Category: Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Christmas greeting card showing a red squirrel with a Santa hat on standing on a tree branch

Ho Ho Ho! I hope you’ve been good this year. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day with family and friends!



Merry Christmas!

Christmas greeting card showing a Christmas tree and several black cats.

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.

Phillips Brooks

Ho Ho Ho! I hope you’ve been good this year. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day with family and friends!


Psssst! Do you like this card I made? There are more on my freebies page for various occasions. Feel free to look around and download FREE photos, greeting cards, and posters. 

Did I mention this stuff is FREE? And it’s always being added to. Come back later for new stuff! 

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Happy First Advent!

Happy First Advent!

I’m so looking forward to Christmas, decorating the house and the Christmas tree, then sitting back by the fire and just enjoying this magical time of the year.

What about you, do you celebrate Christmas? If you do, are you going all in (as I do 😉) or are you a bit more laid back about the whole thing?


Pssst! Do you like this video I made? It’s available as a greeting card on my freebies page. Feel free to look around and download FREE photos, greeting cards, and posters. 

Did I mention this stuff is FREE? And it’s always being added to. Come back later for new stuff! 

And if you liked what you found here, share it on your preferred social network or forward it to a friend.



Merry Christmas!

Santa Claus standing next to a Christmas tree in a room decorated for Christmas.

It’s Christmas Eve. It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be. 

Frank Cross 

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day with family and friends!



’Twas The Night Before Christmas

Close up of a traditional Christmas tree. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house 

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds; 

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; 

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, 

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap, 

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, 

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. 

Away to the window I flew like a flash, 

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. 

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, 

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below, 

When what to my wondering eyes did appear, 

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer, 

With a little old driver so lively and quick, 

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick. 

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, 

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: 

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! 

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen! 

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! 

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!” 

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, 

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; 

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew 

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too— 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof 

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. 

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, 

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, 

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; 

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, 

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack. 

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! 

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! 

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, 

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; 

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, 

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath; 

He had a broad face and a little round belly 

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. 

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, 

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; 

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head 

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; 

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, 

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, 

And laying his finger aside of his nose, 

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; 

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, 

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. 

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight— 

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit from St Nicholas (more commonly known as ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas).

Clement Clarke Moore (1779 – 1863) was an American writer, a Hebrew scholar, and a teacher at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in New York City. 


I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day with family and friends!



Christmas Decorations at Millesgården

White Helleborus or Christmas Rose. Photo by Mihaela Limberea
Christmas roses in full bloom in the sculpture garden.
Christmas wreath. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

Time for a quick visit to Millesgården to see the Christmas decorations, something we do every year; it’s become a tradition.

A collection of Christmas flowers at Millesgården. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

They usually have lovely decorations and often a smaller exhibition in the artist’s home. The flowers were gorgeous as ever, but understandably, no exhibition this year. It’s a wonder they’re still open.

Being a sculpture park helps to keep the distance, of course. I wonder whether any future readers would know what this distancing is about. Or would this be the new normal?

Green plant in a white pot. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The exquisite pot designed by Carl Milles in the 1920s is available in the museum shop. It’s a bit pricey, though—it would make a good Christmas gift.

Close up of a white Christmas rose. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

Christmas roses (Helleborus)

Close up of a Christmas wreath with red ribbon. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The simple is beautiful.

Close up of a Christmas tree with traditional Swedish straw decorations. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

Traditional Swedish straw decorations.

Close up of a Yule goat. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The Yule goat.

St. Francis statue at Millesgården. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

St. Francis statue in the sculpture park. The Christmases roses are in full bloom, which is unusual. Usually we have a lot of snow this time of the year.


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The Christmas Tree Is Up

Close up of a decorated Christmas tree in classic style with red and gold ornaments. Photo by Mihaela Limberea
Close up of Christmas decorations, Nutcracker guards and Santa. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The Christmas tree and the decorations are up! The Nutcracker guards are new; I found them at our local garden center (while looking for bird feed).

Close up of a Yule goat in front of a Christmas tree. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The Yule goat is over twenty years old.

Close up of Santa ornament. Photo by Mihaela Limberea

The Santa traveling by hot air balloon is from the garden center as well. I regret now not buying more of them, they match the older decorations so well.

Close up of a decorated Christmas tree in classic style with red and gold ornaments. Photo by Mihaela Limberea
Christmas tree bokeh. Photo by Mihaela Limberea.

Decorating the Christmas tree is one of my favorite things to do while listening to the best Christmas album of all time: Frank Sinatra’s The Christmas Album.

No Christmas is complete without a cat hiding under the tree.



First Advent

A red poinsettia in a red pot. Photo by Mihaela Limberea.

Happy First Advent!