Helloooooo!!!! How are you all doing? I hope that you've had a good week as we prepare for Christmas to come, and that all is calm and bright in your nest. We've had a very chilled week pottering about close to home and enjoying the relaxed pace of our days. J is taking a break from work for a whole two weeks, and the Little Peeps are home from school too, so despite the huge amount of uncertainty in the world at large, life here at number twenty four is filled with happy.
I have twinkly white fairy lights strung along my mantels all year round and I absolutely wouldn't be without them, but it doesn't mean to say there isn't the need for a whole load more at Christmas. I've been enjoying the bright glow of our Christmas tree very much, especially in the early morning when I get to perform the daily switch-on. The magic of Christmas lights never gets old.
Candy canes made it onto the tree a little late (as per usual), but I think they were appreciated. They never hang around for long and as far as I know they are all now deceased. RIP candy canes, you lasted just over a week which is good going.
My second hyacinth grew, bloomed and faded and it was a blue delight, although to be fair it really was a stinker. Even I had to admit to feeling a bit nauseated by it towards the end when it was in full throttle. It has now been replaced by Miss Hyacinth the third, and I opted for another white one for Christmas. Unfortunately I mis-timed it as it's still tightly in bud, but I think it should bloom for the start of the New Year which will be just lovely.
I selected some colours to crochet up a Festive Mandala for the Christmas table, and I love the mix of red, greens and blues with a touch of sparkly gold added for good measure. Alas the days ran away with me this week and the yarn balls are still sitting patiently in the little project basket, so I feel a bit annoyed at myself for that. And being that today is Christmas Eve, I can't see any last minute hooky miracles occurring, particularly as there has been gin involved in my afternoon. But this could well be the perfect Twixtmas project so I shall see if I can make it happen.
Ah, talking of gin, this glorious bottle of festiveness has been making me ridiculously happy during the past few weeks. It's sooo beautiful!! It's this years limited edition offering from Marks and Spencer, a fruity clementine gin liqueur which also does double duty as a light up snow globe. I know!!!!!!!!!!!! Tis a magnificent idea beautifully executed - the "snow" being 23 carat edible gold flakes (oh, the luxury!), with a built in light in the base of the bottle which gives 40 seconds of enraptured entertainment for all ages. We've had so much joy from the bottle alone, never mind the scrummy alcohol it contains.
We've been enjoying it with lots of ice, tonic and some fresh clementine slices and it tastes so so good. A real festive treat and I'll be sad when it's all gone.
We've also been enjoying our annual box of Extremely Chocolately biscuits, well the Little People have at any rate. This has become one of our festive traditions, and it amuses me to watch the Little People deliberate (at high volume) over which one to have as an after dinner treat each day.
Outside of the home we've been tramping around the woodlands as per usual, and I continue to take great pleasure in watching the seasons unfold in nature.
Winter is my least favourite of all, yet there is still beauty in the landscape especially when the low slanting sun comes out to play.
But oh my life, it's been a mud fest out there beneath the trees and I've never been more glad to have my feet tucked up warm and dry in hand knitted woolly socks and comfy wellies.
We continue to walk most days, J and I, in all sorts of wintry weather. Of course I am happiest when it's sunny and bright but there is a certain calming pleasure to be found when the rain falls lightly through the bare trees making rings in the still water.
We very rarely leave town at the moment and don't often use the car either, so a simple trip out this week felt rather exciting. This was on Tuesday, a quick drive out over the moor tops to walk at Bolton Abbey. I love this narrow rural road where I am required to leap out of the car and open the gate for J to drive through. It's a public road, but further down it runs right through a farm and there are often sheep free roaming the road here. We passed by the big barn where we spotted three glorious peacocks strutting around looking regal and fabulous, a bright jolt of vivid colour against the dullness of winter.
It was such a tonic to walk along the riverside, it was bitingly cold but with a welcome amount of brightness. We walked a long loop, criss crossing the river and stopping for a much needed hot milky coffee and a mince pie half way round.
I decorated the house for Christmas at leisure this year, and after the tree went up and our main mantel was complete, I took my time with the other bits. My granny star Advent Garland is still going strong (made in 2009) and it's such a pleasure to unpack these hand made decorations year after year. I do so enjoy the familiarity of them and the memories they bring to the fore. I find it crazy to think that when I made this garland I must have been heavily pregnant carrying Little B who was born in early January 2010. Wow. I can't even get my head around the the fact that it was over a decade ago. (Oh, I just hopped back in time to December 2009 to see my baby bump....hello Little B!!)
