A Place Like This......

A Front Row Seat

After days of hurried crafting, cooking, decorating, and merriment I can finally say "I'm ready. Bring it on!" Someone else in the same position is prancer here. I have it on very good authority that everyone is hitched, in a reindeer sort of way, and ready to go.

 

Dear friends, here's wishing you and your families a very wonderful holiday season. May you find much joy in your heart, food at your table, and many to share it with. 

 
 

The Candle Guardian

Greetings friends. Yesterday I took a completely harrowing journey. I had to go to Nashville to pick up Mimi from school. I had cancelled the same trip the day before because of an ice storm. We weathered ice, wind, rain, sleet, oh yes and let's not forget the pea soup fog, all hundred miles of it.  7 hours later we arrived home with a very happy Mimi. She immediately got to cooking and this momma went horizontal in the bed.

Which leads me to today's story. As I was trying to decompress from the Polar Express journey, I was surfing the net to watch everyone's St. Lucia videos. In every video there was the silent hand and arm that would steady the real lit candles of little children. This brought back a lovely memory of my mother who served as the "candle guardian" for my entire childhood.  One of my favorite St. Lucia processions is from one the most cherished music schools in Stockholm, Adolf Frederik's Music Classes. Please watch this lovely St. Lucia procession ( only 3 minutes), and keep your eye on the silouetted hand and arm that makes loving adjustments to singing children's candles as they head out of the Gustav Vasa Church. Here's in honor of all the candle guardians that gently guide us.  I wish all of you a happy weekend.

 

Snow Star Tutorial

Today I'm off through the ice and snow to fetch our Mimi from University and bring her home for the holidays. While I'm away, I thought I would share one of my favorite things to make this time of year and that is the snow star. They look so impressive but are so easy to do.

 

Supplies :

 

• copy paper
• scissors
• glue stick

1. Fold the sheet corner to corner to make a square.
2. Cut off the excess flap. Now you have a triangle.
3. Fold the triangle in half again to make a smaller triangle.
4. We are going to make four cuts. Feel free to us a pencil to make little marks so you know where you want to cut. First, make a cut following the length of the triangle. Stop a little bit before you get to the edge.
5. Move up a little on the triangle. Cutting in the same direction, stop before the edge and a little before the previous cut.
6. Continue in this way for two more cuts.
7. Unfold your triangle. Once open you will have a square.
8. Fold the two center cuts and glue. Hold with your fingers for just a few seconds to make sure its secure.
   
   
9. Turn the square over and fold the second cuts, gluing them together. Again, use your finger to hold in place until they dry a bit.
10. Turn the square over and fold the third cuts, gluing them together. Hold with your fingers.
11. Turn the square over and fold the fourth cut, gluing and holding them together.
12. Turn the square over and fold the fifth cut, gluing and holding them together.

Ta dah! You've finished the first point of your star. Now you have the honor of doing this five more times. It goes very quickly.

 

Once you have  six star points, its time to put them together.

1. Glue together the side part of each point and build your star. Again hold the sides together with your finger until they are stuck together.
2. Continue all the way around. On the last section, after I've glued the last side, I hold it with a paper clip.
3. Now it's time to do something else for an hour while your star dries. When we come back, we're going to glue the inner tips together and thread a ribbon to hang our lovely snow star.

Point Gluing

1. Glue the three sides of the points together and then the tips/ends.
2. Do this with the other three sides and tips.
3. Now glue these two sections together.
    
4. Thread a string to the top and hang with glory.  

I hope you enjoy making these. We had a lot of fun doing them. Be well and I'll be back tomorrow.  

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Through My Winter Window

Today are left the remnants of our first fallen snow. It is miserably cold. So cold all the wool in the world will not keep me warm. I think it was 6 degrees with the wind chill this morning. The best part of a December snow fall, apart from sledding, is that school was cancelled.

