Floral Friday

(via Country Living)

I haven't posted a Floral Friday for a while now but this week I have seen such gorgeous flowers being posted on Tumblr that I felt inspired. When I took my blogging break I didn't really pick up the camera either and it is a habit I have yet to get back into so I sadly don't have a picture of my own flowers to share with you. However I had to share this gorgeous wreath as I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it on 'desde my ventana' this week.

I feel like I have been rather absent on here again this week and I really didn't want to be, but life has got in the way again, funny how that happens isn't it!! We were originally forecast terrible weather for this weekend onwards right up to Christmas so I have been running around like a mad thing trying to get everything done so that I could simply stay home next week and avoid the terrible conditions. However, the forecast has changed today and it is looking like we are headed for a rather wet Christmas in this part of England rather than a white one. On a brighter note though I am super prepared for next week; the cupboards are stocked, the presents are nearly all wrapped and the nieces and nephews are booked in for fun activities. What do you have planned for next week in the run up to the big day?

Plans for the weekend involve our eldest nephews ninth birthday tomorrow and the village church carol service on Sunday. How about you, what are your plans?

Before I leave you I want ask you for your help in sending kind/happy/lucky wishes in the direction of my dear friend Erin over at Pughs' News. This poor girl just cannot seem to catch a break at the moment; she is in the middle of serious house renovations which have included far too many late night stints, she has had a really poorly boy which various ailments and now she is feeling poorly herself. No Christmas tree in her house and still this super woman is arranging a supper with Santa for 120 people tonight! So please pop over and say hello or just spare her a kind thought - it is about time the bad luck fairy left her alone. May all be merry and bright soon Erin dear girl.

Wishing you all a fabulous festive weekend.

17th December Advent Window

Toasty and warm!

16th December Advent Window

I would love to add twinkle lights to my windows, do you have some?

All about the season

The beautiful Kat over at Secrets of a Butterfly kindly passed a 'Stylish Blogger' award my way and as part of the award I need to share seven things about myself. So I decided as we are in the middle of the festive season to share seven favourite things about Christmas:

1) Santa Claus the Movie

I watch this movie every year and just adore it, I swear I know almost every single line now.

2) Phil Spector Christmas Album

OK so I know Phil Spector! But this was THE Christmas album that was played every year in our house growing up and now I have my own copy, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it.

3) Getting a real tree

Nothing beats a real tree - the care in choosing, the smell and the uneven prettiness of it.

4) Christmas lunch at my husband's parents

My mother-in-law is simply the best cook of a roast and her Christmas dinners are legendary. We are there again this year and I am so looking forward to it.

5) Wrapping Presents

I choose a colour theme each year (this is last years white and green) and really look forward to thinking of the paper, ribbons and decorations each time. I hope to share this years 'theme' with you soon and show you what inspired it.

6) School Christmas plays

I was lucky enough to help produce some brilliant school Christmas plays when I was teaching and still the songs stick in my head. Whoops-a-Daisy Angel was my first one as a qualified teacher and still my favourite by far.

7) Choosing my charity cards

Each year I look forward to going to the tourist centre which stocks all the charity cards and choosing my favourites. This picture above is one from my collection this year, I think I am drawn to ones with snow every year.

So these are just seven of my favourite things about Christmas, I love this time of year and the anticipation of it all too. I will pass this award on to all of you my readers and would love it if you either tell me your favourite things here in the comments or in your own post.

Just ten days till the big day now!

15th December Advent Window

With the temperatures set to plummet again today and more snow forecast I have a feeling a snowman might just appear in our garden sooner or later!

14th December Advent Window

Surely you knew it wouldn't be long before a pig crept into this advent!

Much Love for 12 on the 12th

(Click to enlarge)

After discovering the fabulous idea for '12 on the 12th' over at the lovely Miranda's blog I enjoyed taking part for many months. However I haven't had a go for ages now, so when I remembered as I posted my 12th Advent window yesterday I made an effort to make sure I had 12 photographs to use.

1. A brand new jingle bell for our tree (ever since watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' for the first time I wanted a bell!)

2. Another new addition to our collection this year is this jolly skiing Santa Claus.

3. My wonderful friend Erin sent my husband and I a little parcel as part of my Christmas present that she said we could open early and this little chap brought a huge smile to my face when he was unwrapped!

