Column: Janice Issitt ‘Making the most of it’
Ready for Christmas!
I
f you happen upon the Christmas edition of Homes & Antiques this December you’ll find me featured inside. The magazine called recently to see how I was going to decorate my house for the festivities, so Christmas came early for this Vale reporter as I decorated my home in seasonal style. I like to keep things local and being the season to be jolly, it’s nice to spread a bit of love around to the people and businesses who need our support - I picked up some real trees with roots on (so I can keep them going for more than just a few weeks) from Hartwell Nurseries and planted them in large builders tubs, costing only a few pounds from a DIY centre. Painted, using chalk paint tester pots, they now look like galvanised buckets. Along with decorations from Holy Cow Home (a new shop on Cambridge Road, Aylesbury), I made my own trimmings using crochet snowflakes, little velvet bobbles cut from braid, pine cones from the garden and little hand
embroidered felt and knitted socks. I also made a cute fireplace garland using hand decorated wooden stars from Holy Cow Home who also have lots of lanterns and unusual ethnic style home accessories. To get into the spirit of the
season I put on my favourite music, a CD which was recorded by friends of mine, The Mediaeval Baebes. Their album ‘Of Kings and Angels’ is their own beautiful versions of well known carols. If you are getting a bit tired of the usual Christmas song compilations then I urge you to give this a listen. My food spread came from Waitrose - I chose local produce from British farms. I decorated the spread with candles and holly and also repainted my kitchen units using Chalk Paint and stencils. For extra Christmas spirit I have recently made my own Sloe Gin and Cider. The presents under the tree were my favourite things, brown paper packages tied up with string, and home made labels using plain luggage tags with bits of live greenery tied to the bows. The house was adorned with findings from the hedgerows, ivy, holly, rosehips and such, put together with candles from local shop,, Making The Best, and with florists Wild Orchid supplying
Vale Life : Nov/Dec 2014
Janice Issitt
Making the most of it additional flowers and hessian ribbon. The look was simple, rustic and reminiscent of an old fashioned Yule celebration. My favourite place for picking a tree is Claydon Christmas Tree Farm where they have real reindeer to entertain children of all ages. Hope you have a fabulous festive holiday and happy decking! l Read Janice’s blog at: http:// janiceissittlifestyle.blogspot.co.uk where she posts photo tutorials about things to make and lovely pictures of life in The Vale.
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Local independent retailer with an amazing selection of unusual gifts and home accessories Vale Life : Nov/Dec 2014
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