I Love to see Children react to the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas... they see the Wonder of it...
They get so excited about every aspect of it...
{Our Grand-Daughter Princess T and Grand-Niece Princess AB}
And their eyes grow wide
And their Creativity abounds during the Holidays...
As they proudly bring Home the Ornaments made at School or Day Care... of construction paper, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, buttons, bits & bobs... a Child sees everything through Creative eyes since they are quite fresh from The Father and so their Creativity flourishes and has no boundaries...
Eyes that see Candy Cane transform into Reindeer with their skillful little Creative hands and Believe that the Real Deal can fly... and will be pulling Santa's Sleigh...
That Love to snuggle beside the Christmas Tree every Night and fall sound asleep there with the Wonder of Christmas alive in their Dreams...
And want to partake of every Meal, Treat and Snack by the Tree... so that it will seem like a Party at Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner as they Dine by the twinkling Fairy Lights...
Shiny Bright Bulbs and all of the Treasures we decorated it with together.
And we don't mind because we must confess that we enjoy eating our Meals there too and each Evening turning off all the Lights and just illuminating the room with the Christmas Tree...
And Scented Candlelight.
Last Night we all had Confections for Dessert from the Bakery... YUM... we Heart Fresh Fruit Tart!!!
Children are inquisitive and soak up knowledge like a sponge... Prince R was learning about Hebrew at School and told me all about it, I was impressed at how much he'd absorbed... he pointed out that one of the Old Books we'd decorated our Tree with was in Hebrew and that I'd put the book upside down on the Tree!!! Obviously Gramma doesn't read Hebrew! *Winks* Well... we had to rectify that immediately! *Smiles*
So let us also partake in and enjoy the Wonder of Christmas... through the Images the G-Kids and I sought out to capture through the eye of the lens and share with you today... Enjoy...
A Winter Wonderland at the Mall...
With Sleighs full of enormous Presents and Santa's Elves...
And the closest thing to Snow that we'll get here in the deep Desert... *Winks*
But at least inside the Malls it's warm... not so much lately outside...
Because our Temps have been way below Normal... sometimes only in the 40's during the day *BRRRR* and I've had folks from New York and Lower Michigan coming up to my Kettle to Donate that tell me it's warmer back Home that day than here in Arizona!!!! *What!????!??*
So as I sit out ringing my bell I'm wearing two Bohemian Scarves, layered Jackets, Tights under Velvet Bloomers, Gloves and a Victorian Inspired Santa Hat... all with touches of Bohemian Bling of coarse! *Winks*
I look like a Desert Eskimo... thankfully some of my Dear generous Donors often come by with Hot Coffee for me, Starbucks no less... they spoil me so much!!! And yesterday the Manager of Pei Wei gave me a full Dinner sized Thai Dynamite Chicken Meal rather than the smaller Lunch size I'd ordered and a $10 Gift Certificate for best Santa Hat of the week!!! *Whoo Hoo!*
Well... at least the unseasonal cold weather gives me a good excuse to wear ALL of my Accessories at once! *Winks*
And you know how much us Ladies Love to wear our Accessories! *Smiles*
I was adoring this Christmas hued Chandie at a Restaurant during my Lunch...
And dozens of Trees at the Shops... laden with Ornamentation that might Inspire you to decorate your Tree in such a fashion... or pick out a brand new Christmas Tree for this Season or a Future one, different than any Christmas Tree you've had before...
Be it a Snowy White Tree with Sweets & Hippie adornments...
Trees made exclusively out of Shiny Christmas Balls...
Flocked Trees...
With Silvery, Icy and Lacy ornamentation...
Or one of the many delightful hues of Tinsel Trees... which now can be strung with Lights... so they've come a long way from the Aluminum Trees of yesteryear that required a Light Wheel to rotate upon it from the ground. *Smiles*
I like to see what's nestled amid the branches of all of the Trees... and the impact of a particular Ornament Theme en mass...
Of coarse the Sweet Vintage Style Bird Ornaments adorned with real Feathers appealed to me...
