Christmas Magic- My Christmas Favourites- #The12Letters| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to the final day of #The12Letters, hosted by BooksNest and FictionTea. I can't believe it's already over. I want to start this post by thanking Beth and Lauren for making this challenge, it's been so much fun and has spread Christmas cheer in a year when we really need it. Today's prompt is yay! I've interpreted this by deciding to share some of my favourite things about Christmas. It's not my usual content, but like this challenge, we could all use some Christmas cheer.

Decorations

If you've been following me on any of my social media sites, then you might be sick to death of me talking about how much I love decorating my house for Christmas. Trees are the main way we decorate. This year we have three. First is the main family tree, filled with decorations collected over the years. We have never been a big Christmas tree theme family, so all our decorations are once we've purchased to symbolise the year. It adds a story to the tree and makes it feel a bit more unique to our family. Then I have my baby tree in my room. I've had this since I was born, like the big tree, I've collected a decoration for every year since I was born. Finally, we have another small one in my mums room. This is going to become a new thing we do. Decorating the house is fun, it's something we all look forward to. Just adds a bit of magic to the place we call home. 

Food

Like most people, one of my favourite things about Christmas is the food. It's one of the few times a year when you get to eat a bit naughty and have some extra nice treats. When I was a child, we used to have traditional Christmas'. We would rotate between various relatives houses and have a chicken, with all the trimmings. We haven't done that in a very long time. Recently, as it's just been me and my parents, we have party food and pizza. It is one of the more unusual things to have at Christmas, but it's become our little tradition.  

Entertainment

I actually wrote a blog post all about this, which I will link here. To expand on this a bit, I love the seasonal viewings. Christmas Doctor Who specials were a highlight in my household. I have noticed in the last few years that there is less and less to watch on Christmas day. Nevertheless, I treasure the memories of watching Christmas day specials. 

Christmas Eve  

I have to admit that I actually prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. The reason is that Christmas Eve is my dad's birthday. We've always made the two very separate. I just enjoy getting to celebrate my dad and make the day special for him. We do have a big meal on his birthday, which means when Christmas rolls around the next day, we tend to have a much smaller meal, hence the party food and pizza. I know some people would be sad having their birthdays so close to Christmas, but we've always taken it in our stride and make it just as special as if it was to fall on another day. 

Those are some of my favourite Christmas things. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Carenza :) x

Bookish Christmas Decor- #the12letters| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to Day Two of the #the12letters challenge, created by the wonderful Beth of BooksNest and Lauren of FictionTea. This is a challenge across any social media platforms, using the twelve letters in Christmas Day to create prompts for creativity. Today's prompt is "home" and for home I will be sharing with you some of the best bookish Christmas decor out there. For more like this, check out my Instagram post which features my bookish home decor for the festive season. 

Taken from Google Images

A quick google search will let you know that there are indeed book themed Christmas ornaments out there. You two can make your Christmas tree as bookish as possible. All items will be linked in their descriptions.

We bookworms are usually against our precious books being turned into decorations, but this Book Fold artwork will add some magic to your home. There are so many items like this and not just for the festive period. Items like this are usually made from books that are going to be recycled due to age and it gives them a chance to be reused. 

Another creative way to use books as ornaments is to turn them into little statues, like this Snowman Ornament. Again, made from recycled books, it's another way to upcycle something and give it life again. He would make a rather jolly addition to any bookcase!

For the comic book fans, look no further than these recycled Christmas heart ornaments. Add something extra geeky to your Christmas tree. I have a very similar decoration that I will feature on my Instagram later toady. 

Taken from Google Images

If you are looking for inspiration that doesn't require buying these items, then look no further! I have a couple of ideas just for you. Firstly, you can always make a Christmas tree out of books. This trend began a couple of years ago and has resulted in some rather fictitious festive Christmas trees. From what I know, it's best to start with big books on the bottom and then get gradually smaller. You can add lights and decorations afterwards to make it the ultimate book Christmas tree.

Taken from Google Images

Something else you can do is decorate your bookshelves for the festive season. This year, I have tinsel on my display shelves in my bedroom and I've been keeping my Christmas cards on my bookshelves in my office. It adds a little bit of festive joy without going over the top.  

That concludes my post on Bookish Christmas Decor. I hope your Christmas is filled with delightful decorations and beautiful books!

Carenza :) x