As I was laying in my bf’s bath tub a couple of days ago, it struck me that in a couple of months’ time (not even that!) Christmas will be here and with it the whole shebang and I’m just not ready for it. I’m still broke and I still haven’t got any any closer to selling my apartment and it kills me to be in such a mess and, most of all, not knowing when it’ll end.

But hey, I survived this year, so I’m probably going to make it to next year, too. 😉 Meanwhile, I reminisce how everything used to be so good at Christmas time. I remember my first Christmas as a host and how happy I was to be putting together the menu- a crisscross of Eastern and North European cuisine, then all the years after when I’d bake cookies for work and make Christmas chutney and Lemon curd as go-to-gifts and felt like Christmas was the best time of the year.

So even if times change and so do we, this Christmas I’ll try to stay true to my traditions and make room for some new ones with my new family. I love decorating, so that will definitely happen, although I will probably not go berserk since I’ll be working at least until the 21st and besides I still don’t know how long I’ll be living in this apartment. Having fresh flowers or branches in the house was the first thing I started with when I said good-bye to student life, quite a while ago by now. It brings me so much pleasure I’d rather skip the crisps and the wine than not buy flowers on a Friday afternoon.And I’ll probably have time to paint the bedroom, can’t wait for it to look this luscious grey! Meanwhile my Airbnb-guests have been so sweet, they thanked me for letting them stay in my “beautiful place” and left me a note with drawings and all. ❤ My heart melted.

Last, but not least, I’ll try to be a bit creative, like with this gorgeous Christmas wreath. What do you reckon? 

Have a lovely Advent! Sipping some French red wine while making burgers for dinner and listening to Anthony Hamilton- Please Come Home for Christmas.

xxx, Alina

Source: 1 and 2 Mad og Bolig, the rest from elledecoration