12 fascinating facts about the winter solstice

As a general rule, for many years now, I've typically tried to post early in the day, but this week (and whole month!) has been so off-the-charts busy, that I've scarcely had time to stop and catch my breath, let alone pen blog posts! Thus, in the relaxed spirit of the holiday season, I figured it was better to write one this afternoon and ensure an entry went up this weekend than to (unintentionally) bypass it entirely.

I won't lie, I'm presently overworked and a fair bit stressed (in part because I know that I'll soon have to throw myself into several days of doing taxes, as mentioned in this post last week) and my mind is a swirling vortex of thoughts, things to remember and deadlines to try and meet. Yet, despite all that, I am still in happy, festive spirits and one such reason is certainly that the winter solstice - the very shortest day of the year - is almost upon us again.

This year, the winter solstice falls on December 22nd and marks the day with the least amount of sunlight time in the entire calendar (as it’s when the earth's semi-axis is most tilted away from the sun). Historically, much like it's warm weather (in the Northern Hemisphere) counterpoint, the summer solstice, this day was an integral point in the lives of those in most cultures and early belief systems/faiths.

As we've become more industrialized, weaving manmade light and heat into our homes and daily lives, no longer (in many parts of the world) having a society that is as heavily dependent on the health and cycles of agriculture to survive, and keeping winter's icy wrath at bay by way of everything from polar fleece to heated vehicles, the winter solstice does not necessarily hold a key place in the calendars of a lot of folks any more.

To some though, including many who follow earth/Pagan based spiritual paths, it still does, and most of us at least enjoy making note of the fact that we've reached the shortest, darkest day (and therefore longest night) of the year. The magnificent, warming rays of spring's return may still be eons away, but at least we know that from this point forward, the days will gradually grow brighter again and that, in a few month's time, we'll have pulled through another long, formidable winter once more.

Whether you celebrate December's solstice in any myriad of ways, rarely think about it, or fall somewhere in between, as lovers of history and facts, most of welcome the chance to learn more about any day of the year, especially one as traditionally poignant and important ad the winter solstice itself.

With that in mind, I thought it would be a lot of fun to share twelve interesting, informative, and wonderfully fun facts about the winter solstice with all of you. This is not exhaustive list by any means and I certainly welcome you to share more that you may know in the comments below. Happy reading and winter solstice celebrating alike!


1. While in the Northern Hemisphere, we will be experiencing the shortest day and longest night of the year, the opposite is true for our friends south of the equator, where the very same date marks their longest day and shortest night.


2. Though many meanings and points of significance have been attached to the winter solstice throughout the course of time, one particular theme that has rung true for those of various cultures include seeing it as a time of rebirth, as autumn ends, winter begins, and we gear up for the (relatively modern day placement of) New Year. Celebrations, feasts, rituals, candle lighting, the giving of thanks and the saying of prayers have all been traditional ways to mark this important date throughout human history.


3. The name "solstice" itself stems from the Latin word solstitium, which roughly translates as "sun stands still", denoting the fact that at the time of the solstice (and for a few days on either side of it), the sun has the appearance of standing still in its position in the heavens.


4. Winter solstice has been called many things over the years, some of which remain with us to this day. These alternative names include Midwinter, the Longest Night, and Yule.


5. Technically, from an astronomical perspective, the winter solstice isn't a full day, but rather a specific, variable, point in the day that occurs annual each year on either the 21st or 22nd of December (it will fall on the 22nd again next come 2019), when the sun is shining down directly atop the Tropic of Capricorn.


6. Solstices and equinoxes are not the same thing. Though both take place twice every year, the spring and autumn equinoxes mark when the sun is directly above the equator, thus making the day and night equal in the length, whereas with the solstices, the night or day is at its longest or shortest point of the year.


7. While many of us consider this date to be the start of winter, most meteorologists actually view December 1st as the start of winter and March 1st and the beginning of spring. Though as anyone in a chilly climate can tell you, winter is rarely that brief or perfectly timed, beginning as early as late September/early October for some and reaching into April or even May in some parts of the world.


8. Over the course of history, many holidays, feast days and other important events have been (and still are, in some instances) held on the winter solstice, some of which have leant traditions to our modern (common era) Christmas festivities. These include, but are not limited to, Brumalia in ancient Rome, the Theravada Buddhism event of Sanghamitta Day, the Dongzhi Festival in Asia, Yaldā in Iran, Yule in various (traditionally European) cultures, and Blue Christmas - a day that honours the year's departed - in certain Western Christian traditions.


