The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle.
(formerly Mummy's Monday Manners)
Petite Decorations
Joy to the world! My beloved, childhood angels!
Now, more than ever, the joy of being together is sweeter than sugar… and sugar plums! While decorating for Christmas this year, I felt a renewed kindred spirit for the “little decorations,” which I hold dear, sparking even more holiday spirit!
At Fox Hall, a miniature circle of German hand-carved wooden angels (top photo) have been dancing around a little Christmas tree for decades. You can see how these angels have been well-loved, with authentic patina from my first three childhood years spent in Germany. My parents allowed me to play with them, so they acquired my “love marks” each year. By creating these types of tactile traditions for children and grandchildren, cherished holiday memories are kept alive in one’s heart forever!
My German son-in-law’s family thoughtfully gives us an angel each year to add to our flourishing angel orchestra.
There is a place for glamorous, as well as, homemade decorations. But also, consider how special it is to discover diminutive and beloved treasures on a side table, the corner of a piano, around a candlestick, next to a bedside, or under an existing sculpture. Petite Christmas vignettes, with fairy-sized decorations, are not only charming to behold but can serve to conjure cherished childhood memories too. Sometimes the littlest gestures can delight and stay in one's heart forever. Consider this when you decorate this year!
Isn't this Italian Christmas tree above, standing only 11 ½” tall, elegantly appointed?! The stand can be twisted to commence its delicate Christmas music which plays as the tree spins ‘round. Mummy purchased this years ago after my father died. Each year, I cherish gently lifting it from a padded box. I then sit down to quietly admire it before winding it up to hear the sweet music. I cannot help but have “happy tears,” as I listen and remember my loving parents, along with a flood of sweet memories of Christmas. Decorations with sentimental value tend to be the best decorations. Do you agree?
Can you spy the little red elf who climbs onto the dining room candelabra each Christmas morning? He is German, made of felt, has a hand-painted face, and is over 60 years old. He is a very nimble little elf who continues to delight us all!
May you too create memories and beloved traditions for your family with petite adornments each Christmas.
XX,
Holly
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