#charmed advent 2024

[futuristicson]

[museenkuss]

Marie Museenkuss Advent Calendar

For this advent season, I've prepared a selection of little treats - recipes, things to read or things to watch that I enjoy (or wrote) and am excited to share with you over the next few days. Each day, I'll 'open' another door to reveal the treat. I hope we can celebrate and have fun together!

[💎] To start, a cosy Christmas crime classic: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

[🦊] One of my all-time favourite fairy tales, Allerleirauh, can be read on this website! If you'd like to turn pages and see an illustration or two, you can also read it in the Green Fairy Book via archive.org, but beware - that version is censored!

[🪞] An all-time classic of a different kind, maybe just in time now that the New Year is slowly seeping in: Joan Didion's Essay "On Self Respect"

[💌] Feelings inspired to write? I’ve got some shimmering, cool, delicate december prompts ready for you!

[🗝️] In the spirit of the censored Allerleirauh: Read my thoughts on death, mutilation and the gruesome in fairy tales

[👢] On the morning of the sixth, German children will find little treats in their boots that Nikolaus left for them the night before. Let's use some of them (apples, marzipan(optional), nuts) to make a traditional German christmas treat - the Bratapfel. Rezept. Authentic English recipe.

[🏮] Let's take a virtual trip to the Tate and look at Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose in two short videos that focus on description and technique!

[✨] The nostalgic excitement of entering a theatre and watching the other guests before the show - Chanel's A/W 2024/25 Haute Couture Show blends Opera and High Fashion.

[☕️] Today (very appropriate for the temperature drop), we're learning how to make French hot chocolate: [written recipe] [video]

[🦢] Do you have an hour to spare? Enjoy this charming little volume on perfume from 1928, a love letter to fragrance filled with anecdotes from all over the world and illustrated by the wonderful George Barbier: The romance of perfume by Richard Le Gallienne

[🌹] A Renaissance princess and her baroque prince... Here's a magical performance of Sleeping Beauty by the Bolshoi Ballet

[12] 🎪

[🍰 ] With eleven days left, there's still more than enough time to make the Fortnum&Mason Christmas Cake in time for Christmas! [the official F&M christmas cookbook has a very similar recipe for a fruit cake, but without the soaking and with a layer of fondant on top. let me know if you'd be interested in that, I'll post a pic]

[💋] today, let’s read one of my favourite sensual poems for winter: Francis Jammes — Tu Seras Nu (You will be nude), translated by Kenneth Rexroth

[🖋] This sunday, let's write! Or, alternatively: Let's daydream! Here are some brand new prompts for inspiration.

[🎞️] In the spirit of daydreaming: You and I by Papooz, Weak for your Love by Thee Sacred Souls, Mystery by Raveena are three extremely different but visually stunning music videos to songs I absolutely adore. To start this week, take a little moment to watch and listen, dream and dance.

[🍷] Easy poached pears in red wine with vanilla - a gorgeous, ruby-coloured dessert. I've made (regular) poached pears before and they are just as easy as this title suggests. But I'm SO eager to try (and share <3) this variant!

[18] 🎠

[🐻] After a long, tiring day of Christmas shopping (or Christmas stress), let's relax with a whimsical film! Panna a netvor (Beauty And The Beast) from 1978 <3

[💫] Imagine a zine, except more whimsical and more complicated - today, we're learning how to make a Victorian Puzzle Purse! They're so pretty, perfect add-ons for a christmas gift - or adorable presents in their own right.

[🩰] I feel like Christmas is the time where we can truly reconnect to the magic of childhood. So today, let's put on our (imaginary) ballet slippers and do a little 5-min Nutcracker ballet choreo in our living room! Whether we're dancers or not honestly doesn't matter - nobody is watching us, this is all about enjoying the fantasy of a snow-sparkling night. We're playing pretend! And if you'd rather improvise to something more dramatic, I used to whirl around to Borodin's Polovtsian Dances.

[🕰️] During this cold, dark evening, I present to you one of my favourite poems, caught between romanticism and irony: Heine's Old Chimney Piece (in translation).

[🎟️] About a year ago, Joel Haver made a video looking back on 4 years of uploading weekly short films. It's one of my favourite videos, visually, in its tone and regarding its message, and I feel now that the year is coming to a close, it might be a really inspiring watch: it's been fun.

[🎄] I wish I could invite you all over to show you the illustrated edition of E.T.A. Hoffmann's Nutcracker that my parents gifted me in 2001. Instead, I offer you a very nice translation: Nutcracker and the King of Mice - and, if you're the audiobook type, I found a good translation with Tchaikovsky's music here. The story is haunting, delicate, glittering, unheimlich. It starts on Christmas Day and infuses the following days and nights with magic. It was such a joy to share this Advent Calendar with you and I hope that with this, I can share some of my Christmas festivities with you, too, since they're so entwined with this story (and since the first chapters also somewhat accurately depict how I celebrate Christmas, too - on the evening of the 24th, after decorating the tree). Lots and lots of Love, darlings! I hope you have a magical day, a magical evening, and a very Merry Christmas!

[dramioneasks]

Christmas Fics (2024) (Part 1):

Last Christmas by cleotheo - T, 8 chapters - When Ron, Lavender and Ginny get a chance to spend Christmas at the launch event of a fancy new hotel, there are festive surprises and shock reunions in store for the trio. Reunion style Christmas story.

All the Way by augustaoctavia - E, 12 chapters - Two Parents. One Toy. No Prisoners. When Draco Malfoy makes a promise to his son to buy him the holiday season's hottest toy, he didn't anticipate that every store in Wizarding Britain would be sold out. Worse still, the last thing he would have expected was becoming a reluctant ally to Hermione Granger in their mutual quest to do what ever it takes to give their sons a Merry Christmas.

Dramione Christmas Advent Calendar 2024 by Hyemi_28 - E - Hi everyone! ⭐ It’s December, and I’m thrilled to share my little Dramione Christmas Advent Calendar with you! 🎄 Every day until 24th December, we’ll open one door on the calendar, and behind each one, you’ll find a delightful Dramione drabble filled with festive magic, romance, and Christmas cheer. Whether it’s a cosy moment by the fire, a snowy adventure, or a romantic celebration, there’s a little something special waiting for you each day. 🎄Let’s celebrate this advent season together and count down to Christmas with our favourite pairing! 🎁 Wishing you a joyful Advent and a very Merry Christmas! Hyemi

The Binding Charm by yourstruly_quin - E, 6 chapters - Ginny grinned, eyes lighting up. “We made some plans tonight.” Hermione’s skepticism was evident on her face. “Plans?” “We won’t hear any excuses, Granger. Theo Nott opened a pub a few weeks ago. Very exclusive. He reserved a private area, just for us.” Pansy leaned in, a conspiratorial look on her face. “And we may have invited a few old friends. One of whom might be interested in… helping you move on.” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “Helping me move on?” Ginny placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “Just humor us for one night. If you hate it, you can leave.” Hermione pretended to consider for a few moments. In all honesty, she was ready to have a night of fun, to stop moping around feeling sorry for herself while Ron was out traipsing the world with his mistress. She could have just as much fun as him. “Fine,” she conceded. “But he better not be a Weasley—no offense Gin. Or a quidditch player.” Pansy and Ginny exchanged another look. “Maybe just… recreationally a quidditch player,” Ginny mumbled. Or a cutesy holiday special where Draco and Hermione agree to help each other move on.

