Holiday Inspirations

I've been meaning to post about our Christmas preparations, but I was hoping to have some appropriate photos to share, and so far nothing has quite hit the spot. We decorated our (artificial - at least until we get a house) tree last weekend - and the inside of our small apartment. Today I put lights on the railing and in the windows. I tried the window lights last year but didn't think they fit well. I'm not sure why, as I now think they look quite pretty. They hang like icicles but are longer on each end of the window than in the middle and are indoor lights. It's amazing what a transformation has taken place. We really didn't do very much, but our home feels much warmer and more inviting than any other time of year.

Every Christmas I take out a book my mom gave me a few years back. It's called A Festive Christmas and is full of beautiful inspirations. (Thanks Mom!) The only directions I have used were for some Aromatic Dough Ornaments. Unfortunately I over-cooked them, and they had to be thrown out. I thought about trying again this year and using them to make a simple garland, but I don't know where I would hang it. I've considered some of the other gift ideas as well, namely the Trimmed Fabric Ornaments (pictured below). They are lovely. Then again, so are most of the photographs in the book:

I love looking at books like that. Sometimes the inspiration is as comforting, if not more, than the real thing.

I have also found myself terribly attracted to Scandinavian designs, and I think it may be the Christmas theme that has drawn me in far enough to mention it here. Of course I have suspicions that this is only the beginning. PBS aired a promotional special this morning, Rick Steves' European Christmas, and it was full of lovely Norwegian and Swedish holiday imagery. Maybe some day I'll make it there. You never know. =)

Time to study. More soon.