by candlelight: 13th december

I love to light a candle or two at Christmas.  I find it calming and means I can reflect quietly on the season at hand.  I also love the play of flickering light and the soft golden glow and the feeling of warmth that even the tiniest flame can create. 

I put together my own candle centrepiece to sit on my coffee table during December.  It was simple to make and very inexpensive to assemble as almost all the components are recycled from other things.  I tend to hoard up the glass jars and pots that various food stuffs arrive in.  I knew that all that scrubbing off labels would come in handy! An assortment of different glass jars means that the display has variety of height and design and texture.  Their different shapes mean the candlelight bounces and refracts through the jars in different ways.  All I added was a white tea light to each jar.  And I love the effect; it's simple and pure and beautiful.  I scattered a few gold stars on the table as a finishing touch, and even those were recycled as they fell out of a present I was given several months ago.

My entire centrepiece cost £4, which was what I paid for a pack of 100 tea lights. So the good news is I'll be able to enjoy my candles for quite some time, and I look forward to the end of term, curling up with the man on the sofa with some mulled wine and some Downton Abbey.

Perfect.

Kisses xxx

P.S. One day, I would love to have a fireplace too.  That's a nice wish for Christmas yet to come.