Nott A Typical Slytherin Holiday by QuinnSnow37 - M, WIP - It's the holiday break and Hermione is dreading spending her eighth- and final Christmas at Hogwarts- alone, until Theodore Nott invites her on a ski trip to France with the Slytherins. This is a cozy fluffy smutty story about second chances and the magic of Christmas.

Charm Offensive by karma_cookie - G, one-shot - Draco Malfoy is having a bad week. His magic seems to be going out of its way to embarrass him in front of his boss, who he is still trying to impress, and who he's got more than just a little crush on.

gifts to be given by coldbrewcalico, virgo_puff - E, 6 chapters - Hermione convinces the gang to play Secret Santa for their first Christmas together after graduating from eighth year at Hogwarts. Everything does not go according to plan.

Cold Moon by maraudersaffair - E, WIP - It’s Christmastime, and Malfoy wants to court Hermione. In fact, he seems rather insistent about it, even though they are virtually strangers. What Hermione doesn’t know is that Malfoy is a werewolf in need of a mate. And the wolf chose her.

Dreomione christmas advent calendar or how Hermione survived living with two Slytherins by Nottromi - E, WIP - Hermione’s life was peaceful—until she started dating Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott. Now, chaos is her constant companion, with her friends inevitably dragged into the madness. Or how her boys are using their animagus skills to annoy her endlessly. [Draco x Hermione x Theo]

Under the Mistletoe by angeadhglas - E, WIP - At a Hogwarts Faculty Solstice Party, Draco and Hermione accidentally find themselves trapped under enchanted mistletoe. The spell only breaks when they kiss, but it leaves both of them wanting more than just one kiss.

Smaller Acts by Molivier - M, one-shot - “You know,” she says, her voice a little too tender, a little too honest, “I’ll allow you to be rude to me. Just once. Tell me how you really feel.” He hesitates, his gaze dropping to her lips and then back to her eyes. “I don’t think you’d like it.” “Try me.”

thread of silk by euphrasie_pont - E, one-shot - “You’re just…dating her,” Narcissa said slowly, her face contorting around the word as if she had never spoken it in her life. “That is…fine.” “But marriage isn’t, right?” Draco retorted. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She seemed to catalog him with new eyes, as if she had never noticed all the tiny ways in which he had become a man. “Draco…is it really like that?” she asked quietly. Draco shrugged and glanced back to the tapestry, eyes unseeing as he recalled a memory of wayward curls blowing across Hermione’s face, her lips curving into an unrestrained laugh. “I love her,” he whispered plainly, feeling like he was revealing his most treasured secret. ~ Draco lives two discrete lives: the one in which he’s in love with Hermione Granger, and the one in which he’s his mother’s perfect son. He keeps them separate because he’s bone-shakingly afraid that if they ever meet, he’ll lose one or both of them. They end up meeting anyway.

Happy Christmas, Granger by allofthelights11  - E, one-shot - She nestles her head back in the pillows and resigns herself to being patient. She ought to have known this would be part of it – not the blindfold, which is a new element, but Draco making her wait. Wait for the surprise he told her about over a week ago, and wait for him to gradually work his way through it step by step. Her anticipation about what else he might make her wait for swells. She wouldn’t have initiated this herself, which Draco knows. He also knows exactly how to please her, if she just relaxes enough to let him show her. Draco prefers to show, not tell. He pulls her bra cup beneath one breast so he can tease the nipple with his finger, and surely he can see her heart beating, the skin of her chest rising and falling. Draco traces his fingers down her stomach, playing with the hemline of her knickers, which he’s left on her – for now. She’s thrumming with want, now, and she wrestles with a desire to spread her legs for him or let him manoeuvre her however he likes. Hermione breathes in deeply. Her breast meets his mouth and she’s never been good at being this patient.

[thelarriefics]

HOLIDAY FIC REC, PART V: Below you’ll find 25 fics that have to do with the holiday season.

📖 Larry Xmas Countdown 2024 by @28goldens (133k)

Different fic prompts posted across 25 days

📖 Twinkling Lights, Fated Nights by @darling-28 (87k)

A story about healing, love and finding home in each other.

📖 Home For The Holiday by @larrysmomfics (86k)

Harry needs to run away. In an attempt to get out of his own routine and his own life for a while and get over his extremely toxic ex, he decides on an emotionally fueled whim to do a house swap with someone in LA who's itching to get out of his own routine and get away from his best friend and business partner for a bit. In a quirky turn of events the best friend Liam was so desperate to get away from happens to be the most lovely, kind, and beautiful man Harry's ever met. What ensues is a self healing journey with the help of a found family, a wonderful man who becomes his home, and above all love. A "The Holiday" inspired AU where Harry meets Louis after agreeing to swap houses with a stranger on the internet for three weeks over the holidays.

📖 Secrets in Winter by @softfonds (82k)

If Harry Styles thought he was going to have a peaceful winter while staying far away from the rake who lived across the street, he was sorely wrong on two fronts. A Victorian AU.

📖 2024 Advent Calendar by @the-larry-way (40k)

25 independent one-shots with wintery/Christmas themes centering Larry Stylinson

📖 Heart Beat by @allwaswell16 (35k)

Hideaway Haven is the place that Louis has always called home. It's also the place that Harry had tried to leave behind him. When Harry returns to start a music academy in his hometown, he finds himself face to face with his high school crush—and his charming daughter who wants to learn to play the drums.

📖 You Should Be Here With Me by @lululawrence (34k)

The festive period is a traditionally hectic one in the world of Premier League football, and this year is no different. A lot is riding on how Manchester United is able to come through the fixtures in the coming weeks. Louis and his teammates know all too well the pressure that is on their shoulders. They need to prove, not just to fans of the club but the entire league, that they still have what it takes to be a team worthy of fighting for the top of the table. Throw in the fact that Louis is all too aware that he's not getting any younger in a profession that demands your peak physical fitness year round and the incredibly fit Harry Styles, who is part of the club's social media team, and this year's festive period might just be the most important one yet.

📖 I Guess I'll Surrender by @bravetemptation (29k)

A lad’s Christmas holiday provides the perfect opportunity for Louis and Harry to prank their friends. They decide to fake date. Feelings kind of get in the way

📖 We Can Roll in the Darkness by @letthemusicmoveyou28 (29k)

Or the one where Louis and his best mate Niall decide to take the plunge and open a pub. The goal is to open Christmas Day, but the building renovations are proving trickier than expected. Insert: a construction company with a questionable name, a certain curly haired builder who catches Louis’ attention, and a little festive chaos along the way.

