1. Candlelight and January are made for each other. After the Christmas decor was packed away, I left up the fat candles sitting in coarse salt and some pine cones.
2. The other candle sits in a glass tea light holder set inside another glass dish and bits of sea glass collected over the years, fill in the dish and add a varied and lovely glow.
3. Another remnant of Christmas is the paperwhites. Three bulbs, planted at the same time. However, one grew quickly tall and bloomed on Christmas Day. The second decided to start growing about then, and is now opening its first buds. The other is just sitting there. I'm willing to give it time.
4. Several months ago I realized that the bookshelves we had in the living room were inadequate. Ikea to the rescue! On the very bottom shelf sit books for the younger set, and the grandchildren know just where to find their favourites. And now, the tables are not piled quite as high with reading material.
5. When I arrive home from school, darkness is beginning to fall. Most days, the fire is on when I enter the house and after shedding my coat and shoes, I curl up there for a few minutes. I might drag myself away to make a cup of tea, but soon return. These minutes of solitude and quiet before making dinner are so restful. Later in the evening I often read there.
In some ways I miss the wood fire - the scent and sound are incomparable, but the convenience of gas trumps all. And it heats the house on all but the coldest of days.
Linking with Five on Friday hosted by Amy.
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Just lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the candle light. So cosy and welcoming.
ReplyDeleteFive lovely moments, especially the candles! I love candles. I like the idea of using salt, I will try and remember that one! Thank you for joining Five On Friday again this year! Happy weekend! xx p.s. don't forget to join the link so that others will find your post. xx
ReplyDeleteI keep saying that I must try Amy's Five on Friday. Some fine Friday I will! I like it for ease of organization and it seems perfectly suited to my love of random.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful as always and I am thinking how lovely a cup of tea would be right now in THAT tea cup by your fire. If you get the sound of a crackling fire, you'll be all set. Your imagination will create the aroma of applewood. Hmmmm...
Lovely selections for the meme Lorrie. They all look very cozy. I like the double candle holder with the seaglass in it. I wish I had a fireplace. Sigh. Romantic and cozy. Enjoy the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI didn't plant paper whites this year as I found that they got very untidy last year. My hyacinths had such a strong perfume that they had to be moved from the sitting room!
ReplyDeleteWe too have a similar fire, so easy...but I miss the scent of a wood fire.
Love leaving the candles after Christmas and tea by the fire would be lovely. Sounds like your New Year is off to a good start.
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All so lovely indeed! Yes, I love the convenience of gas logs. They definitely take the chill off of my house!!!! I love turning them on in the mornings and at night. So easy!
ReplyDeleteLori, so beautiful and serene. Sitting by the fire with a cup of tea and a book is heaven especially after a long day. We have a gas fireplace now too and I do miss our old wood burning fireplaces. I don't miss the drafts though.
ReplyDeleteI find candles and Scentsy burners help fill the void from the missing twinkling lights after all the holiday decor is stored away. We have a gas fire place too, cozy yet I also miss the cracking of a real fire...not the smoke though.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to have a shelf of books specific to the young ones, ours are all into their techie gadgets and would never think to ask for a book.
I couldn't tell it wasn't a wood fire! It looks just as cozy to me and the perfect place to kick up your feet to rest.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend, Lorrie!
Kim
You chose five wonderful homey and comforting spots in your home! I loved your paperwhites. I didn't get around to planting fresh ones this year. I had one container of bulbs I found in the shed. I thought they might bloom but we were only treated to the greens. Next year I wll try again. Your cup of tea by the fire looks so lovely!
ReplyDeleteAll cozy, lovey things that make a house a restful haven. Have a great weekend! Tammy (P.S. The link you posted in the Five on Friday took me right back to Amy's blog rather than over here to yours)
ReplyDeleteYou paint a cosy wintery scene, Lorrie. I also like to curl up with a magazine and a cup of tea, and Country Living is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Love the candle night
ReplyDeleteSo peaceful x
It looks warm and cozy in your house, and I love candlelight especially when the days get dark so early.
ReplyDeleteJanuary is cheered by candlelight for sure. Love that tea cup and saucer! So pretty.
ReplyDeleteYou have shared some lovely photos for the cold month of January. What a great idea to add rock salt to the candle jar! Your paperwhites are so lovely. Mine are just starting to bloom and I so enjoy seeing them grow. My best wishes to you for the New Year, Pat :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad for the coarse salt idea as I bought some accidentally. Do you use gin when you water your paperwhites? I keep meaning to try it if I can remember to buy some. And I see your UK Country Living mag! The UK magazines are so difficult to find in TN but I love them so much.
ReplyDeleteYour home is lovely for winter, Lori!
Every month has its own delights...with a cup of tea (make that coffee) and a book next to the fireplace being some of my January favorites! Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteI love using ambient lighting always and this time of year I love to add candles, too. very welcoming and cozy.
ReplyDeleteI also love the smells and sounds of a wood fire but the ease of a gas fire is amazing. The ones we had while we were away for our anniversary even had remotes, I could have the fire come on while I was still in bed!
Deanna
Such a warm and cozy post on a chilly January day. I too love the light from the candles.
ReplyDeleteThose are all great for five on Friday. Nothing like a real wood fire, is there? Hope you have a wonderful upcoming week. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI'd sit by that cozy fire for awhile as well! I went through the bulb-thing last year. I purchased two amaryllis after christmas on clearance. Kept one and gave one to my DIL. Hers grew like crazy and mine was a dud! :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, Lorrie, I have missed a couple of your posts. I really enjoyed seeing your outfits that you have sewed. I used to make all of my own clothes as a kid; then I had kids and sewed for them. Now I am sewing for the 18 inch dolls. When I do shop for clothes, it is very hard to find things that I like, but I doubt that I have the patience to sew anymore. Lovely post this time, too. We also went from the wood fireplace to gas logs in the new house, and they are wonderful and convenient. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful candles and the Paperwhites remind me of some I had once that one grew very quickly and the others just kind of normal. We have a buck stove that we used for many years with glass doors and then I became sick every time a log was lit and soon realized it was the molds and mildew that we brought in along with them. It will soon be 6 years since I have had that kind of illness and so I like seeing others with lit fireplaces now. Have a great week~
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of a quiet time, I am so thankful we wake up to sunshine and wonderful light here while we are away. Sending you some sunny skies and gorgeous morning light.
ReplyDeleteXo
Dagmar
January and candles are made for each other - I absolutely agree, even in the so-called daylight. x
ReplyDeleteI love that quiet solitude time too, it looks so cosy there by the fire with the tea and magazine and you are right, January and candles = perfect
ReplyDeleteI love your pretty cup and saucer by the fireplace Lorrie - and of course know you, just like me, are thankful for the British edition of Country Living magazine - it's the best and only one I now truly love!
ReplyDeleteHugs - Mary
late to catch up here, but what a comforting post!
ReplyDeletebooks have that habit of outgrowing their confines.
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