This year I was asked if I would help out (in a very small way) with this year's church Christmas Festival. It's a magical event every year that our church puts on for the community - a beautiful concert featuring a choir and orchestra, more nativities than you can count, amazingly decorated trees, christmas quilts, a live nativity, yummy gingerbread cookies, and several decorated mantels. I've helped out before - all the Mayfield girls did a tree one year. Last year I was asked to do a tree by myself, but declined to do so. This year I was asked to decorate one of the mantels. I really wanted to say no again, but after talking to my hubby (who reassured me that I could actually do it) I decided to go ahead and say yes.
I decided that I wanted to do something musical, because music is such a huge part of the Christmas season for me. I also knew that I wanted it to have a vintage feel to it, because I've been loving that look lately. I decided that I wanted to do paper trees, so I started shopping for vintage sheet music and decorative papers. I found the sheet music at my favorite antique store in Fayeteville a couple of months ago, and was so excited!!
It took me a while to actually get the whole idea more cemented together. I came upon the line, "Oh come let us adore him" from the hymn, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" and then it all fell into place.
I spent several days this week at the church - started taking stuff over on Tuesday night; decorated my space on Thursday night; helped a friend with her space and some finishing touches on Thursday night. Since I was there before all the crowds, I was able to take a few pictures. I also gave Meg the camera and she took lots of pictures, too.
Friday night I took a friend from work to the Festival. We enjoyed the concert, live nativity, and oohed and ahhed over everything. It was fun to see it through her eyes as well. As I sat there in the concert, I felt the sweetest spirit. Things have been really stressful for the past couple of weeks, and it has been a bit hard for me to feel the Christmas spirit at all. Before the choir even started singing, though, I was almost in tears. I felt the reassuring presence of the Spirit, and of my Heavenly Father's love. I felt renewed. I want to go back again tonight, and Sunday night as well, just to feel more of that spirit! I will definately be looking for better ways to bring that spirit into my home.
Here are some pictures of my mantel, and some of our other favorites:
I would seem really ungrateful if I didn't say thank you to Shari K, Rachel R, Dana H, Alisha M, Mandi H, Rebekah P and Kayti and Meg for all of their help with this project! And also, my sweet hubby for putting up with all my crazy stress! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
5 comments:
Amazing. Wonderful. I love it all. Is that cute red chair yours?
It looks amazing! Bravo! We could not get to the Stake Center till tomorrow night, and I am busting to see all the goodness and of course hear the choir.
I knew it!! We went tonight and right when I saw that mantel it had 'you' written all over it. Loved it. I loved all of the 'new' things there were this year.
great job, loved everything!!!thanks for sharing your talents.
For some stupid reason, blogger is not letting me on to update/edit, but I should say that the line is from the hymn, "Oh, Come all ye Faithful"... oops!
And Karen - no... the chair is Kristy Blake's. But isn't it fabulous?!
And everyone else... thanks!!
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