Easter Shian Yule '22 Edition #1

HIAN

EASTER

YULE

Undefinable is a thing.

Imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect.

All photography by Nova Creative, Michele Lamb www.bynova.co.uk

2022

01

E/S - Yule '22

EASTER SHIAN

YULE IS PERSONAL, THERE IS NO WRONG OR RIGHT

Welcome to my first Easter Shian eZineYule '22 edition.

Sharing our Scotland's Home of the Year Win Christmas 2022

Our home reflects us.

All of us.

02

E/S - Yule '22

WHAT'S IN E|S YULE '22 Know about Easter Shian 04

Why Yule, why Scotland's Home of The Year Christmas

Yule by Room 05

Sharing the theme, flow, story and what's in each room.

Gallery 12

Amazing photography by Nova and more Yule Joy stories and photos

Thank you 13

I am surrounded by fabulousness and its needs thanking .

Where from 15

A list of where I got things from if not foraged, found, borrowed.

KNOW ABOUT

04

E/S - Yule '22

EASTER SHIAN

YULE

First let's talk about why I am using Yule versus Christmas bar the semantics it is about embracing all that is Scottish (from a Boltonian!) I researched Scottish Christmas and Yule is a Scottish term from Stuart times as our house was built in 1705, is the oldest hoose in the glen it seems and feels appropriate to embrace Yule over Christmas.

SCOTLANDS HOME OF THE YEAR As part of our renovations we bought many many beautiful items from Jefferys of Dunkeld and they recommended us to the BBC. The process to be selected for Scotland's Home Of The Year Christmas 2022 started with a house visit in late October we had to have at least one room decorated so I picked the easiest the entryway. In November, we got selected as one of the final 5. Now this is the fun bit, we were working in USA until November 17th and the filming for the program was 19th November! We had two days to decorate the WHOLE house.

NO DECORATIONS!

Add to the very small timeline Yule was an even bigger push as we had no decorations! I had lived in Bolton for most of my life up until 2017, and 13 years of my married life, we then moved to Mallorca for 3 years and then came back and found Easter Shian in 2020. In all this movement the collected childhood treasures got passed to our eldest daughters and Dave & I never built a new Christmas collection.

05

EASTER SHIAN YULE THEME

"WILD, FORAGED & FOUND"

INSPIRED BY OUR NATURAL REMOTE RURAL HIGHLANDS SURROUNDINGS & OUR FLORAL CLOUD WE HAD INSTALLED WHEN WE MOVED IN (BY NOVA BOTANICS)

04

E/S - Yule '22

KNOW ABOUT EASTER SHIAN

AT YULE Knowing we had limited (if any decoration), s0 I needed a theme and design I could get my hands on quickly.

Thus the theme of:

"WILD, FORAGED & FOUND"

Knowing we had limited resources and time, I needed to be able to create something that we enjoyed, liked and "fitted" the house too.

Off I went foraging and making as much as I could. I share throughout this eZine a room by room and how I linked the theme together, what I made, foraged, found and in full transparency "found" shopping at Jefferys Dunkeld too

Simplicity, less is more is a theme throughout our Yule decorations. The more is that each room has a touch of Yule in it.

I hope you find it fun, useful and also to inspire you to be creative in any future Yule decorations you do.

Please do share what you do be lovely to be able to feature them in future eZines.

Email to hoose@eastershian.com *#SHOTY Scotland's Home Of The Year Christmas on @bbcscotland @bbciplayer

MAKE STUFF! THE STOCKINGS ARE MADE FROM WOOL PACKING FROM A FOOD DELIVERY AND ALSO AN OLD RUG THAT GOT MICE EATEN, ALL HUNG ON A BRANCH FOUND ON A WALK. – @EASTERSHIAN

05

E/S - Yule '22

YULE BY ROOM THE THEME OF WILD, FORAGED & FOUND WAS USED IN EVERY ROOM IN SOME WAY.

Outdoor to door

Hallway welcome Kitchen Yule

#01

#02

#03

The welcome needs to feel Yule festive and fun, so it started with lights (set on a wifi timer plug) and battery fairy lights too. We had 2 x 6ft Christmas trees and I made a foraged hanging wreath for the garage finished in tartan.

