Selfridges department store opens its Christmas floor

It's a balmy 21C outside, the children are on their school holidays and millions of Britons are looking forward to a well-deserved break in the sun.

So, naturally, Selfridges has opened its Christmas store - with a scant 142 shopping days left to buy all the celebration's essentials.

The department store proudly claims to be the first in the world to launch its Christmas shop, with the North Pole-themed space set to welcome shoppers dressed in sunglasses and shorts.

Scroll down for video

Tis the season? Staff at Selfridges in London, look at this year's Christmas shop before it opens this morning

Thinking WAY ahead: Selfridges is the first Department Store in the World to be ready for Christmas 2014

More than 700 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of the London flagship has been decked out with over 100,000 festive decorations, expected at this stage to appeal mainly to tourists wanting to take home a memento.

Bestsellers are expected to be British designs featuring London themes and the Union flag, in particular a glass Union Jack bauble made by Czechoslovakian artisans, anticipated to be this year's number one selling item.

Customers can choose from more than 300 different crackers, almost 450 Christmas tree styles and some 200 different styles of decorations.

Argos reveals its top toys for Christmas 2014

Aren't you hot Santa? A sunglasses-wearing Father Christmas takes a breather

At this stage the Christmas shop is expected to appeal mainly to tourists wanting to take home a memento

Over 700 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of the London flagship has been decked out with festive decorations

Bestsellers are expected to be British designs featuring London themes and the Union flag

The store's Christmas home and decorations buyer, Geraldine James, said: 'Despite the summer weather, we're in full festive mode here at Selfridges.

'We've been working on this year's Christmas Shop since Christmas last year.'

Another store with premature Christmas spirirt is Clintons, which has already brought out its line of festive cards at its site in the Trafford Centre in Manchester, with the store showing off merry Christmas products.

But the display bemused shoppers who were browsing around the shops for sun tan lotion, BBQ equipment and swimming shorts.

One shopper said: 'It's a bit premature to be selling Christmas cards when you think Christmas is the best part of five months away.

'It takes the phrase "Christmas comes early" to a whole new level.

'I normally buy my cards two weeks before so to see them on sale now is quite laughable.

'It's too far ahead, we haven't even got summer out of the way. I actually came out into town to buy a barbeque and popped into this shop for a birthday card.

'I couldn't believe it when I saw these Christmas cards - no doubt the Christmas trees will be out on sale soon.'

Winter sun: Christmas has come early to the Trafford Centre in Manchester with Clintons Cards having a large display of Christmas cards in its store front

| Mail Online

Fun Christmas Ornaments You Can Make With Kids

by Darlene Morrison

Looking for a frugal yet original and fun craft for you and your children this holiday season?

This craft we discovered on Pinterest on the Always in Wonder blog was just the perfect inspiration – Christmas ornaments you can make with kids to do on a lazy weekend.

These do-it-yourself ornaments are fun and will keep those little hands busy for hours – great for your own Christmas tree but also a great idea for gift giving.

The supplies required for this craft are very easy to find. They can all be found in a craft supply store. I purchased my supplies at Michael’s.

You will need:

One or two craft punches. I used a star and a leaf but you can use whatever stamp you wish.

Ribbon to be used for hanging ornaments on tree

Plastic or glass clear ornament balls

Book pages or Phone book pages. I used an old phone book I had in the house.

Step by step instructions:

1. Have your children punch out your paper with the punch theme you chose.

2. Fill the ornament balls with the punched paper.

3. Once you fill up the ornament with you desired amount, close the ornament lid.

Tie ribbon to the ornament and it is now all ready for hanging!

 

The price was reasonable and my four children had a wonderful time.  This would be a fabulous gift idea for teachers, friends, and neighbours.  I will definitely do this craft again next year with my children.

Darlene Morrison is a mother of four who resides in Newmarket, Ontario with her family. She loves cooking, running, reading and writing.

via amotherworld.com

Rustic Christmas Decorations

via casasugar.com

Merry & Bright: Holiday LED Lights

Starry String LIghts 10 ft, $25 from Restoration Hardware

Energy efficient and bright LEDs are popping up at more and more retailers in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors (even warm white). Below are some of our current favorites, and if you are planning to upgrade to LEDs, you can find information on how to recycle your old lights here.

TOP ROW
1. Starry String LIghts 10 ft, $25 from Restoration Hardware
2. Snowflake Strala Light Chain, $20 from IKEA
3. Twinkling LIghts on White Wire, $23 from Christmas Light Source
4. Multi String Light Set, $19 from Party Lights
5. Cordless Holiday LED Light String, $15 from Brookstone

BOTTOM ROW
6. Solar LED Light String, $40 from Solar Illuminations
7. Color Changing Lights, $25 from LED Wholesalers
8. Warm White Lights, $13 from 1000 Bulbs
9. Warm White Twinkle Lights, $30 from Holiday LEDs
10. Snowball Strala Light Chain, $20 from IKEA

MORE STRING LIGHTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• The Do's & Don'ts of Holiday Lights
• Upgrading to LEDs? How to Recycle Your Old Lights
• Best Outdoor String Lights 2011
• String Lights In The Bedroom

(Images: as credited above.)

via apartmenttherapy.com

How Cats See a Christmas Tree

via cheezburger.com

WHERE? The Stockings Were Hung...

via habituallychic.blogspot.com

Deck the Halls: Modern Holiday Decorations Refinery29

 

 

Last week, Refinery29 asked five San Francisco bloggers (including myself) to select their three favorite holiday decor picks. While I was researching my favorites (featured above), I came across a few other holiday gems that I thought I'd share here. Hopefully, they make your home a little bit brighter for the season. Enjoy.

