it ain't over till the garlands are down

All the Christmas decorations are down-- even the handtowels-- except for these few items on the mantel. It just looks so simple and serene, I can't take it down quite yet.

The Nativity scene was a gift.

It was handmade in Bangladesh from wheat grass. The golden luster is more brilliant than the photo shows. They can be bought through Ten Thousand Villages, a Mennonite non-profit that works to sell handmade masterpieces like this for artisans in third-world countries. Even their "employees" are volunteers, allowing even more profits for the artisans.

The Nativity can be found here. I think I will leave mine up year-round.