It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas......

There's definitely something in the air these last few days - the frost on the ground - the chill - it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas - which is pretty nice. Yesterday morning I was up early working on some freelance work - very early, it was still pitch black outside - I went to let Sugar out into the back garden and the night sky was absolutely beautiful - as the house was chilly I was wrapped in a throw and my pajamas, and I just stood there looking out at the magical "dot to dot" of stars and what I believe was two satellites passing each other in the night sky. There is no light pollution here in Nenagh and the night sky is truly a wonder to behold.

Christmas Eve is just 24 days away and the houses in our estate are starting to hum with Christmas spirit. One of our neighbours had their tree up and all their decorations up in time for The Toy Show on Friday, but we kind of gear everything around December 8th which is not only our daughter's birthday but also the Immaculate Conception and every year that is the day we light our tree. But the decorations are actually out of the attic already and I'd say this week, perhaps Thursday, if the strike still goes ahead and over the weekend we'll get everything ready to go.

We decorate our banister with faux greenery and clip the Christmas cards we receive to the branches. Extra cards hang over the frames in our hallway.

Each of us has a stocking that has been handmade by my ever talented mother - even Sugar does! Santa has extra pressure in our house to procure goodies for that too!

Some people prefer the whole red and green theme but I also love a silver or gold theme. I also love unexpected wrappings and tend (except for the children) to stay clear of anything too cutesy - I love bold red and white stripes (like candy canes) or even plain brown wrapping paper tied up with a bright lush ribbon - preferably with a wire so you can almost sculpt it on the package. One year I used off cuts of wallpaper to wrap all my gifts - why not - it's paper - it needs to be used, it's unexpected and quite charming.

I also grew up with a strict recycled paper policy so when you received gifts in my childhood home - you wouldn't expect new paper around it - in fact, you might even remember who received the paper the year before - I try hard to keep that policy alive here although tricky for recycled paper to show up in Santa's stockings........all in good time.

I love candles and setting the table for the big Christmas feast.

Where-ever I can I try to create little areas that have been decorated - old ornaments in a silver bowl - a touch of greenery where you might not expect and generally I make the wreath for our front door using greenery found in the hedgerows or from our garden.

Our tree is a mad mixed bag of all kinds of ornaments. There is no colour theme and they have been gathered over the years. Originally my collection started by throwing a "tree trimming party" in my first apartment back in New York. Everyone came and brought an ornament and thus was the beginning of the mad assortment. But it's great - there's a wonderful history to our tree - I can usually remember who gave me what and when and opening up the boxes each year is a wonderful walk down memory lane.

Hope you are having fun getting ready for this years festivities!!!!

Note: All images are from the December 2009 issue of Woman & Home - Photographs by Mark Scott and Simon Scarboro. Styling by Emma Morton Turner and Theoda Solms Iles.