Holiday Breakfast

After all the rich Christmas foods it is lovely to have a healthy breakfast. Especially when washed down with Champagne.

Christmas Eve

It can't all be tasteful at Christmas time. there has to be room for some tacky things too.

Danish textile decoration .

The beautiful table with snaps pig and hand painted bottle.

 All the amazing food!

 Apron fabric from traditional Swedish costume, here used as a table cloth.

Happy!

The day before Christmas Eve the snow came down thick and fast, and from then we had a picture postcard sort of Christmas. The house that we are lucky enough to get to celebrate in is made for this, with a dining table big enough to seat 14 and a fireplace with lots of room for home made decorations on the mantelpiece. And at 31 I think I have finally mastered the art of eating a smorgasbord without getting full after the first visit - I even made it to the brussel sprouts!

A Magical Evening

What an amazing feeling to walk out of the office yesterday evening knowing that there are two whole weeks ahead without alarm clocks and to do lists. Instead there will be peace and quiet, family and friends, good food with drinks to match and lots of sleep.

To celebrate the fact that we have got through another year of hard work with plenty of challenges along the way, I met my husband at J Sheekey Oyster Bar for a glass of champagne and a bite to eat. Afterwards we headed to the London Coliseum to see the Nutcracker. I can't think of a more romantic Christmas tradition than this. A truly magical evening.

At the table next to us in the restaurant was a lady celebrating her 99th birthday. I wished her Happy Birthday and got a stroke on the cheek and a compliment which I swiftly returned - she was 10 times more glamorous than me. Wonderful. And that little exchange enhanced the evening and will now be part of this memory.

Christmassy Shopping

There is nothing like a visit to the right shops to get the Christmas spirit going. For a proper old school Christmas feeling, a reliable friend recommended skipping Harrods and Liberty and heading straight to Fortnum and Mason. She was right - this is Christmas as I remember it from when I was 10 years old. Afterwards a stroll down Bond Street added to the experience with all the gorgeous lights and decorations. The lunch I enjoyed beforehand at the Wolseley with the best company was pretty OK too. Not bad for a Monday!

Wonder Baum

To arrive home to the smell of the Christmas Tree - magic!

Red Ribbons

The candle consumption is at an all time high this time of year in our house. I think it is a very Swedish thing, having candles lit most of the time to make the darkness seem a bit more bearable. The ribbons are from Sweden too.

Christmas Card from Columbia Road

On the coldest evening of the year we went along to the Christmas Shopping evening on Columbia Road. The mulled Cider with Rum helped warm us up. I left with one hand painted bauble and a pot of jam. And with a lovely Christmassy feeling inside.

Happy First of Advent

A crisp, cold, beautiful Sunday perfect for buying the first hyacinths of the season and going for a long walk with a pub lunch as a reward at the end.