to wonder if these count as twiggy shit and ask what counts as 'naff' for Christmas decorations?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

It's into December, I'm allowed.

I have been in my mate's gorgeous tasteful house and subsequently to the White Company shop and I now have ideas above my station about Christmas and decorations and so on. I really fancy some of this stuff and I want to put it in the fireplace, but my mum reckons it is a) tacky and b) fake-smelling (I love the candles they do but dunno if this is a bit stronger): www.thewhitecompany.com/candles-and-fragrance/diffusers-and-room-sprays/winter-pot-pourri/

And after all it is basically pot pourri which I do associate with elderly ladies and crappy B&Bs.

Is it a bit like having vases of twiggy shit? Would you be judging me secretly? And what else that's trendy Christmas decoration stuff do you think is naff/twee/fuck ugly?

For example I cannot believe anyone would spend money on this shit:

www.notonthehighstreet.com/oakdenedesigns/product/snowy-trees-self-adhesive-wallpaper-mural

and why, why, why the fuck?

www.notonthehighstreet.com/thecontemporaryhome/product/heart-shaped-brussel-sprout-wreath

Love the brussel sprout wreath.
Pot pourri is shite whether it's from B & M or the White Co.
That's my tuppence worth anyway!

LRD, for December, I think you should just follow your dream. No one would be mean about it in December!

As a personal thing I think all fakey smells are horrible whether they are expensive or not. I think big pine cones and twinkly lights and twiggy shit can be gorgeously Christmassy but I would prefer things that don't smell. (Then your normal Christmassy activiities create your own real smells: oranges, cake, booze, greenery, your friends' perfumes etc) But that's just me. FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

The sprout wreath def needs some baubles

Why don't you just by the scent for £6 and get cheap twiggy shit off the market?

I really like the humour of the brussle sprouts and the best thing to do with them over christmas.

I also adore the tree murals.

The pot pouri, I dont like.

You can get lovely pine scented room sprays, expensive gorgeous ones...

You're probably right, two. Saves me a ridiculous amount of money, anyway.

youre - oh, I know people aren't mean. I'm only chuntering on, really, because I want to make up my mind what to buy and I do think some stuff out there is proper naff.

You've reminded me I do absolutely love the smell of fresh peeled oranges at Christmas time. Mmmmmmmm.

Can't stand smelling other people's perfume though. Bleugh.

I'm very much of the opinion that it's my house and if I like it I don't give a flip what anyone else thinks so I say go for what you like!

I have a purple glittery coffee table and a decoupaged dining table covered in pinup girl piccies. I'm sure most people would recoil in horror but I love em. Each to their own

I'll take a picture of my lounge in a fortnight. Work on the principle that if you can see it, it's naff

honey - because I'm none too bright.

But yes, I could do that. Or get aforementioned nonexistant apple-cheeked babes to gather pinecones, I suppose.

I purposely go for naff. There is nothing naffer than christmas

LRD

I normally get these (Fleur de Cassis) for normal year-round smell (like angels throwing petals at me as I walk in the door!). They're a bit expensive initial buy but the refill bottles last a while.

For xmas I've got these from Sainsbury's (Christmas Spice smell), they're weren't pricey either - about £5 if I remember rightly coz I got them on special. The page I linked to says they're out of stock, but they should still have them instore.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas for me is about past and present. It's a time of year that makes me remember those who are no longer with us, and think about Christmases as a kid as well as enjoying them with my own family now. So the decorations reflect that- some have been passed on to us by my mum, some I've bought over the years, and a lot of them have been made by DDs and me. And I do have tinsel on the plastic tree- so basically it looks a lot like my M&D's Woolworths tree 25 years ago. But that's what a proper Christmas tree looks like, to me. It's not about being stylish and fashionable with your decor, it's about tinsel, a plastic tree that comes out of the loft and some old tatt you've made.

I don't like pot pourri full stop just thought I'd link a cheaper version. Prefer nice candles.

We also got fake candles last year too and they were brilliant - real wax pillar candles with flickering light inside. There's some not so good versions where the colour of the light is not quite right, but we got a set of remote control ones (different sizes from the factory shop and they were perfect).

Ooh, thank you monica! And happy Christmas to you too! .

duck - oh, that's lovely.

We don't have much like that yet so i guess I am just trying to pick up some bits and pieces.

freakin - yes, fair point and I think you've convinced me pretty much.

Duck, the year I got married and we had our first Christmas in our own house we went and bought a £10 tree from B & Q and a "decoration starter pack" from ASDA.

We only changed the tree 2 Christmas's ago (it was 10 yrs old) and the basic decs are the same ones - they're beautiful. They've been added to with stuff the kids have made etc and we have thousands of twinkly lights etc now (not actually thousands, but my husband is a bit obsessive about twinkly lights) and I can't see myself ever changing the original decs.

I totally agree with you, christmas is about past, present and future all coming together.

DH is not happy unless the tree looks like a giant glittering tat-encrusted sparkly rocket about to jet off to kitschville.
No pot pourri though; toddler would eat it

Get one of these LRD, brilliantly tacky!
Your Mum will hate it though.

Just wish I could play you the voice, it is a scream.

www.therange.co.uk/fcp/content/talking_christmas_mistletoe/content

Love it! Mum would have the sourest catsbum face ever, but it would be amazing.

I quite like the sprout wreath (circular version rather than heart shaped though - I loathe heart shapes)

Not so keen on the Christmas pot pourri though.

I have a beautiful tasteful Christmas tree for me and a second no-holds barred tinsel-rammed kitsch-fest for the dcs

secretly I like the dcs' tree best but the tasteful decs were awfully expensive (bought pre-dcs) and it seems a shame to waste them

as the person who INVENTED twigs and pebbly shit I am so glad it is still in the lexicon

Hey cod, look what you did!!!!

wow, Bradsplit, am impressed, you know it has developed currency outside MN?

re pot pourri, I imagine it is theoreically possible for it to smell nice, but have never experienced this, so would never by it remotely.
The teacher gift is DIRE if I was a teacher I would be horrified at the thought of anyone wasting that much money especialy as it can't be consumed or sent to Oxfam

I love the mural and would love it in my house. I think DP would hate it though.

Im so delighted with my Xmas potpourri I have combined it with my twiggy shit and love it.

My downstairs loo smells all cinnamony.