A Little London Christmas Shopping

Many who know me, know how much I love the annual Nutcracker Christmas Market in Houston each year, benefitting the Houston Ballet. The last two years, I've been in London during the weekend of the Nutcracker Market and have sadly missed it, but I must tell you, there is a fantastic substitute right here in London--the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair.

With over 400 exhibitors from all over the UK, the selection of British gifts, crafts and foods are a serious temptation. Here's a little sampling of what I saw this year.

Decorations and ornaments for every taste, including the whimsical,

the folksy,

and the country feel.

A throwback to younger times--I bought Pixie dust here,

and there are plenty of vintage booths,

and something for every style of decorating.

A wee bit of antique silver

along with magnifying glasses.

Handmade gifts for every taste

with cheeky girls to help you with your selections,

whether it be a book of good thoughts,

stylized pillows,

soap roses,

or my favorite Jan Constantine pillows.

And when you're feeling a bit faint from all the shopping, there's a wide selection of treats in the food hall to tempt you.

And what's a Christmas market in Britain without a tea pot or two?

Or a tea set that's just your style?

Stay tuned--up next--one of my favorite shops in London near the Covent Garden.

See you then....

Christmas is in the Air

Christmas in  London is very festive. Since it gets dark about 3:45 in the afternoon this time of the year, it helps that there are so many lights sparkling around the city. We headed to the lighting of the tree at the Duke of York square on Kings Road a few weeks ago, to kick off the season with our "neighbors."

The traditional mince pies were served,

the reindeers were ready to pull the sleigh,

and our evening started off at a nearby church where St. Nicholas came to read to the children. Singing English Christmas carols in such beautiful surroundings was truly spiring. Some of the British children identify more with the bishop St. Nicholas than our traditional Santa Claus, 

whose image, as the priest described to us, is the result of the American Coca-Cola company who began to use this image of jolly St. Nick in 1931 in their advertising campaigns.

Then it was off in a flash as the reindeer pulled St. Nicholas in his sleigh to the Duke of York square

where along with our friends, we enjoyed the lights and the spirit of the season.

Later in the week, I was strolling by Covent Garden, where I caught a peek at their giant Christmas tree

and the  32 foot topiary reindeer.

The Apple Market there was all decked out,

but I was most impressed with the digital painting of the Nativity put together by the director Martha Fiennes in conjunction with SLOimage technology. How I wish I could find a video for you to see this nativity come alive! I sat mesmerized in front of the constantly moving scene which is always evolving. Using 13 characters, the scene is never the same image twice, and I watched in amazement as the Biblical characters came alive in front of my eyes. 

It was an oasis of calm amidst all the Covent Garden bustle, and I was grateful for the time to sit and reflect on the greatest gift of the season--the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Harrod's is Ready for Christmas

It's Christmas time in London, and the lights and festivities abound. I've blogged about many of those in the last three years, and they can be found by "Search the Blog" on the right sidebar should you choose to get a flavor of what Christmas in London is all about.

Harrod's, of course, does Christmas in a big way. They opened their Christmas World in July this year, with over 8000 square feet of ideas to make your Christmas even more special. Summer tourists were excited to see they could find "Christmas in July."

Daily Mail

This year Harrod's paired with Swarovski Crystal to create an enchanting Crystal Forest in their store windows.

Daily Mail

The woodland scenes were dripping with crystal gems and sparkling trees.

Inside the Christmas department, the extravagance continued.

Ornaments and decor

to make your Christmas sparkle with bling.

Of course, the traditional themes were there as well

with plenty of British themed ornaments to choose from,

like this Union Jack Santa

 Christmas balls,

and landmarks of London.

Perhaps you'd like to pick up some London themed cookies,

to enjoy with your tea.

Someone on your Christmas list probably needs these salt and pepper shakers,

and Grandma needs a Chrismas Pudding,

little nieces or nephews would be fascinated by their own snow globe,

and I'm sure everyone has a Princess Kate doll on their list this year!

I'm always fascinated by English crackers, and Harrod's always has some of the most beautiful ones. These are Silver Bling and sell for £599 or $940. Wonder what treasures you would find inside?

These red lace ones are nice

or you could spring for the super deluxe for £1299 or $2040. Inside you would find pearls, silver, crystal, silk and leather!

My favorites were these!

And Harrod's always has such nice touches, like this in-house opera singer, Marika Rauscher, who sings to customers as they take the Egyptian elevators up and down. Just a touch above the piano player at Nordstrom's.

I leave you with one of Harrod's Christmas videos which feature clips from their "Security Cam" showing Santa up to a little mischief!