‘November darkness has taken over & dare I say it, there are a few glimpses of Christmas in the air’

Mid November, and there are a few first glimpses of Christmas in the air. The city is decorated with Christmas lights, the air is crispier and I’ve started to paint tree cards that I craft every year. I’ve already bought a few additional festive baubles and played O Holy night by Adolphe Adam on repeat, the song from Home Alone’s church scene that is so beautiful and soft. I found some rusty silver, almost antique looking baubles shaped like pumpkins and a few statement birds that are still tucked away for when the tree arrives.

Even though the weather has been rather spectacular for November, they promised a bit of snow for next week which will amp the festive season that much more. Currently I’m drinking cinnamon glögi as I write this but earlier, I tested some heather tea, that I picked and dried before the end of summer. It is said that heather has a smoothing and calming effect making it the perfect evening tea as you wind down at the end of the day. Basically, I picked the little flowers of the heather twigs as they were in full bloom, dried them and stored in a seal tight container.

Nature is so inspiring at the moment, the “stillness in the air has arrived” into the woods that comes when the air gets colder waiting for its winter arrival. We’ve spent a lot of time outdoors cleansing the mind and breathing in the fresh air, allowing the forest to do its thing. Warming up our hands, we sip on piping hot glögi with almonds and raisins in the bottom. The cinnamon stick has infused into the berry flavored drink and it instantly brings a festive spirit into the air. I light a little candle for our outdoor picnic as it starts to get darker and I love how the low sunrays push through the scatter of forestry.