December

I'm still not ready for Christmas. Presents still need to be bought, made and wrapped, cards remain unwritten, but I'm feeling pretty calm about it all, amazingly. It will be another few weeks before we buy and decorate a tree but I am sneaking bits and bobs down from the Christmas boxes in the loft; a snow globe here, a few miniature pink cable cars there. I'm decorating by stealth. An Advent Calendar is strung along the banister and chocolate is now eaten before breakfast.

A while back I came across a Dala horse letter holder on eBay. I know! Who knew such things existed? It's only at this time of year that I actually need a letter holder so it's really quite useful and just the right amount of kitsch. 

I have bought stamps, of the Christmas variety - and goodness me stamps are expensive! - and also a poinsettia, which was gratifyingly inexpensive. Little traditions to get me in the mood. Soon I'll be buying the Radio Times. 

Bella's homework this week was to make some Christmas decorations for the tree in her classroom. Out came the hama beads in what was one of the most enjoyable homework sessions I've ever contributed to.

I've been doing some festive crafting too, making some tin can tealight holders. They were great fun to make and I'll share them here soon. 

Something rather exciting happened this week too - our home was featured in January's edition of Style at Home! I find things like this very surreal and always feel awkward about sharing them, but of course I am thrilled to bits, not least because we are very normal and live in a normal house with UPVc windows and a leaky roof, rather than a period cottage or something, and so it's nice to think that people find that interesting or inspiring. I am endlessly interested in how other people live and decorate their homes and so I suppose it comes as no surprise that others are too. 

I took some photos - you wont be able to read the text I'm afraid, but I thought some of you might want to see how it all looks.

And no, my house is never that tidy. No-one's is. But it was altogether a really enjoyable experience, and of course fascinating to watch how the stylist and photographer "build" a room, tweaking this and smoothing that, adding props and creating a look that matches the magazine's brief.

I love Friday nights, with the thought of the weekend ahead. Tomorrow Bella and I are going shopping together in Chichester while Angus spends the morning with my mum and John works. Tomorrow night I'm going out for drinks with some mum friends from school, and on Sunday I plan to bake and potter. World events and government decisions have caused me to feel sad and frightened this week, and made me want to stay close to home surrounded by family and warmth, cooking and crafting and snuggling. We are so lucky to live as we do, in relative safety and security. 

I wish you all a happy weekend my friends.