Christmases past

Every year I do it. Get over-excited. Plan too much. End up feeling a bit less jolly and a bit more postal.

Not doing it this year.

I do have a few things planned – I mean a girl can’t just go cold Christmas turkey now can she?

But mainly I’m just trying to be present. In each moment. And yes, I know how trite that sounds but I am still committed to doing it because I think it is worthwhile.

And my window of opportunity to have little girls looking at the Elf on the Shelf in wonder is swiftly closing.

In fact, the older one already maintains that she’s sure the elf comes from Ebay and not the North Pole.

You have to believe to receive, I say. And that puts paid to her scepticism. Out loud, at least.

In the meantime I’ve been looking back through some of my posts from past Christmases. I’m re-posting some of my favourite projects and hope they might give you some festive inspiration…or just provide a bit of xmas eye-candy at the very least.

Click on the “Christmas ” in the righthand sidebar to see all these and many more Christmas posts. There aren’t really tutorials for most of these but if you want any details , drop me an email (on the contacts page above) and I’ll be very happy to oblige you with  a quick set of instructions.

I love the wintery-ness of a Northern hemisphere Christmas. Which is completely at odds with the searing heat of antipodean celebrations.

Don’t get me wrong, I relish everything about an Australian Christmas but I simply cannot help but emblazon things with snowflakes. Feels so wrong and yet I can’t stop.  Christmas crack.

This cosy Christmas in July was a natural progression for one so taken with the thought of roaring fires and snow-trimmed windows.

There’s a white Christmas in our near future. I feel it in me waters.

What about you, my darlings. Grand Christmas project plans? I love to live vicariously so let me know in the comments if you feel inclined. Oh go on, do.

Fresh flower Christmas wreath

Last year I had a living wreath with succulents and this year I was keen to keep that  tradition going. Only, because I have a black gardening thumb of  death, the cacti didn’t make it. Yes, I killed plants that are renowned for their capacity to survive with no care. Quite the feat.

So this year I used the same (bought) wreath form – made of chicken wire – and decided to try my hand at some flower arranging. I wanted flowers that were  relatively hardy so I didn’t have to replace them every two days. Accordingly, I went for Australian natives. A hardier bunch of flora there hardly is.

Stunning proteas with petals as soft as lamb’s ears are in abundance at the moment. At the flower shop that is. Not sure about in nature. Presume (and hope) one is dictating to the other.

Below that are stems of some type of Leucadendron and the flowery sprays are Geraldton Wax flowers.  I know all of this because I asked my mother. She’s a font of floral knowledge. And she despairs at my capacity to kill most everything in my garden given enough time.

I had the first wreath made in early November and after a straw poll of family did finally accept that it was just a tad too early to hang it on the front door.

But rest assured I kept an eagle eye out for any signs of early Christmas decorating in our street and the minute I saw our neighbour fiddling with something that looked like lights on his roof I had that wreath on the door faster than he could say “but these aren’t even Christmas lights”.

So I secretly celebrated Christmas with the first wreath indoors for about 3 weeks and it lasted pretty well.

This is the mark two.

I couldn’t get exactly the same flowers and colours as before but I like the changing nature of each one.

Mark 3 is on the door as we speak and is similar to the first.

I’m wondering if I might branch out (HAHAHAHAHHA I KILL me) next week and try something totally different. Sweet peas and peonies? They’ll only last two days…but what a beautiful two days they would be.

More Christmas posts coming up very soon. And my GOODNESS, there’s been some festive decoration shenanigans going on over here. You might think, given this wreath, we’re going with an Australian bush Christmas this year.

But you’d be mistaken. Oooooh, don’t pass out from the suspense…