Christmas Traditions - Invitational design in Assembly Room (Tree of Angles)

Tree decorated by Shelby Garden Club.  The beautiful angle floating on top of the tree catches your eye as you first walk into the Assembly Room.  The cleverness of the cloud-like tree skit, draws you closer.  Yards of tulle are piled under the tree through which tiny white lights twinkle.  Many angles sit among the tree branches.

Christmas Traditions - Gingerbread House in Libary

by Mansfield Garden Club 

Michael L., an architect from Columbus, created a scale model of Kingwood Hall.  Gingerbread was baked with his wife's help and the Mansfield Garden Club decorated and assembled the house.  It is amazing to see, but becomes magical at night as a warm glow luminates from the windows.  If a gingerbread Kingwood Hall isn't enough for awe, the gingerbread men standing on hedge apples and a tree decorated entirely from handmade ornaments should be enough. 

The hair on the gingerbread men was formed by using a garlic press and the candy cane hearts are adorable.  My guy really liked how the packages under the tree were wrapped in brown paper with ribbon.   

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingwood-Center/111714172198185

Check out the two minute video of how to make a Kingwood Hall gingerbread house on Kingwood's Official facebook page.

Christmas Traditions - Night Before Christmas on Balustrade

Decorated by Kay Hostetler's group of Kingwood Volunteers.  Co-chairs Mary Jo H. and Nancy D. lead the group (which included Nancy P, Mirium B and Margie R among others) to create the climbing story of the Night Before Christmas.  The story begins and ends with these lovely paper banners created by Nancy D.

The Balustrade looks to be marble, but is actually a faux marbling.  Wood painted using feathers to create the marble effect.  Volunteers carefully protected the balustrade before placing the garland and story cards, which ascend around the tree and to the third floor completing the tale.

Christmas Traditions - Sleigh Ride at Doors of Kingwood Hall

Display designed by Heritage Garden Club.  This is a festive first, as electricity was put in this year to allow the night time glow of lit reindeer.  A regal gentleman guides a sleigh to the front doors of Kingwood Hall.  One evening as my guy and I were admiring the display, a youngster was pointing out to his family that the gentleman looked quite a bit like Lincoln. 

Christmas Traditions - Invitational design in Assembly Room (Snowman Tree)

Decorated by the Kingwood Herb Society.  Every type of snowman graces the tree.  Most of the snowman are taken from Bonnie H's collection.  Carol S, Pat H, Anne W, Arlene B and Bonnie H created a tree of snowman magic.  What amazing ideas can be found on this tree.

My two favorite ornaments are the pine cone snowman and the snowman made from ceramic. 

Winter has arrived at the Duck Pond

I aways consider the first day of official winter the day the fence goes up on the duck pond.  Shawn M. put the chain link up around the walkway of the pond on Friday.  He paused briefly from completing the task as to not disturb them while I was feeding, as the ducks were not at all happy with the process.  Now that it has been completed I don't think they care at all.  Here they are anticipating another feeding, but soon afterward retreated to the unfrozen water in the back of the pond.

Christmas Traditions - Invitational Design in Assembly Room (Wreath by Nancy P)

Invitational design created by Nancy P.  Nancy and I both show up to many of the workshops offered at Kingwood, but imagine my surprise at her being in the wreath workshop today.  Having seen her invitational wreath (shown above) displayed in the Assembly Room (and knowing that she volunteered helping to make the fresh wreaths, which hung on the grounds and outside Kingwood Hall) I asked her why she would want to take a workshop. 

She said that she wanted to make the wreath design (shown above) being offered in the workshop.  The wreath created for the Assembly Room was made with decorations she saved from other workshops she had taken at Kingwood.  Nancy P is so much fun and does so much for Kingwood.  I really enjoyed her invitational wreath display and visiting with her at Kingwood throughout the year whether it be volunteering or sitting together in a workshop.