the thing about having a signature style at christmas time is that every year you need a new and interesting way to adapt your style - afterall, one would hate to appear stale.

take me, for example. my signature christmas motif is diana the people's princess. now, diana doesn't fit the theme of the yet to be launched kitchen grotto - which would have been a problem apart from the fact THIS YEAR THERE ARE MULTIPLE GROTTOS. and just like the floors a multi floor nightclub, each grotto has its own theme.


tonight i, with help from my flattie, created the diana memorial grotto. the focal point is this tree, entitled: diana, queen of hearts. cos, that's what she was.


at the foot of the tree, the baby jesus lays sleeping. check out that eye make up on joseph. and jesus now i think about it. how emo.


and if you take a step further back you see the mantle in all its glory...

note that the mantle's colour scheme is red. and the stockings have been hung with care next to a chain of (rusting) santas. so jolly, despite the fact it has only been ten years since that Tragic Night.

and of course the memorial is not confined to the mantle. to the left of the mantle on the wall in between four hung pictures.... the star of diana takes pride of place.


the room is finished with strings and strings of coloured lights.

the hall has also been decked: with golden baubles and white and gold wool. who knew when the baubles were purchased in two thousand and five that they would ever see the light of day again? not me, that's for sure.


anyway, this is just a prelude to the real deal grotto. but talk about taking lemons and making lemonade... the old christmas decorations that didn't fit this year's theme have been given a second life and the house is all the more festive for it. plus i am now wondering how i ever made it through a day without some quiet contemplation at a diana queen of hearts tree. needless to say the tree could become a permanent feature.

you've probably noticed that it is december. which means it is basically christmas. hurrah.

me and christmas go way back. and although i've always been fond of christmas my adoration was cemented in 1985 at my grandfathers house in christchurch when OH YEAH santa brought me the greatest music box of all time. way down upon the swaneeeee river. or at least that is what my grandfather used to sing when i opened up so i can only assume that was the tune. plus it had a ballerina inside. and since the song was swaneeeee river i naturally concluded the ballerina was dancing swan lake.

which reminds me that my brother and sister used to love the ballet the nutcracker. not cos of the ballet itself - to my knowledge they have never even seen it - but because nutcracker is one hillarious word. one school holidays they sang songs about nutcracker from hastings to wellington on the bay express. poor co-passengers. not poor me though, cos i was in christchurch, having grown up fun with my eighteen year old cousins who were OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE. my cousin actually hit a cyclist that holiday. but noone was injured in the collison.

anyway, as i got older christmases became more of a hutt thang. my aunt lived in lower hutt near some kind of polluted stream and we'd watch annie, eat steam pudding and feed ducks. then my sister would vomit after eating her entire pebble filled walking cane and we'd have to go home.

these days christmas day is about winning singstar, and hanging out with my immediate family. and there are lots of presents. sadly, my parents and siblings tend to believe me when i say i don't want much. so the presents are more from me. but like i used to say to my grandfather, in a desperate bid for him to reward me, the joy of giving is better than any present.

which brings me to my weekend activities: i have been internet shopping. this is how i have looked most mornings as i peruse what the world wide web can offer me by way of "cute" OR "eco friendly" OR "fair trade" OR "adorable" merchandise....


needless to say i have probably bought as much for myself as for anyone else. which is simply ironic given the reason i'm going for eco friendly or fair trade merchandise is that i'm decluttering my living space and i'm concerned at all the mass produced crap i'm throwing out.

the internet has also been a source of inspiration for this year's christmas grotto. last year i went with the celebritree. there are more details here. this year i'm going for a more traditional theme. i expect to launch next weekend.

i think its gonna be a cracker christmas.