Christmas !

I have to admit I was taken a bit by surprise when I went into a shopping center over the weekend and discovered it was already adorned with Christmas decorations.  I love Christmas and all the festivities and traditions but I can't say I love a whole two months of it, somehow it just makes the whole thing a little less special and way too commercial.  Having said that however, I went into Sarah's bedroom the other day and she was playing Christmas music!  She just gave a small smile and said 'Mum, I think its time..!' :)

I won't be decorating the house for a long time yet but nothing wrong with looking for some decor inspiration.  We always make a small pilgrimage onto Table Mountain in search of a broken off and dead branch from a Protea and this becomes the Christmas tree. 

For us in the Southern Hemisphere Christmas means sunshine, swimming and ice cold watermelon.  I've experienced a few Northern Hemisphere Christmases, mostly in Scotland, and there is nothing quite like walking down the high street in jackets, gloves and scarves, being greeted with a blast of hot air as you enter a shop and catching your breath from the cold when you come out again.  Christmas carols just sound better in the cold too - maybe because they are all about snow and cosy fires!  Despite this, I am really looking forward to cooling off on Christmas eve with a Pimms after a hot day at my sisters house in Koringberg while we prepare a meal with ALL the trimmings.

OK, I'm starting to get that Christmas feeling...... ;)

 Top image from Design Sponge

Next three images from the Anthropolie catalogue

 Pic from Vogue December 2007

This picture makes me want to head for the British countryside for a white Christmas.  It makes me think of the little cottage Kate Winslet has in The Holiday - how we love that movie and that cottage!