Corner Candles.

Candles in the corner. I used to love

this little corner in the kitchen. But

when we bought our SMEG kettle,

my sweet candles got moved so dh

could have the kettle out all the time

in the Winter. One day I'll have them!

~ Chy

Grieving Candles.

Last Sunday, on a warm and sunny afternoon, we

gathered with other baby loss and child loss grieving

families for our 24th Annual Candle Light Memorial

Service in our community. It was a beautiful event,

but so hard with tears, stories and candles. So many

lights glowing for each of our little ones. We came

home after all was done and at 7 pm, we joined in on

the World Wide Gathering, called a "Wave of Light."

The idea is that around the World, in every time zone

for 24 hours, our babies and children can see the

lights we've lit for them. To show our love. To shine.

A special day, a heartfelt night full of continued love.

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 22.

There seems to be so much controversy in recent years about their impact on the environment. Anything like this is a concern for me. We have soy candles and buy from local or regional makers. But I have 2 that are a combo of soy and paraffin that I truly love and use on a a limited basis. We do have an air return system as our HVAC and feel confident we aren't impacting our health. My 2 favorites are "Love" ~ the pink one above and in the same brand "Green Apple" ~ a perfect scent for Fall. Often I don't even light them but will open the lid for a quick sniff. I also make my own candles and love the process, though it's quite messy. I'm going to experiment this Winter to see if I can come up with the "Love" and "Green Apple" scents on my own. The Art Studio is going to be busy once the snow flies with dollhouse renos, learning to create art with resin and candle making. 

Today is our last day for working on the stone patio and walk way before a big rain sets in tomorrow. Dh has a meeting this morning, so I'm going to head out after my shower to set up for the walk way. Once it's a bit warmer (a blue sky is present and double digits for temps this afternoon), we'll sweep the polymeric sand across the finished patio and then water it gently. It sets up quickly and by the end of the afternoon, we'll have a completed project. For the walk way, we have to take the front steps off, then level the ground underneath, lay down a layer of regular sand, and then start laying out the stone. I hope to have at least the pad down by the end of the day. Tomorrow, we're meeting a contractor at our old house to do a quote on renos there so we can sell, then we're going to my office to set up for an event on Sunday, a quick shopping trip, a visit with my mom, some groceries, then we'll head home. It's supposed to rain all day, so perfect for getting these tasks completed. Tomorrow night, we're off to a hockey game downtown with a dear friend. His company has a sky box that includes a buffet dinner, so we're quite looking forward to a fun night out. Sunday is supposed to be sunny and warm again. Our event is in the afternoon but if it does rain all of Saturday, we may not get any outside work down if the ground is wet. I'll be back at it next week as I still have a few days off from work. Next week looks really nice too.

Do you have big plans for today and

the weekend? Or is it a relaxing time?

~ Chy

Fall in the Cottage.

We've started decorating the cottage

for Fall and bought a pair of "Spiced

Pumpkin" candles for the mantel. I

love the scent and the very Fall colors.

~ Chy

Five Years ....

That's how long it took me to figure out

this corner. I could never get it right ....

I tried our mixer here. Our kettle with

an assortment of teas. A very chippy

and vintage themed bread box. None

of them appealed to me. And then we

bought two new candles (Green Apple

and Rose Vanilla ~ heaven!) and this

corner became the final resting spot

for both, along with a purple candles,

a potted plants and a jar with sage eggs.

I'm hopeful. That was a long five years!

Do you ever struggle with decor?

How do you figure it out in the end?

~ Chy

Private Spa.

I came home achy and cold the other

day and after dinner, ended up here ....

.... soaking in a warm tub, surrounded

by candles to light my little private spa.

~ Chy

Love Candles.

In the sun, in the breeze, our

candles are lit, full of love.

Candle Lit Halloween.

I love when we can light candles for

many different reasons, especially for

holidays and celebrations like this one

we call Halloween. A bit spooky ....

.... and truly comforting at the same time.

Our Fall shelf on the front door mirror.

Another view of this tiny scene. Scary

ghosts, Fall leaves and a Cherished Teddy.

Candles in the foyer to welcome all

the little "Trick or Treaters" tonight.

Candles on the piano in the dining room

to greet our guests as they arrive and climb

the steps to the front veranda. I love how

they flicker and dance through the windows.

Warm Candles.

It was supposed to be a warm and

sunny long weekend for Thanksgiving.

We had high hopes of tidying up the yard,

finishing the garage and staining the veranda.

But Mother Nature sent us a different

forecast and our tasks have come indoors.

Dh and friend did manage to work in the

garage and built the two large storage

shelves we bought for his workshop. A

bit more organizing and sweeting and

his garage will be all set for Winter. We

have plans to paint it all in the Spring.

I cleaned the house inside while the guys

were outside and the wind howled and

the rain pounded against the house. I

then lit some of our candles and put a

lasagne in the oven. When they came in

from the cold chill, the warm glow of

candle light was welcoming and they

both were soon warm and full of food.

Today we've woken up to more wind

and rain. Another day to enjoy inside to 

cook our Thanksgiving feast for later. A

small crowd this year but one we'll enjoy.

During the Service.

As the service was under way,

bereaved parents come up to the

front of the chapel to light candles.

Soon, the hall is filled with light.

So many candles. So many little ones

remembered. So many older ones too.

Candlelighting.

Before the service.

No candles just yet.

Wave of Light.

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness day. Tonight all around the world at 7 p.m., families who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy or anytime after birth, gathered together in public places or alone at home, to light candles to remember their special, precious, tiny beings. Tonight, my dh and I lit two candles for our family. Two candles to represent both the stillbirths we have endured and the early losses with our miscarriages. The two small flower pillows represent our son B and our daughter C, both born too soon, but forever remembered in our hearts. The six small shells represent our tiniest babies, all six, three B's and three C's, who left their footprints on our lives but didn't stay long enough for us to capture their heart beats before they stopped. the bunny pillow is heart shaped and represents our organization that supports these special families. And the lavender, all eight pieces, reminds us how the color and the scent give us peace and healing. 

Early evening light. Soft lapping ocean tide.

A different perspective, looking down.

Close up of our symbols.

And four hours later, our one candle is still burning. It's moments like these that I wish I could be where ever they are, to look down and see the "Wave of Light" around the globe that all these incredible families have created together, and alone. What a beautiful sight it would be to see.

Capture December: Day Twelve.

Hi everyone!

I was a day behind with the Capture December Photo Challenge but with this post, I'll be caught up. The little boy and I spent two days lounging around with bad colds and pink eye but we're better now and back to life again. A short illness that could have been worse but thankfully, with upping our doses of Vitamins C and D, and a bit of homeopathics and eye drops, we healed very quickly. 

Today, in anticipation of our upcoming Candle Light Memorial Service, I made a couple of votive holders with mason jars. Easy peasy, with just two materials, in addition to the jar. Modge podge and epsom salts. And look what you can create! Perfect for the prompt "A Beautiful Sight":

Love the glow!

Have you been creative lately?

The Warmth of Candles.

Once a month, our centre

hosts a Baby Loss Support Group.

 

The families who attend are fragile,

hurting, seeking, suffering ....

 

 

.... but always tell us they find comfort

in the company of others, the soft bears

on the table and the warmth of the

candles that glow thru the night.