'Twas The Night Before Christmas
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
By Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not 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, Donder and Blixen!
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 pedler 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!”
Source: Family Friend Poems
Holiday Gift Guide Inspiration
The Holidays are, well- they’re HERE!! But if you are still stumped on what to get for a loved one, we have a few ideas!
The Adventurer;for your world traveling, adventure seeking recipient we love the idea of gifting them with a protective talisman, something to guard them on their journey and remind them of home. For an adventurer, we love; the Good Book Page charms, Axiom band bracelets andWing and a Prayer charms.
The Giver; you know the givers. Always looking out for everyone else, putting the rest of the world before themselves. It’s hard to give to a giver, but if the charm fits- a giver will love it! For a Giver, we love; Renewable Love pendant, Your Heart is Your Map Medallion and the Eternal Anthem collection.
The Romantic; a romantic could be a lover (wife, girlfriend, fiancé) or it could be someone else you are close too who looks at the world through rose colored glasses and is just all about love! For the Romantics, we love; Circle of Love Pendant, Waxy Wonder Double Heart charm, Evertied Charm and the Love Tag charm.
The Devout; Faith is one thing that people keep as close as their family. It’s a foundation that so many relationships are built upon. Whether it be a reminder to have faith or a proclamation that faith and miracles do exist. For the Devout, we love; The Everlasting Collection, Transformative Faith/Love pendant, Freedom Cross collection and the Good Book Page charms.
The Warrior; Some say survivor, we say Warrior. Because sometimes, just saying you survived, doesn’t do it justice. There was a battle. And it was WON. That fight should be celebrated and all Warriors need armor. For the Warrior, we love; BEE Brave pendant and charm, Heroic Insignia, Much Love pendant or charm, Biographies “story of survival” charm, Providence Medallions and Vital Spark Charms.
Angels and Transcendence are the Theme of the Day
This is a magical poem by D.H. Lawrence… we hope you enjoy, and admit your own angels.
Song of a Man Who Has Come Through
Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me!A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time.If only I let it bear me, carry me, if only it carry me!If only I am sensitive, subtle, oh, delicate, a winged gift!If only, most lovely of all, I yield myself and am borrowedBy the fine, fine wind that takes its course through the chaos of the worldLike a fine, an exquisite chisel, a wedge-blade inserted;If only I am keen and hard like the sheer tip of a wedgeDriven by invisible blows,The rock will split, we shall come at the wonder, we shall find the Hesperides.Oh, for the wonder that bubbles into my soul,I would be a good fountain, a good well-head,Would blur no whisper, spoil no expression.What is the knocking?What is the knocking at the door in the night?It is somebody wants to do us harm.No, no, it is the three strange angels.Admit them, admit them
To Autumn
This perfectly poetic ode by John Keats (and the last poem he wrote before he died, at the ripe young age of 23) is a meditation of the quiet activity of daily observation and appreciation.
Quite simply, it reminds us to always look forward, and never look back. Enjoy.
To Autumn
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinéd flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring?
Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barréd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
InstaSpirations
Just a few favorite, inspiring, and beautiful photos from our instagram feed, hash tagged and posted by all of you! Keep posting your beautiful WP finds and all the ways you wear WP, use #waxingpoetic and your photo could make it to the blog!
Submitted by @sherrylyu95 She is feeling blessed and brave with her classic black BEE BRAVE pendant and the all time favorite Camp Charm. Paired with the Twisted with Brass rings necklace is a true Waxing Poetic look.
@lifeasmadyson hashtagged waxing poetic showing off her early birthday present and we L O V E this. What better way to honor yourself on your trip around the sun with an insignia?? Happy Birthday Madyson!
Beloved authorized retailer Studio 77 is creating some gorgeous looks with our new Quatrefoil Insignia, Tag Insignia, Trust Charm and new 28” Ensemble Necklace @shopstudio77 we love you!
@Chritstinerant added the new Transformative Dragonfly charm to her charm collector catcher necklace and it looks divine with her wing and a prayer Tree of Life charm. Christine said she was “feeding her cool jewelry addiction and really loves anything with a dragonfly on it!” WE have to agree. 
That’s very Pinteresting…
We constantly peruse Pinterest for inspiration, here are some pins that we love right now, (and if you aren’t already following our WP pinterest boards)…
1. Love this sweet little note.
2. This recipe by @localmilk for Blackberry + Peach Buttermilk Biscuit Cobbler (a la mode, of course!) looks too delicious for words. Her photos are always as breathtaking as her recipes. What a great way to use up the summer’s bounty, to be shared with a gathering of loved ones.
3. One of our favorite designers, Piero Fornasetti. This wallpaper pattern in particular is a favorite. It adorned the walls of our original flagship store in Los Olivos, CA. as well as our showrooms and tradeshow booths.
Poem of the Month
On Being Human
by CS Lewis
Angelic minds, they say, by simple intelligence
Behold the Forms of nature. They discern
Unerringly the Archtypes, all the verities
Which mortals lack or indirectly learn.
Transparent in primordial truth, unvarying,
Pure Earthness and right Stonehood from their clear,
High eminence are seen; unveiled, the seminal
Huge Principles appear.
The Tree-ness of the tree they know-the meaning of
Arboreal life, how from earth's salty lap
The solar beam uplifts it; all the holiness
Enacted by leaves' fall and rising sap;
But never an angel knows the knife-edged severance
Of sun from shadow where the trees begin,
The blessed cool at every pore caressing us
-An angel has no skin.
They see the Form of Air;but mortals breathing it
Drink the whole summer down into the breast.
The lavish pinks, the field new-mown, the ravishing
Sea-smells, the wood-fire smoke that whispers
Rest.
The tremor on the rippled pool of memory
That from each smell in widening circles goes,
The pleasure and the pang --can angels measure it?
An angel has no nose.
The nourishing of life, (and how it flourishes)
On death, and why, they utterly know; but not
The hill-born, earthy spring, the dark cold bilberries.
The ripe peach from the southern wall still hot
Full-bellied tankards foamy-topped, the delicate
Half-lyric lamb, a new loaf's billowy curves,
Nor porridge, nor the tingling taste of oranges.
—An angel has no nerves.
Far richer they! I know the senses' witchery
Guards us like air, from heavens too big to see;
Imminent death to man that barb'd sublimity
And dazzling edge of beauty unsheathed would be.
Yet here, within this tiny, charmed interior,
This parlour of the brain, their Maker shares
With living men some secrets in a privacy
Forever ours, not theirs.
Is there an angle charm?
Finding the Good
Really. Seek it. Its so easy to burry our heads, or say something negative, but taking a moment, to pause, think, consider, trust and be conscious in finding the good, can transform your life. Even if it seems in that present moment that there is nothing good to feel or say, trust that you will see it, if you open yourself up to take notice. Here is a quote we love and that helps us to remember…
“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”
~Francesca Reigler
Welcome to Nota Bene (both Latin and Italian for “note well,” which we do around here!). At Waxing Poetic, we make things, and get the chance to see them made real (and loved, and changed – by all of you). Here you will find tiny actions, tiny pieces, and tiny particulars of our process – the small (and not so small) things that matter much.
Enjoy!
Patti Pagliei, Founder
