. Then I decided that I hate the screen behind the tree, and also that the mantle is still full of hydrangeas and autumnal birch paintings and needed redecorating, so a massive project ensued. Project Get Christmasy With It!

Most of you know my aunt was an amazing artists and most of you know I owe part of my talent to her tutoring and guidance, but I don’t often show you the legacy of paintings I have from her.
This painting of the Madonna and Child, the Sistine Madonna, is one of her paintings which she painted for me over 30 years ago. She used to practice by replicating great masters and I was newly married to a Roman Catholic, so I asked her to paint me the most beautiful religious painting I could think of. I’m lucky to have it. The angels at the bottom have always symbolized home to my children.

I cleaned off my mail on my marble desk. This desk is right beside the front door and a catchment for my purse, keys, sunglasses and all papers which come my way.

And I took the hydrangeas and autumnal aspen paintings off the mantle piece and replaced them with more Christmas appropriate decorations.

I also brought back this painting which I did as part of our art challenge last year.
I love living with my art and love to cycle it around as I feel like it. The time for this little misty painting seemed right.

And joining the painting are my two nutcrackers, one bought in England and the other in Austria, symbolizing the two parts of my family.

And there you have it. One half of the Christmas living room…

…and the other.

I did make a vlog recently…at least I did take loads of video footage for a vlog but haven’t got my act together to post it. I’ll try to get to that soon otherwise we might just miss Christmas altogether, and that would never do.

Comments: 13

  • December 19, 2016
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    All I can say is simply – gorgeous! I know the feeling I have blogs that I start and then kind of can’t get it together and before you know it the time is gone and they just don’t fit and so they never really get published. I love your paintings I love the whole feel of this post. Merry Christmas <3

  • December 19, 2016
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    Hope it helped to post this one, Veronica! I enjoyed seeing all the photos of your day!

  • December 20, 2016
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    What a gorgeous tree and living room! And grandchildren for Christmas morning — that’s going to be fun! And that is the fattest little woodpecker I’ve ever seen. So cute!

  • December 20, 2016
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    All is calm, all is bright…

    Love this post, and oh, can I ever relate to the things that made finishing hard.

  • December 20, 2016
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    Veronica, beautiful post thank you, hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family šŸ™‚ Your not alone with Blogging, sometimes I write a whole one out, post… Then remove it! Lol Or I air my feelings there for a few days and if the feelings are a bit raw to read, me venting anger for instance :-/ then I remove lol… Our perogative.. šŸ™‚

  • PSC

    December 20, 2016
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    Beautiful, artistic and oh-so-Christmas-y! Lovely, as always, Veronica! <3

  • December 20, 2016
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    maybe there’s something in the air because i dont feel it either i dont feel christmasy or in any way in the mood for shopping and wrapping .. lucky for me my sister and i decided not to gift eachother this year and my husband and i havent done gifts in a long time .. the annual dinner we attend on Christmas Day means i must wrap a few things .. all things that were bought over the past year because thats the way i do it … i hate shopping … especially this time of year .. if we lived near one another i would tell you to come over and we could have a cup of tea and shake off the blahs … xo

  • December 20, 2016
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    (((hugs))) for whatever you didn’t post. Your home is beautiful, I am in love with it. Happy Christmas.

  • December 20, 2016
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    Beautiful! Your Christmas is complete. I didn’t even put up a tree this year. So I shall enjoy yours.

  • December 21, 2016
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    Looks simply lovely…..and grand children for Christmas morning–wow!! I imagine you will make that magical!!!
    Hope the Christmas spirit has nipped you now!!!

    Happy happy holidays to you and your family!!

  • December 21, 2016
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    lovely and yes so much work
    grand that you repaired broken ornaments
    you must have felt that you accomplished a great deal at the end of the day

    lovely holidays to you and yours ~

  • December 24, 2016
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    I have been gone on a trip and just back.
    sitting here now with my coffee and am enraptured by your beautiful tree
    and the mellow light of your room… and the perfect little touches of Christmas!
    the painting your aunt did is so lovely. and special for so many reasons.
    I know you must be missing your beloved Robbie. you don’t have to be hesitant about it on here.
    your blog is a gift to us. thank you for its beauty throughout the year. and for just being you!
    love to you. and Merry Christmas!!!

  • December 29, 2016
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    Hello lovely .. oh I’m sorry to hear that Robbie wasn’t with you for Christmas. Your tree looks stunning V. Good to see that you had some kitty help too šŸ˜€ Your Aunt was very clever V. I just love the painting that you did of the deer, it is perfect for Christmas. Huge hugs

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