Champagne and Christmas Lanterns

The weekend before Christmas I like to host a small luncheon for a couple

of special friends.  Making time for Christmas is the key to making sure I get to

stop and smell the roses during this hectic season.  We also do a gift swap and this year 

I was inspired by some Christmas Lanterns I saw on Pinterest.  

Each guest was asked to bring a lantern and any miniature items they may

have on hand for creating a vignette insdie the lantern.

 The end result was as charming as it was varied.  

My lantern had some hand dyed  bottle brush trees in purple,

and a tiny cardboard church, both brought to the lantern party

by someone who knows me well, my friend, Matthew Mead.

Matthew brought his camera to record some of the festivities 

and take some shots of my decorations.

Even Piper posed like a good girl for him.

White lace place mats brought home from Italy as a gift by

my son Colin were a treat to use for this wintery place setting, as were the vintage 

gold napkin holders I found with my husband while visiting the shops in Concord.

 A purple transferware bell was found at the wonderful Thoreauly Antiques shop

 in Concord center.  I always walk away with lots of goodies from that shop.  

 Matthew Mead made a delicious gingerbread cheesecake.

He is a wonder at so many things, baking and artful presentation included. 

 This cake was a scene stealer, and it was just perfect for a Christmas party.

We enjoyed French champagne while we dined and then began our crafting session

all around my dining room table after we finished eating.

A pretty pink ornament caught Matthew's eye...

 Some simple cut flowers from Costco were arranged by moi....

Silver balls and sparkly pine cones made it a little bit more special.

Now to the lanterns!

 Julia, my former Maison Decor shop manager, made this charming vignette out of

a lantern we used to sell at our store.  A reindeer in the snowy woods....with a red plaid bow

couldn't be more Christmassy!

 Matthew and his wife Jenny teamed up on their lantern, 

creating a snowy sparkly winter wonderland!

Our little holiday party was held for the second year in a row.

It has been determined to be an annual event. 

(I guess that makes it a success, and oh what fun!)

Make your own moments, big or small, and celebrate

this season without the stress and demands it can usually bring.

I know we all enjoyed ourselves, and each of us walked away

with a keepsake to remember this cold New England day with friends.