Monday 9 December 2013

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas....

On Saturday last week (30th November) Mr G had to work all day. I always trim the tree on the 1st December and so to keep myself occupied while he repaired to the cabin I put on my favourite tunes and put up the Christmas decorations.

When we were children we always put them up the weekend of my sisters birthday (11th December) but since we've had our own home I can't resist putting them up on 1st December.

I've been feeling really festive since about mid-November. Mr G says I am going to peak too early. Indeed I usually start to feel a bit down by Christmas Eve as it's nearly all over!! And soon it's the part of the year I hate the most - Boxing Day-March.

First up Mr G dragged the numerous boxes on from the garage. There are a few housing deccies from my childhood-present day.

It was hard to know where to start, but I began with the main tree in festive red and white:

Despite Mr G initially vetoing any stags/antlers AT ALL he bought a friend for my white stag (which he bought me last christmas) and so they had to have bows and baubles:

Out went the little festive hardware shop:

On the windowsill sits the "Knitivaty" that my Mum made a few years ago (before I learned to knit) - it's so detailed and took her a whole summer to complete. My Stepdad built the stable for them.

They have to reside in the windowsill so they can sit safely behind the curtains at night to prevent Bear (one of our Tonkinese cats) kidnapping them. He ADORES wool and given half the chance will have the holy family dipped in cat food before you know it. He loves to take a bite of wool and then a bite of Kitekat for some bizarre reason known only to himself.

There are also two shepherds and three wise men....
This year I ordered a white tree for the conservatory because I wanted a tacky-and-kitsch-in-a-good-way look. The vintage style baubles were a fab find in Homebase - £15 for 100. They are very tacky but that is just what I'm after here!!
The tree only cost £20 and has the flimsiest base ever resulting in the cats having had it over several times already!!
Ideally, I would always choose a real Christmas tree - the old-fashioned sort (not the fancy kind) that fill the whole house with the scent of pine but after the year in which we had to chuck the tree out the week before Christmas due to it becoming bald we have since had to be satisfied with fake trees.
On the windowsill in the conservatory is a pitcher filled with painted hazel twigs and on these I have hung my small collection of Swarowski stars - it's our wedding anniversary on 20th December and on years when we are flush (not often!!) Mr G buys me an ornament.

These branches are also home to my homemade decorations:

I filled a bonbon stand with dried oranges, cloves and cinnamon sticks - I love to sit in the late afternoon/early evening with the candles lit....

Outside I made a garland of holly and ivy from the stables:

So by the time Mr G returned from the cabin things were looking pretty festive around here and he was also greeted with his favourite cake:

When do you put up your decorations? Can you not wait like me? Or are you one of the (strange!!) folks who wait until Christmas Eve?

Hugs,

S x

 

7 comments:

  1. Wow you have been soooooooooo busy, it all looks amazing. I adore it all!!!!!!!!! We havent started decorating yet but plan to this coming weekend. A-m-a-z-i-n-g!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fab, fab, fab. Sue xxxxx

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  2. A bite of wool and then of kit kat is my fave pastime!

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  3. hmmmmmmmm that cake again......stop showing me pics of it woman...........
    can't believe it's a week tmw we had our festive Yuletide slag off of cath kidston products!!!!!!!! had a blast with you girls, maybe I should walk lots around the shops again, get this baby going..........
    your house is so festive.
    sorry for lack of caps, am typing one handed, mince pie in the other. I shall call my baby Kipling.....

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  4. sorry if this appears more than once every time i went to reply it disappeared. anyway i am like you 1st December for our decorations mainly because my daughter now 11 has a hand painted thomas kinkade advent calendar that has small toys inside and i have to fill it with chocolates too.

    can i ask how you get your victoria sponge to rise like that, despite having recently bought a stand mixer mine don't rise like that. i weigh three eggs and use their weight in all other ingredients and use the all in one method.

    any tips would be most welcome

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  5. Hi Sarah,
    Now, now. Your 'tacky' decoration look very vintage-y to me. They are exactly the type of baubles my mother got down from the attic every year in the 60's and 70's. If not vintage, then definitely retro, and they conjure up lovely childhood memories for me.
    I usually start with my decorating the week after the 6th December, but this year I started one week earlier. Still adding bits and pieces to it as I go along.
    Your Mr G is right though, peaking too early can bring the festive spirit down too soon and the anti climax is nothing to look forward too. I restrain myself as well as I possible can.
    Have a lovely Christmas !
    Patricia

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  6. Looks great..Love the homebase baubles!!! and yes in this house decs are ALWAYS up on Dec 1st, music on, christmas mugs out............smile XX

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  7. Its Brilliant idea for interior designing.Shabby Chic fabric is so good.

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S x