4. I treated myself to a copy of Martha's special Cookie magazine (sadly her magazine is not easily available here in UK, unless you want to spend a small fortune) but I cannot decide which recipe I want to make first.

5. Micaela's gorgeous fella she sent me last year in her Ornament Exchange.

6. A jug full of berries to brighten the kitchen table.

7. Our house is full of the smell of this right now, I have about four dotted around the place.

8. Erin also added this gorgeous birdie to my parcel - she knows me well that girl! I added it to my heart wreath in the kitchen and it looks like it should always have been there.

9. At this time of year the light always comes into the usually dark hall beautifully and this afternoon it highlighted my stair rail and flickering candles so well.

10. A tiny sprig of holly behind door number twelve today.

11. Our tree bought yesterday and all trimmed up now. The poor angel became even more wonky overnight but I hadn't realised that top part was so lop-sided - any ideas how to straighten it up?

12. Seasonal glow from the candles alight around the nativity and the third candle lit for the third Sunday of Advent.

I hope your twelfth of December was full of seasonal joy and you are ready for another December week.

13th December Advent Window

12th December Advent Window

11th December Advent Window

Creeping In...

Today I am off to hopefully finish my Christmas shopping and this weekend we are going to choose our Christmas tree to bring into our home. Since the 1st December I have been creeping more and more decorations in around the house until now, when the only thing left to add is the tree. So I thought I would share some of our Christmas corners with you today and wish you a fun, festive filled weekend ahead.

Santa over looks over my sink and my hyacinth bulbs I am willing to grow a little more.

This little rusty tree is a new addition to the kitchen this year.

A handmade old favourite which has seen many festive seasons now.

A little jug full of Autumn overlooks my clay nativity set.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without some roses to me.

My favourite Willow Tree nativity in the hallway, I love the way the candle light glows in the mirror behind this year.

Above the fire stands a sad little Father Christmas who has no legs anymore, but I love him all the same!

Snowmen to keep an eye on the time till Christmas Day. I added the garland with lights to our existing one last year and this provides a lovely little twinkle along the wooden beam.

These sparkly reindeer are keeping my tin pigs company!

Santa hangs from the lights round here too.

In the living room I have a basket dedicated to Christmas magazines - isn't the cover of Country Living just divine? It has a real old-fashioned charm about it this issue.

And on your way out, the stable door peek hole is home to a tiny little heart wreath.

10th December Advent Window

9th December Advent Window

8th December Advent Window

Do you go carol-singing, or have carol-singers at your door? My husband and I were talking about church carol services last night and how we haven't been to a really good one for years. The best ones are where everyone belts out the hymns with all they've got and a real atmosphere is created, in our opinion. What is your favourite carol? Mine is 'Little Donkey', it reminds me of the many years hearing it sung by children in school so beautifully.

Perfect Christmas Programme

If you remember my crazy fan post from last year you will know that I love Kirstie Allsopp and you might remember how much I loved her Christmas programme too! Well she has joined forces with her usual partner in crime from the property programmes for this year's Christmas show. Apologies now for the very picture heavy post but I just cannot resist sharing with you everything I loved, beginning with the title shots below.

This year there are four episodes, each night this week, focusing on a particular theme; last night's was a children's Christmas party. As well as preparing for this, Kirstie tested out sledges in Lapland with elves and Phil made his own jigsaws.

Sixty second craft slots were used to show you how to make cute marzipan penguins, a snowman pinata and paper doily dollies for the tree.

For the food they went all out crazy (probably a little over the top for an actual children's party but very pretty to look at!) Kirstie made jelly using a sandcastle bucket as a mould.

They both had a go at decorating the most exquisite little cakes.

I adored this amazing bauble cake that looked just too perfect to eat, don't you agree?

Phil championed ice-cream snowballs covered in white chocolate and then anything from coconut to edible glitter!

Finally they used a location house to stage the party and decorated it for the season. Even though this was a children's party I think they didn't decorate cheesy or tacky but tastefully, what do you think?

They turned the plain kitchen into this:

I loved the show, it was different to last year but just as good. Tonight's theme is a guide to throwing an adult cocktail party and the preview, which showed them making their own chocolates, looked incredible. Do you have a favourite Christmas programme which helps give you inspiration for the festive season, do tell?

Just before I finish one more photo, I couldn't help but point out how pleased I was to see the one lady who confesses to not owning a single pair of trousers in ski ones on the slopes - couldn't imagine her trying out sledges in a dress after all!