Poncetastic thread

[WaitingForEgg]

Is there a poncetastic thread this year? I am itching to ponce!

Yes mrshathaway!

You can't drop a bombshell like that and run!

What...? No Christmas jumpers? I refuse to believe it!!

< panics about future christmas jumper availability>

My poncing this weekend has been mixed. I managed to pick some sloes, but somehow got the splinter from hell lodged underneath my fingernail in the process. As a result, it wasn't the lovely experience I had had in my mind.

No damsons though. My aunt tells me I am too late.

I shoved the sloes in the freezer overnight so I am about to make the sloe gin now.

I may make a raspberry or a blackberry gin in place of the damson one.

Very jealous of your 3 trees, cooking!

Love this thread! Made my strawberry, rhubarb and raspberry vodkas (home grown fruit of course....) and just finished supervising DH putting our new beam above the fireplace, purely so I can hang stockings on it.
Thinking of two trees this year-real in the sitting room ans fake in the playroom, and off to google Nigellas spiced chocolate cake and mars bar vodka after reading about it on here. Which poncetastic Christmas cook books does everyone use?

Another one horrified by the Christmas Jumper Bombshell!

I've been using this thread to make myself a nice poncey list of all the lovely things I'll be making this year - I've only lurked before, but am determined to ponce it up this time!

Sorry for that.

SIL is an industry insider in fact you may have worn one of hers last year and they're always working at least a year ahead. Nobody's proposing naff jumpers for Christmas 2016.

Tbh last year got a bit mad with all the embedded LEDs and they were mainly non washable acrylic .

Anyway it's just a warning in case anyone like me leavens their poncing with a jolly jumper. That's the only bit of Christmas shopping I'll be doing before November.

WHAAAAA!?!? Also panic buying Christmas jumpers.

I can't stand tha LED acrylic ones. Mine are Boden and Joules. (ponce) I love this years' Joules one too, considering buying it even though it is exactly the same as my other one but navy...

Have already crocheted Christmas hat for self and DS, DH has sworn he won't wear one... hmm Don't think I could knit my own jumper though..

What's going to replace the Christmas jumper in must-have-tack?

Even though I've never worn one

This year I'll be making another wreath, cos last year's was shit! Maybe covered in holly leaves, in which case I must start cutting out at least 20 holly leaves a day from now until 1st Dec!

I have just googled the Nigella spiced choccy cake pp have mentioned, think I'll have a go at that before CD itself, so it isn't a big fat disaster (I'm rather a crap cook!).

I wouldn't panic too much, I've seen the Boden winter preview and there was definitely a Christmas jumper (or two) in that.

I have already bought supplies for my Christmas poncing, little bottles for mulled wine syrup for gifting and hyacinth bulbs to force for Christmas. I'm also intending to make Nigella's chilli jam (because it's fantastic) and some Christmas pudding spirits. Our tree is always a real 7ft one dressed in red and gold, with warm white lights - all 780 of them

I'm not hosting this year so I'm not having to do the whole table planning and canapé fiddling, which will be a welcome break. Last year I did personalised crackers for 16, which ended up being a bit of a labour of love...

Hail fellow poncers
Can't believe I missed the beginning of the thread! Have been away for a bit but the poncetastic cheer is always a good reason to return to the fold - if you will have me?!
DH is a miserable twat little less enthusiastic about Christmas, and we usually go away to spend it with my family. By all accounts trees are unnecessary luxuries if they are not going to be gazed at in wonder on Christmas Day... i disagree.
I went a bit rustic last year - what with not being allowed a tree I rebelled and found an amazing mossy twig and decorated it with some of our baubles and some walnuts on thin bits of ribbon. Would gilding the walnuts, to pimp them up a bit be an acceptable level of ponce?

Yes the light up jumpers were a step too far. You would think they could just happily take that step back to our preferred jumpers and not go crazy again.

Maybe this will help?

www.christmasjumper.co.uk/

Grandhigh any walnuts on thin ribbon qualify here

I'm not keen on Christmas jumpers, but I live in hope of finding a grey-blue fair isle dress. It hasn't happened yet.

Yah-hey! Poncetastic thread!

I Must Do Better with my homemade ivy wreath this year - last year's was a bit thin, though it looked okay. (I am totally in awe of Zorion's wreath: I can crochet, but I think any wreath I tried to make would look bit of a failure).

I think I will book next weekend in for making the cake with the DDs. And starting work on a stocking for DH: he doesn't know it yet, but for the first time ever he'll be getting one from me.

Someone upthread asked about sloe gin bottles. I save bottles all year - DH gets whisky sets with 1/3 standard size bottles and those are really useful. I have the gin ready but it's just too early to pick sloes - and in any case last year's are still steeping in gin, ready to be drained and bottled.

I have ordered two Justin Welbys - one for me and one for a friend who is a) C of E; b) has a birthday just before Christmas and c) complains that her birthday is always subsumed by Christmas.

Right!!

Mrs Hathaway it's not good enough. Tell your SIL to tell the industry that there are at least three (if not four) very disgruntled poncers who demand to be re-jumpered next year.

We'll have none of this "fashion" nonsense thank you very much. Tis Christmas and jumpers will be worn

Progress! Photobox are doing a 60% off photobox voucher so our annual photobook has been ordered. It runs October - September every year and is ordered usually between September and November, then delivered to and wrapped by a grandparent so DS, DH and I discover it under the tree from Father Christmas to all of us and see it for the first time. We can then spend Christmas day looking back over the last year.

This is a very young Zorion family tradition (this is book number two) but I do like the impetus it has given me to get on with keeping the photobook going throughout the year.

Oh that's such a lovely tradition might steal it

I've found a papyrus origami star Christmas tree topper on etsy that DH and I both think is ok, I might go for it as nothing else is quite right so far.

I like that tradition too! Pinching.

70isaLimitNotaTarget a bit late but thanks for the explanation, it makes sense now! I'm glad you're not all poncing off your nearest and dearest

Zorion! We started our photobook tradition last year too! It runs Dec -Nov, arriving in time for us to open with DS on Christmas Eve... Love it!
Thanks for the voucher tip too

SwedeDreams. I have just bought the Archbishop of Canterbury AND the Archbishope of York for some very good friends who are committed Church goers and Christian in every sense . They will LOVE them . Expensive and over budget with postage but perfect for them . I got them both from York Cathedral website. Thank you.

Must order my paperwhite narcissi for forcing . I plant them on pebbles around 10th November for lovely flowers at Christmas . I use hurricane vases and grow min diluted alcohol for less greenery and stronger flowers .

Really true ...see here www.celticandco.com/sheepskin-slippers/womens-slippers

ARSE see here www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf

That's better !