Adding to the outdoor in, a full foraged thick and overflowing garland was made (this has been made three times since as natural requires extra help plus the TV show meant we decorated very early! small touches of paper, thick twine and presents completed the look.

I made a Christmas spray from pine, clove and orange oils and mixed in water . Over the Aga is a foraged garland made from a branch and matched by colour, tone and style with oversized branches in a vase on the islandtheme maintained. Large pot of rosemary and also simple pine mini twine garland splash back around the sink and on the open shelves lots of greenery.

16

E/S - Yule '22

YULE BY ROOM

LIVING SPACES The main space or spaces in your home can hold more Yule than others. For us we have three main living and working spaces and they each have a different feel and then linked through key decorative items. Greenery is the key for us- natural and nature. Using the theme of wild, foraged and found to link the spaces together by colour, similar items as decorations. We have our keeping room (photo), that we have morning coffee in decorated paper chains on the tree and festoon style around the room (natural, homemade), our sitting room & office is greenery, hops and branches foraged. The TV room is neutral in colour and has hop garland, hop chandelier, simple only decoration on the tree are vintage bells.

E/S - Yule '22

07

LIVING YULE Simple tips: Stack & display in odd numbers. Start from the side and off center. Use different heights.

"Books are furniture, art, decor, texture and also amazing to read too."

Use books, I am a true bibliophile. Fortunate to have built a library. Every room (including the bathrooms and loos have books in them!) has books, I use them stacked, single open. closed.

Use books as ways to build height when using on tables, consoles and shelves. Yule: Turn the books around for spines or neutralise by turning around and showing the pages first.

Texture, tone, texture. How it feels is how it can look more interesting. Tones of the same colour work well too. Look around and pile colours and tones together. For Yule you can tone colours for a stronger look.

08

E/S - Yule '22

YULE BY ROOM BEING SENSITIVE TO WHAT EACH ROOM IS USED FOR, TIME SPENT IN IT, SMELL, FEEL, LIGHTS AND IN THEME.

Stairways & landings #04

Library to dining Bedrooms & Bathrooms #05 #06

Never missing a space for adding detail, this was a hybrid faux and real garland up the stairs lower bannister with the help of Michele from by Nova adding simple heather that matched the real heather pots and (faux) candles on the stairs steps. The theme ran to top of the stairs with drop cloth and branches light up simple and Leanne Ford style.

The dining room/ library is off the central living space the theme of hops was carried fully into this room. A full hops garland over the double doors, then hung over a foraged branch with big lights , central table piece found old rotting sheep feeder, and I fragranced wooden balls from etsy into a garland, made placemats from scraps of fabric and a paper garland.

Each bedroom and bathroom as a feeling of Yule, not to overwhelm and no added lights as I do feel these spaces need to be calm. Simple fresh foraged pine garlands, mixed with faux, mistletoe bundles on the side bed sconces, small pine branches in little old bottles, drop cloths as decorative panels and pots of heather and over sized pots of rosemary. In the showers I added pine branches too.

09

EASTER SHIAN YULE

"THINK HOW CAN YOU USE A DECORATION DIFFERENTLY." – @EASTERSHIAN

HERE I HAVE USED SCRAPS OF WALLPAPER AND FABRIC USED IN THE RENOVATIONS AS A GARLAND ON SIMPLE TWINE

E/S - Yule '22

10

DINE WITH PURPOSE.

Food for us all at Easter Shian is a big deal. Dining, eating, preparing, cooking, planning is all part of the whole process.

At Yule for most of us fortunate ones we have the luxury of choosing what and how. Making it purposeful and intentional means less waste, more enjoyment.

Place mats made from fabric remnants, cutlery wrapped in kraft paper, twine and herbs, low table center so you can see all your guests.

Cushions and fur throws. Faux and real candles mixed for a added light and feel. Logs always add a Yule feel too and can look good in modern and old homes alike.

11 E/S - Yule '22 Adding small details that connect to each room and the Yule theme , here are the small vintage cow bells and we have differing sizes in each room. Adding greenery from herbs, ferns and also piled high cinnamon sticks in vases, dried orange slices in an old candle tub make Yule come alive. photography www.bynova.co.uk

A/M - Project

12

"Believe in the magic of the season. Make the details matter" – @eastershian

Yule is temporary!

