Candlelight on Cool Autumn Nights

Photo by Sparkle of Nature

To me, there is nothing more beautiful than candlelight.  Any season of the year, it makes an evening more special by bringing a feeling of intimacy to a room.  I love candlelight the most on cool Autumn and Winter nights.  The light from the tiny fire invites one to speak in more subdued voices.  It draws loved ones together and casts a softening light on one's surroundings.  It rests the eyes from the glare of artificial lighting and promises warmth and coziness.  It sets evening apart from day as a special time, as perhaps the highlight of the day.

We rush around so much from one thing to another that often we just feel happy that we can serve our families any meal at all at night.  Rarely do we give a thought to setting the mood.  But when we remember that as homemakers, we are responsible for not only nourishing the body, but also the soul, then setting a mood for the sacred time when our family gathers together at table becomes truly important.  Candlelit meals can be an integral part of that.  It signals to our family that the cares and stresses of the day are to be left behind and we can now relax and enjoy each other's company.

Let's recapture the evening as a special time set apart for the family, even if that feeling only lasts as long as mealtime.  To that end, light some beautiful candles table top, turn off the lights and let the magic begin.

Have a great day!

Elizabeth

Favorite Ornaments

Hello, Sweet Friends!

Today I'm sharing some of my favorite ornaments. They are a lovely china miniature tea set from Hallmark.
I decorate in burgundy, green and creme, so they are just perfect for my tree.
Isn't the tea pot precious? Here is one of the plates...
And one final shot of a silly pussycat who loves laying on the decorations before I put them to use.
For Beautiful Life Friday, se Melissa's The Inspired Room posts, and for more Show and Tell Friday, See Cindi's blog, My Romantic Home.

Happy Decorating!

Elizabeth

A Beautiful Life Post

The Inspired Room is hosting A Beautiful Life series...Here is my post.

Okay, I'm sorry that I want be able to upload any photos for this. My camera is broken and I won't probably have another one until the weekend.

There are a number of ways I seek to bring beauty into my life. One of the ways I'm trying to do more of this personally is to try to slow down and allow myself to enjoy my femininity more. I was a champ at this before I had children. I took very good care of myself and tried to dress and be lady-like. Then, Life took over and I became all about business, if you know what I mean. Chore after chore took over and I lost the softness, the care and attention to detail about my appearance. I am not proud of this.

Sometimes I look back on my mother and how she handled her appearance when I was a little girl. I remember her dresses and crinoline petticoats, her dressing table with its tray of perfume bottles and the jewelry box full of colorful beads. My mother never went anywhere without her hair done, her face made and some jewelry and perfume. Gosh, I have great memories about this. It made me feel so excited to be a girl.

Fast forward to today and this all comes to a screeching halt...What am I telling my daughter about being a woman?

So, lately, I have been careful to fix my face and hair before leaving my room in the morning. I put on earrings and my favorite perfume. I still don't wear skirts or dresses during the day because my wardrobe is a bit bare. But this is my next goal.

I also try to end my day with a routine of a candlelit bath, accompanied with incense of some beautiful music. It helps me remember who I would like to be.

So, these are some of my efforts to lead a more beautiful life and to, hopefully, leave my daughter with some nice, feminine memories of me.

God Bless,
Elizabeth