A More Colourful Christmas

Lots of lovely colour has been creeping into our Christmas over the past few weeks. Until recently Christmas has been red, white and green for me. I'm not completely sure why but our decorations have been very Nordic in style and well to be honest I looked at them last year and thought they were maybe a little bit dull. Something was missing and it was colour!

So over the year I've gathered vintage baubles and the sorts of decorations I remember from when I was small. We've got cheery paperchains, colourful honeycomb bells, lots of holly (which we've always had)and this little tree is brightening up the kitchen. We all prefer it so next year we'll go the whole way and have multi-coloured decorations and lights on our big one in the sitting room, so I'm keeping my eye out for more.

And yesterday was the best find of all. My grandparents had just a few decorations in their home and pride of place was given, on the sitting room shelf, to a tiny pipecleaner tree with miniature candles, tiny baubles and delicate glass bells. My sisters and I loved it to bits but sadly it disappeared when they moved to a nursing home and they passed away many years ago. I'd love to have found it but have tried instead to track one down on ebay or in vintage shops, but blimey they go for a fortune - £25 at least, for 8 inches of tree!

So can you imagine how loud my heart was beating yesterday when I popped into one of my favourite charity shops to see one sitting on a table of decorations for a paltry 25p!

Excited doesn't come close. I grabbed the tree quickly, clutching the precious thing very tightly and was about to race to the till when - I can hardly believe this bit myself - saw its twin on the same table! Honestly, I nearly passed out! To be honest I did feel a bit sheepish, handing over my 50p, couldn't help feeling that Cancer Research had lost themselves a fortune so I'll take in a donation next week I think, but oh my I am more than thrilled with my little twin trees.

And I  found another treasure yesterday, four beautiful linen napkins, hand embroidered with holly and berries and a vintage tablecloth, all hand embroidered to match. The work that's gone into these is terrific, the edges all hand embroidered too. Someone really laboured over these for their family's Christmas and I'll really treasure them.

We've finally reached the summit of the Christmas preparation mountain this week too. All the shopping (apart from some last minute fresh food) is done, greengrocer and butcher orders are in, teachers presents delivered (hyacninths in Laura Ashley mugs from the sale!), parcels posted off and reserved items collected from town and safely stashed away.

Now let me tell you I am so absolutley ready to shut the door, make a mug of something warm & cosy, turn on the oven and prepare our little house for the celebrations to come. Tons of wrapping, baking and cooking to do mind you but I don't mind that really because now we're all at home and the relaxing can start.

And amazingly we've even got snow to go with it all - how fantastic. Just an icing sugar dusting here, sparkling with frost and perishingly cold, but to be honest for the moment that's fine. The Moorlands looks just like a Christmas card - and actually at Christmas time, what a treat!

Have a lovely Christmassy weekend and hope you enjoy the white stuff if you've got it.