Making Christmas Sparkle

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP709erbF7eXZIA6jQZRWBQj4zMmAJayBV5tzAZlaVW3bxTCOFOZ6mieCqmDWe60YsSFQ1GmrwToidVZ8LpgsqiRAowh1A8yQYe4kkGwebj0JTqynhfGzz7r5pstGZcxRC7tDdDPgDXlp/s1600/DSCN788066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Making Christmas sparkle is not a difficult task.  There's the little things you add to your home decor, there's music and family and friends. All you have to do is sit back and make enough time to actually enjoy it. It is too easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping and preparation.  I'm a fast forward kind of person, but lately I put the breaks on at Christmas, and make  every effort to notice all the small things. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhxX6HGV2MFDbctVKyEPwCMxd0sJbQptMbLEoV7rxeBY0GZZvfk69ewW3yUW4ennqsEotE2nqlYfNsptSlbwjp7rxr3nq85a1YZjCKSPh4t9dGJaosz6wOCp85sI5LQ1x9Ci_ZJUYRYXR/s1600/DSCN783966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhxX6HGV2MFDbctVKyEPwCMxd0sJbQptMbLEoV7rxeBY0GZZvfk69ewW3yUW4ennqsEotE2nqlYfNsptSlbwjp7rxr3nq85a1YZjCKSPh4t9dGJaosz6wOCp85sI5LQ1x9Ci_ZJUYRYXR/s320/DSCN783966.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> the sparkle of light on an iridescent wreath; the contrast of shape and colours</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeKIM24QbG_vg3hr4vmkH7GKYKWXNlOha2DpBuvkTonDaJGceJOhrCKfD69Ndgil_6fFIHKjRMgCeephOHkTGVaX8F-MgvpBmEnjRD8hB32NE0HXqV04QfdMBGGiSh9eHCMeb13OJWpRI/s1600/DSCN784266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeKIM24QbG_vg3hr4vmkH7GKYKWXNlOha2DpBuvkTonDaJGceJOhrCKfD69Ndgil_6fFIHKjRMgCeephOHkTGVaX8F-MgvpBmEnjRD8hB32NE0HXqV04QfdMBGGiSh9eHCMeb13OJWpRI/s320/DSCN784266.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> pleasing colours in a gift from a friend who knows me well</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZam56L4kFKC9flNtY8it6gc5LUzLTlcyrfvudXbBRvczhIhf29SFOJYP3rUys3qgg0LzWHV0rWVB2sXnaEZ4VjWrzHaxzRs_8TV5m1sSRhqAxsdY91simNLTikmYXbfDJWAvU47oD12O/s1600/DSCN784366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZam56L4kFKC9flNtY8it6gc5LUzLTlcyrfvudXbBRvczhIhf29SFOJYP3rUys3qgg0LzWHV0rWVB2sXnaEZ4VjWrzHaxzRs_8TV5m1sSRhqAxsdY91simNLTikmYXbfDJWAvU47oD12O/s320/DSCN784366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> the reminders of great dinners with friends</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskxSNUtq4MY4WG966pO8j6ZjphOWf3iDkKx9qA_CAgR6j-7rOg65I5-xBDGFt38MzR-jaQNjIx3afuwnxnAsYCaqtQGr926R2cIU9nGcUOQilV9OlYLazeDSUrfjy-FPROeaULdh0w77o/s1600/DSCN784466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskxSNUtq4MY4WG966pO8j6ZjphOWf3iDkKx9qA_CAgR6j-7rOg65I5-xBDGFt38MzR-jaQNjIx3afuwnxnAsYCaqtQGr926R2cIU9nGcUOQilV9OlYLazeDSUrfjy-FPROeaULdh0w77o/s320/DSCN784466.