9. Though technically the darkest day in terms of the number of hours of sunset available, the winter solstice is rarely the coldest day we experience each year. That generally happens in January of February in most places north of the equator, though of course is variable and apt to differ at least slightly from one year to the next.


10. To this day, various sacred sites around the world, very much including Stonehenge in the UK, are used as points of public celebration and reverence for those who wish to honour the sanctity and importance of the winter solstice/Yule.


11. Though the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in terms of the amount of sunlight that we experience on it, it does not, interestingly, usually have the earliest sunset. That generally occurs anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks beforehand, with the latest sunrise often taking place in January.


12. Generally speaking (as touched on in point #5 above) the winter solstice lands on December 21st or 22nd, however it can technically, very rarely, occur on the 20th or 23rd as well. The last time the solstice fell on the 23rd was 1903 and the next will be 2303. Due to this uncommon occurrence, at  this point in time, extremely few people still alive on earth today can say that they've experienced a December 23rd winter solstice.



{A time of celebration and contemplation for the year ahead alike, the winter solstice is a wonderful event that heralds the return of gradually longer days and which reminds us how deeply tied to the earth and the rhythms of the universe we still are, even in today's high tech world. Decembre by Swiss artist Eugène Grasset.}

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In many ways, I think that now is a good time - if such a thing exists – to be as busy as I am and to feel a bit stressed. Both things will pass, I know, and I can help usher them along with the return of slightly more light filled days, which - to my mind at least - naturally represent the brightness of possibility and the positives that will come from everything that is currently underway in my world this month.

Both the winter and the summer solstice hold very special places in my heart and I always make a point to celebrate them, giving thanks for the blessings that have come my way over the last half of the year, honouring the season that we're enjoying right now, and reflecting on how very important this day was to our forefathers and mothers for countless generations.

Yes, we may have central heating, indoor lighting, and puffy down filled winter jackets, but nature is still nature, the universe is still the universe, and there is an ingrained sense of wonder and humbleness to the solstices. They remind of how life used to be, that certain things such as the earth's celestial path will always be the same, and that even something as potentially bleak as the prospect of winter has hidden beauty and cause for celebration.

No matter how technologically advanced our society becomes, that it is something worth honouring each year in the third and final chapter of December.

Flickr Favourites: November 20, 2015 (plus an awesome giveaway over at CiCi Marie's!)

{The Bill ~ James Vaughn}






{1950 Family Circle Magazine Cover ~ Classic Film}


{Red-Bellied Woodpecker 28 ~ Diane Giurco}



{All Bright 'N Shiny ~ Paul Malon}



{Cutex Nail Polish, May 1946 ~ The Bee's Knees Daily}



{Röd lada/red barn/shades of grey ~ Tomas Baliukonis}



{The New Movie Magazine, June 1931 ~ The Bee's Knees Daily}

{Red ~ Kon!}

{1944 ... "A Wave, a Wac and a Marine" ~ James Vaughn}



{The Starlight Roof, Waldorf Astoria Hotel ~ Paul Malon}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

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My passion for, and frequent wearing, of red/black/white and/or grey is anything but a state secret. I've mentioned it here before, including in this vintage outfit post from last August and as we head into winter again - fall time weather being as good as a distant memory here in Canada at this point time - my mind is turning to it once again, as I wear this combo during the winter more than at any other point in the year.

While red is certainly one of my signature colours, and a beloved favourite, too, this particular colour combination excels, in my opinion, because of the sum of its parts. It is classic and bold, but rarely jarring. Elements of it match winter's tones, while the fiery red provides a dose of warmth and vibrancy that is so often devoid from this season - save for in our festive December decor.

The grey and/or white in the equation are as calm as the first delicate snowflakes that accompany the falling mercury and the black speaks to the fact that winter is the end of one year. Yet in its very darkness, the slumbering world of Mother Nature will be reborn as the season draws to an end and we usher in spring's return. That point though, especially considering that we're still technically in autumn, is a long way's off though.

First there are snowmen to make, holiday treats to whip up by the dozens, many a layer to bundle under, and the bleakness - and light - of this time of the year alike to celebrate and welcome into our lives For there is an undeniable beauty and elegance to winter that resides in the stillness, the haunting chill, and annual traditions aplenty that call winter home - not unlike that of the timeless marriage of red, black, white and grey itself.

