In a Vase on Monday - It Started Simply Enough.

Greetings dear readers.  It's Christmas eve and on Saturday afternoon, I thought I'd use this thrift store vase to put together a simple arrangement of evergreens.  After all, there are plenty of lovely evergreen things in my garden and even a few blooming plants.  Then the idea of taking a walk through the neighborhood to pick up some of the debris left by the recent windstorm entered my mind.

My eyes are always bigger than my vases when scavenging. 

Who could pass up some cones/blooms from the neighbor's monkey puzzle tree that were all over the sidewalk?

Douglas fir and cedar branches were plentiful.  

Some holly and boxwood found their way in as well.  That first vase was soon full to overflowing so it got plonked into another container, one picked up at a 90% off after Christmas sale last year.  Hmm. needs something more.

A few hydrangeas and beauty berries that were sitting around and some sparkly green branches were added but still it just seemed to be a blob of green.  Needs a bit of red.  Hey, what about those red thingies that came home several years from the Molbak's sale?

Dashing up to the attic I found these.  Still needs something large in the middle. 

Enter the poinsettia that a friend from work gave me and boom.  

Now it looks a bit too red and I'm not really pleased with it. How about adding some gold glittery things?  Nah, sometimes, it's best to walk away,  admit that you've been beat, and hope for better luck next Monday. 

It's a far cry from the simple offering I had in mind but there it is, today's IaVoM offering.  Sincere thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this addictive meme.  Click over to her blog to see  more Monday vases.

Here's another piece from the Finnish group Club for Five.  

The lyrics probably lose a lot in translation but here's what the interweb says they're singing.

I Make Christmas Into My Heart

It's Christmas night, I listen to its silence alone
And the language of my heart is wordless
Only stars adorn the nocturnal space by shining
And an open mind longs for eternity.

Like this I make Christmas into my heart and to a silent mind
Jesus Child is born again.

It's Christmas night and the land is dressed in a snow veil,
If only I could be as pure
It gets thoughts tuned to the feel of Christmas
Like a heartfelt melody would ring inside of me.

It's Christmas night, its deep peace floats into innermost
Like I would be a part of the great universe
Only candles and gold ribbons glow in the dark,
But my mind is full of brightness.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!