📖 Your Reign is Free (to give along to Santa) by @londonfoginacup (28k)

It’s Christmas Eve. It’s a totally normal Christmas Eve. Harry and Louis have some friends coming by, and some totally normal birthday and Christmas plans. It’s a totally typical totally normal Christmas Eve. A fic that takes place over 24 (+1) hours where surely everything will go totally to plan. Happy Christmas, here’s to many more.

📖 One for the Books by @neondiamond (25k)

Or the one where there’s a bookshop, a cat, OT5 friendship, a budding romance, and all the festive vibes.

📖 Lonely Cards Club by @hellolovers13 (25k)

Harry's life in Cardiff is rather uneventful. Until he receives a strange Christmas postcard. It gets even stranger when he finds another one the next day. 💌 An Advent story about missed opportunities and second chances.

📖 light me up, put me on top by @larrydoinglaundry (24k)

Harry takes Louis back to Northern Europe to experience his first Nordic Christmas in their beloved cabin, surrounded by nothing but peace and snow. So much snow. Short "spin-off" to 'Love is a word, you gave it a name' universe. Takes place after the second part of the main story, but before the final epilogue.

📖 Secrets, Santa? by @indiaalphawhiskey (19k)

Right, okay, so Harry had confessed his deepest, darkest, dirtiest secrets to a stranger who turned out to be his boss. No big deal. This was probably just the beginning of Harry’s own hilariously heartwarming, wildly romantic Hallmark Christmas movie, come to life, right? …Right? -- very loosely inspired by Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret?

📖 You Are The Fever (What A Lovely Way To Burn!) by @yoursolosong (18k)

Harry is an alpha who realizes he’s also into alphas and wants to be submissive. He battles between his instincts and what he wants.

📖 Christmas At Cedar Farm by @babyhoneyheslt (17k)

Inheriting a derelict farm with no knowledge on how to look after the land and a farmhouse in dire need of renovations, Harry’s stuck with two options; sell it, or do it up for himself. With the help of his friends and the cute farmer next door, Harry sees the potential and creates a Winter Wonderland at Cedar Farm.

📖 Santa, Baby by @hazzabeeforlou (16k)

Nothing in Harry’s life has gone to plan. From giving up his art dreams in favor of a stable 9-5, to singleness, to a bought with cancer that left him infertile, Harry finds himself wishing for a Christmas miracle. When one seemingly occurs, Harry meets the sperm donor of his dreams and begin to imagine the impossible. But not everything with Louis is as it seems, and soon an elusive art agent is adding to the chaos of Harry’s very unexpected holiday season. Set against the backdrop of New York City, this hallmark-style rom com is filled with a bit of drama, a drop of angst, and a touch of Christmas magic.

📖 knowing you're in love with me is the greatest gift of all by @dreamersdivin-headfirst (6k)

Harry just wants to fall back to sleep in his husband’s arms, wanting to treasure the quietness of Christmas morning before their kids wake up and realize what day it is. That dream is short lived when there’s a small shriek of joy from downstairs.

📖 I'll Show You How Good It Could Be by @lovingstheantidote (6k)

Harry makes Santa a drink and Louis gets naughty.

📖 me without you is like a present without a bow by @wecantalktomorrow (5k)

The reassurance from Louis had Harry grinning and running his hands down his husband’s sides. “I think you’re going to like it,” he murmured confidently, starting to play with the hem of his own jumper when he sat back against his husband’s bent knees. “Sorry you don’t get to unwrap it, though. Knew you’d be more reluctant to be tied up if you saw it first.”

📖 Mistletoe and Eggsnogging by @parmahamlarrie (5k)

Harry has a plan. It involves mistletoe, a night out at a club, and the hope that perhaps he might pull a nice boy tonight. The night does not go in any way like he had planned, but it all works out in the end.

📖 A Man After Midnight by @galacticlarry (4k)

Harry thought kissing Louis on New Year’s Eve would be a one-time thing, but they keep running into each other and it becomes a tradition. What happens when feelings start getting involved? Or the five times Harry kisses Louis on New Year’s Eve and the one time he kisses his boyfriend.

📖 Santa Baby (one little thing I really need) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (3k)

When Louis himself had first heard those words - all the nurses at the A&E have a secret line to Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve-, not nearly long enough ago to be considered a child himself, but long enough that he hadn't really felt like an adult all the time, he’d laughed them off. Thought they were sweet, of course, but just a line, something said to appease the kids who ended up having to stay overnight. Something to explain the presents that parents brought to the hospital on Christmas morning, or that were waiting for them at home, if they were lucky not to have to stay any longer. Something that would allow a little bit of Christmas spirit in the sometimes sterile rooms of the hospital. But that was before he’d met him.

📖 Have yourself a larry little christmas by @enchantedlandcoffee (2k)

A plan to exchange presents lead to more than both Harry and Louis bargained for.

📖 Too Many Beds - A Christmas Tale by @silverstuff50 (2k)

Louis was fine to share a room with any of the lads on their Christmas weekend away. Anyone, except the one lad he hates. He definitely hates him. He's annoying and big and gorgeous and, yeah, annoying.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Any suggestions for multi-chapter fics with an alternate meeting and happy ending

So many great fics! I have tried to give you a selection, the first few have a festive theme; then some recent fics; and some old classics. Let me know if you like them! ~Jen

Here is our alternative meeting tab.

A boyfriend for Christmas by @caramelcoffeeaddict CoffeeAddict80

When Kurt takes his 6-year-old nephew, Caleb, to see Santa, he's mortified when Caleb asks Santa to give his Uncle Kurt a new boyfriend for Christmas; Blaine - who is working as one of Santa's helpers - however, is eager to help Caleb get his Christmas wish.

~~~~~

The Christmas Guest by @lilyvandersteen

Kurt goes home for the holidays and finds out a fellow passenger will have no-one to celebrate with, so he invites him to spend Christmas with the Hummel-Hudsons. Somehow, Kurt's family thinks the guy he brought home is his boyfriend. As the days go by, and his Christmas guest proves enchanting in every way, Kurt finds himself wishing they truly were dating. Could his wish come true?

~~~~~~

It's who I'm with by hundredindecisions

In an attempt to make industry connections (and pay rent), Kurt gets a job as a nanny for the daughter of a Broadway producer. When bringing her to a piano lesson one day in December, he meets Blaine Anderson, personal assistant to a famed pianist. (For Klaine Advent 2021)

~~~~~

Leaps and Dives by @annepi-blog

As the 2024 Paris Olympics unfold, gymnast Blaine Anderson and diver Kurt Hummel find themselves navigating more than just their athletic dreams. Blaine, focused on his second chance at Olympic glory, crosses paths with Kurt, a newcomer to the world of professional diving with extraordinary talent. What begins as a chance encounter blossoms into something neither of them expected.