Even if winter is far from your favourite season, I encourage you to embrace the hidden loveliness in it and to keep yourself warm, if only in spirit, but wearing sizzling colours, like red, orange or yellow, yourself this season as well. It will go a long way in helping to keep your spirits up until that distant day when spring really does roll back into town again!

*PS* Speaking of things to help fuel your spirits this season, have you heard about the fabulous Etsy shop giveaway that I'm holding on my dear friend CiCi's beautiful blog, CiCi Marie? You'll definitely want to check out her sweeter-than-sweet review + giveaway post and enter for your chance to win a $75.00 store credit to my Etsy shop right away!

Making suits from separates, pale late winter sunshine, and happy St. Patrick's Day wishes to everyone!

Outfit details

1940s/1950s turquoise hat with white flower: Dragon Head Jewels Too
Turquoise and white floral cameo earrings: Handmade by me
Vintage blue patterned scarf: Acquired in person from a fellow vintage seller
White button front shirt: Talbots (this shirt has the most amazing tone-on-tone jacquard pattern to it - I'll have to wear and photograph it sans jacket so that you can get a better view of it one day)
1960s blue and gold tone flower brooch: Thrifted (I think)
Black velvet blazer: ???
1950s royal blue gloves: (probably) eBay
Gold tone metal bracelet: Payless
1950s black velvet skirt: Etsy seller Lady Kitschener's Vintage Emporium
Tan coloured cross body purse: eBay
Royal blue tights: Ardene
Black pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Let me preface today's post by saying that this outfit is not St. Patrick's Day themed or intended to celebrate this festive Irish holiday per se. Instead, it was a recent look sported on a chilly late winter afternoon when Tony and I were in Kelowna running errands.

Between doing my business taxes, ups and downs with my health, and lonnnnngggg work days, I didn't get in a specifically March 17th themed outfit ahead of time, but may wear green and gold today and post about it later, if we go out.

This outfit is the absolute epitome of the sort I wear when bopping around town (or neighbouring towns, as the case may be :)) during the late fall and winter months, when it's still chilly (usually at, or right around, freezing), but not quite so cold that a heavy duty overcoat, boots, knit hat and scarf are truly required for the sake one's own safety from the elements.

Though you might at first glance think that my (modern, but strikingly vintage appropriate) black velvet blazing and matching 1950s black velvet pencil skirt were a suit, they are indeed two separate items purchased years apart from one another.

As I've chatted about here at various points over the years (such as this post from 2013), my figure - short, curvy, and complete with small shoulders - does not jive well with the sizing of most vintage skirts. If it fits in the waist, it's too small in the bust and vice versa, or both work, but the shoulders stop nearly at my elbows, the skirt length is all wrong, the jacket length is unflattering, or some other point trips the whole equation up. And yet...

I madly, completely, head over-heels adore mid-century vintage suits and will try on hundreds of them, if need be, to find one that fits (or can easily be tailored to fit) just right. That said, especially when I do the bulk of vintage shopping online due to serious lack of old school clothing purveyors around these parts, it be tricky to find even that one suit that hits the jackpot and so I've become a die hard fan of combining separates that look strikingly similar to create the appearance of the suit.

Naturally, this tends to work best with neutral coloured pieces, especially those on the darker end of the spectrum, such as black, brown, navy blue, and grey, but in theory any colour is fair game and you don't have to hit on a 100% match. Similar shades, especially if the material at hand - such as velvet in this case - is virtually identical, can often trick the eye into scarcely noticing that there's a wee discrepancy in terms of the colours (if there’s one at all). Plus, and this is worth keeping in mind, sometimes one encounters genuine vintage suits where the skirt and jacket have been worn or laundered in different volumes and thus they themselves very a touch in terms of the intensity of the colour at hand.

Sometimes, too, it's fun to intentionally mix things up. Say, for example, partnering a navy blue linen jacket with a navy cotton or wool skirt. The cohesiveness of the palette and the general lines, so redolent of a suit, are more then enough to convey the general concept. I'm not alone in doing this and know that many of my fellow vintage lovers, such as Stephanie from The Girl With The Star Spangled Heart, enjoy piecing together "suits" of this nature as well.