Material possessions can make us feel we need more, it can lead us to compare.

WHAT CAN YOU MAKE, DO, SHARE, REUSE, EVEN RE-GIFT?

We are temporary custodians of Easter Shian , as its owners we want to embrace it all, not just for us, for others and thats what Yule is about too.

13 DETAIL MATTERS Layer the details in each room makes it feel like you have curated Yule. Intentionality is a joy.r

14

EASTER SHIAN YULE

"FIND, THINK,USE IT DIFFERENTLY." – @EASTERSHIAN

15 E/S - Yule '22 Find creative people around you, ask questions, learn how to do and make things, watch and also find in situation around you- its everywhere A blanket in your theme colours add another layer of texture

photography www.bynova.co.uk

E/S - Yule '22

16

Look from different views, see how it looks different and what can you add or better still take away. Less is more.

– @eastershian

YULE GALLERY As you walk through your spaces how do they link together, your colours can be different, the tones and textures can change.

Also use what you've got as much as possible, the placemats are old scraps of fabric from different hoose renovation projects..

Follow us on instagram @eastershain

Everyday to Yule time Make your everyday furniture come to Yule time by adding small details, here we added different greenery, old cow bells.

E/S- Yule '22

19

Small details come to life when displayed on their own, I also use plants as decor and here the snow globe stands out against the fern and The Taste trophy.

– @eastershian

20 Stack in odds I changed all the books to white covers, and topped with 3 items always a plant somewhere and a book!

Drop Cloth This is a Leanne Ford take and creates a backdrop to a simple branch with small lights on

FAUX & REAL Combining faux and real can be cost effective and also help maintaining a natural look, as leaves and pines drop. Faux candles are super safe (these are from Jefferys Dunkeld)

EASTER SHIAN

E/S- YULE '22

E/S Mistletoe always appropriate in a bedroom! I use chairs, old suitcases and more for bedside tables rather then the usual tables.

Michele Lamb www.bynova.co.uk All the photography in this Yule edition is by the most wonderful person and talent that is Michele. She created by Nova in Dunkeld, a creative space and cafe to run alongside her events and photography. Its uniqueness is as fabulous as her. She also helped with the florals and taught me how to forage and display nature at its best. Thank you seems to small yet if you want to have your space/event/ wedding or want to experience by Nova get in touch with her.

E/S- Yule '22

Nothing is achieved without others and I am fortunate to live in a community that embraces the "red squirrel" and has let us be involved and integrate. We have met the most creative souls, kindness given first questions later friends and most of all a life that accepts us as we are. Its not for everyone living so far away from a local shop! Yet for us it brings a balance to life that boosts us and we have had the opportunity to continue to meet like minded creative folks. Easter Shian has brought the best out of us- making our imperfectness something we can work on everyday.

THANKS Dave Evans without this kind, oversized handed human, unwavering soul by my side I wouldn't be here. Who lets me keep doing what I want without question and never doubts my ideas.

Rachel Rowley has shown us the true definition of professionalism.

Given us friendship first without question and continues to support us- also sounds great when she swears!

BBC Scotland and Scotland Home of the Year team your belief in us, valuing our work at Easter Shian and most of all making our experience bloody delightful.

Monty yes the dog, he is my shadow, my fur buddy and most of all he has shown we can love unconditionally - I am always working on being more Monty!

Ma & Pa for always being at the end of the phone, their words, prayers and care of us. believing in all we do even when we mess up.

Renn, Majorie, Jeffery, Fiona and Bramble For the amazing furniture we have got from you, the fun and laughter every time we visit and being the ones putting us forward to SHOTY. The MacKinnons for their consistent care, support and being true friends and neighbours and for Susies brownies and Artichoke buns!

E/S - Yule '22

EASTER SHIAN SOFAS

Don't judge yet we have 9 sofas and each one has been purchased rom Jeffreys Dunkeld

WOOD BEADS ~& COW BELLS From etsy Beads Crownyarns store, bells Three Elephants etsy store

FESTOON LIGHTS, FAIRY LIGHTS An amazon purchase

WIFI TIMER PLUG OUTDOORS An amazon purchase

HOPS GARLAND from essentially hops

WHERE FROM

30