Festive Greetings!
You will be receiving this email a little later than I usually send on a Sunday, mostly due the fact I have been faffing endlessly with my festive mantle and taking numerous photos. It has been tough to edit things down but I have selected four photos to share here.
So, as promised last week, I am sharing with you my festive mantle.
I rarely share photos of my home online as I am quite a private person and my home is less than glamorous, or stately, or otherwise (well it maybe otherwise). I rent a house that has been a rental property for a long, long time. Need I say more…
But, this is to say - you can make at least one corner of your home your own. You can transform and make something very distinctly your own space, with the details that matter to you. I have mixed my collections of vintage finds, with things I have made myself. The photographs are all of anonymous ‘adopted family’, because so much of my own family history is complicated. I like to think the people in the photos I choose to collect and display are all happy to reappear in a different time, having their own encore without anyone knowing their past.
I made both the bears you see here. Some years ago now. I would love time to make more, but….
I enjoy collecting miniature furniture but don’t have room or the inclination to own a huge doll’s house. I prefer to make little scenes. Here the bed is taken over with vintage baubles - a few I bought at a fair, a few used to belong to my step-grandmother.
Yesterday I went into the local woods and foraged for evergreens. The woodland is dominated by male holly so there are few berries to be found - I left the berries for the birds. Instead, I took a few sprigs from different places, found some yew and what I think is laurel. I also found some silver birch twigs on branches that had been recently felled, so they became the base of my wreath. I am not a big fan of wreaths with lots of glitz, so this simple green one suits my mood - but I did tuck in a few autumn oak leaves and bracken sprigs as they are so much a part of the woodland scene.
I kept things simple and enjoyed putting everything together, over several days. I hope, however grand or small-scale your decorating might be this year that you enjoy the process and find your own way of celebrating.
Wishing you a happy Solstice and a Merry Christmas!
I do plan to write to you next Sunday - Boxing Day - so, until then, take care and thanks always for reading and subscribing.
Dear Cathy, this is SUCH a beautiful post and I adore your mantle. It is perfect. Thank you, Carla Wilson.
Merry Christmas Cathy. I have really enjoyed your weekly messages and look forward to more in the new year.