~~~~~

Sonder by @gleefulpoppet

[AU] Kurt is one of the most respected and talked about men in the fashion industry and business world. His app Style•Revolution is the fastest-growing app in history, still rising after three years. Recently, he moved the company to Seattle to be at the heart of the newest technology epicenter in the United States. Yet, with all his success, experience keeps teaching him to be wary of people’s motives who want to be close to him, and he wonders if he’ll be alone forever. Or maybe this city has plans for him that he can’t imagine when his gaze locks with a mysterious, honey-hazel-eyed busker.

~~~~~

Swords and sands by exquisitetragicthing

Ancient Rome AU, 73 years BC.

Blaine and Kurt are enslaved in the same grand villa in Capua, 125 miles south of Rome. Blaine is a renowned gladiator known for his unmatched skill in the arena. Kurt is their master’s treasured body slave and performer. In a time where their love could be as dangerous as the sword, they find themselves instantly and irrevocably drawn to each other.

~~~~~

Crema verse by twobirdsonesong (Main verse plus 65 one shots!)

Kurt’s just landed a job at Vogue as Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant. One of his tasks is to bring her coffee in the morning. Enter Blaine, the barista. This is the story of how they change each other’s lives.

~~~~~

Syrup and Honey By @heartsmadeofbooks

Kurt Hummel is 25 years old when he finds himself being the owner of the bakery he had been dreaming about his whole life, just in time to sweeten up Blaine Anderson's days.

~~~~~

Barking up the wrong bakery by maanorchidee @forabeatofadrum

Kurt is the biggest dog party planner in Los Angeles. When his usual dog bakery cancels on Kurt, he’s in the dire need of a last minute replacement. Luckily, he comes across the Dalton Doggy dog bakery, which is run by Blaine and Cooper Anderson. Cooper’s a mess, but Blaine manages to charm Kurt. Will Kurt be able to keep it professional?

~~~~~

The Symphony verse by Shandyall

Blaine has spent most of his life feeling like the only thing people notice about him is that he stutters. He’s working hard to overcome his (mostly self created) roadblocks when he meets Kurt in an online class the summer after his freshman year of college.

~~~~~~

Westerville Abbey verse by @hkvoyage

Blaine is the second son of the earl of Westerville, and is considered the spare heir. After his 18th birthday, he attends the London Season to fulfill his duty of finding a wife. He soon realizes he is more attracted to the new footman. Kurt, who has just arrived at Westerville Abbey to work alongside his father, becomes equally as smitten with the earl’s youngest son. Will Blaine and Kurt be able to overcome their class differences in 1910s England? Will their forbidden love survive WW1? A Downton Abbey inspired historical Klaine AU.

[rebelliousstories]

25 Days of Ficmas 2024

You know the drill!! This year has been a whirlwind for new characters and it was so difficult to narrow down on older characters. But I hope you enjoy this years fics!

Frost (December 1st) Sean Renard

The streets of Portland are covered with slippery ice, and fresh falling snow. What happens when a man and a woman collide?

Coal (December 2nd) Luke Alvez

How do you keep a festive fire going in the winter? With festive flammables of course!

Toys (December 3rd) Bernard the Elf

A simple mistake leads to a welcome change.

Decorating (December 4th) Monroe

How many boxes is too many boxes of decorations?

Snowman (December 5th) Spencer Reid

Snowfall means that Spencer can not go into work today. With the roads closed, what is a girlfriend to do?

Spices (December 6th) Marko

Christmas time brings out a variety of smells that Marko’s human girl is more than happy to introduce him too, and even have him introduce her to some.

Christmas Eats (December 7th) Wade Wilson/ Deadpool

The merc with the mouth knows no bounds when it comes to the wonderful treats at Christmas time.

Tidings (December 8th) Logan Howlett/Wolverine

A snowy night. A warm diner. A hot meal. And a reluctant helper.

Fruitcake (December 9th) David

A simple childhood favorite that reduces lesser minds to fit of giggles.

Cheer (December 10th) Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw

It is his first Christmas alone. Not completely alone, but alone enough.

By Any Other Name (December 11th) Dwayne

There’s a certain charm of learning about different traditions and cultures around the holidays.

Rooftop (December 12th) Donnie Darko

It’s not snowing, and it’s not terribly cold right now. But a quiet night on the roof is much needed to get away from the shenanigans down below.

Vacation (December 13th) Cooper Howard

How do you take your white Christmas; snow or sand?

Family Time (December 14th) Aaron Hotchner

With Jack getting a little bit older, it’s up to super dad to keep the magic alive.

Advent Calendar (December 15th) Nick Burkhardt

Twenty-five days till Christmas. Every day, a new treat.

Vintage (December 16th) Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

No matter how old he gets, there’s something so nostalgic about drinking a coke from a bottle on the beach for the holidays.

Sweet Treats (December 17th) Robert “Bob” Floyd

There’s a new favorite Floyd when the couple comes to the Dagger team potluck.

Sleigh (December 18th) Paul

It’s on one cold night in December that the boys and girls in the cave realize, they need to tell Paul there’s more than one version of sleigh.

Milk and Cookies (December 19th) Jake “Hangman” Seresin

Watching the nieces and nephews, Hangman feels a weird feeling making the cookies for Santa.

Mr. And Mrs. Claus (December 20th) Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Oh the running joke on the base about the one couple that likes to decorate for the holidays…

Spirit (December 21st) David Loki

Getting Loki into the Christmas spirit is like pulling teeth. But a few days off might change that.

Online Shopping (December 22nd) James “Bucky” Barnes

Trapped in his own home, there’s very little that he can do to express himself, or show that expression to anyone else. But Sergeant Barnes ain’t no quitter; he just has to navigate a new world.

Seasons Greetings (December 23rd) Remy LeBeau/ Gambit

Being so far away from home at the holidays, it was not something that most people could do. But leave it to a Cajun in love with another Cajun to bring home to him.

‘Twas the Night Before… (December 24th) Poly!Lost Boys

Christmas Eve is finally here, and Laddie is being introduced to a Christmas classic whether the boys like it or not.

Oh Christmas Day (December 25th) Sean Renard

There was something magical about spending your first Christmas together, especially after not celebrating for so long.

[ghaniblue]

Reading list: December

Final reading list for 2024. I barely wrote anything this year but at least I've kept up posting recs. I also participated in @hprecfest this month, you can check out my recs here. Here's to hoping 2025 will be better writing-wise. I do have a Pandalily&Jegulus fic almost done and started working on my Jegulus longfic again. Let's see how it goes. ❤️ denotes favourites as always.

>> november recs <<

💦 vapour by toyourdetriment/ @yiiiiiiiikes25 (Drarry, E, 4,7k)

Draco's getting cruised. Isn't he?

This is so horny and mean and sweet and funny. Being in Draco's head for this is a trip and a half.

