22.11.10

christmas...& a little creative inspiration...


it's just around the corner...
we're not quite counting in "sleeps" yet...but it's close...
*RE* delivered my goodies over the weekend...
{i love that british post still does a saturday morning delivery-so old fashioned & relaxed...}


i've not hung them all yet...but i spent a good part of my saturday morning moving this gorgeous giant snowflake around the place...
sooo gorgeously gorgeous i can't tell you...!
so i'm keeping my baskets of goodies under the stairs a little longer...{well till my mum gets here...!}
& i'm just starting to re-arrange the fireplace...with a few new bits that we found this week...

---

it's christmas time & we are in the english countryside...
but our feet have spent many a christmas covered in sand & salty water...
so shells & stones always feature in our christmas decorating...
shells remind me of our kids...our family...
our life elsewhere & they play a big part in our country life here...
our littlest has played with our wooden nativity scene & a bucket of shells endlessly over the weekend...
for the kids the two go hand in hand...
i love that...their two lives melding into one...





so for us tradition is shells...& candles...
& baubles & paper stars hanging from branches...
i have made paper stars with my son since he's been able to cut & fold paper...
bless him...it's our thing...
{i wrote about it here in one of my very first posts...including the *how to make them*...}
i love doing something with sol that doesn't involve a football...
the stakes are a lot more even for me...!!




so with our old traditions...& our new & gorgeous reindeer...& our giant snowflakes...
we are almost counting the sleeps...almost...



we have a wonderfully *sandy* mantle here in the english countryside
under baubles & paper stars made with love
&
a scottish-looking reindeer
&
a gorgeously-huge snowflake or two

~~~~~
...i hope this inspires you a little to gather your christmas *bits*...
&
...to surround them with the *little moments* in your life
that make you smile...




i am linking up with the gorgeous christmas blog *Deck the Halls*
go check it out for more lovely christmas inspiration 





22 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post! So glad you are gathering all of your Christmas "bits" and putting them out for all of us to enjoy!

    Kat :)

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  2. All so beautiful, and festive! We have made an agreement not to 'do' Christmas until after my youngest has celebrated his birthday which is on the 16th of dec (6 this birthday!). At least until he is old enough for it not to be an issue.
    So I do look upon all of these beautiful images with a little impatience on my part!
    Irene x

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  3. Your Christmas decorations are looking beautiful. I love how you add items that are special to you and I love family traditions, especially those that involve time spent together. xx

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  4. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

    I looked up your paper snowflakes. I shall have to make some with my kids. Fun!

    I really want to put up our tree and get the decorating started, but need to wait until Thanksgiving (Nov. 25 this year.) is past. Only a few more days!

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  5. Oh Melissa! I love your mantlepiece. I miss mantlepieces. Your rather large paper snowflake is to die for - btw! How lovely that your son will still make the paper stars with you. I can just about get mine to join me in the kitchen these days. Beach days have arrived here, so sweet to see your shells on your English country mantle. We took all ours to London too, when we went back for a few years. Everyone loved my homemade shell tree decorations. This year they are all staying in the attic, as we are heading down to Victoria to the in-laws. Looking at your post I am tempted to put up a few little things around before we leave.
    Have a super dooper week.
    Carmel
    x

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  6. I love all the silver and white, so simply and so elegant!

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  7. Evey thing looks so pretty. I love looking at Christmas decorations at night with candles burning everywhere.

    Lovely post!

    Bets wishes,
    Natasha.

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  8. Those photos are absolutely magical and I adore the paper stars and snowflake. As a little girl in India I can remember paper stars being made for various Hindu celebrations. Beautiful! x

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  9. Morning - I sit here with my cuppa and look at your gorgeous pictures which manage to be homely and elegant at the same time. Now that is good taste! I have not yet cracked out the decorations but I will soon and always start with the Danish ones which are similar in style to your lovely snowflakes. I have these metal ones that hang in the windows of the cottage, of little skaters and Danish imps and all things Scandinavian! Lovely - I might just get them out today (once I put my house back together from the weekend of family lolling around). Lou xx

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  10. Great inspiration! Love your reindeer, I have been looking for one of those!

    Have a great Monday :)

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  11. Lovely post - I have now ordered the snowflake and have started to make the stars and I should be sewing - lovely diversion though.
    looking forward to more inspiration.
    Jillx

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  12. As always you manage to make everything look so effortlessly beautiful and stylish... I imagine you're on the countdown to your mum coming too... I am dreading my mum leaving... I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it... Hope you're having a great start to the week. Lx

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  13. Ahh, so pretty! Thank you for the comment on my blog! hugs, Cathy

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  14. This post makes me so happy! I love your version of Christmas, it's so fun and classy and for the whole family. Truly lovely!

    We get Saturday morning mail here in Chile too. It's nice to be able to get those last packages to the post office, even on the weekend! (I don't even remember if they still do that in the States... how bad is that?)

    Wishing you a beautiful Christmasy week!

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  15. Looks like you are
    a quiet Christmas
    gal, like me! I love
    mixing the shiny and
    glittery with elements
    of nature such as
    greens and fruit and
    now I'm inspired to
    add rocks and shells : )
    I'm off to look at your
    star post. I think they
    would be fun for the girls
    to make when my daughter
    has her little Christmas
    gathering!
    xx Suzanne

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  16. I love your tradition of shells and candles and paper stars...so sweet...love all of the great ideas.
    Ashlyn

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  17. Elegant and beautiful Melissa!

    Jonathan loved that his postcard was from your son! Thanks!
    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  18. Oh it's just what i needed to see to get my feet moving! Everything has just a festive feel with an elegant touch!
    xo,
    LuLu

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  19. Such gorgeous Christmas treasures Melissa:) Love that you and your Sol make paper stars together. Huge hugs ~ Txx

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  20. Very elegant and charming!!

    Warmly,
    Debbie @ A Debbie-Dabble Christmas

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  21. I love all of your paper ornaments...and the paper lanterns shown in a later post.

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Thanks for taking a moment...x

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