When do we ponce?

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

It can't just be me pinning ideas for Christmas greenery baskets for the front porch? No? I'm alone?

I can't remember how early the poncetastic thread starts!

Yay I love a good pre-ponce. I've got a promotion at work and the hours are super long, I start in a few weeks, so I have legitimate reasons for wanting to ponce early.

I am trying to get the house perfect, so everything looks lovely and ready for decorating, does painting throughout count as poncing?

Of course it counts as poncing @MooPointCowsOpinion! I think you get extra ponce points for that! I've just checked the original Poncetastic thread from years ago and I think you get extra extra points if you use Farrow & Ball paint

@vivajen you need to find different a higher ponce level than ordering a turkey! Ponce it up!

@MooPointCowsOpinion I think it depends entirely on whether you have chosen your new colour scheme with your Christmas decorations in mind or if you have allowed some practical considerations or been influenced by your DH's preferences.

If memory serves there were quite a few posters caught short with duck egg blue living rooms on the original Poncetastic thread.

We will need more details and perhaps some paint samples before we can effectively rate its ponce-worthiness

Ann I do everything with Christmas in mind!

There's a holly tree in our new garden, and tonnes of bastarding horribly invasive holly, so I'm hoping to liberally drape the place with those, though I'll have to get some tips on how to make it look good - I've never use real greenery other than a tree, so it's quite likely to look like a toddler threw it together. This is the first proper christmas we've had in this house, as we moved in on the 21st of december last year and barely threw the tree together, never mind anything else, so I'm determined to go madly overboard with the decorations this year : )

I don't think I'll bother with cake or pudding this year. I always love the thought of making them but then curse the hassle of feeding and icing, and I'm the only person in the house who eats them anyway so I'll probably just buy a tiny one of each for myself, and make a little batch of whipped spiced brandy butter as a bit of poncery.

I'm considering doing a Christmas cake cheesecake instead. None of us are that bothered by Christmas pudding / cake, but I reckon a cheesecake would go down quite well!

@NotAPuffin I'm with you on the greenery, I always have a real tree but (hangs head in shame) an artificial garland round the fire, I would love to know how to make a real one, I might make that a Christmas Goal for this year.

Fluffy Christmas Cake Cheesecake sounds well yummy!

I know! I may need to practice a few times! 😂🐷

NotAPuffin I'm sure I read on a previous ponce thread that the secret is ice cream tubs cut down so they're only about 2 inches high, then fill with oasis and then poke all the greenery in whilst skilfully hiding the tubs. I've never actually attempted one, but this year we'll actually have a proper fireplace so I'm seriously tempted.

I'm so jealous of your fireplace poncery. I've considered making a giant fake fireplace just for December.

I have a fake garland I thread up the bannister but I attach real dried oranges, cloves and cinnamon sticks with wire, I love it.

I am trying to conceive #2. Once that happens going by last time I will be unable to even think about edible things for a couple of months so I need to do some Christmas planning! I need to buy the honey and co cookbook as I saw a suitably Christmas biscuit in there. To complicate things we are doing it with family in a chalet in the alps so need checkable luggage suitable plans! I do not trust my dh to be responsible for our contribution to family Christmas. I do love the idea of a faux garland with dried orange and cinnamon (& something else) added , more detail would be great! We can fit a faux garland in our luggage yes?!

Such an overused phrase but I've definitely found my people!
I've got 6 pretty glass bottles that we never got around to using at our wedding so want to make some kind of flavoured vodka/brandy/etc. (if anyone has any recommended recipes I'd appreciate it!), have decided not to do a Christmas pudding this year as not enough of our family like it but will be making the biggest possible chocolate log and halving it before icing(seeing both of our families), and contemplating some sort of crackers and chutney so I can make two proper little mini hampers
I changed jobs this year and have gone from having only Christmas day off to A MONTH so I'm going to be in heaven. Contemplating a rainbow design for the tree and going to get new, massive one.
Have started present list, haven't picked wrapping colour scheme yet...
This is the only place I've mentioned this btw!

@Triskaidekaphilia Those hampers sound fabulous. A month off is magnificent! What an ideal job for a poncer

@timeisnotaline loving the idea of you pulling a garland from your luggage. I'm imaging a Mary Poppins style carpet bag

I had been dreaming of a real garland but adding dried oranges and cinnamon sticks to my fake one might be more achievable and look awesome?

Don't worry @Triskaidekaphillia this is a safe space- feel free to discuss all festiveness

Yes it's fine to add oranges etc to Xmas fake garlands.
I make my own wreaths and flower arrangements, some quite large floral art, throughout the house but I don't do real garlands as I find they dry out.

What an ideal job for a poncer It really is! And the anticipation will get me through the next term

This is a safe space- feel free to discuss all festiveness YAY!

I've found my spiritual home! Is having a new fireplace just for Christmas poncey enough? I don't have a mantelpiece and finally getting it done - due to damp but every cloud!

Hi everyone, my poncing has no limits, in fact I fear I will be enrolling in poncers anonymous in a few years time!
I'm really enjoying reading all of the poncey plans on here!
I am currently in full house prep mode and we are renovating a guest room and having a wood burner put in specifically for the season! I've also just repainted our front door and porch so that my wreath compliments the colour 🙀

Welcome @Smiler1972 & @GogoGobo.

I'm desperate to reprint the downstairs of the house, I'm thinking it's too much of a project to do myself though, I can paint a room fine (over several days and with a few silly mistakes) but an entire floor is probably beyond me isn't it...

I've discovered that I hate painting. We took on a whole floor and it broke me. I have a painter coming in October/November to take over. He's highly recommended but very much in demand and I have a sinking feeling that we won't see him before January. Ah well....

Eyeing up the brambles and trying to decide between a festive tipple and a wintery crumbles. I've never made bramble vodka and I'm more of a wine drinker myself. I was thinking of trying a kind of spiced cordial, or non-alcoholic mulled wine type effort. This will require some hours of internet scholarship I fear pushes glasses up bridge of nose and settles in to lazy afternoon

Ann I can confirm that vanilla bean vodka is great. My lovely dad made me some. He cut the pods in half before putting it in the vodka (this discoloured it a little bit) if you want it completely clear you could try and just pierce the pods, it might work.

I'm currently mid-ponce! First batch of chilli jam is underway! 🌶🌶🌶