🎄 Advent Again by dustmouth (Drarry, T, comic)

Harry and Draco stumbling through the month of December, guided only by a collection of very inspired and wonderful art requests.

31 daily Christmas comics. Dustmouth's comics are always a delight. So charming, silly and full of warmth.

🧭 A Light That Never Goes Out by @wolfpants (Sirius/Harry/Draco, E, 6k)

Sirius returns from the veil five years after he dies and five years younger than he was when he fell through it.

When he and Harry decide to escape the dreary confines of London and Grimmauld Place in search of somewhere where they can breathe, they bump into someone completely unexpected.

I love it when Wolf does rare pairs. This is so atmospheric and emotionally dense and sexy.

❤️🎀 Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call by @thistlecatfics (Sirius/Regulus, E, 25k)

The Black family has plenty of secrets, and Sirius has his own – like how he really got the concussion derailing his fall semester at Hogwarts University. When Regulus surprises him on campus during winter break and a sudden snow storm forces him to stay for Christmas, the secrets Sirius has been hiding from himself are revealed.

This is an incredible character study of the brothers and of the impact of a whole range of incestuous behaviour in the family. They are both so twisted up inside in different ways. Walburga never appears in a scene, but is present in every moment. Don't miss the smutty James/Sirius/Regulus sequel.

[froldgapp]

Fic Rec Advent 2024 - Day 4

The Center Cannot Hold by @kieron-oduibhir

An exploration of what happens when the so-called "Big Sister" pressures catch up with Dick–among other hurts. He's resentful, petty, confused, sad, and we see a side of him that isn't highlighted so often in fandom spaces. Tim's presence is so perfectly drawn and Bruce's befuddlement is charming. This is one of a few fics I keep coming back to when I want to scratch a particular internal conflict itch. :)

[theartofdreaming1]

Advent Calendar Quotes 2024 - Solution

For anyone who is curious what movies/tv shows the advent calendar quotes of this years are from, you can find the solution if you keep reading. (you can check out the quotes by checking out my “advent calendar quote 2024″ tag or by clicking on the link/person of specific quote)

Peter Parker & J. J. Jameson, Spider-Man (2002)

Jim & Squire Trelawney & Rizzo, Muppets Treasure Island

Dill & Olive & Rosemary, Easy A

Emily & Lorelai, Gilmore Girls, Season 4, Episode 6 “An Affair to Remember”

Ben & Leslie, Parks and Recreation, Season 3, Episode 2 “Flu Season”

Violet, Dowager of Grantham & Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 1, Episode 4

Spot & Construction worker, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Streak,  Justice League (Animated Series), “Legends Part 2”

Angela & Brennan, Bones, Season 1, Episode 21 "The Soldier on the Grave"

Sister Michael & Gerry, Derry Girls, Season 2, Episode 4, “The Curse”

Charming & Snow, Once Upon A Time, Season 2, Episode 14 “Manhattan”

Jack & David, An American Werewolf in London

Peter, Spectacular Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 7 “Catalyst”

Kermit & Fozzie & Mr. Tarkanian, The Great Muppet Caper

Charles, Only Murders in the Building, Season 1, Episode 10 "Open and Shut"

Bellatrix & Dobby, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Dale & Allison, Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Jack & Will, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Ms. Perky & Kat, 10 Things I Hate About You

Westley, Princess Bride

Lina & Don, Singin’ in the Rain

Frodo & Sam, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers

Daniel & Karen, Love, Actually

Mushu, Mulan

[wildbeautifuldamned]

Candle Chandelier

Candle Chandelier 2586 in wood and brass is a redesigned version of Josef Frank’s classic twelve-armed candlestick, designed in 1957.

Advent Calendar, Svenskt Tenn 100 years

For the 2024 centenary Christmas, Svenskt Tenn has introduced its first-ever advent calendar, featuring 24 windows counting down to Christmas. It showcases the storefront at Strandvägen 5 in Stockholm, where Svenskt Tenn has been based since 1927. Behind each window lie charming details from Svenskt Tenn’s magical world of interior design. 

[futuristicson]

Auntie Paige

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

From the author of The Christmas Wager comes a charming holiday rom com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the holidays, and love again.

She’s given up on love and Christmas…but fate has other plans.

All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily.

Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested. As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?

Review:

Freshly heartbroken, the last thing Callie wants to do is complete an Advent calendar filled with holiday challenges... but then finds herself reigniting her holiday cheer and possibly falling in love again. Callie is ready to shut herself in and have a quiet Christmas, especially after her childhood sweetheart broke up with her and has moved in next door with his new girlfriend. Callie is determined to avoid him at all cost, not go home for the holidays either, and just try and get the holidays over with, but her meddling sister is determined to bring back some holiday cheer and help Callie find a new love. Her sister stages an intervention of the holiday sort and gets her to participate in a homemade Advent calendar challenge, filled with activities that are meant to get Callie to go out of her comfort zone. Then Calle meets a very handsome Chef who could possibly have her be willing to give love another go. Can Callie find her holiday cheer again and open her heart up to romance again during this Christmas season? This was a cute and light hallmark-esque Christmas romance. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for an easy holiday romance to read!

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[avorbl]

Avor's Watchlist for weeks 48 + 49

We are in advent and the busy pre-christmas weeks dont leave much time for watching dramas. But looking at the list and the release calendars others are posting, there should be some time during holidays to catch up on the things I want to finish this year.

Currently Airing

Love Sick 2024 13/15 Lovesick has established itself as a solid weekly watch where I can just spend an hour of enjoyable television.

Fourever You 10/16 I should really check out the cut version of this because all the episodes have felt to long for the amount of plot they were conveying

Usotoki Rhetoric 8/10 The genre mix of episodic detective drama and fantasy apprenticeship really works. The theme of contrasting objective lies with harmful lies works well. Hopefully we get to know more about the detective’s background in the last episodes Suzuka Ouji’s acting is phenomenal but the character would remain a bit flat especially compared to the policeman.

Light of my Lion 7/11

See Your Love 8/13

Bad to Bed 6/10

Love in the Air Japan 6/10 The two part nature still feels a bit weird but the shorter runtime of each episode makes it more understandable along with the resulting highlight on the characters.

Our Youth / Miseinen 5/11 To see them so clearly needing each other but knowing that it wont last and the beautiful cinemaphotography really keep me enganged.

Fragrance you inherit 4/8 There is somthing explosive about this one. They are all so kind and thoughtful of each other but I cannot help to dread Kanae’ father.

Caged Again 5/10 Oh my sweet earbest children trying.

Your Sky 4/12 Oh my sweet earbest children trying.

The Heart Killers 3/12

Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring 10/21 So far this prison can proudly stand next to all the all boys school as the most BL setting ever created.

Seoul Blues: Spin-off 2/4 Seoul Blues needed a continuation but this is so different again that its probably better appreciated as a separate work. And then the second episode has us in full Battle of the Writers territory. It is really just them doing concepts is seems.

