ONCE UPON A DREAM; Castle Howard Fairytales

Today is New Year's Eve and yesterday I spent the day in a magical world of enchantment and fairytale at Castle Howard's Into the Woods Christmas event. Castle Howard is a huge stately mansion in my home county of Yorkshire. Chances are that you will have seen it on screen, as it was used as the setting for the TV mini-series The Buchaneers (one of my favourites!) and also for Victoria, Bridgerton and the film Brideshead Revisted, so it is quite a famous pile of bricks!  

It is a beautiful place and the driveway to the house was lined with Christmas trees all lit up with fairy-lights, so it feels very magical from the moment you arrive.  There are some pretty little shops on site, including a wonderful Christmas Emporium, which is a bit like a mini Christmas market. It was full of beautiful things, including a gold squirrel nutcracker and many of the decorations that had been used in the displays this year.  I treated myself to a few of Gisela Graham's fairytale tree ornaments, because I felt so inspired by the event that I want to recreate of some the magic in my own home next Christmas! 

The event was called Into the Woods and it was based around a series of popular fairytales. The first thing you see when you walk into the house is a beautiful Narnian lamp-post on a grand staircase, all decked out in frosted ferns and winter flowers, with an archway at the top that is illuminated with fairy-lights. It looked stunning and was just a taste of things to come! As we walked around the exhibit, the first room we entered was Sleeping Beauty's bedchamber. There she lay in sweet repose, upon a magnificent canopied bed, with all her cats sleeping around her, her golden hair spread out upon the silken pillow.

Sleeping Beauty is my favourite fairytale, so I was thrilled that she was the first one to welcome us into her enchanted world of fable and magic. Her room was festooned in lights and frosted roses, with a glimmering Christmas tree beside her bed to keep her company in her slumber. Since my earliest childhood, I have always hoped that Aurora had only pleasant dreams during her 100 year slumber - it would be too dreadful to think of her trapped in nightmares for all that time, with no hope of waking up! I'm happy to say that nightmares look impossible at Castle Howard and Aurora rests peacefully in the most royal of bedchambers, surrounded by her sleeping pets and the briar roses after which she is named. Her room is a girly delight!

As we moved through the house we went seamlessly from one fairytale into another, meeting such characters as the Sugar Plum Fairy above, who was pirouetting in on top of a cake to the sound of her own theme tune! Her room was filled with cakes and sweets and it felt like stepping into The Land of Sweets, with Tchaikovsky's music playing in the background. We also saw Jack climbing the magic beanstalk and could hear the thundering voice of the Giant above us as he stomped around in the clouds.  Then on we went into a snowy, frosted forest, lined with Christmas trees and silver branches, where the howls of wolves echoed all around us. We came across Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel, each with a suitably Gothic take on their attire, with faux fur trim and a red cloak made of russet autumn leaves. Rapunzel was busy letting down her hair, as the voice of the hidden wicked witch warned any passing child not to eat the gingerbread and candy canes on the huge Christmas tree, and naughty Goldilocks was in the cottage of the Three Bears sampling their bowls of porridge. 

Every single room was festooned in winter foliage, silver branches and frosted flowers, with icicle crystals, chandeliers and fairy-lights creating an enchanting glow all around. Real logs burned in the fireplaces, adding the scent of wood smoke to the atmosphere and lending a cosyness to the rooms. It must have taken days to put together and the overall effect was mesmerizing. It really was like visiting an enchanted world, where all the best loved fairytales came to life and existed in the spaces all around you. It took me right back to my childhood and my mum and I loved every minute. I only wish that we could have stayed there for longer! 

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we entered the Grand Ballroom, where all the characters were gathered together - the Fairy Godmother was there with her gilded pumpkin coach, as were the Ugly Sisters in their gaudy dresses.  Rapunzel was there with her hair trailing behind her on the floor along with the train of her dress, and Hansel and Gretel had also found their way to the Ball too.  And then, right at the end of the exhibition, was Cinderella in her stunning blue ballgown, and Prince Charming!  I must admit that my heart skipped a beat at the sight of a life sized Prince Charming and I would have married him right there and then! It took a lot of self control not to shove Cinderella right out of the picture! I satisfied myself by taking a photo of Prince Charming instead - he is very handsome as you can see. He provided the perfect happy ending!