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a flower that inspired my first series in art</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOSZfo_6SvVU_xxB5gmpynuCKXV546pA3Z0t3H-6y5Uu_IQYSxuQgB6apztand2ix8gbXDuQzLr_cNk3D276BWSDdTeFLocJ77TlkyuL7qywI_ZTNloDot3Bse7m4ca_NyKaf8XCOb21p/s1600/DSCN784566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOSZfo_6SvVU_xxB5gmpynuCKXV546pA3Z0t3H-6y5Uu_IQYSxuQgB6apztand2ix8gbXDuQzLr_cNk3D276BWSDdTeFLocJ77TlkyuL7qywI_ZTNloDot3Bse7m4ca_NyKaf8XCOb21p/s320/DSCN784566.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">a  reminder of a trip to Ottawa where I actually got lost in an Ikea store<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBkSh1IT4yOTzXf1gu6cKCeJoQ4SzU50LwiKbejS_xU4NBFqZN4Hsrjxu1dCfqLGizK66i_PRRxZ4F21bRJafol2g-u6X0wA_MXZTS2w7ntAEvwrIZdZOIz51bVmKr7ryOyG1zxCWGOvs/s1600/DSCN788766.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBkSh1IT4yOTzXf1gu6cKCeJoQ4SzU50LwiKbejS_xU4NBFqZN4Hsrjxu1dCfqLGizK66i_PRRxZ4F21bRJafol2g-u6X0wA_MXZTS2w7ntAEvwrIZdZOIz51bVmKr7ryOyG1zxCWGOvs/s320/DSCN788766.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">twigs from my daughter's garden<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTVKRaOkKyng3m2VmuydqXMxhOzz4LbJNJcN8jXJ7l-3uNyDuIW8Pi9FHvjr1IIAuuxrAoF9MnNWoGj9CGCNaUDsOGqy403mqP3Gwm_8JJ-PiUHF8itjfSvC76tpkHmWwVPNShV1OFbLl/s1600/DSCN784766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTVKRaOkKyng3m2VmuydqXMxhOzz4LbJNJcN8jXJ7l-3uNyDuIW8Pi9FHvjr1IIAuuxrAoF9MnNWoGj9CGCNaUDsOGqy403mqP3Gwm_8JJ-PiUHF8itjfSvC76tpkHmWwVPNShV1OFbLl/s320/DSCN784766.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">  the lamp I spent two years looking for, greenery from my garden, my husband's guitar he made  <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1_0WCy6o5WxdEKxLxFFjlWfjaRrAY4E2xtk-RqTyohiDXdgi0ZMYPtuXxOHJZM70sLsNqW1kGNbkKbsGG-23DDFg7HCbJe2_QblNaFOY_0LAPnRt0FSP-ObQay1QI_Vxjt3D2ZIlO-_l/s1600/DSCN788866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1_0WCy6o5WxdEKxLxFFjlWfjaRrAY4E2xtk-RqTyohiDXdgi0ZMYPtuXxOHJZM70sLsNqW1kGNbkKbsGG-23DDFg7HCbJe2_QblNaFOY_0LAPnRt0FSP-ObQay1QI_Vxjt3D2ZIlO-_l/s320/DSCN788866.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">music from my sister<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFsBTkt9uwjH8ugstVOyrRWUO4EOoxyC5LMRxMiONUHua2bn1mT4EpzefMo-ar_5zQSV0V5oO6PSwHEZ83UzAzcxdefmmXJE9tQ2eHRFyo8NqHnjaCvDASqZwYF4HhuxYbyfUrwEKPyNP/s1600/DSCN784866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFsBTkt9uwjH8ugstVOyrRWUO4EOoxyC5LMRxMiONUHua2bn1mT4EpzefMo-ar_5zQSV0V5oO6PSwHEZ83UzAzcxdefmmXJE9tQ2eHRFyo8NqHnjaCvDASqZwYF4HhuxYbyfUrwEKPyNP/s320/DSCN784866.