Candlelight, Beads and a Gift

I brought out a candelabra that I commissioned a friend from my DAR group, Dena, to paint for me a few years ago.  It's Scandinavian art and I just love it.  I put 5 of my red beeswax candles in it and lit it and ohhh how pretty it is.

Here is a closer look at the beautiful artistry my friend painted for me.

The candlelight illuminated the flowers Dayle surprised me with.

I just took this photo.. the sun came out after days of rain.  

A year or two ago I made my sister Denise a turquoise bracelet similar to mine.  She wore it 24/7 and loved it, but the twisted steel beading wire broke.  So, she brought it back to me to repair.  Luckily none of the beads were lost when it came apart.  

The good part about it was I could just transfer the beads from the old one to the new.  The beads are Sleeping Beauty turquoise rondelles from the best mine, unfortunately that mine has been closed so there will never be more of them.  Isn't the color amazing?

All done!  Denise came out yesterday to pick it up and brought us a freshly baked pan of cinnamon rolls for our Christmas gift.  :-D

The deliveryman just brought this compote for me, it goes with the candle holders Dayle got me for Christmas so he gave the thumbs up for me to get this from eBay.  Yay!  Santa and the snow couple approve.

This will be the centerpiece on our dining table all year.  I've wondered what to put in it.. fruit?  A frog with flowers?  What do you suggest?

We'll have to clear the table on Wednesday so I can set it for Christmas Eve dinner with our son, DIL and grandsons.  Dayle is making roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  I'll be helping with the candied yams and green bean bake.  Kristi is bringing a Christmas cake!  I can't wait to see it.  

My blog friend Betsy has the most adorable granddaughter, Piper.  My friend Bev posted on Facebook asking if anyone would like this vintage book called "Betsy Beaver" so I asked for it.  I thought it would be fun to gift it to Piper in honor of her grandmother.  My other blog friend Gracie gave me the garden children's book for my birthday, after which I read I decided to send along, too.  Look how happy Piper is!  Betsy had told me she reads to her dolls.  :-)

A fun factoid is that when I was the executive director of the Friends of Vista House I was buying books from a longtime bookseller in Portland and he showed me the Betsy Beaver book that he had cases of unsold books written in 1945!  I decided to order them to sell in our gift shop in Vista House and I wonder if that is where Bev bought the book.

That's all she wrote.. for today.  Our grandson Hayden asked to stay until Christmas so he's here with us.  He loves the limitless internet we have as they have limited access at their house.  :-)

I hope you're enjoying the run up to the 25th and have a wonderful Winter Solstice today!  There is much for us to look forward to.  But stay safe until we beat this virus!  

((hugs)), Teresa :-)  

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*M*E*R*R*Y* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*

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