Once outside the house, we strolled around the extensive grounds and enjoyed being out in the countryside. I was thrilled to see that Castle Howard have peacocks wandering across the estate and I was lucky enough to get quite close and take some pictures and film them strutting around. You can see them on my Twitter.  They didn't fan out their tails though, but it was a damp day so maybe they didn't want to get too wet! They are very lovely birds and it was an unexpected delight to see them.  

We walked around the lake for a while and went back into the shops for a second look, where my mum bought me two lovely hardback fairytale books, Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty, as souvenirs of the day. Then we took the little festive train back to the car park. All in all it was a wonderful day out and for someone who loves fairytales as much as I do, it was a great treat. Such days out are essential to me as a writer because they help to fill up my creative well and provide lots of inspiration. I'm already looking forward to the 2023 installation at Castle Howard and I would definitely go there again. It was simply magical and the perfect Twixtmas break. The Into the Woods exhibition is on until January 2nd, so there is still time to get tickets and see it for yourself if you want to.  I had a truly enchanting time! I'm sure you will enjoy it. 

Blessed Be

Marie x 

 

WRITER'S DREAM; Festive Psychotherapy Writing

 

It is Boxing Day evening as I settle in to write this blog post.  The Candy Cane candles are burning and I have just enjoyed a festive peppermint bath, so the whole house smells like the Land of Sweets in the Nutcracker! It's a fresh and invigorating scent, reminding me of the Highland pine forests in the rain.  The house has that same kind of uplifting fragrance right now. Michael Buble's Christmas album is playing in the background and the fairy lights are twinkling away on the mantelpiece and on the pink tree in the corner.  It is a calm, quiet and peaceful evening.

I have had a lovely Christmas, baking with my mum and going on festive outings. I have been learning to play Christmas carols at my piano, which is much easier now that I have a proper piano tutor to help me along. I enjoy this form of creativity and learning to play Yuletide songs is so much fun.  Enrolling in music school was the best thing I've done for myself this year.

I recieved some lovely gifts this Yuletide, from makeup and bath bombs to books and a fabulous pink personal planner I can't wait to start using. Plus I got a-ha's latest CD and DVD, which just made my day. Finding Morten Harket underneath my tree is the best present ever! My mum knows me so well, ha!

I also got some lovely pink baking things, so that I can make cupcakes and chocolate brownies etc.  I didn't have a nice set of baking tools and I was making do with what I had, but now I have a fabulous pink electric mixer, pink Mason Cash mixing bowl, rose gold baking trays, pink scales and some Gonk spatulas. They are all so pretty and I know they will inspire me to do more baking. I like having pretty things to work with as it makes a job more enjoyable. 

I have also spent much of my time writing. Working from home means that my work is always right there and I have always enjoyed writing at Christmastime, when the world is quiet as people bunker down for a few days. This period of festive writing is something that I look forward to. It is a great marking point, as I can recall what I was dreaming of writing in previous years - projects that have since become a reality. 

Last Christmas for instance, I was putting together a proposal for a psychotherapy based book, hoping that it would be well recieved by my editor. It was, and so this Christmas I am actually writing the self-help book I was only dreaming of this time last year! I love it when that happens - when each Christmastime is proof that I can make my goals a reality.  

The project I am currently working on is actually the second psychotherapy book I have written this year.  The first one I wrote back in the autumn. The deadline for this one is in February, so writing over Christmas is essential to get the book in on time. I find I don't mind it though. I've never been a party girl, so I don't feel as if I am missing out on anything. I'd rather create a festive atmosphere in my home with seasonal scented candles and curl up with my laptop and a warming beverage to get some serious writing done. 

That is what I have been doing this Boxing Day and it is a lovely way to spend my time. Knowing that the book I am currently writing as I sit by my Christmas tree, was just an idea last Christmas, makes me feel like magic is afoot in my life again. It lends a sense of enchantment and destiny to my work.  

