Poncetastic 2020

[VivaJen]

I came on looking for the annual thread but can't find it so here is the start (courtesy of Fellatio - wherever you are)

OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom. A bit like the war in Afghanistan, only with nicer food and sparkly shoes.

So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobsworth ponce, join me on this thread.

Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapes and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.

Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessies' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

@TheWoollybacksWife, I'm off to count the contents of my piggybank.

[WOW]

The Poncetastic thread! All is right with the world.

Love these threads although I haven’t done much in the way of food or crafts for years. I buy in my ponce usually. But I do love Christmas. And these threads.

We move house next month so I’m currently concentrating on that. Moving two and a half hours from where we are so a whole new area to get to know.

And a whole new house to decorate! Huge brick inglenook fireplace. Big hall with double height ceiling.

We have tonnes of decorations but I have gotten a bit fed up over the last couple of years as we tend to do the same every year so this will be a nice shake up.

Am gobsmacked at the price of that ICA book! I bought it a couple of years ago but wasn’t blown away by it. Not sure I still have it. Will have a look. I have all the others mentioned!

Just had a lovely read with an early morning cup of tea before the house gets up. @Canklesforankles that is my favourite stair garland ever!

Your fireplaces are lovely, I like the beads hanging from yours @TrickyD. I wonder if I could find pink or purple beads & do something along those lines...off to ebay shortly, hopefully there's time for an overseas delivery if they're on there!

Where do you all get your garlands from? I've been made redundant from my job with most hours so have less coming in, so preferably not massively expensive. Wilko had started putting Christmas things out last time I went in so I'll have a look in there for lights next time I go to town.

@lucysmam
I go round the charity shops nearer to Christmas and have picked up some really good ones there .( but I don’t know if charity shops are open in your area )
Pound shops are also good for smaller ones ...use a couple if necessary.
Also our tidy tip has a section that is “ help yourself” known as Harrods

@Trumpton the one down the road is only open weekdays when I'm at work, I'm not sure about the few in town, I'll to remember to check. Poundland did have some stuff out the other day -I'll make myself a note on my shopping list so I actually look rather than meander aimlessly down the seasonal aisle & pick up odd bits!

Lucysmam, I got the beads from Wilko, they are different shades of pink and purple. But we went there on Monday and so far no Christmas stuff.
I was trying to work out when I got the underlying ‘leafy’ swag for the sitting room, it must have been 1985 so it has done very well. I don’t know whether you can tell from the photo but there are red beads twined along it, some red cord, red ribbon and red and gold bells and little baubles. If I were starting again I would get an inexpensive plain garland from Wilko and tart it up.
This is the dining room fireplace. I am not a fan of ‘less is more’ when it comes to Christmas decorations.

No, I'm not a fan of the less is more approach either . My work colleagues always show off their tastefully decorated rooms & mine looks like I've just chucked the boxes of sparkly decs around the place 🤷‍♀️

So far, in my ebay basket, I have 10 big (pink) poinsettia, some little birds and some bows . I'm debating cheap wool for tassles too...

Those birds sound nice Lucysmam. I was wondering about flocks of origami birds to put somewhere, I saw some as part of a shop window display and they looked very pretty. Time consuming to make though, I bet.

Oooh, that sounds like something that could be done in front of the box on an evening!

Yes, they were cranes and lots of info on how to do them if you google. They look fairly easy.

Room for one more?

We are moving before Christmas so I'll be starting prep a bit late.... will be our first with our baby!

I'll have a google tonight...I've spent the past hour printing advent houses and decorations to make for the fireplace...I ought to do something vaguely like tidying up before work

I feel like the only person not moving house before Christmas!

NoWordForFluffy we are going nowhere. We have a cellar full of Christmas decs and I cannot envisage being up to packing and moving them.

Hello! I am holding out doing decorations this year as we are waiting to move to our new house (hopefully in November!) but I have already made the dc new stockings and can’t wait to start this years poncing!

Need to get the Bramble gin on this week!

Does anyone have a promotion code for the Sarah raven website as I want to order loads of bulbs?

I might have a GW subscriber one. I'll find out.

Or, I have 16.5% cash back on TopCashback. Probably better than a discount!

I used TCP and they have given me a referral code where you get a free pruning set so pm me if anyone wants to use it

Joining in! I love these threads. Wish I had a fireplace.

I have no fireplace either, but we did find a film of an open fire last year that we had playing in the background

@Carriemac

Let me check at home about Sarah Raven discount . I am sure something came through the other day .

Watch the thread !

@Carriemac Sarah Raven

I don’t know if it will work for you but AU203RO1 should give 15% off until 18/10/20