We were due to visit my MIL in Norwich, but that has now been delayed until next week when hopefully things will not look so white outside.
Himself volunteered to salt and sweep all our paths and steps on the promise of croissants and coffee afterwards (he's sooo easy to bribe). I think he was a little worried about our lovely postie going A. over T. on our front steps.
I put up all the decorations yesterday - phew, I don't know why on earth I think it'll only take an hour or two, when every year it takes virtually all blimmin' day. Of course, Himself suggesting us 'nipping out' to Dobbies for a 'spot of lunch' was always going to hold up proceedings. And another Father Christmas just jumped into our basket and came home with us. Not this one below, he's been around for a while
I suggested a pair of flashing Reindeer headbands for each of us to wear to greet our guests on Christmas day, but the from the withering look I got in reply, I guessed the answer was no - he's no fun.This little Christmas scene serves two purposes - 1) it looks quite pretty and 2) it hides a multitude of sins underneath a linen sheet!
I think it looks especially nice when it's all lit up.
Oh dear - this photo is really blurry - the anti wobble setting on my camera seems to have stopped working.
Going to put a note in my diary now to set aside a whole day for decorating next year. Leaving things so late meant I didn't like the look of any of the scrappy looking fresh trees and although Himself suggested getting a new artificial tree (because of course they were all reduced) we couldn't agree on which one we liked best, so came away with no tree! Still, compared to many of the rather sparse looking new artificial trees we saw in both Homebase and B&Q, our (expensive at the time) twenty year old tree from Williams and Griffin department store in Colchester still looks pretty good, so it'll do nicely for another year. I wonder which is the 'greener' option? Keeping a good quality fake tree for two decades plus or buying a new real tree each year, and then having to cart it off to the tree re-cycling depot in January (although you can then also buy sacks of tree* mulch for the garden at the same time). Hmm, I honestly don't know.....
* I wonder if the pine chippings would make our very chalky soil slightly more acidic or at least veering towards 'neutral'.....
I made these Father Christmases a few years ago - they stand up on their own and are weighted with riceDidn't pick any holly or ivy yesterday, figuring I'd wait until Wednesday or Thursday to keep it fresh in the central heating. Ack, that may have been a bad idea.
Wow, LED lights do not photograph well at all on the auto setting......Himself has come over all hunter gatherer and ventured out, to get his hair cut and get the goose for Friday, then phoned me to find out if there was anything else I wanted while he was out! Tch,was he thinking I'd suddenly come over all domestic goddess and found I need half a dozen things as I was baking while he was out? Pfff, as if! If he's lucky Chic Girl will bake a dozen mince pies for him (now she is a domestic goddess in the kitchen.) I've done some sewing, checked my e-mails and sat reading other peoples blogs with a bag of Kettle Chips - No added salt crisps and a cup of chai - all I need now is to grab a couple of Mr Kiplings - Frosty Fancies and my afternoon will be perfect:-) I feel so sorry for anyone who has to venture out against their will. I'm using up the taking the last of my annual leave, I don't have to go back to work until 6th January, nice.
Your decorations look lovely! Great idea with the village - I should like to try that sometime. Where is your beautiful tree skirt??
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