Although I do truly delight in keeping the same Christmassy things going year after year, it's also nice to occasionally bring in something new. I've always wanted a Christmas mug, one that gets packed away with the baubles and unpacked with ceremony at the start of Advent each year. I pootled around on eBay and found a pre-loved Cath Kidston one featuring a Christmas street scene which I fell in love with. It has even has a reindeer sleigh flying around the inside of the mug. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to drink coffee in this mug, and I know for sure that it'll make me giddy for years to come when I get to bring it out again and again. I am easily pleased, we have long established this simple fact I know.
About a month ago, I received an advertising email from the flower delivery company Bloom & Wild with a generous discount code attached. I was curious enough to go take a look at what was being offered up for Christmas as I do have a soft spot for seasonal blooms. I usually have cheap and cheerful red supermarket tulips on my table at Christmas, but when I saw that the "Florists Festive Pick" was discounted by 30% I decided on impulse to treat myself. Have you ever done this, ordered expensive flowers as a gift to yourself? It's ridiculously indulgent and I confess I did feel a smidge guilty for spending on myself in such a frivolous way......but well, I think every so often it's perfectly OK to have a treat.
I placed the order, choosing for them to be delivered to me on the day of the Winter Solstice. Of course I completely forgot about it and was suitably surprised when they dropped through my letterbox on Monday. Happy Solstice to me!
I have to tell you the flowers (and foliage) are absolutely stunning, and seeing them on my table every day has been the best kind of visual treat this week. I want to show you my new jug too, it's an enamel water jug but I bought it especially for my annual festive flowers. I love love love to have my flowers in a jug rather than a vase, there is something so charming and homely about displaying flowers this way, even posh blooms.
So here we are on Christmas Eve and all is feeling quite wonderful in the Attic. Present wrapping happened very last minute of course (late this afternoon in fact, after we came home from a lovely but bitterly cold walk). We've kept things very simple for the Little People this year, opting for consumables (and by that I mean indulgent sweet treats and smelly body products) and spending money. Oh, and there are new pyjamas too as this is a tradition in our house and the Little People always seem especially excited about this bit of Christmas.
So we shall wait and see how the day unfolds tomorrow - it's all different this year as for the first time the Little People didn't write Christmas lists and I don't think we will be putting out snacks for the Big Fella and Rudolph this year either. It's all a bit precarious as Little B (who is almost 11 years old) hasn't come right out and said that he doesn't believe, but we are fairly certain that's where we're at. It's bitter sweet I can tell you. I'll still make sure the stockings get magically filled with (edible/smelly) gifts tonight as I can't imagine a time when that won't still feel like magic. It's like the candy canes on the tree - a few years ago I decided the Little People were possibly too old for them and didn't bother to buy any, but of course they gave me an earful and told me that there just HAD to be candy canes on the tree. I suspect it's the same with the stockings.
I would love to hear from those of you with older children - how do you do Christmas gifts and do you still hold onto any traditions and rituals from their childhoods? Do you still hang stockings?
Even though everything feels strange for the world this year, for us personally our quiet Christmas traditions remain intact. I shall continue to embrace this simple time staying home with my family as we always have done, enjoying the pleasures of good food, relaxation and a warm, cosy home. Holding onto the familiar rituals and looking forward to it all gently unfolding.
I hope that these festive days are full of light and sparkle, and that there are some brilliant moments of fun and joy, laughter and love, peace and calm. Enjoy and savour every moment, and I'll see you all on the other side......
Merry Christmas!
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A fantastic idea for the preparation of Christmas will make Christmas joyful and memorable.
Posted by: Daminee Patil | June 03, 2021 at 10:42 AM
I have loved your little mandala for ever, and I wonder if you have a pattern for it? Please, Lucy 😍
Posted by: Lise Sostack | January 29, 2021 at 10:16 PM
This was a lovely read even this side of Christmas, i got a definate hygge feeling from it so i'm going to share your blog on a hygge group i enjoy on FB :)
Posted by: Kerridwen Niner | January 19, 2021 at 07:19 PM
How lovely that you keep the magic of Christmas in your home. My little ones are in their 30’s and there will always be stockings. It is our tradition to wrap all that goes into the stockings and the reveals are so fun! There are chocolates,not pricey items, and dishcloths that I knit each year. No big gifts anymore but a monetary gift that they are very grateful for. Thank you for sharing your beautiful holiday and home.
