AzarÉl Greetings: 2025 Winter’s Top Three

The New Year is always a perfect time to reminisce. It’s that quiet window of the season where we look back on our favorite 2025 moments and appreciate the highlights. As a photographer, I’ve had a wonderful time sorting through my 2025 archives. I’ve narrowed my list down to six standouts. This week, I’m sharing my top three winter photos and counting them down in a 3-2-1 style to build the anticipation!  (I know some of you are ‘book-enders’ who like to cheat and scroll straight to the bottom to see who won first place—I see you!) These are the moments that felt the most meaningful to me. Check back next week, and we’ll do it all again with my top three spring photos!

#3. Narnia

“In the heart of the White Queen’s icy reign, a curious wren contemplates a set of Narnia chronicles, seeking warmth and wonder in their pages.”

This first image takes us straight into the world of C.S. Lewis. Lewis is such a fabulous author, and his stories stay with you forever! I was thrilled to meet an artist named Deborah Howard at the Mistletoe Mart in 2024! Her artwork is incredible—she hand-paints directly onto the pages of books. When I saw her set of Narnia books, I scooped them up immediately! It was just one of those knee-jerk reactions you get when you relate to something extra special. The set was only $30, which felt like a steal for such magic. If you have a special book and would like it made even more special, you can request custom work from her. She’s on Etsy as FaevoriteBooks. (Note the “fae” spelling!)

The pagoda lights in the shot were a vintage find at Farmersville Auction years ago. I’ve always loved that oriental flair. Usually, they light up the antique bookcases in our great room; here, they remind me so much of the lamppost in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They cast such a warm glow against the snowy background.

A Carolina wren was the perfect bird to announce the end of the Narnian queen’s icy reign. These birds are tough; they sing loudly even in the middle of the hardest winter. It’s a marvel that a bird weighing no more than a few nickels have a repertoire of up to forty distinct melodies. Their spring songs are much longer and contain more syllables.

If you’d like to bring a bit of Narnia into your own home, the image can be found online here. I love the flexibility of the Narnia composition; it can be shifted up to make room for a meaningful quote. A phrase like ‘Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be’ is such a beautiful fit for a cozy winter reading. And C.S. Lewis has so many wonderful quotes too! Perhaps, “Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

#2. Cocoa and Company

“With the storm nipping at his tailfeathers, the Titmouse came in for a hot landing, kicking up a spray of snow as he skidded across the Hershey tin. He peered anxiously into the snowman mug, relieved to find that the cocoa supply hadn’t frozen over just yet.”

This photo is absolutely filled with nostalgia for me. Growing up, our cocoa was always homemade. My mom would heat milk on the stove, stirring it constantly so it wouldn’t scald. She always used Hershey’s Cocoa from a tin like the one in the photo. Mom’s hot chocolate was really hot. We’d have to take tiny sips so we wouldn’t burn our mouths. I can still remember the feeling of that heat streaming down my throat and warming my fingers as they curled around the mug.

Just the mention of milk sent me wandering down memory lane. One of my chores growing up was “fetching” milk. I’d walk barefooted across the back of our property, climb a fence, cross a cow pasture, and climb another fence just to get to the neighboring dairy farm. In the early years, milk came in a one-gallon glass jar. It was ever so heavy to lug back across those two fences to our fridge!

The red lantern in the photo is a special memory, too. Our dad gave my sister and me our own red lanterns. It felt like a “grown-up” gift and reminds me of all the camping trips our parents took us on. It’s funny how one photo can engulf me in so many memories!

“Cocoa and Company” has space for a quote. Adding a quote like ‘Hot Cocoa Weather’ or ‘Stay Cozy’ is a beautiful way to freshen up your walls with a look that feels perfect all winter long. It’s a warm invitation to slow down and enjoy the quiet comfort of the winter season. I’m happy to consider other custom requests! I’ll just need to give it a final ‘artist’s nod’. This one is not posted on-line but can be ordered by messaging me on-line or calling 717-844-9949.

#1. Gathered Around the Tree

“It wasn’t much of a tree, really—just a few twigs and a lot of heart that had eventually given in to the snow. The chickadee gazed into the fallen red ornament. He saw a world that was bright, round, and full of hope. ‘It’s not what’s under the tree that matters; it’s who’s around it.'”

This last photo is my favorite of the winter photos; it captures a feeling we can all relate to. Brian and I absolutely love Charles Schulz, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang. No Christmas is complete in our house without watching A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once! There is something so moving about the way Charlie Brown chooses the smallest, weakest tree in the lot because he feels it needs him. As the quote goes: “I never thought it was a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. It just needs a little love.”

The climax of that special is also near and dear to our hearts. Linus Van Pelt steps onto that dark stage and recites Luke 2:8-14—the Annunciation to the Shepherds. He explains so simply that the holiday is about the birth of Jesus. It’s a message of “peace on earth and goodwill toward men”.

This Charlie Brown message would look beautiful as a 12″x18″ giclée canvas print on a wall or on a fireplace mantel. Imagine it as part of a tabletop display on a large easel beside a small Christmas tree! You can find it on-line here. It can also be requested as next year’s Christmas card.

I hope these photos brought a little warmth to your New Year’s celebration! After all, a New Year is about the stories we tell, the memories we “fetch” from our past, and the simple hope that a little love can transform even the loneliest tree. As always, any of the photos you see in the blogs or on Facebook are available as a giclee canvas print, photo block, or card. If you don’t see them online at AzarElGreetings.com, please text or call 717-844-9949 and Brian and I will be happy to help you! See you next week for the Spring countdown!