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a gift from a friend who has moved to the opposite side of Canada</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmcEjo3bvyHmR8z084ycpc3L7HMf0A_uVlHyuK-wYXLsTck8iA-vaYMmFM3_pnOWJARhgpmvyiv7lYBOPDnHXoSvp21WIugbycm7giqqP9pZCjAvXHGUVl_ZH8tFJI9-2MgXivP8uZccR/s1600/DSCN785566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmcEjo3bvyHmR8z084ycpc3L7HMf0A_uVlHyuK-wYXLsTck8iA-vaYMmFM3_pnOWJARhgpmvyiv7lYBOPDnHXoSvp21WIugbycm7giqqP9pZCjAvXHGUVl_ZH8tFJI9-2MgXivP8uZccR/s320/DSCN785566.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> finding small pieces of slate and turning them into unique Santas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi789KnIJ_YW8SjesIKATOzl7z0eGCyotLm-L-KMLpSJCpGN5NYtr-7qOeXc9y0h2gI6dVQUd50tvWFVMZ-bJLDLRs_M66XaKu3rAbtzjWqHjS9ESahE6vDyzuZddmQlWgUhNtie-L2aQjs/s1600/DSCN786866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi789KnIJ_YW8SjesIKATOzl7z0eGCyotLm-L-KMLpSJCpGN5NYtr-7qOeXc9y0h2gI6dVQUd50tvWFVMZ-bJLDLRs_M66XaKu3rAbtzjWqHjS9ESahE6vDyzuZddmQlWgUhNtie-L2aQjs/s320/DSCN786866.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> my son's ornament collection one for every Christmas, laid out for his nieces to play with, the odd guy playing the guitar is a  <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2011/12/17/nl-mummers-parade-1217.html">mummer, part of Newfoundland tradition</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvdkC8BFROMASZLpXzoDmugsKhUgvt2OKnhx5qkzc58uSRsSVUwX0aXxTtyQeYcQDShCS6injVl3IzhxYjHtyRE0ZLxHAtJ78rpW382-espIqjVZH_t-sAd2zwj1PURriJ-XBoMpW-PP2/s1600/DSCN787066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-1f6BM1KWKXggBV7g_UwMavXHBmfYCRHVVeH7kpPF139Cnh9D5XwTpwQ3wiTGtB16lJwoo67bx5-Zz88YbRsPsWgxObzTMnfnMB19-1OMR_PElHFDqqTkb9HspEbgt8j4omIJ9N0BYlM/s1600/DSCN787166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-1f6BM1KWKXggBV7g_UwMavXHBmfYCRHVVeH7kpPF139Cnh9D5XwTpwQ3wiTGtB16lJwoo67bx5-Zz88YbRsPsWgxObzTMnfnMB19-1OMR_PElHFDqqTkb9HspEbgt8j4omIJ9N0BYlM/s320/DSCN787166.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">new  candles waiting for friends to arrive</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdsaJh_pTiUmOLK4-3R-zE-RHTwFDkWUyWhWhHYchYFTgBJFP4IfaZDidRh1ekYuNRQEpbInEovJ_7E0WMWlkV3h3pnIxRq8Cddqz3gjouaNYzaa_91dPTV_Fv1Bz3O-EAn6hIAF0_6Xt/s1600/DSCN787266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP709erbF7eXZIA6jQZRWBQj4zMmAJayBV5tzAZlaVW3bxTCOFOZ6mieCqmDWe60YsSFQ1GmrwToidVZ8LpgsqiRAowh1A8yQYe4kkGwebj0JTqynhfGzz7r5pstGZcxRC7tDdDPgDXlp/s1600/DSCN788066.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP709erbF7eXZIA6jQZRWBQj4zMmAJayBV5tzAZlaVW3bxTCOFOZ6mieCqmDWe60YsSFQ1GmrwToidVZ8LpgsqiRAowh1A8yQYe4kkGwebj0JTqynhfGzz7r5pstGZcxRC7tDdDPgDXlp/s320/DSCN788066.