Oh Xmas Tree!

As the husband put it, this is the first year we've had a relatively 'classy' tree. I had a vision of a tree decorated in blue, silver and white, but the decorating is in the hands of the stepsons. Happily, once they saw the pile of blue, white and silver I'd collected over the months (including some gorgeous vintage additions to the bauble stash), they pretty much came up with the idea themselves - hurrah! The tree is the usual riotous mix of decorations new and old, handmade and mass produced, but this year it has a unifying theme and I love it.

All wrapped up...

My gift wrap this year was inspired by this post on 100 Layer Cake (found via Pinterest, of course!), which was in turn inspired by some sparkly Miu Miu booties. Unfortunately my initial attempts (see below) didn't fill me with happiness, they seemed a bit bland. I struggled to find good, thick velvet ribbon and my silver paper lacked a bit of sparkle. 

So I've been mixing things up a bit and have come up with some fun combinations (the one up the top, with the silver peaking through the blue perforated paper, is my favourite). I do love the original idea, but if I attempted this again I'd spend more time sourcing the right paper and right ribbon because in the end they are what gives the look its punch.

Did you theme your wrapping this year? I'd love to see it if so!

Death by Doxie : Happy Holidays!

Only four more sleeps people! Hurrah! You won't find any bah humbug around here - I'm one of those annoying people that really quite adore the festive season. I love figuring out the perfect gift for everyone on my list (it's the most fun problem to solve!), I love the lights and the decorating and the kitsch, I love the gathering around and feasting and connecting.

I guess some of it comes from being part of a relatively small family with a sensible approach to the whole thing (a common phrase in the years before I moved overseas was 'let's make this easy on everyone'). And a lot of it comes from being ridiculously lucky with all that we have - a comfortable cosy house, plentiful food, a healthy and happy family, snow!... And also I'm the kind of person who does tend to get a bit swept up in things, who gets overly excited about the little, good things. So, if you're looking for bah humbug, move elsewhere. 

The dogs are equally enamoured with xmas. They can barely contain their excitement. Ferdi is so excited he might just go ahead and have a little lie down...

I hope you are finding a little something good in this festive season too, and having a not-too-crazy lead in to the whole shebang. From the hounds and I, warm holiday wishes to you all!

ps. With many thanks to photographers assistant Sam, who willingly put aside his laptop so I could take over his desk, and who entertained the hounds and valiantly tried to get them to look at the camera...

Eight Tips for Stress Free Festive Entertaining

On Monday night we hosted the husband's management team for a full xmas roast dinner. It was quite fun actually. Being overseas we haven't really had much of a chance to do the big festive celebrations at home and there's something quite lovely about dressing up the house and preparing all the tasty things. 

It was kind of a last minute decision to host the dinner. It meant a few late nights planning meals and counting cutlery; some frantic trips to the department store to buy dinner plates; and possibly, maybe using the stepsons as xmas cracker mules (you can not buy crackers in Korea for love nor money). But in the end it felt like a warm, enjoyable evening, and I'm pretty sure (I hope!) our guests left feeling that too. 

Based on my recent entertaining experience, here are some handy hints:

1. Do work with children and animals. In what could otherwise have been a slightly awkward, formal evening the stepsons and the dogs helped break the ice, relax the mood, and provided a nice focal point during those awkward silences. 

2. Give yourself time. I basically cleared the whole day. I went to the flower market and did the grocery shopping. The table was set by 2pm, the dinner prep done by 5pm, and a Campari spritz was in my hand by 6pm.  

3. Have a plan. I'm a list lover, and I know when something isn't written down I will fret over it, even when I don't really need to. So I printed up a time plan for the day (even covering when I'd feed the boys, and when we'd all have showers!). I found it very reassuring! 

4. Keep it simple. Cook what you know and focus your efforts on one or two courses. We did a roast beef with all the trimmings, which is a meal we've cooked a million times. We kept the other courses simple (antipasto to start, and cheese and then cake, chocolates and macarons for afters). 

5. If the guests find out that your dog loves Baileys, watch them very, very carefully. And maybe hide the Baileys.

6. If the guests click out of the selected iTunes playlist and find your full non-edited music collection, hold your head up high. Even when Fragma / Ke$sha / Chingy starts blaring out the speakers. (Oh so many guilty pleasures). 

7. A pre-dinner drink for the cook is fine and can ease the nerves a little. But pre-dinner drinks for the cook may spell trouble. 

8. When in doubt, throw in a poinsettia. 

Have you been entertaining this festive season? What are your tips for hosting a stress free holiday dinner?

Handmade Holidays : Pom Pom Wreath

Over the past few weeks, whenever I've had a spare moment, I've been making pom poms. Whether it's those minutes at the end of the day, when everything is kind of organised and the dogs and I are hanging for the husband to get home from work; or while I'm waiting for a bunch of photos to upload to Lightroom or Flickr or this blog; or when I just can't face the to do list - it's been pom pom time! And the end result is this wreath, which is now proudly hanging on our front door. 

Here's how you can make one too:

Step One : Make Your Pom Poms! 

Fairly obvious really. If you make them in stolen moments across a few weeks you'll have a pile of pom poms before you know it, and without the pain and cramps that can come from going pom pom crazy. My wreath was about 24 cm in diameter, and I needed 40 pom poms to cover it (a mix of big and small). I used these nifty Clover tools to make mine. They do speed the process up a bit, a wise investment if you've caught the pom pom fever.

Step Two : Attach Ribbon and Centrepiece 

The first thing I did was attach a ribbon, for hanging the wreath. Then I used very, very thin and bendy wire to attach the centrepiece, the star. You might want to use ribbon or wool for your centrepiece if you want it to be a bit more dangly. If you don't do these bits now don't fret, it would be easy to add them in later too...

Step Three : Plan Your Wreath 

Before I started assembling my wreath, I found it helpful to lay everything out - planning out the colour clusters and placement of the extra bits. I used some baubles in mine, I like the contrast of textures and the extra sparkle it gives the wreath.

Step Four : Beverage

Make yourself a beverage. Macchiatto was my drink of choice for this project (can you spot it?), but maybe you prefer a herbal tea? Or a smoothie? Or something a bit more 'medicinal'?

Step Five : Assembly 

Working your way around the wreath, tie each pom pom in place. Slot your baubles in the appropriate spots - I used very, very thin wire to attach my baubles, it holds them firmly in place.

Step Six (Optional) : Make Emergency Pom Poms 

You might find as you start attaching everything that you have a few little gaps. I did, so I had to go back to Step One for a while...

Step Seven : Ta Da! Step back and bask in your lovely pom pom workmanship!

ps. As I type this the youngest step-son is beside me making more pom poms - the virus is spreading! Huzzah! 

ps. Hi again...crass market research question - would you buy something like this? And if so, what's the most you'd be prepared to pay? (Please be honest, I won't be offended!)