common ground

We're counting down the days now and I have a few more things that I want to share. I made a quick stop here at the sideboard on the Christmas House Tour, but I wanted to show a little more detail.

This lantern is one of two matching that I bought this year.

and it was the inspiration for my sideboard.

I wanted a serene "Jeanne D'Arc" feel to the entry and Living Room.

This little bottle brush wreath

and the bubble print portrait of Mary are separate,

they just happened to fit together beautifully.

(sorry for the glare of the overhead spots)

I also found these wonderful moss covered pinecones

and a battery operated candle to add to the lantern

with my Mary and Baby Jesus statue.

A few of my favorite vintage postcards and an ex voto in flower frogs.

I found this wonderful Madonna of the Goldfinch print

in this chippy frame a few years ago.

Here's a little information about the painting:

Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael or Raffaello

Renaissance Art by Raphael Sanzio or Raffaello

Madonna of the Goldfinch, Madonna del Cardellino (1505). Artist: Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) or simply Raphael or Raffaello. Madonna of the Goldfinch is a vintage Renaissance fine art religious portrait painting. The Virgin Mary is holding a book, with identifies her as Sedes Sapientiae ("Seat of Wisdom"). The goldfinch is a symbol of Christ's future violent death. The young Saint John the Baptist offers the goldfinch to Christ in warning of his future.

This captured the feeling I wanted this year,

serene and spiritual.

Just a few more days...

hope you have a wonderful week!

xoxo,

Tuesday Treasures at My UnCommon Slice of Suburbia

Primp your Stuff at Primp

House Party at No Minimalist Here

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

A little more with Paperwhites...

For me, Paperwhites are just the embodiment of a natural theme for Christmas. I usually buy about 75 to 100 each year of the Ziva variety and have them planted in containers between Thanksgiving and Easter. This year I was behind schedule in getting them ordered, so they didn't arrive until the week after Thanksgiving.

I love using vintage containers for them, from soup tureens to just stacking the bulbs in peat pots. However you do it, there's an instant feeling of Christmas.

I love candles, and have one burning almost every day, but the thrifty part of me hates throwing away a perfectly wonderful glass jar. I saved them for awhile, not knowing for sure what I wanted to do with them, but after a "clean out" of my stash this summer, I just had 3 from this season to use.

I like using pea gravel and a little potting mix with my bulbs. I just like the way it looks rather than seeing the roots...just me. Then I cover them with some moss to hold in the moisture. I Didn't get that far with these.

The main thing is just to cover the bottom third, otherwise the bulb will rot. So into the candle jars with a little burlap ribbon on the outside, and then into the milk carrier.

Keep in a bright window. In order to keep the stems from getting too long and falling over, you can water with a mix of rubbing alcohol and water in a 10/ 1 mixture. Not too much alcohol, just enough to stunt it's growth. (so many jokes for this...but I'll refrain)

I wish I'd been saving my candle jars earlier, in order to make a full carrier of them. A lttlle faux greenery will have to do for this round. I imagine I'll do another set in January. (I'm saving my candle jars now!)

Here they are this morning, after my camera made it back.

here's a link to using an alcohol solution to keep them manageable.

A super easy little project, you can use any jar, or jars and put them in a grouping, no carrier needed, just have fun with them. I buy mine from Blooming Bulb, but you have to order early. They also have a huge variety of Fall Bulbs and lot's of gorgeous "green" Christmas ideas.

I'll be linking up with:

Between Naps on the Porch

www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

xoxo,