A Visit from St. Nicholas
By Clement Clarke Moore
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
We’re delighted to present a very special Event for Collectors of Trollbeads Amber… kicking off this Saturday, the 17th of September, until Wednesday the 21st. Come enjoy an extraordinary selection of these unique Baltic jewels, and be amazed and the endless variations in colour, tone, cut and texture.
Have you felt it in your part of the world? Here on the West coast of Canada, there’s been a subtle shift in the light these last few days. Even until last week, I felt as though I was in the middle of an everlasting Summer. The days were long and warm, with bocce games that stretched into the evening. The light was bright and clear, and the skies were blindingly blue. One day recently there was a little wind winding through the garden that played a scattering of pale, dry leaves off our dogwood tree, and suddenly I could see the first signs of Autumn.
It wasn’t really the leaves on the pathway, that alerted me to the upcoming change in the seasons… there other clues as well. There has been a shift in the angle and colour of the light that unmistakably whispers “Autumn”. The light is still bright, but it’s just a bit more golden and mellow. The sky is still brilliant blue, but there’s a bit of a haze in the morning and evening. Night falls much earlier now, and after dinner we are more likely to be having a sunset stroll than struggling to spot our bocce marker in the dusk.
As always, seasonal change suggests a change in the way we dress, the colours we wear, the textures we enjoy in our homes… and of course, a change in the way we wear our Trollbeads. I set out to design a bracelet that felt just right for this time of year, when we are still enjoying lots of Summer warmth, but are looking ahead to the Autumnal months that are just around the corner.
I blended those watery blue greens with a selection of inky blacks, most of which have an element of earthy texture or glitter. That little touch of warmth helps to keep the feel natural and not too terribly stark. Many of the aqua beads also have an earthy element that I enjoy… for example, the ribbon of stone texture that wraps around the “Traces” bead, or the marvellous green and stone textured unique at left.
tartooful 