O Holy Night

A Christmas Surprise

~ Stephanie Shaul ~ 5 Comments

In the spirit of Christmas giving and the season for unexpected acts of generosity, I wanted to share part of a little Christmas miracle that happened to me last week.

*O Holy Night Canvas

I received the most generous, unexpected, thoughtful, and beautiful gift as a Christmas surprise – and from someone I’ve never even met. When I got home from work one evening last week, there was a huge package waiting for me in my living room. As soon as I saw the return address was from Lindsay Letters, I just knew what was inside. You see, for a very long time, I’d been (secretly) wanting this O Holy Night mantle canvas (in red) from Lindsay Letters. Lindsay Sherbondy, the owner and calligrapher of this shop, is such an inspiration to me and my very novice attempts at calligraphy. I’ve followed her work for years, and she (and my grandma!) have inspired me so much. This O Holy Night calligraphied canvas is not only breathtaking, but it’s also of my favorite Christmas carol. However, the largest canvas (which I’d been wanting for so long) just simply wasn’t in my budget, as much as I wanted it. This Christmas, I happily settled on purchasing the $20 O Holy Night print, which I framed for my mantle (seen here). I loved it so much & was so happy with this purchase! And I don’t think I ever really told anyone how much I had been wanting the large red O Holy Night canvas… and then it mysteriously appeared in my living room! And doesn’t my Christmas mantle look much more complete and amazing now?!

Christmas2

There were many happy tears, a lot of disbelief and wonder, and an abundance of joy – and intrigue! I am absolutely blown away by the generosity and thoughtfulness of others, especially in such unexpected and grand gestures. No one knew how much I had secretly been wanting this canvas, which is such a great reminder of what the season is really and truly about – Christ’s birth, His life, and the countless ways He loved others. This gift will be treasured for many, many years to come, and though I don’t ‘deserve’ it, I am so very thankful for it and humbled by the spirit in which it was given. I can only hope to pay it back to others, and I’ve been completely re-inspired to give generously and unexpectedly!

Decking the Halls

~ Stephanie Shaul ~ 4 Comments

With the blanket of snow (and now ice) that Washington, DC received yesterday, it’s looking quite merry and bright around these parts! This is year four in my home for Christmastime, and each year, I love to pull out my boxes of Christmas decorations and deck the halls! I still go home to my parents’ home for Christmas, but it’s fun to put up my favorite miniature Christmas tree and decorate my home with some basic Christmas decor. The mantel is always my favorite part to do, especially because it means I get to set out  my favorite nativity scene each year. My grandmother gave me a gorgeous, simple white ceramic nativity set a couple years ago, and it’s one of my favorite possessions. After all, this is the reason for the season of Christmas! I had always wanted my own nativity scene, and this one is so me – I love white and it’s simple & perfect. I also treated myself to one Christmas treat this year, and I purchased this stunning O Holy Night print from Lindsay Letters. I have followed her calligraphy work for years, and I absolutely adore it. It’s so special to finally have this red calligraphied O Holy Night art, especially since this is my favorite Christmas song!

Take a peek into my Christmas decor this year…