Throughout the five years I spent in training as a psychotherapist, I always held the dream of one day writing books on the topic. It was constantly at the back of my mind as I attended classes for four years, worked for free as a bereavement counsellor for two years and filled out clinical notes etc. It was a goal within a goal - become a counsellor and then write books about it. However, it is not an easy topic to sell, so I knew that I would have to come up with something pretty special to get the book commissioned. 

When the commission came through earlier this year, I was over the moon. The idea I had spent Christmas 2021 working on, was actually going to be written and published! Not only that, but my editor also asked if I could write two psychotherapy based books, not just the synopsis I had sent in! And so here I am, a year later, with one psychotherapy book already written, as I currently work on the second. 

Writing such a book at Christmastime is one of the best gifts the universe could have given me. It makes me so happy to know that I have succeeded in achieving something that plenty of counselors long to do, but very few get the opportunity.  Because the fact is, it was my experience as a published author that brought these commissions my way, not the time I give to counselling. Of course, being a qualified counsellor is essential to write such a book and no publisher would take on a psychotherapy book by someone who isn't qualified to write it, but I genuinely believe that it is my track record as an author which swung the weight in my favour and which got the book to contract. 

Writing experience cannot be faked and fawning over editors or name-dropping won't get you published. The writing has to speak for itself and that is something that only comes with authorial experience.  I only ever work to commission too, which means that I haven't had to waste my time writing a book that will never see the light of day because it keeps being rejected by publishers. All the books I write are commissioned on the strength of my synopsis and track record as an author. I was absolutely determined that this should continue to be the case with my psychotherapy books too.  So from working up the synopsis last year, to writing the actual book this year, I feel like I have achieved a fairly significant goal, and my psychotherapy books will be published in 2023.

But of course, the ideas never stop coming and the acquisitions-board meets up again in the New Year, so this Christmas, as well as writing another psychotherapy book, I have also been working on a few new synopses for another long term writing goal. So who knows? Maybe this time next year, I might have a whole new writer's dream to celebrate! 

For now though, I am content to spend time this festive season working on my second psychotherapy book. Last Christmas it was still just a dream. This Christmas it is my reality and I am now a psychotherapy author, as well as a Mind, Body, Spirit author. 

Another box ticked. 😏

Enjoy the rest of the festive season!

BB Marie x

BOOK NOOK; A German Christmas & The Christmas Witch

 

It's Christmas Eve and the magic of Yuletide is in full swing.  The stockings are hung, the drinks are poured and the candles are flickering. There is a warm glow cast over the world tonight as the festivities really begin.  This is a time of busyness, fun and frolic, but it is also a time of reflection, as we look back on Christmas past.  

Now that all the gifts are wrapped and the shopping is done, it is only right that you should take some time to yourself to curl up with a good book and these two are just right for a cold Christmas Eve night.  Both are full of magic and folklore, tradition and enchantment.

A German Christmas is a stunning new hardcover book. It is the companion book to A Scandinavian Christmas, which I read last year and really enjoyed.  In A German Christmas we get to indulge in all the traditional tales of that region. There are fairytales and a furtive Santa Claus, lost lovers meeting while doing some last minute shopping and a small boy lost in a snowy forest on Christmas Eve.  This little book has everything from festive poetry and plays to extracts from well-known winter tales.  It begins with The Elves and the Shoemaker and it includes short stories from both classic and contemporary authors.  Although I didn't enjoy it quite so much as A Scandinavian Christmas, A German Christmas is a lovely little book that will leave you longing to bake gingerbread, drink Gluhwein and walk through snowy Christmas markets! 

 The Legend of the Christmas Witch is a charming picture book for children. The illustrations are gorgeous, full of snowy winter's nights and Yuletide imagery.  It is an original tale which blends together both Christian and Pagan folklore, creating a magical tale that is a joy to read.  In this book, St Nicholas has a twin sister and she becomes the Christmas Witch, travelling the world with spells and offerings, in the company of her penguin friends and a crow familiar named Malachi, who is the narrator of the story.  It is a delightful festive fairytale, perfect for bedtime reading on Christmas Eve, no matter how old you are! 

Both these books are available in hardcover and can be downloaded on Kindle too, so you don't even have to leave your cosy little den to access them - you can just download and start reading them tonight if you want to! So for a perfectly quiet Christmas Eve, grab a cup of hot chocolate, one of these seasonal story books and have a very festive time!

