A Lost Christmas Blog

When doing my post-Christmas blog tidy-up, I came across this blog in my drafts which I had obviously forgotten to make 'live', but I thought it was a tad sad to press the delete button, and it's not really too long after the Twelfth Night of Christmas struck, deeming the end of the festivities for yet another year...so here goes.  

Decorating my home, well any home at Christmas is my most favourite part of the festivities.  As Beech House is still not Christmas ready (well I did wrap some obligatory warm white fairy lights around our privet balls either side of the front door - we wouldn't want the fellow villagers to thing us unfestive now!).  Seeing as my own Christmas prep took all of 15 minutes I went bearing festive cheer to my grandparents home to create a winter wonderland in their sitting room.  My grandmother is overtly house proud but the thought of decking the halls in her...(cough cough), mid eighties is bound to seem exhausting, so in came the Christmas Brigade, along with a helping hand from Rod Stewart and his festive tunes, we set to work.  

Then to my parents home, the phrase 'decking the halls' really comes in to its own here, it usually takes a few days to become totally Christmas ready...  

1).  One whole day of my dad untangling metres and metres of fairy lights, indoor and outdoor ones.  The outside is a mission and a half in a cold December climate (well it looks that way anyway), wrapping little lights around trees, hedges, bushes, wreaths...you name it.  But by the final 'switch on' it looks just stunning and always makes us catch a breath!  Well done dad!

2).  My mother has collected and collected numerous crockery that only surfaces in December.  The dresser is emptied of its gilted, festive splendor, washed and ready to be piled high with mince pies et al.  

3).  The tree.  The main tree always sits in the kitchen, a tradition that has span for years, it is honestly where we spend most of our time, cooking and entertaining.  We don't do half measures when it comes to decorating a tree either, I like it full...yet co-ordinated, which means a lot of time!  

There is nothing better than opening the 'Christmas boxes' and digging out the old favourites.  I coo and arh over my favourites in the same way I do every year.  

Here are a few of my favourites.

1.  Festive fruit - being a kitchen Christmas tree it is a must

2.  A jewelled butterfly 

3.  Ceramic westies from Liberty's, I have three and I love them...Maggie does too

4.  No tree would be complete without a robin, and this little cutie is a definite favourite

5.  Lots of stars in all shapes and sizes...

6.  A metal red jumper...why not!

The final result is one jammed packed tree and a trimmed up kitchen dresser with glistening white berries and bay trees.

I hope everyone had a magical Christmas.