March decor

I was looking forward to the March blog, because I was finally going to be able to display a beautiful collection of Belleek bells that my Mother had begun on a trip to Ireland years ago.  Once I had the first two bells, my husband would dutifully acquire the next year's edition for Christmas every year there after.  Once we got up to 14, I said, enough.  But I really never knew what to do with them.  They always say that collections should be in odd numbers.  I think 14 bells just lined up would not do them justice.

Each bell has the most charming ring to them.  Each is handpainted with a few shamrocks.

                                        I found a vintage linen table topper amongst my linens.

 I began to add the ornaments.  Each bell is so graceful in itself that I didn't want to detract from them by adding additional decorations to the tree. 

Of course, I couldn't leave the tree with all that fine china sitting precariously on a chair, so I moved her.

Here, she holds court on the majestic marble topped sewing base table(yet, another blog) in the Great Room.

            At night, when lit, the tree sends forth the glow of ancestors long ago.