a little bit of homemade.

So today really is the last day that you can really get away with a Christmas post. I may have moved on to the New Year and all it brings but still I do really love Christmas. I thought I'd give you a little recap of the homemade gifts that I made for people. I'm pleased to say they went down a treat and it made all those hours of making and packaging even more worthwhile.

Chutneys for my Dad.

Cinnamon bubble bath and Grapefruit bubble bath for my Gran.

Chocolate bark (and various truffles and white chocolate discs,

which, I of course, forgot to take pictures of).

Festive Blues.

I always get very blue after Christmas, as the buzz dies down and people realise it's another 365 days away and it's a long cold stretch until summer (gosh-how doom and gloom, I for one actually love winter). I especially get the blues when I've had a Christmas like this:



 

 

 

 

 

And now it all looks like this:

 

 

 

 

It'll pass, I'm always a sucker for the post Christmas blues but the countdown begins now for the next one right?!

driving home for Christmas.

(image via the-georgian)

 

Okay well we're not driving- more like a shift at work, two train journeys (3, if you include the one to work) and then a car ride to my parent's house; but still! Today Alex and I go home for Christmas!! I can't wait, everythings packed and ready to go. We're laden with stuff and a few extra treats for us and our journey (we're pretty exciting and do puzzles on the train ride home). I love travelling home at Christmas- it really puts me into the festive spirit. Saying that, there is a lot of bad weather reports and disruptions to the train journey we need to make. So put your festive fingers together and have them crossed that it's a straight forward journey.

I hope everyone has a fantastic couple of days.

Merry Christmas!

traditions.

I love our Christmas traditions; how they're created and how they stick. It's making me so excited to go home.

 

 

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

And it has been for a while. Last week (nearly two-gosh that went fast) we put up our tree. It was a long time coming, we'd been planning to do it for ages but things like work and sleep kept getting in the way, but finally Sunday came. I was like a child at having to wait for so long!

It takes us a long time to put it all up (it's a big tree) but it's worth it especially as Alex wears his Christmas jumper, we play our favourite Christmas songs and we eat as much Quality Street as we can handle. I know I probably mention this too often, but it really is the best time of year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

merry and bright.

On top of the garland that I made (here) I also made a Christmas canvas (inspiration from here). It looks nice when it's all lit up and adds something to the garland, as we have no fireplace (sob), but I'm not entirely convinced. Maybe, if it ventures out next Christmas it'll grow on me.

 

 

 

 

 

christmas garland.

I've wanted to make a festive garland for a few years now but either couldn't find a garland that wasn't already decorated or, I just ran out of time. This year I was finally able to make one (thank you eBay for providing me with an empty garland). I felt so prepared, drying out my oranges in advance, only to find I didn't buy enough lights (a 6ft garland needs a lot of lights guys). So after a quick pit stop and a new set of lights we were ready to start. I love how it looks; I've always envisaged a huge garland around our cosy fireplace but alas there is no fireplace (just a pipe dream at the moment), but still fireplace or not I'm pleased with this little creation of mine, right down to the jingle bells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

christmas loves.

# The smell of tinsel.

# Home.

# Alex's Christmas jumper.

 

# Our tree and decorations.

# The Christmas coca cola advert.

# Christmas films.

# The Christmas Song.

# Glitter.

(image via meetharrisonjames)

# Christmas Eve.

# Family traditions.

almost time to party.

Yesterday was party time at our house and we'd spent the last couple nights putting it all together.

 

 

 

 

all I want for christmas...

...is a black party dress. Yes, I grant you there are loads around but why is it that when you have a particular style in mind you cannot find any that even remotely look like that?! After doing a typical pinterest browsing session I saw the most stylish party dress (simple, and wearable again) and now I'm on a mission to find one similar. Any help/ideas would be most helpful; I'm in the mood to buy so many party dresses but this one is my top priority.

advent.

 

The countdown to Christmas really has begun.

(Yes, this little beauty is the advent calendar I make for Alex every year)

another christmas present, another hamper.

I'm loving putting together these little hampers (see here); collecting and presenting it all nicely, I just think they make nice, thoughtful gifts. For this hamper I used my favourite thing: Christmas; I know, very apt for me right?!

It's for my uncle, his wife and my baby cousin so I had to have elements of everything in it. I added a Christmas themed story book and a little cuddly Father Christmas for my cousin and then filled the rest of the hamper with things you usually see and don't get the other times of the year; a selection box, a winter scented candle, Ferraro Rochers etc. I also found a great little extra in getting a little sachet of mulled wine spices. As I have to post this gift this little bag of warmth was perfect as I was, originally, going to add a mini bottle of bucks fizz or mulled wine. Now it's just time to add a 'Happy Holidays' banner and this present is good to go.

 

 

 

 

it's the happiest season of all.

And it has begun! Yesterday marked 6 weeks (yes six!) until Christmas, but before I get ahead of myself and too excited about tinsel, wrapping paper, bows and glitter, I have to mention last Monday but our Christmas countdown could officially begin.

Every year we go into town and watch a different set of Christmas lights begin turned on and this year we went to Oxford Street. The set up was perfectly Christmassy with a Spice Girl, West End stars, an X Factor winner and Robbie Williams himself. It really did put me in the festive spirit- not that I need an excuse!