honey and fizz: Our Christmas 2015

We've had a really lovely Christmas this year. It has been a more relaxed pace than previous years and I have to say I like it!

The boys were excited on Christmas Eve to put out their Santa sacks and leave a snack out for Santa and his reindeers. I love the magic and wonder of Santa and that whole Christmas vibe, especially while the boys are young (well 2 of them) I am soaking it up while I can.

Christmas morning started at the respectable time of 7am. Santa sacks were rummaged through and we all oohed and ahhed over the gifts that Santa had left.

We only had a small group of us for Christmas lunch this year as most of the family had travelled to QLD and some had to stay in Sydney due to work commitments. Even with a smaller number of people there was still an abundance of food! It wouldn't feel like Christmas otherwise! ;)

We started off with a platter of nibbles and then had the usual turkey, roast pork and crackling, veggies, stuffing balls and Babymac's risoni salad.

Dessert was a pavlova made by Simon, plum pudding and custard, fruit and Jasper's favourite chocolate cake Christmas tree. Although he told me later that he now prefers vanilla cake, so this might be its last appearance!

I enjoyed dressing the table up for Christmas. It's one of my favourite things to do.

I went for a natural feel this year with a hessian runner made with some fabric from Spotlight, hydrangeas and some warmth added with gold candle sticks and copper mugs. Place cards were mini chalk boards and I made the wreaths from long sprigs of rosemary. Foil balloon letters stuck to the mirror added to the festive feel. I decided on Christmas eve that I needed shibori/tie dyed napkins in blue so I made them myself. Too easy!

To make them I folded some of the napkins and popped a few rubber bands around them and the others I grabbed bunches of the napkin and put an elastic band around.

I soaked them in the indigo dye for about 40 mins and they were done.

All in all it was a wonderful day, full of fun, food and spent with loved ones.

We even managed to get a family photo!

Today has been a quiet one at home, pottering around finding homes for all of the gifts. The boys have been playing happily with their new toys and leftovers have been eaten for lunch.

I've began pulling the Christmas tree and decorations down and restoring the house to it's usual state.

I like to have everything back to normal before New Years Eve, ready for a fresh start.