Christmas in Edinburgh

Dear Readers

Edinburgh is now a blaze of Christmas lights and sounds and smells. The Christmas markets have arrived and the bustle of people buying trinkets and handmade decorations and gingerbread and hot toddies is all around when you go into town.

We went in to see for ourselves all the fun, as we always do every year. It gets better as our wee one gets older and understands more and can join in the fun and get excited about all the sights and sounds. The markets are truly magical and they are one quick way of getting you into the Christmas spirit if you're struggling to find it!

This year Princes Street Gardens has a magical garden for children to delight in. This is where you can meet Santa in his cabin and then after you've said hello you're led through a magical wardrobe into a fairy tale of pretty lights and trees to make your way through the maze of fairy lights and trees to the Elves cabin. It's lovely. There is a little red train circling the garden and above it all, in the German markets buzzing with shoppers, there is an ice rink too.

I will post more Christmas pictures from Edinburgh soon.

A Christmas Mantlepiece

Well, Christmas has crept up on me and suddenly I realised it was mid December. I've had a very busy schedule recently with setting up a new business and another big project that has taken up a lot of my time, but I decided to take some time out and start preparing for Christmas rather then pretending it wasn't really just round the corner.Yikes!

One of my favourite areas to decorate is the mantlepiece. We have a real fire in our sittingroom and there is nothing nicer on a winters night than a  log fire roaring away sending out warmth and golden light into the room. It can cheer the gloomiest of spirits any day. So decorating this space to make it look special and ready for Christmas is really fun.

And here it is with the lights off, looking cosy.

I always use lots of ivy at Christmas time, and holly when I can find it, they are both so pretty and natural. 

How do you make your home look Christmassy?

 

Here are some glass angels I always put out on the sideboard in the hall with some candles.

 Are you ready for Christmas?????!!! I'm getting there.............I think!