Spare Me Your Mercy 3/8 As long as we accept Tew being thoroughly charmed and fascinated by Kan from the first meeting this series works well enough

What I am catching up on

Unstoppable High Kick 29/167

The Princess Royal 27/40

Word of Honor 24/36

Playboyy 4/14

Still on my watch list

Fight for My Way 10/16

Tengu no Daidokoro Season 2 2/10

Polyethylene terephthalate 2: Even if it's just a dream that I'll forget when I wake up 5/8

Stealing from My CEO 16/61

Buddy Boy 5/?

Kiss x Kiss x Kiss: Love ii Shower 1/?

Secret Love 12/81

Finished in the last two weeks

Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! 25.11.24 6,5/10 Went out in a whimper. Too much of the resolution was put on a action packed finale which made the human and social endings feel rushed and like an afterthought .

The Nipple Talk 28.11.24 9/10 Queer community and three love stories. About choices we make to be happy. A celebration.

Latex 28.11.24 8,5/10 I am not sure how far I am supposed to interpret the central metaphor. But I am thankful that Matchbox still puts out these decidely queer stories.

Everyone Is a Stupid 30.11.24 8/10 Short film about the negative impact school has on (queer) youth an institution. In the form of two childhood friends finding back together and thereby finding confidence.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days 01.12.24 9/10 This is probably the series I made the most notes for. Ultimately it fails at its success in getting released. For a series that so meticulously proceeds from one point to the next the happy ending time skip felt out of place and undermines the the cautionary message it means to convey.

Love is Like a Poison 03.12.24 8,5/10 Liked the colour story in the end. The actual ending felt too forced. Making it so personal strechted the believability too far.

Blue Complex 07.12.24 8/10 It builds up the relationship to the other two well. Their mental states are believable and well portrayed but it falls in the trap of the one saving moment. While tha might work for a mental block preventing you from swimming its ridiculous in the face of a suicidal depression the camaderie and saving moment have to be followed up by professional help to not ring hollow.

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru: More Please! 07.12.24 10/10 The perfect slice of life about the importance of staying true to yourself . With strong colours. A wholesome story to pick you up.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Slow Burn (6) Masterlist

Links Last Checked: February 13th, 2024

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five

A Stolen Ring (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan’s not normal. Why?

He's not human, he has a mysterious ring, and he hates Phil Lester. They have a strange past, one filled with bullying and avoidance, but when Dan turns into an incubus, everything changes. He struggles with his identity and cries himself to sleep most nights, yearning to be normal. And somehow the universe makes it worse by bringing him and Phil together - in the most literal sense.

Advent Calendar 2021 (ao3) - Phantje

Summary: Phil lives and works in a town in the North called Lylchester. Well, 'works'. He does charitable things in the name of being nice and his (adoptive) parents. Things are fine. Yeah. Fine. Meeting Dan who has strong opinions about peculiar things shakes up Phil's life and he is falling before he can help it.

Dan lives and works somewhere, or anywhere really. By fate, or call it the British Railway train running times, he ends up in Lylchester. Before he can help himself, he has made the first real best friend he has ever had - Beatrix. And suddenly, life does not seem so difficult anymore. Dan appreciates the work he can do, even if it has him interact with the rich idiot Phil more often that he would personally choose.

After All These Years (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: They met her after tour. Martyn’s friend’s dog had puppies and Phil fell in love at first sight. Dan did too, but he’ll deny it if you ask.

Dan tries to keep his distance, because she’s Phil’s dog not his, but she isn’t having any of it.

(and I spent all night) stuck on the puzzle (ao3) - carltzmann

Summary: It's Phil's first week of his final year of university, so really, he should be used to it by now. He should be able to behave normally when the cute guy down the hall is stepping out of the shower at the same time he's entering the bathroom.

Evidently not.

Baby, I'm a Star (ao3) - cactusgal

Summary: Phil is a lighting designer. Bored with the community concert gigs he has worked for a couple years, he applies at a touring company. He is assigned to a popular band, the dreamx, to cover a world tour. Getting paid to work on nearly every continent: how rad is that? Phil's excited until the first day of rehearsal when he learns something vital: the lead singer is a complete twat. Will Phil quit his job? Will Daniel, the lead singer, realize how much of a dick he's being? Will they eventually forget their differences and become friends? Who knows. Only time will tell.

Class of 1953 (ao3) - shutup_turd

Summary: It's the year 1950, and Phil is making a fresh start during his first term at the University of Oxford. He's found genuine friends, he's doing well in his studies, and he can finally be his authentic self...but there's one thing missing.

On a starry evening he stumbles upon a group of actors rehearsing Shakespeare in a sumptuous candlelit chapel. It's breathtaking sight... but it's not the scenary catching Phil's eye - instead it's a charming man with curly hair whose eyes seem to burn even brighter than the candles.

Dandelions (ao3) - throughtheirsnoses (det395)

Summary: Phil returns to his small town after studying how to improve his power that lets him grow plants with his mind. Phil is anxious and struggling with the expectations put on him to grow new plant-based medicine and on top of it all, his childhood best friend, Dan, gets his heart broken and turns to Phil as a rebound. Phil panics.

do you feel it too? (ao3) - heartsopenminds

Summary: A bad break-up has left Phil scared of getting his heart broken again. He’s not ready to date, but he’s missing the easy affection of a long-term relationship.

Cuddle therapy might be the perfect way to get what he needs, with no strings attached. But what happens when that’s no longer enough?

First to Listen (To Anything I Said) (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: It's 2004, and Dan Howell is screwing up in school. He can't help that he's stuck in boring classes with boring people and just doesn't care. So when Phil Lester, one of the geekiest kids in school, is assigned to be his tutor, he's expecting this to just be another crappy part of his already crappy life.

But when it turns out Phil might be Dan's first real friend, his hormones threaten to screw all that up. Because that's all it is, right? Hormones?

home is where the heart is. (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: 16 year old Daniel Howell had always felt out of place in his dad's fancy apartment or under the Singaporean sun. Life was not bad, but being the son of a British expatriate banker divorcee with commitment issues meant that there was never a home.

Inspired by the only constant in his life, a similar aged British youtuber by the name of Phil Lester, Dan decides to move to his supposed homeland Britain on a whim, in the hopes of escaping his bubble of isolation, and maybe find the place where he truly belonged.

Somehow Dan lands himself in one of the few notorious all boys boarding schools in Britain, one that has bizarre traditions, vicious inter-house competition and way too many attractive boys; and a roommate who had been Dan's best friend all along, even if Phil Lester hadn't known it.

Dan finally found home.

i don't know why (i can't keep my eyes off of you) (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Starting a new university is hard enough without Phil having to convince his best friend PJ he doesn't have a crush on their other flatmate, Dan. He definitely does not have a crush on Dan.

