Second week of Decembrrrrr ...

This weeks had a welcome repetitive theme running through it:

Christmas trees.

Ours went up. Friends and family have adorned there's and twinkly lights reflecting off pretty decorations are in full swing through the land.

 If only this was smell'a'vision'.

The gorgeous aroma when walking into this covered area full of freshly cut Christmas trees was immense, there are only two words to describe it, those being

'Ahhhhh Christmas'

 

 ~ ~ ~

 

Please, please, please (if your not already doing so) bear in mind when receiving Christmas Cards in the post that the stamps are a valuable commodity to many charities. When you receive post, please don’t throw away the stamps – recycle them and help one of the many charities and organisations who collect them.
The 'Stamp out waste' website here has lists of some of the main stamp collecting schemes in the UK from Hearing Dogs for the Deaf to Oxfam.
Please note though, before getting carried away most charities and organisations request that you leave approximately 1cm of paper around each stamp and separate UK from foreign/overseas stamps.

I know this time of year is off the scale busy without faffing around with used stamps but just imagine how much money could be raised for good causes if we all spared the time x

 

~ ~ ~

 My clever husband baked the most delish cake this week. We never quite manage to stick to tradition and we inadvertently go our own way, the below photo shows 'proof is in the pudding' (pun'tastic) of this!! Christmas cake was not on our menu this December, it was Beetroot and white chocolate all the way. This is my fav cake of all time and my husbands version was up there with the best (Liz's to be precise). This photo doesn't do it justice (like, not at all) but believe me, it was perfecto ~ nom.

 

 

~ ~ ~

 

Confession time. I am soooo miserable when it comes to festooning our home with a Christmas tree. I'm happy to deck the halls with bells of holly but a Christmas tree, nerh ~ it's too much hassle to put up only to take back down again a couple of weeks later. I know, I know ~ please don't hate me. This lil foible of mine comes as a surprise to my friends as I spend all year making things look pretty but when it comes to the time of year when the world goes bonkers making things look pretty I'm not the least bit interested.

Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than admiring everyone else's twinkly evergreens and I go all gooey eyed over pretty decorations but ~ my own tree? Nerh, not interested one iota.

I have managed to avoid having a tree on the odd occasional year and I've been secretly hoping to avoid all tree like things this year too. That was until I mentioned this to my friend Suzanne. We have been friends for over twenty years and she knows me very well. She told me it is just NOT an option for my poor family to go without a tree during this festive season and she would come over and put up and decorate our tree.

This was music to my ears.

O.M.G... The excitement, firstly because Suzanne is one of the best Christmas Tree decorators I have ever met and secondly she was happy to work her magic in our home.

 

In preparation of her arrival I foraged around trying to russell up a decent amount of Christmas decorations for her to work said magic. Poor Suzanne had her work cut out, what I managed to find was nothing short of a random mish-mash.. Colour scheme? Pardon? What colour scheme?  

 

 

 

 

 

Our sad forlorn tree, neglected for years hoping for a chance to finally shine.

 

 Eeeeeeeeeeeek!

Ta Dah!

One stunningly beautiful tree that makes us all full of festive happiness.

 

 

 

This is one of the bestest festive presents, what a treat. It's a gift that keeps giving as every single day all four of us look at our pretty, twinkling tree looking all majestic, gorgeous and perfect.

For the first time in a very long time we have a really pretty tree put together with care and love ~ yippee.

 

Thank you soooooo much Suzanne XX

~ ~ ~

  The continuous Christmas mission of a Bessy Bear puppy dog:

"If I just tuck myself under here, avoid all eye contact, look cute and keep really still they'll never notice me"

"Right, I'll just slowing remove this decoration without attracting any attention"

 

"Bess, are you steeling the Christmas decorations again?"

"Who me? Um, no" 

... Damn I've been rumbled ~ again. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

My friend Wendy and I spent a really lovely day at our favourite auctioneers last weekend.

 It just seemed to be one of those un-expected perfect days.

The lots for sale were diverse in every way from regal gilded console tables to first class vintage port and Champagne. Some lots had come from a town house clearance in Bath. These were my favourites. I poured over crystal chandeliers, silver wear, cut crystal decanters, hand painted pictures mounted in the most luxurious guilt frames, Persian rugs and fine quality furniture. Amongst an array of purchases I was lucky enough to make were these candlesticks below. I think these have to be my all time favourite purchase from the auction to date. They are brass and solid silver, to me they are so classic.

 

 

 

It's the prefect time to bring them home with it being winter and long, cold, dark evenings but also Christmas. They currently take pride of place on our mantelpiece but I can't wait to lay a festive table with them as a glowing centrepiece.

They may only be candlesticks but they make me oh so very happy every time I look at them :)

 

~ ~ ~

 

Jack Frost
By C.E. Pike

Look out! Look out!
Jack Frost is about!|
He's after our fingers and toes;
And all through the night,
The happy little sprite
Is working where nobody knows.He'll climb each tree,
So nimble is he,
His silvery powder he'll shake.
To windows he'll creep
And while we're asleep
Such wonderful pictures he'll make.Across the grass
He'll merrily pass,
And change all its greenness to white.
Then home he will go
And laugh ho, ho ho! What fun I have had in the night.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first hard frost of the year turned the land into a magical place.

Harsh brown trees took on a magical winter wonderland look with a coating of sparkly frosting.

What was once easily over looked is suddenly illuminated and every detail is accentuated.

 

A journey to even the most mundane of places seams to take me through what can best be described as the set from a Tim Burton film.

Truly magical 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ ~ ~

 Below is my fav photo taken this week ...

 

  A pointless but fun experiment with the camera.

 

~ ~ ~

The finishing touches have now been sprinkled on our handmade gift tags (how to make the tags can be found here)and they are ready to adorn Christmas gifts. 

 

 

Ahhhh glorious glitter ... where would Christmas be without it? x

 ~ ~ ~

 Until next Sunday, bye y'all X