'Tis The Season

Hello my dears! So, despite the pandemic let's spread more hope and love this Holiday season. Even though another Holiday season will be different and difficult for many, my friends, we all deserve a little bit of joy during this time of the year.

I always enjoy decorating our home making it festive and bright. Christmas decorations stir up feelings of nostalgia and pure joy and always make me feel happier. 

I've put up together 5 ideas for decorating a Holiday table perfect for your Christmas Eve that won't cost you a lot of time or money. Just practical, easy and pretty!

1. Put greenery in the center of the table. Go for fresh cedar branches and fresh holly springs. Add a colorful mix of pomegranates and gold or silver glittery pine cones for a pop of color. 

2. Create mood lighting with votive candles in  different size glass jars. I'm a sucker for a candle lit glow!

3. Put some Christmas ornaments and small gifts on the table for it's the sentimental elements that make a sentimental Holiday season.

4. Attach natural pine needles or evergreen branches to linen napkins for making them festive.

5. Build up your Christmas table with tall candlesticks. 

Red bows, greenery, wreaths on the front door,  twinkle lights...there are so many ideas and small ways to make your home festive this Christmas.

Hope you have a nice and warm Holiday season! xx

(Top photo of Alfred Hitchcock with his grandchildren, 1960, Christmas table centerpiece via One Kindesign , Bottom photo via .)

9 Ideas On How to Enjoy the Holidays During the Pandemic

The 2020 Holidays are likely to be far different than our past celebrations. We are in the midst of the virus pandemic - limiting our ability to gather - and this can be a fearful, painful, and trying time for many. However, keeping our joyful spirit alive is so important. I rounded up a few ideas on how to enjoy the holidays during the pandemic and thought I'd share them with you.

1. Think positive - as you stay safe during the holidays.

2. Embrace a holiday attitude.

3. Decorate any room in your home with string lights. (I love twinkle lights.)

4.Create a seasonal centerpiece for your dinner table. Pine-cones, bunches of green leaves, candles, Christmas ornaments, etc. to set the mood.

5. Use your favorite tablecloths, placemats for meals.

6. Place a few votives on a plate and enjoy your food in soft lighting.

7. Spread some holiday sheer by baking a bunch of Christmas cookies - everybody loves to cuddle up on the couch with hot cocoa in one hand and a freshly-baked cookie in another. You'll warm up your entire home and fill it with delightful smell.

8. Have a good bottle of wine - it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. A nice glass of wine can really help you relax and unwind as you enjoy a satisfying dinner.

9. Try to wear your favorite clothes or whatever makes you happy as much as possible. Experts say that what we wear can have a huge impact on our mood.

Hope you have a great day. Stay safe!

Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate), Happy Holidays! 

Lots of love. xx

How to make your house smell amazing during the Holidays.

(Top Photo by Jill Wellington.)

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays, everyone! Can you believe 2020 is right around the corner? Thank you so much for such a wonderful year. I can't express how grateful I am to have you here. Also, thanks much for reading CUT and DRY. Very much looking forward to new posts and exciting adventures in 2020.

{I made this Christmas card from one of my photos of Plymouth, Devon, UK. A gift from me to all of you!}

'Tis the season to wish one another love and peace.
For those celebrating, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you're all making this a Christmas to remember.

Enjoy the holiday season! xx

(Top photo of Alfred Hitchcock).

It's That Time of Year Again + Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! As Christmas is just around the corner, I'd like to take a few moments to wish all my lovely readers the best of the season's greetings. Thank you all for checking in and being a part of my life over the past year. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you. No doubt next year will be just as exciting as 2018.

May your holidays are filled with lots of love, warmth, joy, and laughter.
Thank you, as always, for reading CAD. xx

These free printable Christmas gift tags are so cute!

(Photos of Cary Grant in the"The Bishop's Wife movie, 1947 via Pinterest.)

The Boy and The Piano + Have a Lovely Weekend

Hello, everyone! Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Hope you had a delicious Thanksgiving day with friends and family and much to be thankful for!

As the holiday season has officially begun, I thought I'd share with you the new John Lewis & Partners Christmas TV Advert 2018, The Boy and The Piano. I love the meaning behind it. The advert is about the power of a gift. And tells the true story of how a Christmas gift inspired and influenced the course of a little boy's life. That little boy is Elton John. This is a truly heartwarming Christmas advert; it really had an emotional impact on me. In fact, the last tinkle of the piano brought tears to my eyes.
I think I'll go playing some Elton John.

Hope you have a cozy weekend. xx

P.S. Remember, "Some gifts are more than just a gift."

Plus: Another inspirational Christmas Advert 2016 for you guys by John Lewis & Partners.

Sweet Childhood Memories + Happy Holidays!

For some reason Christmastime always makes me feel nostalgic. At this time of year I tend to recall Christmases of the past, perhaps those of happier times. December brings back some of the most cherished memories of my childhood with my family.

I loved Christmas morning growing up. Thankfully we were never disappointed on Christmas Day morning. On Christmas Eve, my siblings and I used to put our little stockings under the tree. So, you can bet how excited my siblings and I were when we awoke to find a piece of candy, coins, fruit and nuts in them. Dad would tell us that Santa had left them, and that he was watching to make sure we were being good.

