Mini Christmas Tree with Presents.

I have chosen to include a video of a lovely Celtic Woman's Group singing Oh Holy Night. This is one of my favorite Christmas Carols and I wish I had the vocal skills to pull it off. I started playing the piano when I was 7 and took up the flute when I was 11, so even though I'm not a good singer, my musical training taught me to notice when I voice in off key. It really makes me cringe when I hear someone butchering one of my favorite songs! I know, I should really just be nice and let everyone enjoy singing their favorite Carols. But it's impossible NOT to notice when you've spent years training yourself to pay attention to tuning.

Today I am sharing with you a tiny Christmas tree and some prezzies wrapped and placed under the tree with care.I think this is pretty cute.

I will just take a moment and say that I don't know how my American friends do it. 
Thanksgiving is in November, then Christmas is in December! The stress of all the turkey dinners, and family get togethers and family parties would really do me in.In Canada Thanksgiving is the first weekend of October.

And as for the lovely Aussies who follow my blog, I am just plain jealous that you get to celebrate Christmas in the middle of Summer! You get to go to the beach, frolic in the sunshine, enough said.

Enjoy your day everyone,

Mini Hugs,

Ruth

Milk and Cookies for Santa

I've decided to post bits and pieces that will make up my Christmas room box and then post the whole room box as a grand finale. I have also amassed more Christmas minis than will fit in the room box I have designated for this project, so that's another reason why I've chosen this approach.

I think I will risk driving Marissa around the bend and include another Christmas song in this post! Don't worry, Marissa, this song isn't your typical Christmas song, it's just mellow and lovely, in my opinion.

Today I am including a picture of milk and cookies for Santa. There is also an apple for Rudolph and an adorable note. The milk and cookies are set on a table, which is from the library kit from Greenleaf. I bought it last spring and stained it in a dark mahogany color.

Many Hugs to all my lovely followers,
Ruth

Let's get ready for Christmas!

I have Josh Groban's Noel Album on my ipod and really like to listen to it around Christmas.
I don't have the energy to put together my Christmas scene or work on any of my miniature project right now, so I decided I would do a favorite things post.

The first item pictured is something I found on Etsy. The others are from www.dollhouseminiatures.net

I found this adorable Christmas Pudding Gift Box in sarahmaloney's  Doll House Kitchen Etsy shop. 

A great addition to a Christmas Scene

A Christmas Martini!

This little guy captured my heart!

I'm looking forward to Christmas! I hope all my lovely followers are too!
XX
Ruth

My Grandpa's Dying

My first miniature project was a gift for my Grandpa's 97th birthday. He loved his gift and I just a letter from him in the mail the other day with a picture of the two of us on the morning I gave it to him and a hand written note saying "Visitors are intrigued by your gift."

I want to write more about what a generous man he is, how much integrity he has, all the happy memories I have of him. He prays for each of his nine grandchildren every morning by name every morning, something which has comforted me so much during the difficult periods in my life.

He is the first to say that he has lived a full, rich life and that he feels at peace about dying. But I can't help but feel that it is one of life's cruelties that after more than a decade of being extremely sick, only now when I am much better and am able to be fully present in all my relationships that it is his time to go.

I suppose it is a blessing that he lived long enough to see me get well, but right now all I can feel is grief.

 This is the present I made for my Grandpa and gave to him last July
http://miniaturemavendiaries.blogspot.ca/search/label/Miniature%20Scene%20within%20a%20box#.UKGX5YUre2c

Two more giveaways!

I guess people are feeling generous because it's the holiday season. The first of the two giveaways you can find on the sidebar of my blog. The second give away you can find at http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.ca/2012/11/25-days-of-christmas-and-25-give-aways.html?showComment=1352731500938#c1504037329688103101

This is a great giveaway and if you enter it you are eligible to win something every day until the giveaway ends! It started on November 1rst so you won't get 25 chances to win but it's till a great giveaway!

Hurry over and take a look-see!

Ruth

Check out Audra's giveaway!

Audra writes the blog Honey I shrunk the House. It is a great blog and I am very excited that she is offering a giveaway. She is giving away the adorable cat and fishbowl that is in the picture on the sidebar of my blog.

If you click on the picture it will take you directly to the giveaway post. Good luck! I will be popping by now and then for quick posts. I just love chatting with all of you. That's what it feels like when I write my posts. Having a good chat with a bunch of great friends that I have been lucky enough to meet.

Just for a teaser....I have a Christmas Roombox that's pretty much good to go. I started collecting items for it back in the spring :P And when I post that project, I'm going to come back with a new blog template! I love switching up my blog template. That's one thing you can count on if you follow my blog. I might never settle down with one design. Too many lovely options to choose from...

Hugs to all,

Ruth

The New AIM Magazine is here!

I'll always have time to read this free, wonderful magazine.

Go here http://www.artisansinminiature.com/issue10.html to download or read the latest issue.

Something sweet arrived in the mail

Such a small gesture from someone we don't know can make such a difference. That is why I go out of my way to be kind to everyone. This isn't always possible, because I have grumpy days, I am not a saint. But I try my best.

Anna, who has the blog, It's the Little things, very kindly offered to send me a tiny tray of Caramel Apples when I left a comment about them on her blog. Today has not been a good day for me. I have had a frustrating day with my homemade beauty products, trying to figure out how to ship things properly so they don't spill all over the place in the mail, and decided what I shouldn't include in my Etsy shop because it's not worth the headache of trying to ship it.

Anna's lovely gift arrived today, and it was such a kind gesture that I started to cry when I opened the itsy bitsy package. I wrote her an email thanking her. You can see a picture of the caramel apples in her blog post here :http://littlethingsbyanna.blogspot.ca/2012/10/mini-caramel-apples-for-fall.html

I encourage all of you to go visit her blog. Her creations are wonderful, and she has a kind, generous, spirit.

I'm so happy to have new followers who are joining me, even though I am not able to post very much right now. I really miss blogging regularly about minis, and will get back to it as soon as I have time.