 

I have to tell you that this year's holiday season has been taken completely out of my hands and I've had to practice the art of goin with the flowin. Last week I had planned to have our traditional gnome week here on the blog and then my computer crashed and they had the most terrible time getting it fixed.  Though I lost contact with all of you and I wondered constantly what you were up to, I had a wonderfully relaxing week doing what I love to do best!

Craft with katten of course.

 
 

Bake

 
 

Decorate

 
 

And one of my all time daily favorites.....drink coffee.

 

 My week away from the computer led to many happy non-stressed moments.  The gnomes tell me we'll be having gnome week in January when the winter doldrums hit. Until then I 'll be passing by to see how your merry making is coming. Be well friends. 

Happy St. Lucia

Ah it's so good to be back. My computer was broken all of last week and I really missed this space and all of you. Be sure I will come around visiting today.  First things first, however.  Last night we lit the advent star knowing that today is St. Lucia. St. Lucia in Sweden is one of the highlights of the holiday season and at my house it's not any different.

 
 

The day started early with a fresh fallen snow and I found myself in a familiar setting, my kitchen. With everyone coming over to celebrate we needed a fresh batch of lussekatter.

 
As the house filled with the aroma of saffron buns baking, I set the table for a real festive fika ( swedish word for coffee break).

 

As friends arrive and listen to the story of St. Lucia, it's time to get ready for our family St. Lucia procession.

 

 
With just a few more adjustments and placement of the crown, we are ready to begin.

 
With our big girls away, this years Lucia was lilla Mimi (little mimi). Also known as the "Littlest St. Lucia."  From the dining-room our procession begins.

 
and in through the kitchen...

 
and into the family room we sang the St. Lucia song happily.

 
As the songs went on and on and on......., one little St. Lucia got a little tired.

             

 
I bet you're wondering where is St. Lucia's attendants? Where are the starboys? Where are the tomte? Well......everyone is my house wants to be St. Lucia. As Georgie says, "It's Lucia Day, that means everyone gets to be Lucia." Indeed!

 

Is anyone hungry? There is a fine St. Lucia table set. Skål and Glad St. Lucia.

If you are really wanting to get in the mood, Swedish T.V. has a wonderful program every year. This year's presentation is from the city of växjö in the cathedral. It is in Swedish but you will not feel lost for a moment. The St. Lucia procession is the very first thing and then they move on to traditional Swedish Christmas songs. The entire program is almost an  hour long but the procession is the first few minutes. Enjoy!

 

If you are wanting to make some of these treats for yourself including how to make a St. Lucia crown, head on over to Rhythm of the Home.
 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Have a great weekend.

 

The Winter Edition and the Most Incredible Giveaway

 
 The new Rhythm of the Home edition is out today. It is filled with the light, warmth , and love that winter brings. ROTH is starting it's second year, and this issue is full of the most wonderful ideas and special moments to create for you, your family, and loved ones.

An enormous thank you goes out to Bernadette, Heather, and Julia for the incredible work they do putting this mag e-zine together.

Again I feel honored to share company within the pages of ROTH. Getting ready for an edition of ROTH is recreating many wonderful memories of our traditions and having the opportunity to share them with so many  kindred spirits   Truly, I feel abundantly blessed.

One of my favorite festivals of the year is St. Lucia. It was so much fun to let you have a peak into our family tradition.

   
photo by Per Svangren

Being the youngest daughter among many meant I never got to wear the St. Lucia crown. The tradition states that the eldest daughter of the household is the St. Lucia.

 
photo by Per Svangren

The one requirement I had when I became a mother was that every child in my house would have a St. Lucia crown if they wanted it. Inside the winter edition I put together a St. Lucia crown made of wool roving. Nice and soft for little ones who also would like to feel  they are bringing light into the darkest time of the year.

 
 

Last but not least, The Rhythm of the Home Blog is hosting a giveaway from many Winter Edition authors. Don't miss out on your chance to win a real St. Lucia crown with LED lights, wishing cookies, and a very special book. Among these things are many more treasures. Leave a comment here for your chance to win. For an extra chance to win, post about the giveaway on your blog .

I wish you many cherished moments in the wonderful season of Winter. Be well friends.