Christmas at Grove House
We celebrated Christmas over the weekend with an open house holiday party at Grove House. We invited friends, family, and all of our neighbors to come for festive appetizers, drinks, and desserts. There was a hot apple cider bar, dozens of appetizers (my husbands lobster dip is always a hit!) and a dessert bar set up in my studio with a chocolate fountain and homemade treats.
Brown paper bag luminaries lined the walkways to the front door and down the path between rows of orange trees. When I went out just after dusk to see how they looked, it felt - enchanting. Like I was living in a scene from a movie or my dreams. How something as simple as candle in a brown paper bag can bring up such emotion seems magical to me.
Weeks before I made several trays of dried oranges with the intentions of making a garland but time slipped away and it wasn’t completed. Just minutes before the party my daughter had the idea to place them in a glass jar and set them on the kitchen window sill. The following morning as I began cleaning up and putting things away, I noticed how pretty they were with the sunlight streaming behind them, that it inspired me to pick up my camera and take a few photos around the house.
I received the beautiful bottle of wine as a hostess gift and several guests told me it was one they enjoy. The tiny vase was filled with an evergreen sprig from a fallen tree my husband found. He brought home huge branches! I was able to make a mock Christmas tree with one large branch for our small library and the remaining ones were cut to make arrangements around the house. I also paid a visit to a neighbors farm to harvest persimmons and pomegranates for decorations. Later today I’ll be drying the persimmons in the oven to eat as a snack. They are so delicious dried, you have to try them!
All of my Christmas decor was kept simple. The trees were draped with white lights, no ornaments, and the table was dressed in layers of white linen and antique hemp fabric. For the centerpiece I placed a cut branch in an antique jar and arranged evergreens, pomegranates, and battery twinkle lights down the center. Black candle holders were used on the dining room table and kitchen island and the only “sparkle” was the Wendy Addison garland I hung from my new cabinet below.
During the months before the party, I began searching for antique champagne coupes to serve the Christmas punch in and found quite a few while out thrifting. When my husband realized I was on the hunt, he remembered that he had several boxes of his mothers antique glass collection up in the attic. She had wrapped every single glass in newspaper circa 2008 and tied each one with a butcher twine bow. Unwrapping each glass was like opening a present! It was so special to be able to use them during our party.
As I finished clearing the last of the dishes and began putting away the party goods, I realized that I did not take a single photo during the open house. At first, there is a sigh thinking oh, I missed documenting it only to be followed shortly by yes! as it should be….fully immersed in the moment, enjoying the company and spirit of the season and not one bit worried about creating content but actually living it. As I’ve said for many years, have your heart take the picture. Memories last a lifetime.