I remember we would all decorate the Christmas tree together and put a yellow star on the top of the tree. I remember driving around looking at twinkling lights, and the big family Christmas meal. My siblings and I continue this tradition to this day.

As an adult, I look back happily on our traditions with a smile. I really miss that last one, since my parents are no longer here on this earth. We all have people we miss during the holidays...parents, grandparents, siblings, friends. In the end, the message of Christmases past is clear; it is the people we celebrate the holidays with that matters most.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas! However you spend this time of year, I hope it's filled with warmth and joy. Let the spirit of Christmas bring happiness in your life always. Thank you so much for your continued support and have a wonderful, restful holiday and a happy New Year!
Lots of love. xx

(Top photo of Alfred Hitchcock.) 

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a magical weekend to you all! Hope you have a relaxing time with friends and family. Can you believe 2017 is right around the corner? 

I wanted to say thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate you stopping by. Very much looking forward to many more exciting adventures in 2017. Thank you again for such a wonderful year.

I wish you happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays. 

Lots of love! xx

40 Free Printable Christmas Cards.

Made me smile. John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016. Buster the Boxer.

Inspired by...

Happy Friday! I can't believe that Christmas is a mere two weeks away. Oh yes! It is the most...

December is Such a Tricky Month...

...filled with mixed emotions. (For me at least.)

It's December, can you even believe it? Nope, not me! As Christmas fast approaching, I realize I still have mixed feelings about Christmas and really struggle to get into it every year. Why? I've lost both my parents in the last ten years. Part of the reason is they both spent their last Christmas in hospital and were so ill. My parents used to absolutely love this time of year and having the family get together at Xmas. Let's face it: Holidays are particularly hard for people who have suffered a loss.

Unfortunately, Christmas highlights the loss, so I'm sure like all of us who have lost loved ones, this time of year makes us feel our loss more intensely.
Yes, there are happy moments and more memories made but it really is to me a bittersweet time of the year. I have, though, found ways to embrace the holidays rather than just get through them.
I still enjoy Christmas and am very much attached to the decorating and baking, and dorky Christmas music. I love that it's a time when my busy siblings can catch up and get together, but it's not like what we used to have - will never be quite the same.
Christmas is such an emotional time anyway.

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

P.S. My heart goes out to those who have lost a loved one, family member, friend.

(Photo of Hitchcock as a grandpa.)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas (to all who celebrate), Happy Holidays, and a lovely weekend to you all! May the message of Christmas fill your life with joy and peace. I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing time with friends and family.
Thank you so much for reading Cut and Dry and for your continued love and support. I absolutely couldn't have done it without you.
Best wishes for a very Happy New Year, and I can't wait...

Last Week's Best Moments

Friday already? Gosh, what a quick week this has been. It seems like I've hardly gotten anything done...I will happily say, however, that I did manage to get the Christmas tree up (photos will follow soon), so at least that's something! ;)

It has been a very cold past week. Some days it can be difficult to simply get out of bed in the morning. Cold winters call for a cozy night in, sitting by the fireplace, with a good book, and a glass of red wine to warm the heart.

While browsing the internet the other day, I stumbled upon this inspirational video, The Man On The Moon - it moved me to tears. It really did.
The message is simple yet powerful: "Show someone they're loved this Christmas."
I hope you love it as much as I do.

My dears, hope you have a great weekend! Wishing you the magic and love of this season today and everyday. xx

(Video via METRO.)

Holiday Cookie Recipes

Thumbprint Cookies. {Get the recipe for Thumbprint Cookies.}

'Tis the season for cookies! I've always loved to transform my dinning room table into a fun, festive cookie buffet. Baking fresh cookies is one of  my family's favourite  holiday traditions. I have..

Christmas is Coming

It is officially three weeks until Christmas! I can hardly believe it!

There are plenty of reasons why "it's the most wonderful time of year."

What's not to like about twinkle lights, all the reindeer, sugar cookies, Starbucks holiday drinks, candy canes, Christmas decorations and trees, mistletoe, snowflakes, Vintage Santas (that my family had collected over the years), and Christmas music...they all easily make me happy and get me into the Christmas spirit!

This is always a busy time of year and it's just so wonderful to slow down and take in the beauty and true meaning of the holiday season.

It's a season of love, anticipation, and giving. Remember, "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our heart."

-Janice Maeditere 

Hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy the holiday season! xx

What are the twelve days of Christmas.

How to make a large bow in a professional way.

24 DIY Christmas decor ideas. I love this!

Top 13 Christmas movies .

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas to you all!! I wanted to say a big thank-you, truly, for such a wonderful year and for reading Cut and Dry. It means so much to me. Hope you have a fabulous and relaxing time with friends and family. May your holidays be absolutely wonder-filled, and sending you lots of love. Thank you, again, for all your encouragement and support over the years. I couldn't have done it without you.

Hope you're having a wonderful week.

Some shots from the archives for you. xx

I wish every kid will have a toy for Christmas.

Christmas Wonderland. 

Have a great one!:))

P.S. Hopefully we will be back to regular posting on January 6th!