From Refinery29 post:

Ski Bunny Ornaments by Anthropologie

Felt Garland by West Elm

Acorn Ceramics by Donna Wilson

Felt Ball Wreath by West Elm

Supernova Tree Topper by Land of Nod

Tartan Plaid Tree Skirt by Land of Nod

Striped Wool Blanket from Branch Home

 

(Images: as linked above)

 

More Holiday Ideas:

via apartmenttherapy.com

 

How to Green Your Holidays With Eco-Friendly Christmas Decor

 

The holidays are a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men but decorating your home with energy-guzzling lights and dead trees hardly fits in either category. Luckily, eco-conscious yuletide cheer looks just as festive as some of the more traditional options, and there are lots of cool green products to choose from. If you need some ideas to get started, click through our green decor guide for some of our favorites like flameless LED candles, LED holiday lights, edible rosemary Christmas trees and a recycled DIY wreath you can make yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LED Candles

There’s nothing like a good flickering candle or two to create warm winter holiday ambiance, but those with kids, pets, asthma or even clumsy relatives might feel they’re too dangerous to have around. Luckily, there’s an alternative that is safer, more eco-friendly and looks deceptively similar – LED candles. These lightweight, infinitely reusable LED ‘candles’ are made of real wax, just like a real candle, and are even designed to flicker in the same way – only without the flame, smoke and messy,spilling wax. You can move these around wherever you like with no fear of flames and they last up to 1,000 hours using just two “D” batteries, so you can use them for many years to come. In addition to cutting the obvious fire hazard because they don’t use a real flame, LED candles are also safer for your lungs and your indoor air quality. What we love most about them is that they’re truly sustainable because they’ll last forever, unlike real candles, which quickly burn down to a stump and need to be replaced constantly.

DIY Wreath

Not all wreaths require cutting branches off of trees, and this DIY decoration from Inhabitat writer Lea Bogden is a great example of a more eco-friendly alternative. Lea made her wreath by reusing scraps of old fabric and wrote up an easy-to-follow DIY guide on how she did it, so click here to get started on your own.

Faux Cedar Centerpiece

Fake or real pine – that is always the debate for green-minded holiday decorators. Real, or course, smells great but involves killing or injuring trees, and faux pine decor is almost always made of PVC, a toxic and extremely energy intensive plastic which is known to give off harmful dioxins. Happily for the eco-conscious host who’d like a pine centerpiece on the table , this rustic, reusable cedar pine centerpiece is made from PE or polyethylene, which is not associated with the health risks linked to PVC. PE is also a much more environmentally friendly (and recyclable) plastic. The centerpiece looks almost identical to the real thing and, of course, can be reused infinitely – no arborcide involved!

 

LED Holiday Lights

We all know why LED holiday lights are better than incandescent ones (they use way less electricity, don’t burn out or break, last longer and save you money and energy) and now they’re better-looking than ever before! With new warm colors on the market, omni-direction glow and lower prices, LED Christmas lights really give incandescent lights a run for their money these days. These Warm White LED Holiday Lights are as low as $14 and will add sparkle to your holiday displays without breaking the bank.

LED Curtain Light Strand

LED lights are not only more energy-efficient than regular string lights, they also save you money on your electricity bill (who couldn’t use some extra bucks around the holidays, right?). For a really dramatic effect, try this LED light curtain strand in your windows, which is a full 17 ft. of wide angle LED mini lights. Use a single strand or multiple to turn your home into a twinkling winter wonderland!

Potted Rosemary Xmas Tree

Why settle for a regular Christmas tree when you can have an edible one made out of rosemary? These fragrant, living christmas trees allow you to decorate without killing trees, and double as herb gardens to flavor your holiday meals with. With proper care, they’ll last way after the winter is over.

Recycled Cardboard Christmas Tree

The Moderno Christmas tree may be made of recycled cardboard, but it is just as eye-catching – if not more – than a real tree. They’re sold in plain, white or green, and you can even display them in clusters to give your home a really unique look. They can be decorated with paper, crayons or paint too but are just as attractive right out of the box.

Boontje Garland Lamp

It’s easy to see why people love the Boontje garland lamp – it’s absolutely gorgeous! But it’s also lightweight, reusable and supports designer Tord Boontje’s efforts to provide work for women in South America. The delicate filligree-like metal strands are easy to clip and wrap around an existing light fixture, and are so beguiling that you probably won’t want to take them down after the holidays.

Tannenboing Recycled Aluminum Tree

Christmas trees are lovely, but there’s no need to cut down a perfectly good tree just to add some holiday cheer to your home. The Tannenboing is an elegant, modern alternative made of recycled aluminum, and can be decorated just like a traditional tree. Each one is made in the USA and can be flat-packed for easy storage until you reuse it again.

via inhabitat.com