It's Christmas

I have been delinquent with my blog posts! Just a little tired and alas, no new ideas or material to share on my blog. A few unglamorous but necessary home maintenance projects is all I have been up to lately. Although we did have new carpeting installed in the basement as a result of our elective sewer line upgrade. Ha!

 

Moving on, I do believe our Christmas tree delivered from Nova Scotia's Porter River Christmas Trees, is our most beautiful and bountiful balsam yet. The MacIsaac cousins delivered and set-up this lovely coniferous specimen last week.

 

Oh, and no matter what you call it, it's Christmas.

 

 

~ Merry Christmas! ~

 



Winter Beasts

There are two beasts in my life right now. One is our 'monster' deck - which has been with us since we bought this house. The other beast is this frigidly cold looooooooooong winter-spring. This year, it seems Old Man Winter has decided to become a permanent resident. He is an unwelcome visitor.

This spring or summer (when the snow finally melts) the monster deck shall be tamed. Work was estimated to begin in April (ahem) The deck, you see, is far too large. I often compare it to  a vessel from a cruise line docked beside our house. The deck will be removed and replaced by a slightly smaller version.  We are reducing the depth by almost 4 ft so it won't protrude towards the street so much. Between this adjustment and some privacy glass, sitting on the deck will be a far more private experience.

 

Usually by April, the deck is clear of snow. A few snow showers usually happen, but it's welcome moisture. My annuals and some select perennials are stored in the garage by now; while we till soil and tidy-up garden borders. By the end of April, I typically have all of my containers planted and simply cover them at night until end of May or early June. At 3000 ft above sea level the nights can still be quite cold.

But alas, this year is different. The golf courses are behind opening, the ski hills are closing as their seasonal staff have taken other jobs, or are returning home to Europe or Australia.

I have NEVER EVER experienced a winter here that has been so cold for so long and with this much snow accumulation. I believe we broke a record at one point, and then broke our own record. Hooray?

 

~ Wherever you are, be it warm or cold; take care of you and yours tonight, ~

and look forward to the good things to come..

 

 

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

The Prince House - Heritage Park, Calgary

We finally finished all of our errands and last minute shopping early this morning. What a relief! I'm definitely ready for a glass of something sparkling, and I don't mean water!

 ~Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy and blessed Christmas! ~

 

An Art Deco Christmas

 

 

So many hotels do such a fantastic job decorating for Christmas. A local favorite of mine is the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Alberta. Tucked into a mountainside, each room has an incredible mountain view. I also appreciate that this hotel does not get the foot traffic from tourists that some others do. It's an intimate, quite retreat. Overall, the décor of the hotel is mixed, but there is an art deco influence; especially in their stunning art deco styled ballroom! Yes, I want a tuxedo sofa exactly like this for our living room. Oh, Santa!....

 

 

It's Christmastime! I'm really in the mood this year. But it's only December 4th, and already I'm so tired. I've taken a vitamin boost for some extra energy - here's hoping it does the trick. I've got 20 more days to go!

Christmas Eve

 

That magical evening has finally arrived! This year, we'll be gathered around the tree with some family and friends. Our balsam fir has a lovely fragrance that I just can't get enough of!

Our rescue cat, Bertie, is having his first Christmas with us. He hasn't touched either of our trees - so well behaved! He even helped me untangle and test all the lights....

Hoping whatever your plans are for Christmas Eve that you are safe, happy and healthy!

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmastime Dinner Party

 

My mom had us over to her lovely home for a dinner party last weekend; as our immediate family all have separate plans for Christmas Day dinner. Always a wonderful hostess, my mom thought of everything from the perfect place settings to gingerbread houses for our niece and nephew to decorate!

 

 

 

Are you ready for Santa? He's coming!
 

Frozen!

A stunningly cold weather system moved in last week, and according to the weatherman, it won't be  leaving anytime soon. Oh dear! Our resident birds having been pecking away at the suet for energy and sheltering in their bird boxes. I am always amazed at how they survive in these conditions.

 

 

 

The extreme cold is even keeping Christmas shoppers away from the stores. We haven't ventured out to find our Christmas tree yet either. Cold weather or not, we will have to by next weekend!

~Stay safe and warm!~

Chateau de Neige

Last weekend we escaped from the city to the well-known Alberta retreat, Chateau Lake Louise.

The hotel is named after one of Queen Victoria's daughters, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.

 

This hotel has an Alpine theme, inspired by Swiss guides who where hired in the early days of the hotel to guide their guests through the local mountain range. The theme is echoed throughout the hotel especially by the Swiss maidens hoisting-up glowing candelabras illuminating the Chateau.

 

 



While Andrew took to the slopes for a few hours, I took the opportunity to write our Christmas cards in this perfectly appropriate setting. 

 

As beautiful as the Chateau is, I must confess, The Banff Springs Hotel is still the best place to stay in Banff in my opinion.  Do you have a favorite place to stay in Banff??

Tree Trimming!

 

This year we decided to try something different - we cut down our own Christmas tree! We had so much fun and were quite satisfied with ourselves when we completed the decorating. I like to think the tree's quite honored to be adorned with glistening treasures and be the centerpiece to the occasion.

The house is filled with the scent of fresh and uplifting spruce. I think this will be a new tradition!

Hope you're almost ready for the 'big day' next week!

Winter Fantasy

Our Canadian Rockies are the ideal backdrop for a Christmas scene. Could these wintry scenes be any more gorgeous? Last weekend we attended a Christmas party held at the stunning Rimrock Hotel in Banff. We were treated to spectacular views from our room (see below). I snapped a few other breathtaking scenes including the renowned Banff Springs Hotel. 

We're heading to the country to cut down our tree this weekend! So, some Christmas decorating posts are up next. Hope you're enjoying the festive season so far!

Christmas Postcards

I thought these photos I took at Heritage Park here in Calgary look like Christmas postcards. The historic park reminds us of a simpler time at Christmas. My choir was scheduled to perform here last year but the performance was cancelled due to a freak violent wind storm! Theses photos are from an earlier visit in 2010. We'll be attending a beautiful winter wedding here next month and can't wait!

Christmas in a Castle

How would you like to spend Christmas in a castle? Just like the Windsors at  their Christmas retreat, Sandringham. While I am certainly not a Windsor, I did have the pleasure of a majestic retreat in the Fairmont Banff Springs over the weekend. The stunning Scottish style castle in the mountains was beautifully dressed for Christmas. Full of winding dimly-lit corridors and halls; I couldn't help but feel I had been whisked away to another time and place for a festive weekend.