Frost

Memories of Jack Frost winter's mornings as a child with patterned window panes and crunchy grass under school shoes and breathing out a flurry of air like a little dragon. Examining frosty gems on leaf edges and being satisfied with a sparkling covering, second place to snow in its transformation of the daily landscape. Something new, a fresh angle, changing that which seemed insignificant into a glorious winter view of white rooftops, ice in buckets and tones of blue. I can stand for ages, absorbed in its beauty and admire the grasp of Old Man Winter. A ferocious grasp on any herbaceous plant that dared to have perky green shoots this far into winter, now slumped in defeat.....for now at least. A dazzle of silver as the low sun hits each crystal, ready to burn away into vapour like the circle of smoke from next door's chimney.

A happy birthday seaside walk

Brisk wind in our faces, hats and boots on, we took a walk along the beach at Llandudno for little man's 6th birthday. With the tide out we crossed the high pebbled ridge and onto the flat sands where leggy gulls picked up tasty sea offerings and we ourselves found marine treasure to look at. A mermaids purse nestled itself among the colourful rocks, its long curly tendrils and shiny case, likely to have been the home of a young dogfish, our resident mini shark.
 LLandudno is a place we have visited before, for Victorian charm and typical seaside fun it's the place to come but in winter, stripped to its bare bones you see a different side. Without the buzz of people you can really appreciate the bay's position between the two headlands. The Great Orme on one side, famous for its funicular tramway and it's smaller counterpart on the other, Little Orme.  The pastel coloured hotels along the seafront seem desolate but on closer inspection are still alive with ground floor diners looking out into the cold winter air. Many of the shops are not open  - back in February say cardboard signs propped up in windows. For the birthday boy it was the perfect place, fresh air, a plentiful supply of pebbles for splashing into the sea and a pizza to share in the warmth of the car. We also had a walk along the pier and a very quick look in the town centre as night quickly started to drape itself around us by 5 o'clock. It's always a quiet birthday for LB, after the festive commotion it's what he needs to relax. A sleepy car ride home meant that cake and candles were saved for the day after instead.....

Winter parties and the 3M Command party range

OK, so we are not in winter yet, I'm still holding onto these mellow autumnal days for a good while longer but here is a party that I styled with a winter theme, using the great 3M Command Party Range.  

Sneaking a bit of Frozen in with a snow and ice party - snowflakes, sparkles and shimmering lights and transforming our room into a winter wonderland. The 3M Command Party range allowed me great flexibility to position my decorations where I wanted them. 
 A shiny silver door curtain was hung as a photo backdrop using the Command Party Mini Spring Clips, so easy to apply and then we had a fun canvas for silly family photos.

Paper honeycomb balls in blue and white were easily hung from the ceiling using the Command Party Ceiling Hooks, along with some snowball decorations that my son and I made together. The hooks are so simple to apply, wonderfully strong and sticky enough to not have to worry about the decorations falling off as I've found happens in the past when using sticky tape. Once finished with, simply pull the adhesive strip down slowly and they come off without damaging your paint. 
 Next I hung shimmery, pearl balloons to fit in with the icy theme with the Command Balloon Buncher which is absolutely amazing. Blow the balloons up, feed through and position is aesthetically pleasing groups of three. 

Command Banner Anchors enabled me to hang objects on the wall that I wouldn't normally be able to do so and with them being clear, they look very discrete. Stars, an icicle banner and snowflakes adorned the wall above the dessert table where white chocolate dipped marshmallows, hot chocolate with glittery cream served in vintage crockery and meringues sat ready for a winter's tea party. 

The table had themed silvery accessories; baubles in jars, fairy lights, star cups and tablecloth - a magical feel with some sparklers to add to the effect. 


3M Command Party Products
Frozen engraved spoon Dormouse and the Teapot
Tableware and fairy lights- Matalan
Star tablecloth - eBay
Party cups, sparklers and candles - Waitrose
Table confetti - Paperchase
Balloons - eBay
Blue straws- Tesco
Paper decorations - Party Pieces
Vintage pieces - junk shops, charity shops and antique hunters paradises
Baubles - local garden centre
Mini fir - M&S

There are lots of party decorating ideas using the 3M Command range to have a look at from a super hero party to a baby shower where you can see how useful the products are.

*Collaborative post*

Brrrr the chill starts

January Allotment

 The sun shone burning away a frosty morning melting the ice, all except that at the top of the water butt which we fished out and set on the floor for LB to investigate. Not an awful lot else was going on. A blank canvas and a LOT of digging.

Cold mornings

 A cold morning still makes me excited the way it did when I was a child. Hopeful for ice to run and slide on along the way to school and a playground like a huge skating rink. Such simple pleasures and what joy to see the pavement puddles iced over, crackled and patterned with trapped air bubbles. Smooth ice for school shoes to take their first ice dance of the year.
These days there's no school run, so we look out in the cold garden over breakfast at the birds who are having their breakfast and looking into the kitchen at us. We are outnumbered.
 This blackbird is giving us the 'look'. Come out and feed us please. We oblige and tread carefully out into the garden, past iced over buckets and across a slightly white and crunchy grass lawn to the wooden bird table to refill with all we have at the moment, some seed. Must make some bird cake tomorrow for they need the fat to keep plump and full feathered over the cold winter months. This bird looks a little bit grumpy. Perhaps he was expecting bird cake today. 
I'll report back with my bird cake making over the weekend and hopefully there will be some pleased garden birdies on Monday.

Image Credit: Winter bird feeder Shutterstock