Ain't it the truth

Ain't it the truth that Christmas trees look best in the dark when just their twinkly lights are on? It was still totally dark outside when I got up this morning but Richard had been downstairs before me and switched the fairy lights on.

A Christmas tree all lit up in the quiet darkness and a cup of tea is good way to start the day.

And it is a busy one today being the last day of the winter term. And it is snowing! It all feels very Christmassy around here, and I am just finishing off wrapping a few last presents and writing the last of the cards before starting the holidays proper and enjoying the run-up to Christmas with my kids. So before the happy chaos begins I'm having a cup of this (frothy capp with cinnamon),

and a little sit down to write this post and think what else needs to be done. I have never felt so calm and chilled about Christmas as I do this year, and I feel ready. Amazing!

The present wrapping, like everything else this Christmas has been very simple and pretty thrifty. Bulk craft paper (the same that I wrap my bouquets in during the summer), proper bakers' twine from a baking wholesaler - a huge great reel of it for not very much at all, and a few tags and fun tape. Cheap and cheerful but I rather love the look and the "brown paper packages wrapped up with string" feel!

Ok I did splash out on some red pom-pom ribbon, but if you can't buy red pom-pom ribbon at Christmas, frankly when can you?!

I found some huge bunches of real mistletoe being sold at our local deli for a pound, so it seemed rude to refuse. I got so many "ooo, have fun under the mistletoe" remarks walking through town I feel duty bound to spend most of the holidays puckering up and hoping for the best! Anyway it looks very festive above our sittingroom door, and I added an errant sprig to this plain wreath on our stairway (the sky was so blue yesterday, it is white with snow this morning!)

I always love candlelight, and at Christmas some extra ones in lovely sticks are lit in the evenings, I love these mercury glass ones.

Meanwhile the snow has been falling gently (the sloshy kind, I think it will melt away), this is the view from my kitchen door - I don't think I have ever seen my yellow roses in bud and bloom still whilst covered in a sprinkling of snow!

I am so glad Friday is here, it feels like the run-in to Christmas has started. The children have Christmas parties and sleepovers and I have an excuse to put on a party frock myself this weekend.

I must mention that this weekend is the last one for UK Christmas orders from the Wild Acre jewellery shop, (although the shop is not closing over the holiday period, items after this weekend will not be dispatched until the new year). Thank you so much for your support (and purchases) - it is lovely to think some of my pieces will be opened from their little be-ribboned boxes on the 25th!

So,  bring on the holidays, and some downtime some serious cosy! Have a really wonderful weekend where ever you are.

I did it! I made a wreath!

I am not particularly keen on dried flowers, besotted as I am with fresh ones. I usually only do twee in managable spoonfuls. Perhaps these are the reasons that wreath making, a staple of seasonal flower growers/sellers has never particularly appealed. To 'fess up entirely, I have never made a wreath. Ever. Which feels like a bit of an admission for a would-be, nearly-there florist.

So when Sarah, the home-making wonder of Modern Country Style took us on her week-long wreath-making odyssey, I thought I would join in. Except life kept getting in the way, and to be in time for today's link-up wreath-party (and what a surreal place this blogworld is!), I really had to get it done last night. From scratch, along with supper, bath-time for the little one, teenage exam course work and wrapping up Christmas presents! Which I offer as my paltry excuse if it looks a little ragged around the edges! Apart from the glittery pinecones, I foraged every last bit from the garden or riverbank, even for the base which is made from stems of an invasive plant in our woodland which I have never bothered to look up, but at least it now has a role as wreath-base provider. Around it is wrapped wild-growing ivy pulled off our fence, dried hydrangea heads from my in-laws' front garden, two types of eucalyptus from our garden and some shrivelled continus leaves. I was tempted to raid the riverbank for a few snowberries but ran out of time, I might add them later.

I laid everything on the kitchen table and got Sarah's posts up on the laptop to guide me through. It is actually quite addictive once you start poking the pretty stems through the base and the whole thing took less time than I anticipated, but then mine isn't very 'full', I quite like some base showing through.

I did have some annoying stem-ends that kept popping out of place, but I'm just ignoring them for now! I am anticipating serious withering of ivy and euc, but am prepared to spray them silver if I need to.

I am rather chuffed with the result and am off to hang it on my door, smug "home-made' madam that I am!! And I've got wondering...perhaps Wild Acre might, just might, make Christmas wreaths in years to come!