Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas Magic

Christmas Magic
6" x 6" watercolor

Christmas is magic. There's just no other way to describe it.

The way it makes people see the good in others when normally they might be shaking their fist and yelling obscenities at you when you *accidentally* cut them off in traffic.

How a corner of your home that receives the least amount of attention the other eleven months of the year becomes the BEST spot in the house, simply because that's where the Christmas tree stands.

How it compels you to make batch after batch of sweets and treats and force them into the unsuspecting hands of any neighbor or acquaintance you can find, calling "Merry Christmas!" in a loopy, sleep deprived voice while wiping flour off your chin, hands, glasses, shirt, hair, etc. etc.

The way it makes you think, for this ONE time a year only, when you hear Mariah Carey sing "All I Want For Christmas Is You," that maybe, maybe she's not all that bad after all. Maybe.

Christmas magic is seeing things, and feeling things, that the rest of the year you just don't. It's like being an artist with even more heightened senses. You become Super Artist. Master of Observation.

But most of all, Christmas magic happens when you see your child take in all of the lights, sounds, and smells of Christmas that you did when you were a child. It's seeing the magic written on their face, eyes wide and full of wonder, lips curved up in a permanent grin, with rosy cheeks and noses from waiting out in the cold for their turn to see Santa.


Christmas magic is hearing your child ask Santa for the smallest thing imagineable and being touched beyond belief when you ask him why he asked for that one small thing and hearing him say, "I don't need anything else Mom, but other kids might."


Christmas magic is seeing your youngest sit on Santa's lap. :) How cute is that?

sorry for the blurriness of this photo, just pretend you're running real fast past us :)

Christmas magic is being together with your loved ones and holding them close and feeling so thankful that you get to have them in your life.

Merry Christmas my dear, dear friends. I hope you're having a magical holiday season. :)

*this painting is part of my entry for Carrie Waller and my monthly painting challenge. She chose the topic for this month, "Believe"  On Thursday I'll show you the other half of my entry. :)

Until them mis amigos, I'm off to spend the day at my son's school for all kind of Christmas festivus. :)

Huzzah!!!



20 comments:

  1. I am the first this time! Quite an achievement on your blog where everyone just waits for your new posts. Its brilliant, I now start to understand how you guys are feeling and I guess its just what we feel in Diwali. So Merry Christmas to you and your family.
    Best wishes,
    P.S. The watercolour is superb. Cant wait to see the other half of your entry.

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  2. Beautiful, Crystal....love the family photo with you all bundled up. Blessings to you and yours!

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  3. Oh, Crystal, your painting is the epitome of the magic of Christmas! And I love the photos of you and the boys. May I take the opportunity to wish all of you a most wonder-filled Christmas, and all the very best in the New Year!!! BIG HUZZAH!!!

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  4. Lovely painting!
    Yes the Spirit of Christmas is magical in the way it warms the hearts of many.
    God bless you and your family this Christmas time xx

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  5. Aw, such a sweet post (and my girls are officially obsessed with that Mariah Carey song - when my 6yo asked to hear it yesterday, I was like, "How do you know who Mariah Carey is!?!?!?" haha)

    Merry Christmas, Crystal!

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  6. such a wonderful holiday post crystal! beautifully written and so moving and quite true. and the painting is just amazing, as always. i hope you and your lovely family have the most wonderful holiday season. you look so happy in these great snaps! enjoy!

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  7. Even though I don't have children and am not a holiday person, I really loved reading your post. Your kids are lucky to have such wonderful experiences with Christmas thanks to such a loving and enthusiastic mom [and dad]!

    The painting is charming and beautifully rendered, as always.

    I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

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  8. La magie de noël c'est aussi de partager avec vous des petits moments...
    Merci pour l'ensemble de vos photos... Vos pitchounes sont adorables...
    Bravo pour cette très jolie aquarelle qui illustre à merveille cette période particulière...
    Gros bisous

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  9. You have made Christmas magic with this lovely post and beautiful painting. Merry Christmas Crystal!!

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  10. So beautifully expressed, it's magic. Love this post, the photo op and "Christmas Magic"

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  11. Merry Christmas! I can just imagine what the captures the little boy's attention :) beautiful half - look forward to seeing the other. Your child is wise beyond his years towish for what he did-- you are indeed blessed. Love the picture of you and the boys.

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  12. Dear Crystal,
    Wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!! Indeed, it's magic, but I assume because of our love existing in heart. It's a miracle. Hope we can keep such a sweet feeling whole through the year.
    Best wishes, Sadami

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  13. Merrry Chirstmas to the one and only Cook family. That blurry photo is pure awesomeness. I wish I could just come there and be a part of what you are talking about.

    And what great light in that painting of yours. It looks magical.

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  14. Your posts are always SO touching! I loved reading it all and your photo's are so lovely to see too!
    Well, the painting is once again completely beautiful - I really need to think of a brand new word!
    I just LOVED it when my children believed in Santa. I kept it up for as long as possibe, until they were about eleven! I'd always wrap Santa's presents in different wrap than the others and also he always spelled their names wrong every year! And Santa was always very messy in our house - knocking over the fireguard, leaving muddy prints... Oh, those were the days :0)
    I'll be putting my last post up before the new year this afternoon or tommorow, so please forgive me should I miss any of your posts after that because there are so many things I need to do in preperation for Christmas. I will catch up though as soon as I can :0) So - please have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New-Year!

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  15. You caught the moment in your painting, and the lovely photos of you and your boys,how precious they are. Have a wonderful Christmas and God Bless.

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  16. A lovely post Crystal.
    Yesterday, after I'd run the company's payroll, I spent a few hours preparing the pay envelopes ... something my staff do the rest of the year. Into each envelope I stuffed a payslip and a £50 gift Voucher. As I left the office at the end of the day, rather than the usual washed-out, het-up, frustrated feeling, I was aware of feeling calm, warm, and sort of cosy.
    Merry Christmas.

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  17. it is magical for our children ..beautiful paintings ... wishing you and your family a very happy christmas crystal

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  18. Ooh, I love this painting and I LOVE this post! Merry Christmas to you. I hope you experience all the Christmas magic your heart can hold, and then some!

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  19. This is just wonderful...puts me in the Christmas spirit all over again! I love your work and look forward to your posts. Thanks so much for sharing them with us

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment they really do mean so much to me! Because not all bloggers have their email enabled so I can reply directly through email I will try to reply here in the comments. If I don't please forgive me, life must have been hectic that day! :)) Huzzah!!

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