Christmas wrapping ideas and bringing in the tree

 

I can tell you that bringing you daily ideas and up to date news on decorating here is no mean feat!! - I feel like I'm running a marathon!  Loving it though  ♥♥♥♥

Today I bring you some wrapping ideas for your gifts.  Of course in France, the stores are always happy to gift wrap your purchases for you, so it's easy to be lazy.  But this year, for the gifts I will have to wrap myself, and to tie in with my no-red-fairly-natural-green-look I like these ideas.

On the home decor front, we bought the tree, or rather the trees yesterday.  A huge tree for the sitting room and two baby trees for either side of the front door.  Last year I made holly bushes for the entrance, but this year (still tying in with the natural look) I'm using two Christmas trees, stood firmly in pots that still have miniature helichrysum growing to hide the pot rims and add a touch of silver grey.  Lights will be added to make them sparkle.

I started making the wreath using helichrysum, sage, black berried ivy and branches cut from the base of the christmas trees.  I'll probably add a few silver baubles tomorrow.

The tree has been brought inside and will be decorated and lit this evening.  I always savour this incongruous moment when a large tree seems to have sprouted in the room, not yet decorated or adorned, just left natural.

 If it were just for me I'd be tempted to leave it natural, or simply with white lights, but when I quietly suggested that  idea this morning it did not go down well.  Hey ho!

Tomorrow I'll show you the tree and door dolled up, 

hope you're having a fun weekend too!

Thanks to All about you for wrapping ideas

crystal for the christmas tree

This year's Christmas decorations are going to be largely silver and white, with a total absence of red, a new idea in this house, so I hope the children approve!

I've been fortunate to find some beautiful old 'pampilles' or crystal tears, and  I'll be using as many as possible on our Christmas tree.  The larger pampilles with the additional rosace and tiny crystal bead on the top look beautiful strung from a simple ribbon.

There's no comparison between crystal and glass in the way it catches and reflects the light.

a family day

A simple image for a  full weekend:

entertaining, being entertained - merci! - baking, sewing, 

gardening and preparing for a big family lunch today!

a bright surprise

Don't you love it when something unexpected turns up - especially if it's pretty!

I walked in to the house yesterday afternoon to find a wonderful silhouette pattern on a wall.  The autumn afternoon sun had come down low, and bounced off something shiny outside, through a window, throwing the perfect outline of candelabra, and window frame, as clear cut as if it had been painted.

little things please little minds .... 

it certainly made me smile!

oh, and don't forget the giveaway, running until next Friday

hydrangea season

How I love the gentle tones of hydrangeas at this time of year.  They seem to
blend together to an ideal palette that inspires me in so many ways.

For fun I shot these small flower heads in my favourite individual glasses in the
company of an antique brass statue that makes me think of
Toile de Jouy fabric and a hand embroidered cushion.

Just for fun ...

playing with vignettes

Apologies, I'm hardly touching ground today 

so please forgive me if all I have to offer is 

some vignettes I played with last week.

Tomorrow I'll do better ! :)

living in an old french home

I was asked this week what I like about living in our old French home,
it got me thinking ..... the pleasure is in the details

Each day here I savour the ....

swirling balustrade to the central stairs

porcelain door handles,  smooth to the touch 

view from my bedroom window

double opening front doors that feel so welcoming 

log fires in our sitting room and dining room

slate roof on our barn

 breakfasts on our terrace

tiles on my garden wall

little potager to tend

wisteria growing around my windows

and shared meals around our barbecue

What's at the top of your list of favourite spots in your home?

mon bouquet du jour

 Had fun this morning, home from the fair.  So nice to find the house 

clean and tidy - bless my family! - but wanted to renew the flowers.

I love arranging flowers in this old soup tureen.  The lid was shattered years ago,

but it's graceful curves and generous bowl make it ideal for showing roses from the garden.

 Sometimes I use florist foam for positioning the stems, but today I had none, 

and instead I crumpled a piece of chicken wire into the bowl.

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In the garden I cut different varieties of roses, pink spiraea, fading climbing
hydrangea, purple sage and annual poppies.  I assembled on the
terrace because there were petals everywhere.

And voila!  10 minutes of pleasure cutting and arranging,  then hopefully 

almost a week to enjoy them indoors.

PS -   I just had to show you this baby - new in my garden.  Growing up
the wall of  the guest cottage actually,   a rose called Polka.  Don't you
love the subtle colour and the fluffy petals?

les fleurs de mon jardin

Starting the week in my entrance hall with

a luxurious bouquet of magnolia 

and ornamental cherry blossom

May your week be fragrant and pink!

vignettes and moodboards chez moi

 

Playing around with colour in the house, testing ideas, 

not clever enough to use a real moodboard, I have to 

put the stuff together to see if it works

Curtains in my dining room and textures in the salon.

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