Whether you find suits tricky to obtain, are short on them at the moment, are just getting started with vintage, or simply want to give yourself more styling options with the pieces that you already have to hand, this approach to creating a "suit" is a great one to take. Be it the dead of winter (wools! tweeds! thick velvets!) or thick of summer (silk! linen! cotton!), making your own two-piece ensembles from matching separates is well worth giving a spin if you're a fan of vintage suits.

This winter, while long and still underway a touch, wasn't, thankfully, a particularly brutal or snowy one (in fact, there was so few big falls that I didn't even get in a photo winter wonderland sort of shoot this season). It was however, as most tend to be in Canada, rather devoid of sunshine. Thus, as it slowly began to creep out of hibernation at the end of February and throughout March, I have flocked to it faster than the neighbourhood cats.

Meek and scarcely warm (by the time it reaches us down here on earth, that is) it may be, it's still sunshine and that fact alone gives me a massively needed jolt of energy - not to mention cause to smile, reach for the camera, and scamper outside with Tony to start off a new year of photo shoots.

Being a busy workday for both of today, again, I wouldn't bank on a shoot happening on St. Paddy's Day, but you never know. Either way, now that we're on the cusp of spring, you can (theoretically - one technically never knows what the future holds in store) count on lots more outfit shoots going forward throughout 2015. I'm really looking forward to in fact, as I've purchased and received a number of garments over the last half a year that suit spring and summer best, and which I'm chomping at the bit to share with all of you (including my first four Lindy Bop dresses).



{I'm not sure what the inside of this adorable vintage St. Patrick's Day card said, but I like to imagine it went along the lines of "Because it's so very heartfelt!". Image source.}


To one and all who observe it, may you have a positively fantastic and very happy St. Patrick's Day today, and to those who do not, I hope that you have a terrific Tuesday all the same!

Vintage Link Love for February 2015

It's fascinating, isn't it, how the shortest month can sometimes feel like the longest due to the lingering winter weather? (A point that I touched on recently in this post.) February was an interesting month. Objectively, I wouldn't say it felt that long this time around (January seemed much more so to me), but as with its predecessor that kicked off the year, it was a heavily mixed bag with no shortage of stress and curveballs (although, yes, I readily acknowledge, that's often just life in general!).

One of the better points for me was when I hit the point of having 400+ items listed in my Etsy shop at once for the first time ever (if you haven't stopped by in a while, why not do so today and checkout the plethora of great new offerings there!). As you may recall from last month's edition of Vintage Link Love, I'd set the goal of doing so by the end of March, so I was delighted to beat that date by more than a full month. My next big shop related goal is to reach 500+ listings by my shop's first birthday in early May.

In the midst of icy rain showers, Valentine's Day, an auction on the 15th in Vernon (which I came home empty handed from - but still had a blast at), listing up a storm, thrifting, and beginning my spring cleaning, I found time to enjoy some online reading and amongst the stories that have really jumped out at me lately, I hope you'll have a blast delving into this month's list of twelve exciting, informative, inspiring, or just plain fun selection of vintage related posts.

♥ Make a 1940s flower brooch: As part of Brittany's awesome 1940s fashion calendar for 2015, she recently shared this fantastic old school inspired flower pin how-to that will have you reaching for your felt stash and a needle faster than you can say "vintage accessory!" (and be sure to check out Bonita's beautiful version that she made and shared on her blog, too).


♥  Tips for taking photos in cold weather: Though winter might (finally!) be nearing an end, this is subject all outfit bloggers who live in climates that get chilly at any point in the year can definitely relate to and are bound to enjoy and appreciate the tips in this lovely post from A Beautiful Mess on how to still land great shots even when the mercury is shivering.


♥ Aristocrats of Fashion - circa 1940 Educational Film: Ready to have your vintage fashion loving knees turn to jelly at the speed of light? Watch the delightful c. 1940 colour video below and prepare to be dazzled from start to finish!







♥ Easy art deco nails with Scotch tape: Whether you consider yourself to be a master of nail are or are the newest of newcomers to the field, chances are you'll be able to not only pull off, but seriously nail, this awesome art deco inspired look that Bianca from The Closet Historian recently shared. It's chic, fun, and very Gatsby themed party worthy!


♥  Vintage Hairstyle Trick to Hide Bangs: Whether you call them fringe or bangs, they’re no denying that most women who opt to cover part (or all) of their forehead with an attractive length of hair end up having something of a love-hate relationship with said bangs at least every once in a while. If you’re not feeling your fringe at the moment and/or are in the process of growing yours out or simply want to learn how to do a classic rolled bang, than this excellent step-by-step, photo rich post from Tasha is sure to help banish those bangs blues in a heartbeat!


