Norwich Half Marathon 2014
November 24, 2014Au Revoir November
November 28, 2014It’s time to take some action.
For some reason this year I haven’t felt that festive thrill just yet. Now, you might not think that weird, seeing as it’s only November. However, I’m normally a person who starts feeling festive somewhere around late October, and it’s only a sense of social appropriateness that stops me spending 20 per cent of the year wearing Christmas tree baubles as earrings and eating mince pies for breakfast.
I like it, it makes the dull and dreary days post Halloween so much more exciting to have something to look forward to.
So today I am taking some festive action to try and kick start my Christmas Spirit.
First up, the Christmas Jumper.
This particular jumper was sent to me by New Look who asked me to share photos of me in embarrassing Christmas jumpers from my youth. However I think this “everyone in the 80s wore Christmas jumpers” thing is a big fat lie, either that or I had a particularly classy childhood, because I never had a Christmas jumper till I was a grown up. I’m certainly making up for this deprivation now though by obtaining as many items of tacky Christmas clothing as I can. Expect to see Christmas Midi dresses, Christmas T Shirts and yet more Christmas jumpers coming up over the festive season.
In this photo I am wearing my Christmas jumper in the glamorous surroundings of the car park of my local Tesco, where I went to obtain lunch, and Christmas cupcakes.
When I got home I also lit a fire to eat my cupcake in front of. Nothing says Christmas like an open fire!
I actually recently got sent a Yule Log by Certainly Wood. But I won’t be burning that till Christmas as it would be bad luck! It also came with a little scroll about Yule Log traditions, which advises me, amongst other things, that it is bad luck for the Yule Log to be handled by a barefoot woman. Presumably in case she drops it on her foot, but just to be on the safe side I shall make sure I wear shoes to handle my Yule Log!
It also comes with some kindling and some eco firelighters, which I HAVE used already, and very good they are too. If you know someone with an open fire I think these make a great Christmas gift, and for each Yule Log gift set purchased they also give £1 to Shelter, which I think is a wonderful charity.
Lastly, now I have finished my cupcake, I will be spending this afternoon by the fire setting up my Christmas Advent Calendar, which starts on Monday, so that’s pretty exciting! I’m also doing a little bit of promotion and planning for the Norfolk Brawds Roller Derby Christmas Party and Intraleague Bout, where I will be playing as one of the Steampunk themed Yare Yare Yares (come along and watch!).
I feel the need to have my first Egg Nog latte of the year at Starbucks and eat some Christmas Special Edition sandwiches as well and then surely I’ll start to feel that Christmassy thrill?
If I haven’t got my Christmas mojo on soon I think something must be seriously wrong with me!
Have you got the festive spirit just yet, or would you rather it all just went away? What else can I do to encourage a bit of that yuletide excitement into my life?
32 Comments
Christmas Starts Here…….: It’s time to take some action. For some reason this year I haven’t felt that festive… http://t.co/Xh3vuz3YQO
Christmas Starts Here…….: It’s time to take some action. For some reason this year I haven’t felt that festive… http://t.co/zrrNI4V79W
No festive spirit here yet. I’ve got two issue print deadlines in the next four weeks; December is always a massive slog!
Christmas jumpers only started being a thing here in the UK in the past decade or so – less than that, really. I used to work on a knitting mag, and when we started printing seasonal patterns for jumpers they were still a novelty here. They’ve only really been big selling news for about five years, if that.
There seems to be this thing that they were fashionable in the 80s, then went out and came back all “retro” but I don’t remember them! I suspect it is an American thing!
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Normally I get into Christmas mood when the supermarkets fill with gingerbread, that is in early October, but unfortunately it vanishes mostly in mid-December. This year I have been eating gingerbread a lot more than usually but nothing happened.
Only today I felt a little Christmas feeling coming up when I filled the advent calendar for my boyfriend. And I felt something warm around my heart when I saw the first market stalls of the Christmas Market being installed.
So I really hope to get in the right mood in time. Some chicory-pie is waiting to be eaten for diner and with orange juice and apples involved this smells like something just perfect to start humming christmas carols whilst eating it.
Really hope the cupcakes and the egg nog will do, I am sure the advent calender does (if not today, maybe monday :-D)
love, ette
No one has bought me an advent calendar yet, so I will be at the pound shop on Monday buying my own!
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Naturally you had a very classy childhood!!!!! I don’t remember ever buying you Christmas Jumpers! You had a Rainbow Brite one made by your aunt and one with piano keys on it. Both to match with your little sister’s of course!!! Xx
Oh, I would totally wear BOTH of those jumpers now! Do we have photo evidence?
You’ve actually just completely saved my neck on the present front – the Yule log is a perfect present for my boyfriend’s parents who are SO hard to buy for, but love a fire! I am so happy right now, thank you!! CC x
Whoop! Glad to be of service! It’s such a lovely little package and a great idea!
If you want to do something real christmassy, I’ve just done ‘The Christmas Tag’ on my blog and tagged a load of lovelies, so I’m tagging you if you wish to accept it! You look super adorable in your christmas jumper too, and those cupcakes looked so tasty!
Bethanyx
curiousclaptrap.blogspot.dk
Can’t wait for the advent calendar. I do it every year!
This is the first year for a while that we’ve not been skint at Christmas but I’m not feeling festive yet. Maybe when I start wrapping presents, and get the tree down, I will. Are you wearing your festive knit for Christmas Jumper Day on the 12th?
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Gemma,
You have provided some interesitng information here – now, now.. what would I say about ANYTHING being handed down to me by a barefooted woman?! 😉 ..in this weather?!
🙂
Love, love, love your sweater, dear!
Marija
What you need is a Christmas Pudding Hat Stmoritz knitz & baby bitz
Mr Chick made my Roller Derby helmet into a Christmas pudding last year!
Cool
None here yet either – i need to get me some FAST. I too never saw a festive jumper until i was an adult – looks like we had the same 80’s love xx
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People get logs in the mail? You Brits are straaaaange.
Hi there, firstly I just want to say that I love your blog, mainly because you write frequently, you seem very honest, open and down to earth, happy to share your highs and lows but also to offer suggestions on how others can cope/manage their own low moments and make the most of their happier moments, I include myself in that. I like that you seem to come from an emotional and psychological place and don’t just bleat on about clothes. Although, they certainly play their part in making us feel better about ourselves.
Regarding Christmas, I started to feel Christmassy today. I bought some lovely Christmas bunting, a candle that smells of Christmas cookies which I have lit this evening and I am currently listening to ‘Here comes Santa Clause’ sung by none other than The Andrew Sisters and Bing, beautifully vintage. We moved to the country this year and have a real fire too, will defo invest in a Yule log.I have started this year to embrace my love of vintage looks, 30’s and 40’s is my favourite although I love 20’s too, I feel fantastic and enjoy dressing in clothes I love, for the first time in my life. Thank you for your blog, it is so inspiring.
Jackie x
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Christmas is allowed to start on Monday (December 1st), maybe a few days before in the shops – but I can’t get along with shops getting Christmassy things out at the end of August (as I saw this year!) not only because it’s just wrong but also because (through my other half working with people with various disabilities) I’m aware how truly *badly* seeing things so ‘out of turn’ can affect a sizeable segment of society every single time they come across said out-of-place item.
Yay! There are just so many things that can remind you of Christmas! In many places, I see a lot or red, green and gold. Certainly, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!