Home in January

The holidays were wonderful, and it was amazing to be in Paris on Christmas...but so good to be home!  It did not take too long to pack away Christmas as we did a "basic Christmas" since we would be away.

I love the peace and calm of January...cozy tea, good books, a fire, a comfy throw, and good movies.

While a lot of people don't decorate for January, I do - and find it fun and a nice change from all the holiday colors.

My chair is all set for reading and watching the snow fall.  The pillow is old - after Christmas sale at Hobby Lobby.  The silver bird from Target, and the Winter book by Mary Englebreit has been mine for years.

Some Christmas balls purchased at K-Mart years ago - a steal after the holidays - fill a tray from Dollar Tree on our coffee table.  I cut up some winter berry picks from JoAnn Fabrics to liven it up, then added a votive with a snowflake ornament ( also from Dollar Tree) on top.

Switched out the red holly for some white and blue picks on the mantel...

added a snowflake and winter bird to my ivy...

and made a simple centerpiece for the dining table.  The white "snowballs" are Martha Stewart ornaments I picked up after Christmas at Lowes years ago...the blue candle is new.  All of my candles looked more cream than white so I just ordered this one - a set of three - from Amazon.  I really like it because they were very inexpensive, and come with a remote, making it easy to light when we have dinner.

You can find them here - Blue Candles

Some snowmen and a snowflake in the kitchen corner...

and the snowmen are enjoying some wine, too.

This snowman was an ornament gift from a friend...I use it for January and used some nail polish to make the wine glass look like it holds a nice red blend!

Our foyer welcome guests with a winter greeting and another snowman...

as well as the snowman on our door.  It usually snows as soon as I take down the Christmas wreath and put this up...and this year did not disappoint.  Not much snow, but enough to feel cozy watching it while it fell.

Yesterday was Epiphany and it is our tradition to bless our home on that day.  When I was a child our parish priest would visit every home sometime after Christmas and bless the house for the coming year.  The door is marked with the year, a cross, and the initials of the Three Kings - Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar.  My mom was a wonderful cook and our parish priest always seemed to be at our home right before lunch - so my mom would invite him to stay for something to eat.

That tradition is fading away, and priests have not visited homes for many years....but we carry on the tradition by blessing our home with holy water and praying that everyone who enters our home is blessed.  

Today is our 47th wedding anniversary...so we do feel very blessed to have all these years together.  We are going out this evening to try a new restaurant  - and glad the weather is going to cooperate.  So many anniversary dinners have been snowed out over the years!

Love this meal for lunch or dinner during the cold winter months...so very cozy!

Do you decorate for January?  Are you a fan of the winter - or are you longing for Spring?  Please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you !

Have a cozy winter!

 Paris is always a good idea!

That Audrey Hepburn quote has always inspired me...and yes, Paris was a great idea and the perfect way to celebrate my dear husband's 70th birthday and Christmas combined.

We even made our Christmas Card "Paris themed" by taking this photo in our guest bath!  That is our Paris shower curtain in the background and it worked great.  Our guest bath is "all Paris" - as you can see here - We'll Always Have Paris

We set out on a Viking River Cruise called "Christmas on the Seine" with a few days in Paris before the start of the cruise.

Our hotel - Hotel Rochester - was just a few blocks off of the Champs Elysees and perfect for exploring the city.

I took WAY too many photos...having a phone that takes photos makes it too easy to keep snapping shots.  In the past - when you had a camera with real film - I was so careful to make sure I did not use up all the film before the end of the trip.  Then came digital cameras, and I was a little careful not to fill up the memory card.  But now, even though I want to be in the moment and not take so many photos, it is so easy to keep snapping away.

Here are some highlights from our wonderful trip...

A beautiful morning walk through Le Marais  -  past beautiful shop windows and buildings filled with history.

We walked all over the city...one day logging over 24,000 steps - riding the metro, eating crepes, visiting the Christmas markets, museums, the amazing department store displays, and a very moving ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe that honored the Unknown Soldier and all veterans.

After all that walking we were happy to board the Viking Radgrid for a trip up the Seine, but the river was swollen with too much rain so we had to board the ship about 10 miles away from Paris.  Viking did a great job in shuttling us into Paris so we did not miss anything.

I have some great video of the Eiffel Tower sparkling - as it does every 15 minutes - but having trouble loading the video!

I decorated our cabin door for Christmas, we had the first of great meals on the ship, then headed back to Paris for a boat ride around the city to see the lights...MAGICAL!

