I have to say I never thought, five years ago, in the midst of a cold run-up to the festive season in the Old Country that I'd be sitting in shorts and singlet revelling in making a Christmas wreath from a bunch of shells.  Furthermore I certainly didn't think that said wreath would be thrifted.  Or that I would be taking photos of it. 

That is not to say I have anything in the slightest against thrifting or decs beach style.   Far from that, I love Christmas here…it seems a mix of all the things I love, customs from home like the turkey on the day, but now with a layered salad, and new traditions like Carols in the Park, Santa turning up, fully suited, down the beach and Christmas Camping.

Every year at this time, weighed down by a truck load of my secret indulgence, I have to be careful not to get overwhelmed by my own expectations that all will be perfect – that the tree will look like it stepped out of Country Living, like my turkey was bronzed by Jamie and my gifts were wrapped by the goddess Martha herself. 

I have to protect myself from those beautifully accessorised magazine articles of lovingly prepared items and shelve all ideas of 'Christmas Crafting' and sewing gifts.

I don't though yet seem to be able to protect myself from breathtakingly decorated stores.  Yep I do know no-one lives in these stores (tho certainly I have thought of asking how much for a night in the beachy shop bed) and that it is quite impossible to have every single gift in a square shape so that your parcels match all nicely under the tree, thank-you-very-much.

Which leads me to a shopping trip last weekend with Miss BC and one $200-ish shell wreath.  I spied it right away, flipped the price tag and moved on to baubles…but that wreath was on my mind people…whether that is entirely a good thing or not is another matter…when forcing 7 yr olds to ONLY FIND WHITE SHELLS, while beachcombing some might think it not  

And so I give you, with nothing but a thrifted one dollar cane wreath, a handful of gathered shells and a can of spray paint, this now, hastily hung on the oars to see how it'll look…contribution to DIY Divaness, …embodiment of make-do-and-mend.  

There is something therapeutically mind-numbing about spraying things white and fiddling around with shells.  Throw in a hot glue gun and a wreath and it's almost too much to bear. 

And I again find myself a dangerous lady with a can of white spray paint, anticipating what next might look better devoid of colour…perhaps I could wipe out the underlying hysteria felt by most women around early December with one big woosh of white paint? 

I used to be very old-school about Christmas, sometimes not let anything but gold pass the threshold, before that very much green and red. 

I am more than pleased with how this turned out, and less so because of the budget factor, but actually more just kinda quietly enjoying how much more doing this means than buying one from a shop ever could do. 

I'd love to know what you think?  Just a tad too beachy I think it might be for some and if truth be told before I saw this in the flesh it would probably be for me..

Anyway I'm off to tie ribbon around spray-painted things. 

See you next time 

p.s. cushions (which incidentally we are fighting over every night they feel just so good) from the lovely Tricia at Coastal Cushions

don't forget it's Giveaway Time at A Beach Cottage this week 

I'll be posting a great giveaway – stay tuned!

blogged for Met Monday, thanks Susan, Thrifty Thursday and Mosaic Monday

G'day, hope you are all well.  It's hot here.   Hot and good. 

It's not too much of an exaggeration to say that I am becoming more and more attached to my camera and enjoy more and more taking photos.  

There is something so grounding to me about it and more than taking those snaps of the kids which surely I like to take, I'm finding that camera-love and blogging has really made me sit up and take a good old look around at the simple things in life.  You already know that. 

So next week to celebrate December and crafty gals with mucho talent I'm having a little giveaway from a sweet as pie gal with beautiful photos many could not resist…

Susannah sent me these little brown paper parcels tied up in string and inside some perfect little gifts just right for my cottage…don't you just love opening parcels like this?  

I do, amidst all the hideous consumerism smack bang all around us at this time of year, it's nice to open a gift that you know has been made with love from start to wrapping-it-in-brown-paper-finish.  Now you don't get that in Harvey Nic's…

See you soon, I am very busy the next week coming. I guess we all are. 

I'm off to a big kids' sporting event for a few days..we'll need you sending us luck..

I was recently contacted by Coastal Living asking me if I would like to do a review. 

Hmm I can think of worse jobs in life! 

However my November copy got lost somewhere across the ocean and I only last week received my copy, so better late than never…

To be very honest, which I think is what you've come to expect here at abeachcottage.com I was hoping that it wouldn't be too, you know 'themey'.  

It wasn't and it certainly delivered.  

The best thing about it, other than the things below was its diversity, which surprised me, kinda celebrating living by the sea, but more than that, providing enough interesting features of the same rough genre to keep you flicking and lingering over in the bath…like the 'Crab Crack' story on p. 100 featuring a couple of authors who cook-out and crab for Thanksgiving (love that) and the Surfing Chefs who promote ocean conservation and sustainable seafood.

and then of course was the decorating

…isn't the chair adorable, casual but not so at the same time…vintage finds, a dose of colour and family friendly, the cladding is exactly what I am hankering after and those wooden top stools, the undressed windows and of course the splashes of colour from jugs of fresh flowers

black cabinetry?  yep like it…light fitting, bamboo blinds and white accents sit nicely to me too

and who wouldn't love this?  can I come take a nap on this porch with that white cushion as my friend?

even the recipes got me ready to fire up the bbq

Head on over to the website for more eyecandy where you'll also see my friend at Coastal Cushions (she kindly sent me some) over there featured in their Christmas Gifts section.   

Thanks so much to Coastal Living for sending it to me and congrats on such a great and coastal themed magazine, I wouldn't hesitate to subscribe.

G'day, I know a whole lot of you are celebrating Thanksgiving, so best wishes for a lovely day. 

I am thankful for many things this year, mostly that we survived getting re-trenched and in fact I'm in a very strange back-of-the-mind-way thankful for this – oddly been a blessing in disguise…we are far from out of the rough waters yet, but we're getting there.

It certainly has not been easy, and some nights we've been to bed wondering whether we might in fact lose our cottage.  

It's a funny old thing life, isn't it, you certainly never know what it'll bring, what's round the corner and where it'll take you? 

One thing for sure, as when I started this blog, it's helped to come here at the end of the day and ramble on about cutting corners and making things better for nothing and I'm thankful that I've discovered that taking pictures, vignetting and writing has proved to be very much part of me.

And on that note, of making this nice with not much, I'm beginning to think about decorations for Christmas with November just about over.  I've bought my usual Christmas magazines this year and have to say I've not really been inspired.  The shops, too, seem to be a strange mix of black and brights – I don't think I'll ever buy black for Christmas and well bright pink and yellow seem so far away from festive as can be, to me. 

But I have seen beachy done quite nicely and so I've spent my meagre Decs Budget on just a few bits in the ravishingly-expensive beachy shop and spent hours beachcombing with little Mr BC and collected lots of stuff for Noel-au-Natrel.

My other splurge'll be spending on white flowers and hydrangeas to stick with silver and white and shells, oh and my annual Christmas expedition to IKEA for Nordic treats and Yuletide specials.  

Yep I think that's the way it's gonna be round here.  

Kinda suits the year really – simple, white, classic, plus stuff from the beach…I pulled a few things from the Christmas box, some flowers and candles, and Dollar Store stars…too easy…

blogged for tablescaping at Susan's Between Naps on The Porch

and for Gina's event at The Shabby Chic Cottage