Downsized Tree and Angels

I finished decorating my tree in the living room. It took just a few minutes because it is so much smaller than what I usually put in this room. I decided to downsize this year because I will be splitting my time between here and our Florida home.

 

Below are pictures from last year.

 

 

ChristmasTablescapes from last year

 

 

And below is now!

 

What a big difference from past Christmases.

 

 

 I raised it on a wooden trunk and then placed it in a crock. Guess what I used to weight it down, my husband's weights, lol. And then I covered them with brown packing material that I save when I get packages in the mail.

 

 

 I filled various vases with holly berries from the garden.

A Sevres bowl with various mercury silver balls and ceramic eggs.

 

 

 

 I used mostly silver, white, clear blue balls and snowflakes. Then I added the 2 balls that I brought back from our trip in Germany. I thought they were Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI  but they don't look like them. Does anybody know who they are?

I want to add this info that I just received from Susanne, who said,  "I am a silent reader of your blog and writing to you from Germany. The portraits on the Christmas spheres represent Marie-Gabrielle Capet and Charles Le Brun".

Thank you so much for the info, Susanne!

 

I googled them and looks like they are both painters from the 1700's.

I am not done wrapping presents yet.

 I kept the mantel pretty simple too. Just gathered a few cherubs and it's done.

 

The console in the foyer is also kept simple. I placed the Nativity that I found in a thrift store for $10 while donating some clothes last week, hang a little wreath that I made using holly berries from the yard.

That is all for now. I will work on my small kitchen counter tree next. I hope you are enjoying shopping this black weekend. I did mine on line. Seasons greetings everyone! Thanks for your visits and to all the hostesses.

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Luxemburg, Nov, 2013

After 4 days in Paris, we took a long bus drive to where the Viking Prestige river cruise ship was docked. But before that, we stopped in Luxemburg (Luxembourg) and they gave us a tour there. The trees were so colorful all along the way.

 

 

The bus was very comfortable. It even has a sun roof, never seen one in a bus before.

We finally arrived in Luxemburg! Luxemburg is a very progressive country, very small but beautiful. Their main industry is banking, very profitable that their citizens do not work, they just collect an allowance. Immigrants do the work. It is a very safe country too with zero crime, it reminds me of Monaco. What a relief after always being warned in Paris of pickpocketers.

The trees were really colorful, pictures do not do them justice.

The tour guide walked us to this building and told us we can go on our own so we can eat lunch and then we would meet again after an hour and a half in this place. John and I decided not to eat, we walked around instead.

 

 

What made the trip even more fun was that we were traveling with my 2 sisters, my cousin and her hubby, my nephew and his wife (not pictured) and some friends.

It was a Sunday so we went window shopping, literally. All the stores were closed except for 2 souvenir shops.

the palace on the left

John likes to have his picture taken by the guard.

  The parliament building, now called the Chambre des Députés, had the legislative power: it had the right to propose and amend laws. It would decide the budget, received the power to investigate. The government became accountable to the Chamber.

Luxemburg's Notre Dame Cathedral. The first stone of the church was laid on 7 May 1613.

Passerelle, Luxemburg's viaduct with a breathtaking view. It dates back to 1861 when the old city fortress was still standing.

After touring the city, they took us to the American Cemetery and Memorial.

At the bottom right of the mosaic are my sisters and me.

This is where General Patton is buried.

After Luxemburg, the bus took us to another long trip, to Bernkastel in Germany, where the ship was docked and that will be my next post for "Oh the Places I've Been" for next week.
Thank you so much for stopping by and thanks a lot to the hostesses.
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Thanksgiving Tablescape, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

I created a Thanksgiving table although we are probably not using it cause it's just John and me here for Thanksgiving. All our friends went to Florida and of course all our kids live in Florida. We will all get together in a few weeks.

 

The setting is in the formal dining room, using a tablecloth I bought from Rhodes, Greece.

The layers of plates consist of a wooden plate charger, a ceramic one, Johnson Brothers' historic America "Frozen Up" dinner plate, Queen's Myott Thanksgiving dinner and salad plates.

 

 I bought this wooden bowl a few months ago from Marshall's. I like the weird shape of it.

 

 I used brass napkin rings for the 6 place settings and used wooden pumpkin ones for the heads because I only have 7 brass ones. The flatware is a brass set with mahogany handles "Siam" that my beloved cousin from the Philippines gave me years ago.

 

 

Amber "Iris" goblets and green wine glasses.

The 3 tiered candle holder is from Willow House.

 Mallard ducks S & P shakers, pewter pheasants S & P shakers and some old salt cellars.

 

Lastly, I want to show you the tea set I bought recently from Trier City in  Germany. I bought it from the Villeroy and Boch store and the pattern name is "Audun Ferme". I love the transferware with the pastoral scene. I would have bought more pieces but we were very limited in luggage space. I also bought the iron stand/warmer that the teapot is on but it was from Rothenberg.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by. Aside from the many blessings that I have to be thankful for particularly my family and friends, I am also thankful for all of you, my blogging friends. Thanks to the hostesses too for adding fun to blogging.

 

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