Christmas warmth and sparkle...

FESTIVE WHITES....
with a touch of sparkle and gold on my wishlist!

With Christmas just a little over six weeks away, my thoughts now turn to making list....gifts for family and friends, new recipe ideas, and of course my favourite...home decor. 

 I absolutely love decorating the house for the month of December.   Keeping it simple in my favourite tones of white and cream, and not too overdone, but with our two trees, a sprinkling of fairy lights, extra candles and votives, some favourite seasonal accessories and plenty of bulbs and fresh flowers, the house feels warm and magical and ready to welcome the family home.

Each year, I also love to see what's new, whether for myself or others, and here is a peek at some of the things that have caught my eye....

To start the month of December off, how charming is this wooden advent house from Gisella Graham?  With 24 little draws, what child or grown up for that matter, wouldn't love to find a small present or sweet treat inside each day on the countdown to the big day itself.

My personal preference for our home here in the Kent countryside is for a real tree, especially with a wonderful Christmas tree farm right on our doorstep, but if you can't face all the watering and the inevitable eventual needle drop, then this magnificent top quality artificial tree from House of Fraser (click for link) is your answer.  Artificial trees have come a long way in recent years, and almost hard to tell from the real thing!

Throws and cushions are essential for cosying up on the sofa with on cold Winter evenings and it's always nice to add a few new seasonal touches. I particularly love the texture of good faux fur to the touch.  Important also is for our homes to always smell good...this gorgeous 'Christmas wish' three-wicked candle from favourite organic brand Neom, will scent the air with a delicious aroma of mandarin, cinnamon and tonic bean.

Each year I like to add a little something new to our collection of tree decorations or something lovely for the table or mantlepiece. This rather splendid deer with fur ruff from Harrods would be perfect....and I love these delicate jewelled hanging snowflakes and glass baubles.  The latter can be personalised, which I think would be just perfect as table settings this year, with the names of each of our guests on.  They would make a lovely little memory to take home too.

Lastly, no Christmas decor would be complete without a beautiful wreath for the front door or perhaps on a mantle or used as a centrepiece for your Christmas table.  This lovely seasonal wreath from Oka is made of twigs covered in tiny white beads.  Simple and lovely. 

Happy countdown to the big day, and if any of these lovely items have caught your eye too, you can click on the images above....happy shopping!


Sophia xx