Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was busy finishing up last minute wrapping and planning dinner.  We took the girls to see the Jefferson Hotel Christmas Eve and it was the first visit for them.
Here , Opa is showing them how to read the signs to cross the road.

The fountain decorated

Children talking about the alligator in the fountain.  Alligators did live at the Jefferson.  Old Pompey was the last to die at the Jefferson in 1948

Entrance

You can barely see the girls in front of this huge Christmas tree

Ornaments are huge dripping from the tree

Looking to the entrance at the Grande staircase.

Kissing balls over the doorway where we came in.

Picture on display of Elvis in coffee shop where gators were located.

Adalyn had to touch the Piano Elvis played and have her picture taken in front of it.

Hard to read but it looks like the note says the silver ware are representative of the patterns used from 1915 until the late 40's?.  Not sure, can't make out the note under the service.

I am using  a setting on the camera that was obviously not a good one because of the blurry photo.

There was a large ginger bread igloo with Santa

snack time at the café with hot chocolate and fruit for Genevieve and nabs.  We stopped for lunch on the way home.

This picture of the Nativity does not do it justice.  It is larger than what it looks and so beautiful.

Giving pause to think and talk a little bit about what Christmas is all about.  

girls checking out the upstairs

A walk around the hotel to our car and taking in the beautiful carved architecture

Back home to get ready for tomorrow's dinner

Happy Friday

Few more tree and outside pictures.     I have this little old fashioned girl wood cutout in a cape standing next to my tree in living room.  

I found this at a vintage shop.  The back has it made in Italy.

Cold night last night.  The girls wanted dinner in the playhouse and I let them.  Opa got the heater going and it was warm.  They put some big pillows and blankets in the loft.

Short clip of playhouse

Little Christmas

A Mother and Daughter away time this past week end.  We stayed in Staunton Va.  for two nights.  Did some shopping and looked at lights.  Very nice respite.
   I must say I was a little disappointed as Staunton was not as decorated as in past years.  We saw a park with lights that was very nice and a few houses after that.

Annette, my daughter.  We are having a coffee and a pastry at this coffee shop in the city center.
She saw the shop had home made croissants with chocolate and it reminded her of when she lived in Germany and used to get them for her son after school on their walk home in the village they lived.

A doll house shop .    Would love this doll house, but at that price, NO

British emporium.  A lot of vintage wedding dresses.

I thought one year there were wreaths or some kind of ornamentation on the lights.

Annette walking ahead to the visitor center

Meanwhile at home  is my den tree.  

Hope to have rest of my decorations on blog tomorrow.

Short clip of den tree.  

You can see bare window, I am finally taking down the traverse rods.

I want something different.

Some decorations at my sister's house

Few pretty decorations at my sisters house the other day.  She is in the process of decorating her tree, I kinda like it how it is with the pretty lights.

This little rosette tree, I made her a couple years back.  

I like  her mantle, not sure how I will do mine this year.  

a glimpse to the foyer

Nice trunk with baubles and a candle.

Til next time, hope I will be finished with my decorating in a few days

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden 2019

We visited Lewis Ginter a few nights ago and enjoyed the conservatory decorations and  in the gardens.
Here is one in the Conservatory of my sister when she was up for a visit from Maine a week ago.

I thought this was so pretty.. It's the fountain 

Adalyn said that this horse is Pegasus

reflection

Red lights in this oak.  I am thinking it's a red oak as the reasoning, just  a guess.

View from the Bloemendaal house to front yard gardens

The house was not open to view, but me peeking in the window and liking how the strand of lights look in the inside window sill

Just a few shots of Christmas other places as I am still decorating