♥ 10 Reasons Your Grandparents Were Already Cooler Than You: To those of us who life a vintage filled life, this list might seem a tad obvious, while also including many things that we ourselves continue to do in the 21st century, but I still found it to be a fun, though admittedly somewhat over simplistic (for example, with #1, there has been processed food since at least the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, though I do certainly agree that eating locally sourced offerings used to be far more common and constitute a larger percentage of one's daily diet than it does for many in the 21st century), look at some of the things that really did make our foremothers and fathers so awesome.






♥ Darling, Can You Spare a Dime? How Victorians Fell in Love With Pocket Change: I've long adored, and even one a piece of Victorian etched coin jewelry (with one of my nicknames/variations of my name, Essie, on it), so when I saw a whole (wonderful!) post on the subject of 17th to early 20th century examples of love tokens appear on Collector's Weekly recently, my eyes lit up like shiny silver dollars.


♥ Top tips to working at home: One of these days, I suspect I'll pen a post on this topic myself, too, but in the meantime, be sure to check out Olivia's handy, helpful, practical advice for those who also call their abode their office.


♥ A Wonderfully Nostalgic Compilation of 1980s Teen Movies Seamlessly Set to the Song ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’: For all those, like me, who will always leave a massive part of their heart in the excellent eighties, this memorable montage is for you.






♥ 10 ways to get a bigger profit when selling your vintage: From Trish Hunter's recently launched, and truly excellent website, The Vintage Post, comes this splendid list of ten tips that will help you up your profits when selling vintage, be it the occasional item on eBay or Facebook or full time on Etsy or anywhere else. Definitely one for all vintage buyers and sellers to bookmark.


♥ Class Style Icon: Audrey Hepburn: Bethany, aka The Glamorous Housewife, serves up some currently available, timelessly lovely wardrobe options that will help you capture and convey Audrey Hepburn's elegantly youthful style in this fun fashion filled post.


♥ Vintage Dance Cards: Liz's terrific photo filled look at this one commonplace, but now nearly forgotten (outside of the vintage realm at least) item is sure to put you in the mood to cut a rug, dance card firmly in hand, natch! :)

{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}

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Tomorrow we'll bound into March with the energy of an adorable baby bunny and I couldn't be happier about that point. March is a great transitional month. It ushers in spring and also houses the anniversary of when Tony and I met for the first time (2015 will mark eleven years since that truly life changing date occurred back in 2004). In addition, we start thinking about the next crop of holidays, such as Easter, Mother's Day, Victoria Day (here in Canada), and Father's Day that will greet us in the coming months, as well as the simple pleasures and immense joys of the season alike.

As winter slowly melts away, I've got vintage fashion on the brain (okay, I know, I've always vintage on the brain, but still! :D) and will be blogging about everything from an ode to one of my favourite colours ever (and how to wear it in a vintage context) to some awesome 50s warm weather looks that have been setting my heart a flutter this year to my final set of outfit photos from our trip to Vancouver Island last autumn, all in the coming month.

With every ounce my heart, I wish you each a magnificent, sun kissed and very beautiful March and hope that the third month of the year is as sweet to you as the first strawberries of spring!

Flickr Favourites: February 22, 2015

{Vogue August 1942 ~ Amara}  


{Sparkling Silver ~ Joy Russell}  


{1954 winter fashion-skirt suit 2 ~ Mo}  


{February 1940, Jeanette MacDonald ~ Amy Jeanne}  


{Avondale Fabrics, February 1949 ~ The Bees Knees Daily}  


{Vintage winter ~ Svenia Schreiner}  


{Miss Marzie Brown - 2 ~ LLF archives2}  


{Our Siberian Husky Mishka, loving the snow! ~ Sheila Bobeldijk}  


{1951 ~ File Photo}  


{Coeds Enjoy Winter ~ University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives}  

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

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Does serenity have a colour? A season? A language all its own? I think that the answer to each of those questions is a resounding “yes!”. However, what classifies as such for me, may not be the same for you. The experiences you've lived, the part of the world you call home, the things that bring you peace, and myriad other elements will all factor in there.

