To all my lovely readers.
Have a very merry Christmas
xxx
What are you doing at the weekend lovelies?
Is it going to be a mad last minute dash round the shops or a mega bakeup?
I think I am probably going to spend the weekend wrapping, and I’m definitely thinking of keeping it low key this year much like the rest of my Christmas theme. So it is going to be brown paper, string, ordinary luggage tags and whatever inspiration I can get from all those wonderful blogs our there.
I’m sure I have a few bits and bobs lying around the garden so this could be a possibility. Via HGTV.
Wonderful inspiration from the ever inspirational Leslie Shewring via Decor 8.
Doesn’t simple always look best? The tutorial for this is over on Design Sponge.
And I’m definitely thinking of doing this on the luggage tags. These round ones can be found on Etsy.
Blue Ice – Table Decoration Ideas for Christmas
Posted by in Interior Design | Shopping - (2 Comments)I was hunting round at the weekend for some ideas for decorating the table on Christmas day, and I was absolutely captivated by this scheme over on the HGTV website.
Its very simple but very effective and the fact that it uses blue which is not usually my first choice of colour, just makes it even more striking.
Isn’t it just so sophisticated?
If you love it as much as I do, pop over to HGTV because there are many more photographs to drool over and also tips on how to create the scheme at home.
And here’s the key elements in my mind.
Well, it is over on Pinterest.
Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Written your cards? Decorated the house?
I must confess to not having done any of the above yet. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been looking for inspiration and thinking about it. And I’m beginning to think I may be adopting a simple approach to Christmas decorations this year.
A few twigs from the garden. A collection of glass vases and jars, which I do have in abundance around the house. A few simple white fairy lights. And candles, lots of candles.
What’s going on in your house?
Image credits: Ullamaija Hanninen, Design Sponge, Shelterness, Trettien, Me and Alice
Rockett St George is another one of my go-to shops at Christmas.
I can always find something to buy for the family, especially my son (who has very good taste by the way). The trouble is I usually get very distracted and pop something in the shopping basket for me too.
Well, if you can’t treat yourself at Christmas, when can you?
There’s one company that pretty much covers all the bases when it comes to Christmas and I have to tell you that whenever the latest brochure arrives in the post at home, I get as excited as though it’s one of my favourite magazines.
And isn’t the styling just exquisite?
It’s true, you never can have enough candles. I have them all over the house at all times of the year but there’s nothing like the glow of candlelight reflecting off the glittery baubles on the tree or the silver on a festive table setting.
And I love these paper pendants. A big trend this year but don’t let them get too close to the candles! The napkin and cutlery bundle tied up with a simple ribbon and a star-shaped biscuit is such a good idea and one I’m definitely going to use at home.
And it wouldn’t be Christmas without some ivy.
And I’m going to let you into a little secret…you can claim a discount by clicking here and entering The White Company into the search button.
I had a lovely sociable evening a couple of weeks ago at Summerill and Bishop in Clarendon Cross with the hospitable owners June and Bernadette and a gaggle of other bloggers.
This gorgeous shop in a quiet residential area of Holland Park was established in 1994 by the two longtime friends who wanted to create a kitchen shop selling only the things they liked and would have in their own homes.
It is filled with hand crafted earthenware, glasses, wicker baskets, wooden chopping boards and all manner of other natural products, and reflects the allure of a Provencal home.
To inspire us even more the lovely ladies demonstrated the art of table laying for a celebratory meal. They each added napkins, and glasses and candles and flowers in a quiet, unhurried and very relaxed way until the table looked so beautifully presented that we just gaped in awe and made a mental note to buy red glasses and waxed flowers.
We were also treated to a spot of wine tasting, which was wonderfully presented by Russell of Vintner Wines who navigated us through a perfect selection of wines for Christmas day.
In fact a perfect evening.
All photographs are by natalliavphoto
So now I’m starting to get into a festive mood, it’s time to start thinking of gifts. I must admit these days to doing a lot of my shopping online. Why fight the crowds, navigate the traffic and pay a small fortune for parking when there are so many websites that do all of the hard work for you?
One of my favourites is Not on the High Street. They have already carefully selected every product for quality, style and originality.
And here are just a few of my favourite things…
See anything you like yet?
Ok, I’m totally prepared now. I’m fed up with grey cloudy skies and I’m fed up with rain. Bring on the real frosty weather that makes your nose red and your fingers tingle. And yes, bring on the snow.
And if it doesn’t appear in time for a white Christmas, well, I’m all for faking it!
Like this pretty window film for instance from The Window Film Company. I really like the Christmas baubles!
And I’m off out now to buy a few cans of fake snow.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas!
When do you put up your Christmas Decorations?
I have to admit that without small children in the house this seems to be something I do later rather than earlier. I seem to remember watching black and white films as a child when the tree wasn’t even brought into the house until Christmas Eve. As late as that! Or am I imagining that scenario? For me it’s generally the weekend before Christmas when the dusty boxes come down from the loft and I reacquaint myself with the contents.
Every year I promise myself that I am at least going to have peek earlier so that I can plan replacements and try to impose some sort of colour scheme while the shops actually still have decorations on the shelves. Too often I rush out only to find a few smashed baubles and some questionable taste tinsel and have to come home empty-handed.
So this year, I will plan, reorganise, replace and put together some sort of scheme so that my friends and family will ooh and aah and my home will look as evocative as a black and white movie.
All decorations shown available from Debenhams.
While stocks last!
Carole King, London, UK.
Interior Designer, writer and design junkie. This is where I share my inspiration and latest design infatuations and if I can share a few nuggets of wisdom along the way, well, that too.Member of:
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