I Have My Freedom (but I don't have much time) (ao3) sierraadeux

Summary: Phil just wants to get away. To clear his mind of everything and reconnect with a long-lost passion. A certain horse and the rancher who comes to his aid have other ideas though - filling Phil's mind, and his sketchbook, with brown eyes and charcoal dotted freckles.

He only has the summer. And he's not here to make friends, human or equine.

Kiss From a Rose (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: Phil is a hawker trading from town to town and looking for an adventure, but when he is caught out in a storm, a beautiful stranger becomes his only hope.

Laws Of Attraction (ao3) - strawberrysunflower

Summary: When Phil turned twenty-nine, he wrote out a list of all the things he had in his life. One terraced house in Manchester, rented. Two housemates who still buy the cheapest alcohol on offer in Tesco. Three failed long-term relationships.

After a spur-of-the-moment Friday night out on Canal Street, Phil ends up in the bed of a very handsome stranger. It’s a nice yet meaningless distraction from his directionless life. No big deal. Until he bumps into him again. And again. And again...

meet me at red dragon (ao3) - watergator

Summary: phil lester is a single 31 year old with a wild eight year old, ethan. dan howell is single 27 year old with a quiet five year old, noah.

when they meet at their son's swim lessons, for some reason phil can't get the pretty brown eyed stranger out of his head.

quiet on widow's peak (ao3) - dvp_95

Summary: Phil's got a list of paranormal experiences a mile long that he likes to share with the world. Abandoned buildings, cemeteries, and ghost stories have always called his name, and a particular fan of his has a really, really good ghost story.

Sparks of Light (ao3) - JudeAraya

Summary: In a world where some people had magic and some didn’t, Dan had always felt at odds. A boy whose magic was broken. The least gifted in his family. Dan’s only ability--being able to see auras--had done nothing but bring him pain, because in each aura Dan read, all he could see were the most depressing human emotions.

At twenty three, Dan was settled in London, resigned to a lonely life as a barista in a shared flat with no prospects and little hope, just trying to get by.

Until one day, he met a boy on the tube whose aura was so brilliant; so full of color and light, it changed everything.

The Canary (ao3) - galaxy_ash

Summary: Dan is a famous singer called The Capricious Canary, but known as The Canary by his fans and the public. Phil is a paparazzo who hates his job and is assigned to stalk Dan to get insider pictures.

The River (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Dan arrived in Melbourne two weeks ago with just one suitcase crammed with running gear, psychology textbooks, and a mere fraction of his wardrobe especially curated to fit both his aesthetic and the Melbourne weather.

He's about to start in the role of a lifetime on a 12 month contract, but he's barely ready for the Australian summer heat, let alone what the world is about to throw at him.

what might come with the dawn (ao3) - cloud-gays (wind_brewed)

Summary: The Island has a Guardian, that's what people say. Phil doesn't know if this guardian is a mythical being or just a piece of gossip; a made-up story to make people feel safe during storm season. A made-up story just to make them feel secure.

Now that he decides to move in with his parents again, Phil needs the protection. Maybe he needs to reach out to this lonely, black-clothed being; reach out to the lonely man of winter.

Also called: Phil is a storm-chaser of sorts and Dan, a storm-magnet. In between running and hiding, they find each other inside the calm of the storm.

[influencermagazineuk]

As the year draws to a close, the holiday season lights up the UK with festive cheer, cozy traditions, and unforgettable experiences. Christmas in 2024 promises to be a vibrant celebration, and Influencer Magazine UK has curated the ultimate Christmas guide to help you make the most of the season. From gift ideas and festive recipes to must-visit markets and trending holiday experiences, our guide has it all. 1. The Best Christmas Markets Across the UK Nothing says Christmas like strolling through a twinkling market, sipping mulled wine, and browsing unique crafts. These top markets are a must-visit in 2024: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London A staple in the capital, this extravaganza offers everything from artisan stalls to thrilling rides. In 2024, expect new attractions like a Scandinavian Christmas village and an extended ice-skating rink. Edinburgh Christmas Market Nestled under the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, this market showcases Scottish crafts, gourmet treats, and stunning decorations. Look out for the Nordic Christmas section, new for 2024. Manchester Christmas Markets Spread across multiple locations, Manchester’s markets bring a European flair with bratwurst, glühwein, and handcrafted trinkets. Bath Christmas Market Known for its Georgian charm, Bath offers over 150 chalets filled with local gifts and delicious seasonal fare. 2. Top Christmas Gifts for 2024 Finding the perfect gift can be daunting, but we’ve got you covered with these trending ideas: Tech for the Future - Smart Home Gadgets: Products like smart plugs, security cameras, and voice assistants make thoughtful and practical gifts. - Wearable Tech: From fitness trackers to smartwatches, these gifts are a hit for health-conscious loved ones. Eco-Friendly Gifts Sustainable gifts are on-trend this year, such as reusable gift wraps, bamboo kitchenware, or organic skincare sets. Personalized Presents Custom jewelry, monogrammed leather goods, or bespoke photo books add a special touch. 3. Festive Food and Drink Christmas feasts are the heart of the season, and 2024 brings exciting culinary trends: Classic Meets Modern Chefs are reinventing traditional recipes with modern twists—think turkey stuffed with Mediterranean flavors or plant-based Christmas puddings. Gourmet Food Gifts Hampers with artisanal cheeses, fine wines, and handmade chocolates are perfect for foodies. Festive Drinks Explore craft holiday cocktails, spiced liqueurs, and zero-proof beverages for non-drinkers. 4. Holiday Entertainment and Events Keep the Christmas spirit alive with these magical activities: Ice-Skating Rinks From the Natural History Museum in London to Somerset House, ice-skating under the stars is a must. Pantomimes and Shows Holiday theater is back with classics like Cinderella and Peter Pan, alongside contemporary productions. Christmas Light Trails - Kew Gardens, London: A mesmerizing display of illuminated flora. - Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire: A themed light trail with magical projections. 5. Home Decor Trends for Christmas 2024 Deck the halls with this year’s top decorating trends: Eco-Conscious Decor Reusable and biodegradable decorations, such as paper garlands and wooden ornaments, are on the rise. Color Trends Rich jewel tones like emerald green and ruby red dominate, paired with metallic accents for elegance. DIY Decorations Handmade wreaths, personalized stockings, and upcycled ornaments add a personal touch. 6. Family-Friendly Activities Keep kids entertained and create cherished memories with these ideas: Santa’s Grottos Interactive grottos at shopping centers and theme parks let kids meet Santa and his elves. Festive Baking Turn the kitchen into a winter wonderland with cookie decorating and gingerbread house contests. Holiday Crafts From ornament-making kits to DIY advent calendars, crafting brings families together. 7. Sustainable Christmas Practices Celebrate the season while being kind to the planet with these tips: Eco-Friendly Wrapping Use brown paper, fabric wraps, or recycled materials to package gifts beautifully. Reduce Food Waste Plan portions carefully and share leftovers with friends, family, or food banks. Reusable Trees Invest in high-quality artificial trees or rent a living tree to reduce environmental impact. 8. Winter Travel and Staycations For those dreaming of a getaway, here are some top destinations: UK Winter Retreats - The Lake District: Cozy cottages, snowy landscapes, and scenic walks. - The Cotswolds: Quintessential English villages adorned with festive charm. European Christmas Trips Explore iconic destinations like Prague, Vienna, or Salzburg for magical Christmas vibes. 9. Social Media Trends for Christmas 2024 Capture the season with these trending ideas: Festive Content Themes - Share “A Day in My Life” reels of holiday prep. - Post creative gift-wrapping tutorials or recipe videos. Holiday Hashtags Boost engagement with tags like #Christmas2024, #FestiveVibes, and #WinterWonderland. Instagrammable Moments Create photo ops at decorated venues, light displays, or DIY backdrops at home. 10. Influencer Picks for Christmas Must-Haves Influencer Magazine UK consulted top influencers for their holiday essentials: - Holiday Glam: Bold red lipstick, glittering eyeshadow, and statement accessories. - Cozy Chic: Knitted sweaters, festive pajamas, and luxe loungewear. - Self-Care Gifts: Aromatherapy diffusers, spa sets, and wellness journals. 11. Giving Back This Christmas Spread holiday cheer by supporting charitable causes: Volunteer Opportunities Help at soup kitchens, organize toy drives, or visit care homes to brighten someone’s day. Charitable Shopping Buy from brands that donate a portion of proceeds to worthy causes. Acts of Kindness Simple gestures like helping neighbors or donating winter clothes can make a big difference. 12. Countdown to Christmas: A Checklist Stay organized with our ultimate Christmas prep checklist: - November: - Plan your budget and shopping list. - Book tickets for holiday events and travel. - Early December: - Decorate your home. - Start wrapping gifts. - Mid-December: - Prepare your festive meals. - Attend Christmas parties and markets. - Christmas Week: - Finalize travel plans. - Relax and enjoy the festivities with loved ones. Making Christmas 2024 Unforgettable Whether you’re indulging in festive markets, surprising loved ones with thoughtful gifts, or enjoying cozy nights at home, Influencer Magazine UK’s Christmas guide ensures a magical holiday season. Celebrate the spirit of Christmas with style, warmth, and joy, creating memories to treasure for years to come. Here’s to a merry and bright Christmas 2024! Read the full article