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-IVugP4BTum1ZaZQJp-kI4CLd-6ECmWDEy9mfIh6T6rrZmf0d3AZfh6fLlneVZO6c_1HqWB1W7FBE7fKH2jALT9JPYmRPRmS7glAYtGP3nEHqwhnysLHtKgP9u7zNtbz0LRRfTSKMDpp/s1600/DSCN787466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnp5dZ_R6lIYNB0zi8iTwHAs22Y5dyFMgU2rh_YJfdPFi5rwdaY763_jguFNgv4QtCAT-byqgyZvENS82wBpamiPbfgAJgyY5bDiatohiZVkUgknFCFGmC44pHIbWRyS9l0ch2W2caRzo/s1600/DSCN787966.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnp5dZ_R6lIYNB0zi8iTwHAs22Y5dyFMgU2rh_YJfdPFi5rwdaY763_jguFNgv4QtCAT-byqgyZvENS82wBpamiPbfgAJgyY5bDiatohiZVkUgknFCFGmC44pHIbWRyS9l0ch2W2caRzo/s320/DSCN787966.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2XEB6Ds57sIybNZ2hc00b7pnboPIol3xb29X6a_fZIEK9YGUSTo9sOUR8AkpMnBwU8ckaIf-Koop3V4GmiBmj7eQLp6ozGoTs82SRR3vQ5v1krk9D9WaFhg7dgZrRdNCnI6JaZfr6OGk/s1600/DSCN788666.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2XEB6Ds57sIybNZ2hc00b7pnboPIol3xb29X6a_fZIEK9YGUSTo9sOUR8AkpMnBwU8ckaIf-Koop3V4GmiBmj7eQLp6ozGoTs82SRR3vQ5v1krk9D9WaFhg7dgZrRdNCnI6JaZfr6OGk/s320/DSCN788666.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my granddaughters</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVddzXH9U-TA9Mpp3phjd8Jq7AUUQlMo0NttTrlwSvntXW89kCWOZ6Pjwwp5fBkQs3DPx-fVtQOPpSiAHjNzuZPVaYRCmRob0FYqEDfidS9rKChdswBw1MQUzt7ARBneQxeAKyPe4aWH3/s1600/DSCN789066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVddzXH9U-TA9Mpp3phjd8Jq7AUUQlMo0NttTrlwSvntXW89kCWOZ6Pjwwp5fBkQs3DPx-fVtQOPpSiAHjNzuZPVaYRCmRob0FYqEDfidS9rKChdswBw1MQUzt7ARBneQxeAKyPe4aWH3/s320/DSCN789066.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">grimy fingerprints</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmnjSmMEUowB0B3kw15PJ6cLDrrF2yaWCH0iz-KyaIf_gYnYaLCGbwz7Bo6OshVEO_0ynI-dJ8YHkF7HKsL0zRiIePHftfSWqnzatunWPUTnNkGf4E7Ha89UXKviYv6-oTHxTJBn6od8R/s1600/DSCN787566.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmnjSmMEUowB0B3kw15PJ6cLDrrF2yaWCH0iz-KyaIf_gYnYaLCGbwz7Bo6OshVEO_0ynI-dJ8YHkF7HKsL0zRiIePHftfSWqnzatunWPUTnNkGf4E7Ha89UXKviYv6-oTHxTJBn6od8R/s320/DSCN787566.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">and even the snow falling outside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnp5dZ_R6lIYNB0zi8iTwHAs22Y5dyFMgU2rh_YJfdPFi5rwdaY763_jguFNgv4QtCAT-byqgyZvENS82wBpamiPbfgAJgyY5bDiatohiZVkUgknFCFGmC44pHIbWRyS9l0ch2W2caRzo/s1600/DSCN787966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">What puts sparkle in your Christmas?</div>

Making Christmas Sparkle

Making Christmas sparkle is not a difficult task.  There's the little things you add to your home decor, there's music and family an...

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