We got to make ornaments to decorate the tree in the ship's lounge...

Hear fabulous organ concerts in old cathedrals in little towns along the Seine...

Have delicious food and wine...

See amazing old cities...

And even hiked to see Richard the Lionheart's fortress!

Several trees on the ship to make the holidays festive!

Christmas Eve Services at the American Cathedral.

A Happy Birthday toast to John!

What a wonderful adventure and great way to celebrate Christmas and a special birthday.  Now we are home again, ready to begin the New Year of 2024, and excited about all that is to come.

Thanks so much for coming along on our trip.  

Have you traveled over the holidays?  Would you do it again?  

Please leave a comment below - I so enjoy hearing from you!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year filled with health, happiness, and peace!

Joyful Get Together

Before the calendar turned to December our home was decorated for Christmas!  We always decorate the the weekend after Thanksgiving so we have the maximum time to enjoy it all.  Also, since our wedding anniversary is January 8th, we take down all the holiday stuff on New Year's Day (usually while watching the Twilight Zone marathon!) so our anniversary is it's own special day.

This year is a bit different...we will be away for several days over the holidays, so this year is a much pared down decorating year.  Last year we knew of this trip, so I labeled a plastic tote "BASIC HOLIDAY" and put just the few things I knew would give our home a holiday feel...without digging through all the holiday totes.

And...not putting up our big tree this year!  I have to laugh...when my mother was my age she decided she was not going to put up a Christmas tree any longer.  I was appalled!  How can you NOT have a tree?  She said she did have a tree...a ceramic light up tree. UGH!  Fast forward and I am now the age my mother was at that time... and since we are not going to be home on Christmas...

It's official...I have turned into my mother!

I invited my college friends to come for brunch and then some shopping. Those placemats were a gift from my sister in law Barb the first year we were married...so they are VINTAGE.  She made them and I love them because the other side is red and white polka dots - I keep them on hand all year because that side works for Valentine's Day, 4th of July, etc.  We live near a large Tanger Outlet Center, so there is always some good shopping and with the holidays on the way it was a perfect time to get together.  We fueled up on French toast, quiche, bacon, fruit, muffins, and of course...

Mimosas!  Cheers to 50 years of friendship!

I wanted to have a little gift at each place setting - something small as we stopped exchanging gifts a few years ago.  I noticed I had a lot of empty Yankee Candle jars on hand...I always clean them out, remove the labels, run them through the dishwasher...and then I have run out of uses for them.  Our garbage provider does not recycle glass like that, so I came up this idea.

This is the empty jar...all clean and shiny! 

I found these cute socks...looks like elf style!

A small hand cream to keep in your purse...

a seasonal lip balm...

and CANDY!

Place them all inside the jar...

and tied with a cute ribbon and an ornament from Dollar Tree!

These were a big hit - and when the treats are removed the jar can be used - like I do - to store pantry items or anything you want.  I liked this idea so much and I have a few other empty jars - plus I am always burning a candle so more jars to come - that I am going to try adapting this idea for neighbor gifts for other holidays.

The rest of our "Basic Christmas" decorations include candles...

a few holly berries and a little mug that was part of my mom's holiday collection.

Simple coffee table arrangement...with my Uncle Joe's cane against the fire place a la Miracle on 34th Street.  He was a generous uncle with white hair...lived to his late 80's...I am so glad I have his cane and great memories.

Part of the big nativity set that was my dear mother-in-law's...just the basics this year.

A few things to "Christmas Up" the kitchen...that cup and saucer is part of our Christmas dish collection.  Pfaltzgraff Christmas Heirloom...now discontinued, but we have enough for a crowd.  The little trees are from Dollar Tree...love the way they look.  

Love this sign...and found Double Dog Dare wine which we hope to drink while we watch "A Christmas Story"!

Foyer decorations

and our wreath  - all the Cat's Meow It's A Wonderful Life items and a bell that rings every time we open and close the door...

And anyone one who is a REAL Wonderful Life fan will know that those are "Zuzu's petals"!

Do you decorate heavy for Christmas...or are you starting to scale it back?  I thought I would miss everything I put out every year, but I like how things look.  Not making cookies this year...that is hard for me. Cookies mean Christmas - in 46 years I only did not bake once when I had the flu, so this is weird for me.

Are you baking ?  Any new traditions?  Please leave a comment below - I read everyone and try to respond, and I love hearing from you !

Enjoy this wonderful month of December and remember - 

Thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista !