Christmas Afterglow

Hello Friends!  I hope your Christmas was wonderful. We made it through December, and today finds me in a quiet place as all the Christmas decor has been put away for another year. It is a rainy foggy and cold day, a day meant for reflecting and counting my blessings for it has been quite a year that none of us could have ever predicted. 

Our family truly embraced the season and held tight the meaning as we attended Christmas Eve church service ...in our cars holding candles out the window singing Silent Night.  

No question the holiday season of 2020 was by far

very different from all our past celebrations. 

I truly missed those family members 

who could not be with us this year. 

 We all needed a little joy in our lives and

 so grateful for those we love whether physically near

 or in our hearts this year.       

Come on in our home...the door is open and our hearts are full.

Tradition at our house is cutting a real tree 

and decorating it with family ornaments...

including  a few Shiny Brites from my childhood.

 The antique engraving over the fireplace is quite special as my husband 

surprised me with "Meeting the Carriage" one Christmas.

My needlepointed tree skirt has seen many Christmas's!

Water is kept nearby for the tree drinks several pans of water a day!
Each ornament holds a memory of a special person or a place. 

Some of the ornaments I made before I was even married!

The handmade sled underneath the tree holds 
the Christmas books that love to be read year after year.

A roaring fire in the fireplace and 

the aroma of a real tree...smells of the season!

A place of honor for the nativity scene

Music plays an important role in our family as both

of our sons play the violin. 

This violin was their great grandfathers.

In the kitchen of our 102 year old home is the light fixture

adorned with fresh greens, berries and white doves. 

A bit of greenery and red velvet ribbon dress the kitchen clock .

Our kitchen is tiny by todays standards, but I love it.

Salt and Pepper shakers from a friend makes the red truck!

Vintage glasses and my grandmothers butter dish

The green lamp was a wedding gift to my mother and dad 

who had very little to begin housekeeping.

Nothing says warm and cozy more than 

a warm glowing lantern in the corner of the kitchen. 

Even my laundry room has a Christmas mouse or two.

And the Christmas cactus went crazy this year.

On a low kitchen shelf is a row of lighted treasures

 for our little ones to admire. Just perfect height 

for a two year old to "twiddle".

A Christmas plate my mother gave me 
the year we were married is a treasure I bring out every year.

Needlepoint pillows are my favorite.

I have such amazing memories as a child, especially of my grandmother. 

This book on a side table was a Christmas gift from her teacher in 1905 ! 

My mother used to read it to me before bedtime.

Christmas dinner was just different this year. 

Not all our family was together, 

and it just seemed so strange. 

No added leaves in the table, No tablecloth this year, 

but a gold table runner just seemed right. 

A favorite little boy helped me clove the oranges.

Though I could never forgo a candlelit Christmas meal 

on my Christmas plates, 

it is who sits around my table

 that really matters. 

 

 So today finds me in a quiet place, as we end this crazy year...

grateful for all my loved ones and blessings granted. 

However your holidays unfold, whether shared with an extended family

 or a small circle of loved ones, I wish you joy in the coming year and

may God hold us all in the palm of His hand.

I love when you leave a comment.

I read every one of them! 

You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

Like to know when a new blog post is up and available to read? Subscribe for email updates, it’s free and your email will never be shared. Subscribe for free post updates !

Be sure and follow on...

                                                     INSTAGRAM     PINTEREST     FACEBOOK 

A Closer Look...Christmas on the Porch

When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that a front porch was a postcard that gave a glimpse of who lived inside the house. Back then, I was not quite sure what grandmother meant.  But now, years later, I see the front porch as my grandmother did. 

The porches in my life have been important threads in my family tapestry.  They were where the greetings and partings of family and friends took place.  Our time on the porch bound us together and I imagine our front porch in a rather old-fashioned manner, transforming it into an outdoor living room as people used to do before the days of television and air conditioners.  

Over the years of living in our house, I've collected stories and ideas about making the front porch special.  While the old adage about fences making good neighbors is probably true, I prefer to think that porches make good friends. 

Especially this Christmas season, I invite and welcome you to my front porch.

I think perhaps of all the seasons on the porch, winter is my favorite.  Above, a monogram personalizes a cheery wreath welcome at my door.

Our front porch is filled with greenery of Christmas-   pine, boxwood, juniper, fir, holly, cedar and of course....magnolia!

"Don we now our gay apparel..." The words of this favorite carol 

can be applied to our porch as velvet ribboned hurricanes light the 

stone entryway as the evening hours fade into darkness.  

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."

- W.T. Ellis

Fresh evergreens with silver birds, twigs, and bright red 

amaryllis offer a welcome in an antique concrete urn. 

My friend Ruth, remembered our antique sleigh down at the barn.  

She surprised me with a vintage thermos, sign and tartan red plaid blanket.

Black & white checked ribbon intertwined with fresh evergreen branches and red berries 

embellish a lantern for Santa and his tree. 

The past is brought to life as timeworn cobblestones on the porch columns

 come alive with red plaid ribbon.

To properly fill garden urns, fit them with watertight liners 

and plenty of floral foam.

Look closely and you will see a birds nest tucked in among the greens.  

I love our real birds in the aviary and work the theme into our Christmas trimmings. 

Beyond the traditional elements of Christmas, Buddy's red Chevy truck 

makes its way onto the porch. 

 A few more bright red truck welcoming accents 

Drive by at night to see Buddy's truck all aglow.

My grandparents were farmers...cotton farmers. 

As a nod to our heritage, we always have to have a bit of cotton in our decor. 

A few more red trucks !

Toss a blanket over your lap and enjoy a swing on the porch even in the winter.  

Bring a toasty cup of cocoa out to the front porch and listen to the quiet of winter - the creak of snow laden branches; the soft dripping of icicles; the sound of animals padding across the yard. Or simply be still and take in the quiet. 

  

The colors and textures seem to compliment each other 

on my bakers' rack with warmth and sweetness. 

Vintage wedding cake toppers from the 1940's are under glass and part of our white porch decor

 with white vases, more greenery and a bit of cotton.

                                               A vintage 1977 plate offers a sentiment...
                                 "All hearts go home for Christmas, for love is always there."

A delicate detailed display of deer on a silver tray are some of my childhood treasures. 

The deer inspiration adds a bit of coziness and 

Christmas cheer to a corner skirted table on the porch.

These stone steps leading up to the porch are quite special on their own. For a hundred years they have served as a stage for hellos, good-byes, hugs and kisses.  During the spring, summer and fall, weddings begin here as a bride steps out the front door, preparing to walk down the aisle and start a new life together.

But winter....During the bustling holidays, we eagerly await friends and family and those we love making the traditional journey home.

"Hellos, Good-bye's, Hugs, and Kisses" ...come in and get warm.

...Christmas on the porch !