Being the Feather Fanatic than I am! *Winks*
But so did the crocheted Confection Ornaments mingled with irredescent glass Balls and reproduction European Blown Glass Ornaments depicting Santas and colorful Shiny Brights...
The Turquoise Tinsel Tree really caught my eye... a favorite hue and the ornamentation just popped against the backdrop of it...
Since all of the ornaments were 60% off it was difficult to resist some of my favs during my breaks while inside the Store... today's Posts were mostly taken at the JC PENNEYS Trees since I've been working out front of their Store all week.
I also love the "Pick" ornaments that you can tuck amid the branches in sprays of Beauty poking out in every direction... this one had Snowflakes and Pearls, what a Lovely combo!
And these Lacy Ball ornaments have Inspired me to save every scrap of Old Lace I have and jazz up my plain Christmas Balls by gluing Old Lace upon them.
I LOVED this "Lost In Space" Style ornament... a Futuristic Space Odyssey Inspired Tree might be Fun...
What's not to Love about an Angel Tree?!
Or huge Snowflakes... these almost looked like Cookies to me...
And I just have a Nostalgic fondness for the Old Fashioned Blown Glass in Traditional Styles...
And as for Tree Lights I'm torn... some years we go all White...
And other years, like this one, we have Colored Lights...
Yes, even though we decorated our Tree with our own Vision this Christmas, we still enjoy the Wonder of Christmas in the various Christmas Trees decorated at the Shops, Malls and Homes of Friends... each a Unique Vision of those who decorated it... because Decorating is always Personal and gives glimpses of the Personality of the Stylist...
I give props to the Store Employees who decorate all the Christmas Trees... I had once thought that all the Stores hired Professional Stylists {I know... silly me}... because they were all done so exceptionally...
I can only aspire to match the Tree Decorating Talents of many of the folks that have Styled the Trees I've been admiring in the various Shops...
Another great Idea for plain Glass Balls... the Icing with Sprinkles effect...
And Lacy Butterflies...
Even more of those Lacy Ornaments that have Inspired me...
And stringing a grouping of the Old Fashioned Glass Pinecones looks Divine...
Sock Monkey ornaments seemed to be all the craze, I saw them everywhere... what a Timeless Toy those have been for each Generation... never losing their appeal...
I don't think I ever tire of the Wonder of Christmas... I'm one to put the Decor up early... and take it down late... to enjoy it as long as possible...
And you won't hear me complaining about the Retail Shops putting theirs up early either... I revel in the Imagery of it all!!!
If I had my way I'd probably keep each Season's Decorations up until the next Holiday came around... *Winks*
And our Stockings are now hung above the Chimney with care... Hoping that Saint Nicholas soon will be there...
Yep, I finished sewing Stocking #3 tonight... and Hope to get #4 sewn by Christmas??? *Winks*
So satisfying to begin a Project that doesn't take me forever and a day to complete... *LOL*
I will most definitely be alternating my Creations in 2012 with a mixture and balance of large Projects and small ones...
It has been one of the Wonders of Christmas that I found any time at all to Create some new Projects! *Smiles*
And though it is certainly enjoyable to Create, decorate, enjoy the Wonders of Christmas and receive during the Holiday Season my Friends... let us not forget...
To GIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{Yes that's the Kettle I was working... notice the Sticker a precious Child put on it ... Smiles}
There are so many wonderful Ministries, Charities and Organizations that help those in need, not only during the Holidays, but every day, and do so with the resources provided by the generous support of those that cheerfully give. I have the privilege of seeing and meeting such generous Souls every day that I'm doing Seasonal work for the Salvation Army through Christmas Eve as a Bellringer.
And Wednesday I recognized a familiar face donating at my Kettle... none other than Ceekay from a favorite Blog I follow THINKING OF HOME!!! It was so nice to meet you in person Ceekay after having enjoyed your Blog for so long! It is indeed a small world isn't it!!?
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again. ~ Luke 6:38
Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian