finally ready?

It's a question for me as much as for you ... are you finally ready for Christmas?

I ask, because each time I think 'yes, all done', I come up with something else to do.

Fairy lights are draped everywhere in the house this year. If it doesn't move, it's covered in lights.
The halls are well and truly decked.

And yet, when I think that I can now start to take it a little easy, look forward to Christmas, and enjoy all that has been done, I come up with extra work for myself.

I started working on a fabric 'merrry christmas' garland to hang across the kitchen window. I realised it was going to take too much time and effort, so instead I've ditched the idea and a sparkly wreath with a big bow is hanging in the middle instead. Sometimes it's much better to take the easy option and keep it simple.

Another gingerbread house. No 6 for this year. I wanted to try a different style, worked on a template and then thought I'll try it out now and see how it looks.

Last week I started thinking about how to decorate the outside of the house for next year (always planning ahead!). One idea was to have an oversized wreath hung on the shower room window, which is right in the centre of the house.

Well, I rootled around in the garage and found things that could be used (wire coathangers, fake pine garland stuff, wired cones, silk flowers), and after a few hours *ta da* a big old wreath was made. I took this photo on the kitchen floor to show the size.

I finished off with fresh foliage from the garden, and a dash of fairy lights.
I can't lie, it wasn't as simple as I hoped it would be. Making something this size is never going to without problems, even more so when you need to keep the weight as light as possible. But, it isn't impossible to do,and I would always suggest making things yourself if you can. That way you get things to look exactly the way YOU want them to look.

And now,that really is going to be it. Any 'brilliant' new ideas can be noted down and left for next year!

School ends on Friday, and then Christmas really does start properly. We have gorgeous Christmas Eve plans, so I'll probably blog then, but if I don't, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.