Posted by: Joyce | January 02, 2021 at 02:21 PM
Thank you for providing inspiration, a strong sense of community, colour & light in this strangest of all years. Your hard work, dedication & positivity shines a light in this weird doom & gloom. Keep on being you. Happy New Year to you & yours xXx
Posted by: Amanda | December 31, 2020 at 08:38 PM
When my daughter reached 18 and we thought that maybe stockings wouldn’t happen anymore she joked that she felt put out that her older brothers had benefited from 5 years more worth of Christmas stockings than she had! The following year we all made up a stocking and surprised her with 5 stockings full of various little bits and bobs. We all had fun doing it and lots of laughter at her reaction to the surprise. It is a good memory for us all as we now don’t have Christmases all together with one son married, one who (usually) works as a freelance orchestra player with concerts on Christmas Eve & Boxing Day, and my daughter is in the Merchant Navy and often away over Christmas, as she is this year.
Your little peeps will treasure your Christmas traditions as long as they can, and when they have left home they will start their own ... which is how traditions start and live on.
Love following your blog and wishing you and all the family at No24 all the peace, hope and promise of brighter, lighter days ahead. Xx
Posted by: Irene A | December 30, 2020 at 09:00 PM
I just love your festive holiday cheer. When my 2 sister’s and I were past putting cookies and milk out for Santa, we started a new tradition. At the beginning of December our family put out names in a hat and whoever’s name you drew you became their Secret Santa and filled their stocking on Christmas Eve. It was a lot of fun to see what special gifts were filling our stockings on Christmas morning.
Have a Happy Healthy New Year with much Joy and many Laughs in 2021!!!
Posted by: Shirley | December 30, 2020 at 06:51 AM
Your house is so full of colour and light! Thank you for bringing joy to the blogging world even at this time.
Posted by: Jan | December 29, 2020 at 01:58 PM
I just love reading your posts! You are a beautiful writer. I still only put presents out on Christmas Eve when the 25 yr old child has gone to bed... the other 2, aged 31 and 28 come on Christmas morning and their stockings are still magically filled too and their presents have arrived too!
My motto, is never admit to anything... you have to believe to receive!
Merry Christmas!
Posted by: JanJones | December 29, 2020 at 11:58 AM
What a wonderful, colorful, happy, and peaceful Christmas post! And I loved seeing photos with green grass---Minnesota has snow, as usual, this time of the year. Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and more "normal" New Year!
Posted by: Carol Premack | December 29, 2020 at 02:40 AM
Thank you Lucy for all the light and sparkle you have shared with us in this very different year. Loved the photos,musings of everyday family life and the fabulous crafty makes. Stay safe and enjoy the rest of the Christmas period xx
Posted by: Beverley | December 28, 2020 at 12:07 PM
Merry Christmas
We have 2 believers (I think) and a teen. The teen got a slimmed down stocking, but even the adults here get a new book, some chockies and a scratchie (we share around the buying of those bits)
All other gifts for the adults (which includes my mum and sis each year) are handmade
Posted by: Jen | December 28, 2020 at 08:50 AM
Love your Christmas mug!
Posted by: Ellen | December 28, 2020 at 02:08 AM
A lovely Christmassy post to catch up with, Lucy. Thank you. My children still have stockings, they are 25 and 27! Jacob watched us opening his via zoom this year though, as he’s in Wales and couldn’t come home as planned. We all have stockings, I buy little treats that I want for myself for mine. We added a new tradition at least ten years ago , that we all go to Swanage and buy a little present for everyone else’s stockings, mainly from charity shops. We also all buy each other a book from the Oxfam shop. This means it’s a surprise for me (chief present buying elf) on Christmas morning. This year we just went for a walk near the sea instead!
Posted by: PennyL | December 27, 2020 at 08:17 PM
Love to you & yours Lucy❣🌟💖
One Christmas morning tradition i always loved in our (Down Under) house was the "you can get up early BUT be quiet, only take the flat, rectangular present & go back to bed"... ALWAYS my Christmas book!
I'd happily go back to bed & read until I was MADE to get up & share the rest of the morning!
Hugs lovely lady!
Posted by: Kristine S | December 27, 2020 at 06:30 PM
We still do stockings for my 18 and 21 year olds boys. It's a chance to give them a few silly things which are often the biggest hits of Christmas...you can never go wrong with flick-a-chicken!
Posted by: kate bates | December 27, 2020 at 05:54 PM
Merry Christmas to you & your family Lucy!
