I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Thank you so much to all the wonderful people who read this blog and make putting it together so much fun. Thanks to Martha and to the staff at Martha Stewart Living, also. I've received such kind and helpful comments, emails and correspondence from people all over the world in the last year. I hope everyone has a blissful and relaxing Christmas this year with friends and family. I'll leave you with these photos of the Christmas lights in my hometown of Ottawa, which is Canada's capital. Enjoy, my friends! Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad!

Every year on December 10th, the National Capital Commission flips a switch somewhere and hundreds of thousands of tiny Christmas lights come on across Ottawa. They remain lit until January 10th, from 5 pm onward. Above are the Parliament Buildings all aglow. Enormous snowflake patterns are shone onto the walls and they rotate slowly in a beautiful dance. The towers are illuminated with coloured spotlights.

A closer view of Parliament. All of the shrubs and trees around the government house are covered in lights.

The Chateau Laurier Hotel and the National War Monument are surrounded by trees in purple lights.

In Confederation Park outside the Lord Elgin Hotel, nearly every tree is lit up with lights.