[audentiaspacesworld]

Christmas Decor Ideas for 2024: Trends You’ll Love

The holiday season is just around the corner, and it’s time to start planning your Christmas decorations. From traditional charm to modern elegance, the trends for Christmas decor ideas in 2024 are all about blending creativity with comfort. Whether you’re revamping your living room, setting up a festive dining area, or adorning your tree, these ideas will help you create a magical atmosphere this holiday season.

1. Embrace Natural Elements

One of the standout Christmas decor ideas for 2024 is the use of natural materials. Think pinecones, wooden ornaments, and fresh greenery like eucalyptus and cedar branches. These elements bring a cozy, organic vibe to your space while keeping the decor sustainable.

Pro Tip:

Create a natural centerpiece with a mix of pine branches, white candles, and twinkling fairy lights for your dining table. It’s simple, elegant, and budget-friendly.

2. Modern Minimalist Decor

Minimalism continues to dominate the interior design world, and it’s making its way into Christmas trends too. For a sleek and sophisticated look, stick to a monochromatic palette with touches of metallics. A white Christmas tree adorned with silver and gold ornaments can create a stunning focal point in any room.

Pro Tip:

Use clear glass ornaments and LED lights for a minimal yet impactful holiday design.

3. Play with Bold Colors

While traditional red, green, and white are timeless, bold colors like deep navy, emerald green, and burgundy are trending in 2024. These rich hues add a luxurious touch to your decorations. Pair them with metallic accents like gold or bronze for a festive yet elegant look.

Pro Tip:

Incorporate bold-colored throws or cushions in your living room to match your Christmas decor and keep the space cozy.

4. Sustainable Christmas Decor

Sustainability is a growing focus, and it’s influencing Christmas decor ideas in 2024. Reuse ornaments, opt for LED lights to save energy, and consider DIY projects using recyclable materials. Handmade decorations not only look charming but also add a personal touch to your holiday setup.

Pro Tip:

Make your own ornaments using dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and ribbons. They smell wonderful and give your home a rustic, festive vibe.

5. Focus on Lighting

Lighting plays a crucial role in creating the perfect holiday ambiance. From string lights to lanterns and candles, the right lighting can transform any space into a warm and inviting haven. This year, layered lighting is in—combine fairy lights with larger statement pieces like lit garlands or oversized star-shaped lights.

Pro Tip:

Use dimmable LED lights to adjust the brightness according to the mood you want to create.

6. Statement Christmas Trees

Your Christmas tree is the heart of your holiday decor, and in 2024, statement trees are a big trend. Choose unique decorations like oversized ornaments, ribbons, or themed decor to make your tree stand out. For a cohesive look, match the tree's design with the overall decor theme of your home.

Pro Tip:

Wrap your tree in a combination of textured ribbons and finish with a bold tree topper for added drama.

7. Festive Dining Spaces

Don’t forget your dining area—it’s where most of the holiday memories are made! This year, table settings with layered textures and seasonal elements are in. Use chargers, napkins, and table runners in coordinating colors to add depth to your table decor.

Pro Tip:

Place name cards and small gift boxes at each seat to make your holiday dinner feel extra special.

8. Personalized Touches

Personalization is key when it comes to Christmas decor ideas that resonate with your family. Add custom stockings, family photo ornaments, or a DIY advent calendar to make your space feel uniquely yours.

Pro Tip:

Create a photo wall with snapshots of past Christmases—it’s a great way to reminisce and add a personal touch to your home.

9. Outdoor Christmas Magic

Your outdoor space deserves just as much attention as the indoors. Decorate your entrance with a welcoming wreath, string lights, and lanterns. For those with gardens, lighted pathways and glowing reindeer sculptures are excellent choices.

Pro Tip:

Use solar-powered lights to make your outdoor decor more energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

10. Mix Old and New

Blending vintage elements with modern decor is another popular trend for Christmas decor ideas in 2024. Incorporate heirloom ornaments, classic candle holders, or antique figurines alongside contemporary pieces to create a timeless yet trendy look.

Pro Tip:

Layer your decor by placing vintage items at eye level and modern pieces on tabletops for a balanced display.

Conclusion

This year, let your creativity shine with these trending Christmas decor ideas for 2024. Whether you’re going for a natural look, a bold statement, or a mix of old and new, these tips will help you design a space that’s festive, cozy, and memorable.

At Audentia Space, we specialize in creating beautiful interiors that reflect your personal style. For more inspiration and expert guidance, visit our website. Let’s make this Christmas one to remember with decor that brings joy to your home.