Category: Christmas
Starlight Express x
At a Christmas party we went to at the weekend, there was only one lady wearing a full length dress. It was jade silk chiffon with a plunging neckline and long, billowy sleeves caught at the wrist. As she wafted past I told her she looked knock out. Like an expensive thoroughbred there was a shake of the head in acknowledgement…before she made a beeline for the champagne.
But it goes to show, a good dress is always a good dress – maybe even more so when you do your own thang. All these are from the Vilshenko range where there’s been a move away from the bright, Ukrainian embroidery of the summer.
To a more parred back sophistication.
Yet they still remain a folk-related potent force.
If I had the wallet to match, I’d take one in every colour,
Laters, Kate x
Divine Decs…
If you don’t have the time to make your own, then Graham and Green have the best vintage-style-glass-bauble-bling for your ker-ching.
Or you could just see them as beautiful inspiration and an incentive…
Laters, Kate x
A Cultured Christmas..
It’s the first of December (gulp) so our two elves on shelves, Jessie and Heinrik sorry – Pinkadou – he’s just been renamed by Charlie (‘Did you know Pinkadou is an old Italian name, Mummy??’ and there was I thinking it was made up. Silly, silly) have made their first appearance. Spotted them?
There they are sitting quietly on our giant loveheart.
Which, without the children, would make them horribly open to very childish abuse…
Which would be a very, very terrible thing….
Laters, Kate x
Best Christmas Craft EVER!
Bella and I had a festive Saturday afternoon covered in glue ‘n’ glitter, making our own Christmas cloche dioramas…they were so simple…yet so satisfying!
In amongst our renovation/building chaos we gathered all our bits together: A glue gun, uhu glue, foam plates, plastic wine glasses, glitter and all the little Christmas ornaments we could find.
We carefully, using a sharp knife, cut the end of the plastic wine glasses off, and cut out oversized circles from the foam plates.
Then we arranged and glued on our festive scenes.
The upturned glasses were glued down and had glitter added through the still open stems.
Finally they were topped and glued with the hanging part of an unwanted bauble and the bottoms trimmed off.
So effective.
Such fun!
Making them together and seeing them all…just made us smile.. and want to make more and more!
If you can..just do it!
Laters, Kate x
Crystal Balls….
There’s a change in the wind..can you smell it? It’s something I didn’t think I’d sense again, but it’s there and getting stronger. Like the White Witch of Narnia, the power of the White-Company-scandi-minimalist-Christmas is finally waning and being replaced with bright, retro, seventies glam. This year on my tables, all the candles will be warm…and red…
Fairy lights will be multicoloured and loud.
And the tree will be smothered in tinsel and those funny silver threads once again.
It’s time to embrace the kitsch and the vulgar..
Out with the bland and in with the true!
Laters, Kate x
Pretty in Pink x
The perfect pick for the party season? These sparkling whimsical wonders from Miu Miu are singing a siren song with their golden glitter and bubble gum buttons.
Pointy toes and block heels..they make you hungry for cocktails and painting the town in Christmas colours.
A clever girl knows never to run for a bus , but for these girls I’m prepared for an aggressive power walk.
Laters, Kate x
Haute Spot x
I have a sentimental weakness for the twinkling lights of Christmas – come tomorrow night, ours will be packed away for another year, marking the end of what has been a really rather lovely Christmas break…if self-indulgence is an art, there’s been just the right mix of celebrations and duvet days: The school routine and early mornings kick-off tomorrow and are going to be a seismic shock to the system..but now, excesses be damned, at least there’s something back in the tank to start the juggling again..and the harsh reality of New Year resolutions can wait another week: I like this feeling of cosy hibernation..
But if I had money to burn in this post-Christmas-spending-month-of-bill-contemplation, this fire-pit would be the object of my desires: Created by hand by the Artist Melissa Crisp and inspired by the north woods of Minnesota where the artist’s mother grew up it’s a living, breathing, visual delight..
Imagine the leaping shadows holding the cold of a winter frost at bay – that wonderful mix of being out in the elements, but warm…But until such times as the Lottery turns in my favour (as The Husband pointed out: would help if a bought a ticket), I shall just dream: There’re enough memories to keep flames burning…and simple candlelight and open fires aren’t a bad replacement..particularly if the candles are Jo Malone..sigh…and so once more into the darkness of winter we go..
Laters, Kate x
Happy New Year! xxx
From a very wet, stormy start to the year…
To the post-apocalyptic Christmas cake, complete with reindeer excrement, polar bear poo and a melting snowman…what would Grandma think?
Here’s to a fabulous 2015!
Laters, Kate x
The Magic starts here..
The Elf-on-the-shelf has been a stroke of genius to the spirit of Christmas in this house – so much so we had to find him a female companion (mind out of the gutter please….) so Bella had her own elf too (At eight she’s on the cusp of not believing) – their presence has been totally embraced with homemade presents and letters regularly being left for them (generally saying the other has been up to no good!). The other tradition that underlines the children’s belief is their annual message from PNP Santa..it’s a beautiful dose of pure nostalgia – there’s a choice of a free message – which really works if you have young children or only one so you don’t get a repeat..or pay £2.99 for a longer message, more photos and a choice of story..this year, for the first time, I upgraded..it was so worth it, particularly as there was an option for the Elf to get a special mention..how perfectly magical? There’s no denying their power now!
The basic concept is that Santa speaks individually to your child and looks at photos of them through the year in their special book..then they find out whether they’re on the good list…or the naughty list..with the option of behaving better before the big day…it’s very, very, clever and utterly seductive. And it’s not just limited to children..there’s an adults version too with true mirth in hearing this Santa mutter ‘I hear you regularly fart in bed’ and other such gems..
I’ve uploaded Bella and Charlie’s messages to Facebook if you want to see the quality of the messages for yourself, and just for posterity, I videoed their reactions this year:
…Once you have laughed and once you have loved this Christmas..the rest is just background noise..
Laters, Kate x
Twinkle Tinsel x
How did it happen? Christmas is a traditional time of green, ivy, berries and candy sticks….yet when I look at this tinsel monstrosity from the 70’s..and my heart sings!
Oh fickle fashion..when will I understand?
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 