I believe that serenity can be found in every season, though some, such as winter, do lend themselves more so to this powerful state of mind and being. February often gets a rather bad rap. Though the shortest month of the year, it can at times feel like the longest, and for many it's the last full month of winter weather, which makes us yearn for it to just be done and over with all the more.

Here in Canada, we're apt to experience wintry weather and temperatures until April (and for some, especially in more northerly locations, until May), but nevertheless, that almost palpable sense of longing for energetic new blooms, citrine hued sunshine, and open toed shoes start to kick in right about now all the same.

This is perfectly normal and okay, of course, but if even you're feeling “so done with winter” already, I encourage to stop and savour the ingrained serenity that February delivers all the same. There is a peaceful beauty to the way the world looks, smells and feels on a bracingly chilly winter's eve, just as there is to its colour palette of steely greys, powerful whites, gentle blues, and weathered browns.

As much as you may pine for spring and summer, take a moment and think about the last time you were melting faster than a crayon on hot pavement in July, when the whole world felt dizzyingly alive, pulsating with sticky electricity, and tell me you wouldn't have happily swapped at least one night of sleeping in front of the fan, in little more than your birthday suit, covers long kicked to the floor, for the chance to take a quiet walk in the snow on a frosting February morn?

It is human nature to want what we can't have and to long for the idyllic elements of life, but as we must take the seasons as they are dished out to us (save, of course, for hopping on a plan and embarking on a holiday somewhere warm, or conversely, chilly) and serve our spirits well by enjoying the best that each has to offer. Even if doing so can, admittedly, be a bit tricky when you're shoveling the driveway for the seventy-ninth consecutive day in a row or piling on so many layers you could practically stand on a street corner, undress, and have your own pop up clothing shop.

Do I miss summer? You better believe it, but I also long for certain aspects of winter, when June, July and August are here, so for now I'm content to put up with snow chains, steep heating bills, and short hours of daylight in order to enjoy and savour those elements of the season that I know I'll yearn for when I'm practically boiling on the beach in a sundress in half a year's time. Chief amongst which will always be, the immensely lovely serenity and stillness of winter.

Flickr Favourites: February 24, 2014

{Revlon Fashion Plate Makeup ~ BudCat14/Ross}  


{Yellow rose ~ KLMircea}  


{Learn to Bake (back cover) ~ estelle & ivy}  


{French 'For Sale' Sign ~ prettyshabby}  


{Winter ~ Clermont Camera Social }  


{Parsons Snow Chains - advert, 1956 ~ mikey ashworth}  


{Beautiful pair ~ totheforest}  


{Picture Post, Leslie Caron, 17th July, 1954 ~ Chez}  


{The warmth of winter ~ Thomas Rusling}  


{Abby - Artist Teddy Bear ~ P is for Paper}  

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

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There are few scents that I love more in the whole vast, wonderful world than that of wood smoke. Be it from a campfire nestled in the woods, on the beach, in a backyard, or wafting out of a chimney. With a little less than a month to go until winter officially wraps up, and in reality, probably two or more months until spring really starts to burst to life again here, there is, thankfully, still plenty of time for me to continue getting my annual fix of wood smoke.

I woke up today on a snow covered, perfectly still morning in February thinking about this fact. We don't have a fireplace at our house, but many throughout town do, and I love that if I threw open the window right now, chances are, that cozy, fragrant, timeless aroma would come barreling in to the room within seconds.

This thought then set me thinking about the colours of the flames that are integral for producing a fire. Intense reds, glowing yellows, sizzling oranges, and the occasional flash of pale blue or icy white. This palette seems particularly well suited to winter, because so many of its key players are the polar opposite of the freezing weather, pale landscape, and ash hued skies above.

We bring fire into our homes during these long, frozen months to warm our room, hands, and souls alike, but I think we also flock to the flames because of the fact that they're rather redolent of the sun's surface, blinding summer light, and that half of the year when the potential for frostbite is the last thing on your mind.

Man has harnessed fire, but it's still raw, still primal, still tremendously powerful, and no matter how modernized we get, we'll likely never stop using it in some capacity. It's too integral to life on this planet itself, and that suits me just fine. I could scarcely imagine winter without the scent of wood smoke lingering heavily in the air, bringing back an avalanche of memories from years past, while also putting me in the mood to roast plenty of delicious marshmallows – undoubtedly one of the best uses ever discovered for the mighty force of an open flame. :)