Decorating for Christmas

This year our keyword for decorating was rustic.  I was going to make another wreath, but decided to reuse our existing one on the front door.

The snowflake decorations and the ribbon were newly bought this year and I made the bundles of sweetly scented cinnamon sticks.

This is a new position for our tree; we threw out our old pc which used to sit here.  I did wonder if the cats would show an interest in the tree as it sits on the floor, but they haven't touched it!  I don't think my cats are normal! :)

My moose kept me company in the kitchen.

So did this little kitty that was a gift from my husband many years ago.

I sprayed the allium seed heads that I had saved from the garden and this arrangement also sits in the kitchen.

I placed some homegrown twisted willow branches in my Nana's vase on the living-room window sill

and arranged some greenery from our woodland walk around a candle on a vintage glass cake stand, that was a recent charity shop find, for the table.

We picked some mistletoe from our older allotment to hang over the stairs.

I stitched this robin

and Rudolph a previous Christmas

and this year beaded some snowflakes

and started knitting a festive flock of birds for the tree, from some homespun yarn.

Of course there was cake!  In fact, there still is cake as no one has cut it yet!  This year I baked my usual Delia recipe and soaked it with sherry.  The decorations are cut from rice paper using my Big Shot machine.

I made my own mincemeat and used it in this recipe on Kate Davies website.

Some of my macaroons were a funny shape, but I had no complaints. :)

The mini Christmas puddings are still in the freezer.  Which reminds me, I must defrost them for tomorrow's lunch!