Little People Are Taking Up Space in the China Cabinet

 

Uh oh. Little people are invading Grandmother's china cabinet.

But they are so darned cute, I'm letting them. 

There are a half dozen darlings from Peru, South America.

 That's the native country of one of my dearest friends.

When she goes to visit there, she always brings home little dollies.

Their outfits are so bright and cheerful, all done in brilliant colors that are pleasant to the eye.

 On the bottom selves is a tiny ballerina and a "big sister," both dressed in pink, my favorite color.

 To the far right, on the bottom shelf,  is a sweet little angel, peeking out from behind the glass fronted cabinet door.

 They are a cheerful lot, sharing living space with Old Country Roses dishes and a couple of straggler pieces of cranberry glass.

HOW DO YOU USE DIFFERENT PIECES OF FURNITURE IN YOUR HOME OR APARTMENT?

 

Peace to All

Hello Dear Blog Peeps...

Each day I try to put aside at least one item to sell or give away.

This is part of the gargantuan, never-ending effort to downsize and live less cluttered where I have ended up-----a small but pretty apartment.

When looking at the wooden icon on my dresser, it was determined that is one thing I'll never give away.  Ever.

It belonged to my late husband and is very pretty with so much gold.

Two little "doors" can close to cover up the inside but it's always left open around here.

However, most of all , it honors the Blessed Mother, to whom my husband was very devoted. I revere her, as well.

The handmade icon actually copies a "Byzantine icon worked on canvas, old wood and set in a gold background,"  according to information glued on the back.

Mary, the Mother of God, is so very precious as she carried and bore the Prince of Peace, the King of all the Universe.  

Through good and bad times, she is always present in hearts and is a powerful intercessory to her Son. 

Seeing the icon brings me peace.

That's what is wished to you today-----the sweet gift of peace in your heart.

February Plans

Here we are, dear blog peeps, in a brand new month!

February is known as the month that celebrates love, with Valentine's Day and all.

What a lovely thing to do and what a great holiday to celebrate!  

During many cold, blustery days of winter, being mostly retired, is a great gift.

Staying home, safe and sound, one does not have to traipse through icy sidewalks or drive on slippery roads until they are cleared.

Around here, there is always a cup a fresh ginger tea to enjoy in a favorite Old Country Roses patterned cup.

 Also, there is almost always a candle (or two or three or five) burning.

These are faux but look SO much like the real thing.

They are from the company, Luminara.

 It's also fun to plan for Valentine's Day. 

I love sending (and receiving) Valentine cards. 

 Also loved is decorating my little apartment with hearts and red, white, and pink everything, all over.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PLANS FOR FEBRUARY?

Doilies Are Cool

In life, there are things we come to love and others that we dislike.

Despite "modern" interior decorating styles or the latest trends in how to fashion one's environment, we can still stick with what appeals to us.

For instance, I love doilies.

They are equated with an old-fashioned, grandmother-type of decor.

Who cares?

My own late maternal grandmother used to crochet gorgeous doilies, curtain edges, and all kinds of other things.

They were actually works of art.

In my little apartment, doilies are used and loved. 

They are a far cry from millennial bareness trends. 

Stick with what appeals to you and brings a smiles to your faces. 

Around here, doilies rock! 

Flashes of Comfort

 

Winter can be depressing, at times, in New England. 

Many days dawn without sun and that makes for dark gray surroundings.

Today is one of those days. 

 One must work hard to keep negative thoughts from creeping in.

One way to do that is to have things in one's indoor environment that provide flashes of comfort.

One of those around here is to burn candles with nice fragrances. 

A spicy candle reminiscent of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies just burned out this morning.

 

Looking into a stash of other candles, one called "strawberry pound cake" got retrieved.

Since there are absolutely no plans to make a strawberry pound cake any time soon, the candle will suffice nicely and not add a single calorie.

 Also providing flashes of comfort are plants, including a brave little pink hyacinth.  

 The other day, a sweet fragrance was detected in the living room that did not come from a candle. Then I remembered the hyacinth on the little table and gave her a thumbs up.

A very beautiful needlepoint with deep pink roses against a black velvet background has been turned into a pillow case.

Several winters ago, I brought the piece of needlepoint on black velvet into a consignment shop that offered lots of hand sewn creations.

The owner happily agreed to turn the velvet needlepoint piece into a pillowcase so she was immediately hired.

That piece of velvet with needlepoint flowers must have taken someone a long time to create. 

 It deserves to have a spotlight and a new role. Plus, it's another flash of comfort.

So the flashes of comfort make the long, freezing cold winter days more bearable.

 Oh, my goodness, the sun just popped out! It won't be around for long but while it's here, it'll be considered it another flash of comfort (and light!)