I made this door wreath many years ago, from elements that I bought at a huge craft fair which is held in Birmingham every winter. After a while I decided I was bored with it and replaced it – but after just one year of the replacement this one came back out again. It somehow fits the mood we aim for here at Christmas – secular, but sparkly and welcoming – and the house doesn’t seem quite the same if I don’t use it. The wreath and a window light are the first decorations I put up each year; I need to bottom out the main reception rooms over the next couple of days so that everything else can go up next week.
I’m afraid I’m still largely absent from Blipland – the headache that woke me last Sunday turned into a cluster, and I’ve been struggling to stay afloat for the past couple of days. Luckily today’s brain pain is more of a hovering threat than a full-blown headache, so I’m hopeful that the end of this cluster might be in sight. I’m planning to get another early night to try to see it off, because we have a busy weekend planned and I need to be back on form.