I loved hearing about how your children had to have the candy canes on the tree. This year the big children I gift( teens now) were so delighted with my Advent tree gifts! It was such a strange year & I thought the joy of something to look forward to opening might be a nice break. It was a daunting wrapping experience as there are 4 of them x 24 days....well, it was quite a exercise in my creative gifting for sure.
Blessings to all of you!
Sue
Akron, Ohio, USA
Posted by: Sue Floyd | December 27, 2020 at 03:21 PM
Have a wonderful time..you always bring joy with your posts. X
Posted by: Susan | December 27, 2020 at 08:42 AM
I've got 2 boys, 25 & 17, & I've been struggling with stockings the past few years. My husband used to write a letter from Father Christmas, thanking the boys for whatever food they'd left out for him & the reindeer & saying he hoped they'd like something in the stocking - very cute, but not something I wanted to take on when my husband left to live with his girlfriend!
Then as I've had less money to spend on the gifts, putting something nice in the stockings and under the tree has just been really hard. So this year, I just didn't do stockings as this really hasn't been the year to try to stress myself out with trying to find things for them! The boys didn't comment on the lack of them, so I think it's probably time to keep stockings till I've got grandchildren :-D
Posted by: Lyanne | December 27, 2020 at 07:29 AM
Merry Christmas Lucy! I hope you and your family have had a lovely day together. My three boys are 17, 14 and just turned 11. And like Little B the youngest hasn’t said he doesn’t believe but I’m pretty sure he knows the score! They all still get stockings from Santa (the older boys get undies and socks and deodorant etc with a few sweet treats) and I think the stockings will stay while they’re all still at home. I can’t stop them for only the older ones or for all of them when no. 3 is still young! I still enjoy the magic of it and they still all bring their stockings into our room to open them in the morning 😍
Posted by: Katherine, NZ | December 27, 2020 at 12:38 AM
Mine are really grown, 54, 51 and my baby girl 45. So I'm afraid no real gifts for them. My grandkids range from 16 to 35, WOW! BUT now my great grandkids get gifts. My house actually got decorated and tree up but with me down I had to count on my son, Shawn and my great=grandson Axxel for help. Axxel put things on the tree but he is 7 so the tree is bare above his reach. I don't mind. Things Very different for me. No Christmas family breakfast. I'm stuck in my chair with the leg up and only getting up to potty. The sonogram showed I have 3 blood clots in my leg. So the 28th I finally find out what is going to happen. So wow is right. I am not liking this newest change. I am so glad you had a fairly normal Christmas. Happy New Year to ya'll from Texas. Linda
Posted by: Linda Spooner | December 26, 2020 at 11:32 PM
Merry Christmas! My two are 17 (son) and 12 (13 in Jan) and her first year of not a Santa year. However, still stockings and amongst the presents still a gift from Santa. Still masses of excitement - even for the satsuma! Thanks for all the blogs this year x
Posted by: Heather @littestarmakes | December 26, 2020 at 08:32 PM
We believe in Santa forever here and I still have a stocking at my parents. They can believe what they want (they all say they believe anyway), but there will never be any oh yes you're right Santa doesn't exist from me. No way! Never. Besides, I still believe. So that's that.
Posted by: Megan Lowry | December 26, 2020 at 02:46 PM
Happy Christmas Lucy! Our daughter is 22 and when she left home she was appalled when I passed her stocking to her to take with her, she still wanted her Mum to fill it! We had Christmas together this year and she still loves having new Christmas Eve pjs, and seeing the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Our son is 31 and in the RAF with his own family now, so he has his own traditions but has continued with lots of ours too (especially the Christmas pjs!) They have both chosen to have classy one-colour trees though, mine is a rainbow of colours and memories like yours!
Next Christmas we are going on a cruise with my Dad and youngest sister, and both our children can’t believe we’re leaving them as Christmas orphans! It’s nice that it’s stayed such a special time for them, I’m sure it will for yours too
PS Christmas Day walking on the beach in St Anne’s this year in my special wellies was my bestest Christmas morning ever! xx
Posted by: Karen Dodgson | December 26, 2020 at 02:29 PM
My children (29 and 32) have a stocking if they stay with me over Christmas. So does my husband and my Dad (aged 82). Dad LOVES his so much and talks about it all year (that makes him sound simple; he really isn't, he's as sharp as a pin still, but young at heart). This year, sadly, he has spent Christmas alone. However, I am already planning a massive family Easter which will incorporate some of our Christmas traditions but with a spring time twist.
Thank you for all of your inspiring posts this year.
Best wishes
Jane x
Posted by: Jane Winter | December 26, 2020 at 11:15 AM