image via http://www.marthastewart.com
To all my American friends and readers, wishing you all a very Happy Independence Day!
image via http://www.marthastewart.com
Enjoy time spent with family and friends.
Category: holidays
Merry Christmas …..
Amidst all of the Christmas chaos , let’s remember why we celebrate this particular holiday..the birth of Christ.
Lets also spare a thought for all those people who are homeless, alone, living in refugee camps or in the middle of a war.
I am so grateful for the fact that I am able to celebrate this day with my mum and my sister and that I can Skype our younger sister and her family in Australia….I’m grateful that we have a lovely traditional lunch waiting for us after Church and so much abundance in the form of gifts and good food.
I am very aware that I am among the fortunate, living in an affluent and peaceful country and my heart goes out to those who are not.
Merry Christmas to all and may this be a time of peace and togetherness.
The countdown to Christmas is on…
It’s just a few days now until Christmas and finally, I feel a little festive!We collected Mum at the airport lastWednesday night/Thursday morning (2am!!!!!!) and we’re planning meals and decorations…I think this part is actually more fun than the actual day… Christmas is really for the kids anyway…
For our family, it’s a chance to get together from opposite ends of the world and spend quality time together. I usually also catch up with friends who, like me, barely have time to breathe let alone socialise during the year…I have a few drinks planned with friends this week and a party on Christmas Eve (before or after Church I haven’t decided yet!!)..then on Christmas day we will have a quiet dinner at home which will be lovely…my mum’s gammon is legendary so well worth waiting for that’s for sure!
So far, the turkey and the gammon are ordered and the menu planned..I have to come up with a festive starter so Pinterest, here I come!
I am working as usual right up to Christmas Eve although I believe that Thursday is a religious holiday here in the UAE so we will have the day off..I am thrilled, as this means a two day weekend for me!! Time to rest and relax and catch up on a movie…the malls and stores are already chaotic so I will be staying far away this year…I have enough stress at the moment!
Creative Christmas Ideas…
For a number of reasons, mostly work commitments, I find it very difficult to get into a Festive frame of mind with the lead up to Christmas. Living in a Muslim country (entirely my choice) Christmas as we know it is obviously not observed in a spiritual sense. The decorations are all up in the malls (yes, its true..they are more festive in Dubai than London!) and the Christmas fairs have started.
Its a much more subtle feeling which to me seems to be lacking…no crisp and cold weather…no natural slowing down of work (I usually work right up to Christmas Eve and then again on the day after Christmas through to New Year) and very little sense of family unless we fly our mum to Dubai to see us. Most often we join friends for a get together and shared meal which is lovely but it’s just not the same!
image via http://indulgy.com/post/PgjQqdXG72/holiday-decor
I have been scouring Pinterest to try and get some inspiration and infuse some of the Season’s excitement into the next few weeks and my goodness, there are some beautiful ideas around…there are some incredibly clever and inspiring people in the world!!
Look at these beautiful decorative baubles…
image via http://www.hisugarplumsblog.com/
Oh to have some spare time to make these!! I LOVE them!!
image via http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/hemtrender
For a natural Christmas, these ideas above are spot on…I particularly love the moss-wrapped shades in the image on the top left.
images via http://www.tabithaemma.com/christmas-inspiration-candles/
These ideas for displays of candles are just wonderful and so easy to do…even for us in a greenery challenged desert!! I’m seeing a bit of a natural them going on here so what about a bit of sparkle…this wonderful collage below is from this blog
images via http://www.lizmarieblog.com/
These gorgeous images are from this blog...a lovely combination of natural and a bit of glitter.
I must say, just writing this post has literally lifted my spirits..with less than a month to go to Christmas, believe me I need it. The problem is that I have had a few Christmases in England with gorgeous cold weather, a proper Church service in a 300 year old church, real floral wreaths and trees , sparkly lights in cosy cottages…I feel like I am in a movie each time I experience it and a desert Christmas is just so different that it always seems to be a bit of a let down to me! I am fully aware that I sound like a Grinch!!
Happy Thanksgiving….
Although we do not actually celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UAE, I wish all of you who do, a very enjoyable day with lots of lovely food and family time!
It is also a time for all of us to pause and be thankful for so many blessings we have in our lives…my family, friends, freedom, safety, peace, work and all the abundance we experience on a daily basis.
Happy Thanksgiving.
A Decorator's Notebook 