paper snow angels for Christmas...

oh my!

 it has been such a long while since my last post!!

~ and there really is a logical explanation...

really there is :)

you see, 

my darling daughter is in her final year in high school!

there are soooo many little details that need my attention

 to help prepare her into her next big adventure in life.

please forgive my absence.

I promise to return on a regular basis soon...

I miss you all so very much!

I miss posting

and 

reading all of the fabulous inspiration you have posted too.

I just couldn't let this most wonderful time of the year go by

without wishing all of my dear readers 

a very merry Christmas and a happiest New Year!!

I've posted some photos of my holiday decor this year ~

my theme has been snow angels

so without further adieu

here is a little tour in the land of odds...

a crystal snowflake and jingle bell Christmas greens

 front door adornment

with a lovely blue satin ribbon bow...

at my front entrance hangs
a pair of wings I spun from white tulle
I wanted an ethereal feel...
and
it wouldn't be Christmas to me
 without paperwhite flower blooms!

a bowl full of glittering "snowballs"

and holiday greens at the base of my entrance table...

my dinning room table

holds our advent wreath and candles ...

I adore how these angel wings look

tied to my advent candles...

frosted snowflakes can be found sprinkled throughout our home this year...

...all is calm ~ all is bright...

my santos, wearing her raw crystal crown and feather wings...

our mantle complete with a garland of snowflakes and paper snow angels...

paperwhite blooms and lovely shimmers abound...

this is my flocked alpine snowing tree!

you can't see it,

but at the back of the trunk

a tube runs up to the top

and showers snow down upon the tree!!

it is completely magical I tell you!!

I placed a hoop above the tree on the ceiling

and hung my paper snow angels all the way around.

when the heater turns on,

they twirl around

dancing by twinkling fairy lights!!

I wish you could see how lovely they are with your very own eyes :)

a night time glimpse of the dancing garland of snow angels...

there is even a snow angel upon our bed!

she whispers sweet winter wishes as we dream...

her wings are two pillows!!

I made them from tulle too...

upon her head

 sits an ethereal veiled crystal crown...

and with her

she carries a crystal snowflake...

I hope that all of your holiday preparations and pretties

 have enriched your homes

 and the lives of those you hold near and dear

as mine have

and that in these coming days,

your homes are also filled with much love and joy

and your hearts are blessed beyond your wishes...

Merriest Hearts, dear ones!

~ and a Happiest New Year!

xo,

a pretty pearl paper pajaki...

hello again dear hearts! 

my ~ 

but it has been a few days since my last posting!!

I hope your summer has been filled with many beautiful days

just full of happy activities 

as mine has been :)

last week, in a few spare moments

I created a pajaki...

Have you ever heard of them?!

Polish paper chandeliers??

well, 

I hadn't until I spied a most lovely one

over at Fete et Fleur's blog

I simply feel head over heels in love with the concept

and was inspired to make one too!

There are many "diy" tutorials on these
traditionally, they were made from straws and pieces of colored scrap paper
but I wished to make mine using pearl white paper

I don't believe that there is any one way to string them

simply gather up a few pretty paper things and have fun!

I used pearl tissue paper and made flower poms

 and paper punched circles out

of a pearl tissue sheet treated with wax paper

so when I sewed them together 

they would resemble illuminated capiz shells!

I looked for plain pearl straws

and would have even settled for plain white ones

 that I would have pearled myself

LOL!!

but,

I used these silver and white paper straws instead, 

incorporating tiny paper rose flowers between each straw section

for even more whimsy!

these pretty paper chandeliers could be used for parties ~

How lovely would a few strung over a food table be with a few twinkle lights?!!

or 

a baby mobile in a nursery?!?

I added a paper swan silhouette cutout

but you could use any shape you adore!

there are so many inspiring things in blog land!

and don't even get me started on pinterest!!

but how awesome is the ripple effect??

When we share the pretties we make for our homes

that bring a smile or a happy thought to our hearts 

that will perhaps in turn,

 inspire someone else's heart too!! 

I wish you all

 many lovely moments

living authentic, joyful days!

sharing this post with:

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday

shabby art boutique's: shabbilicious friday

here's to pretty paper pajaki's!

...a place to listen to the whispers of your heart...

in this hurry up world,

perhaps

 there are a few of you like me...

you desire a little place of our own to decompress

...to regroup

recompose....

most mornings,

you would find me in such a space.

until the beginning of this year,

this space never existed...

I desired somewhere quiet

where i could meditate and practice yoga.

I pondered a bit 

and decided what better area, than in the place I create?!

so a wall was cleared and I began designing

a place for stillness...

I wanted a mural of something that I was inspired by,

so naturally I chose ~ the sea

 I began there. with that mural

and found a place that will turn your photos into a

~  shower curtain ~

I loved the concept of sitting there,

the window open

a slight breeze flowing

and the fabric moving ever so slightly like the rippling of a wave...

I used those brilliant little removable wall hooks

to attach it to the wall,

as we are in a rental and that's a lot of holes to fill : )

next came the rug.

I am still seeking a soft, silk/wool rug that delights my heart

but for now,

this grey one will do.

every meditation room will be different

the important key is simply using what you love

and choosing things that evoke a calm beauty for your soul...

in my space,

you will find these white silk and sequin pillows

as I am a tactile person and yearn for lovely things to the touch

as well as to my eye,

and  intoxicating soy candles...

for flames that dance as they flicker

...a lotus flower fountain 

for a subdued, tranquil sound of flowing water

a lovely white orchid,

as a reminder to stand tall and elegant

no matter the conditions surrounding me...

to which I have placed within a beloved giant shell,

filled with white sand

with a few treasures tucked in 

that have a special meaning to me...

I also added a curly willow branch

 from a tree we planted on my mother's property when my son was 5 years old.

he is now 21, and that tree is tall and mighty indeed!

just like my son :)

again,

filling my space 

with elements that have a special pull

 on my heart and on my soul...

I adore a little sparkle

ANYWHERE!

so I strung crystals upon my overhead branch

along with a few white sparkly starfish and white silk lotus flowers...

and there you have it!

a place where I can listen to the whispers of my heart...

perhaps you will be inspired to design a little quiet space

 for yourself in your home too!

using your pretties and secret treasures

to simply ~ just be ~

sharing today's post with:

petite michelle louise's: grey dey thursdey

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday
shabby art boutique's: shabbilicious friday

here's to those quiet spaces of stillness!