Blessed Be

Marie x 

AD: These books were sent to me for the purposes of review. They are available now in hardcover and digital formats. 

BOOK NOOK; Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton

 

"You're always welcome here, beside me at my kitchen table. There are logs on the fire, tea in the pot and cinnamon buns fresh from the oven.

Pull up a chair and relax. It is Christmas, after all."

This little book has been catching my eye since October, when I saw it on the shelves of The Highland Bookstore in Fort William.  I left it there, thinking that it was too early to be reading books about Christmas, but I have seen it online since I returned from Scotland.  It has been whispering to me, the way that books do when they know they are in the company of a bookworm, and the deer on the cover was telling me that I really needed to add this festive tome to my collection of winter books. So I did. Amazon delivered it this afternoon and I have been quite engrossed. 

In Calm Christmas, the author brings together festive traditions and slow living, the history of Christmas and self-help suggestions for getting through it all. There is no doubt that Yuletide can be a very stressful season, but this book aims to make navigation of the tree, the lights, the dinner, the family fiascoes, the chaos and so on, much easier to endure, and as the title suggests, a much calmer experience. 

There are handy sections about the five main aspects of Yuletide; Faith, Magic, Connection, Abundance and Heritage, with tips on how to determine which of them mean the most to you and the people you share the festivities with. This is a great way to anticipate areas of possible conflict before they even happen.  The author also addresses the issue of melancholy, which can sweep over even the most contended individuals at this time of year. The book suggests ways of coping with all the hubbub if you have a chronic illness, which reads like a permission slip to opt out of anything that is just too much.  I addressed similar issues in a post back in 2017 Merry Shitmas, so it was nice to see that other authors are also highlighting the fact that Christmas can be a really crappy time for a lot of people. 

It also made me feel better about the fact that I don't have my main tree up yet! I have just completed a new book and sent it in to my editor and I only have a week of respite before I need to begin writing the next one. This is the reality of working as a full time author. It means that I haven't had a chance to fully decorate the house yet - I only have my pre-lit weeping willow tree up, which is very wintry and Narnian, but the main tree won't go up until this weekend. I had been feeling like I should have it all done by now, until I read Calm Christmas and thought "Sod it! It can wait until the weekend." 

The book moves from November and the build up, through Christmas itself, then onto New Year. I found the New Year section really struck a chord with me, as it is all about goal setting and dream realization, rather than making resolutions that don't last. I always set my goals for the next year on or around New Years Eve, but I have generally been thinking about them for some time by that point.  

Although, as a self-help and mind, body, spirit author myself, I didn't find much that was totally new to me in this book, the information is offered in such a fresh way that I was completely engaged. It has served as a lovely reminder of things I already know, but sometimes forget i.e. that I need to take extra care of myself due to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or that I am in control of what traditions I keep and which ones I choose to discard as being a drain on my energy. 

There was one concept that was totally new to me, however, and that was the idea of blocking out time in the diary for Unknown Goodness to come along. This is a wonderful idea! I often light candles, asking for good things to happen, but I have never actually made space for them in my diary. I really like the idea of inviting the universe to fill that chunk of time for me. It offers space for all those happy synchronizations to come into your life. It also helps to lessen the fear of the Unknown. So I am definitely going to put that concept into practice in my 2023 diary and I am excited to see what new great experiences, people and places, come along to fill them.  I'm thinking of using the magic of the Wheel of the Year as a guide and marking each of the Sabbats as as Unknown Goodness Days.  I'm excited to see how that works out over the course of next year. 

All in all, I found Calm Christmas to be a lovely little guide to making the festive season less fraught and more fun, less of a jangle on the nerves and more joyful. It is a little book of peace and merriment, full of festive cheer and cosy atmosphere. It would make a fabulous stocking filler for a bookworm, or a nice bathtime read for yourself. I'm very glad that I listened to the wisdom of that pretty deer on the cover and bought a copy, as it is an interesting and useful addition to my winter bookshelves, and one that I am sure I shall reach for every year from now on. Happy Festive Reading!

Blessed Be

Marie x

MUSICAL DOLL; Think of Me

 Think of all the things we'll never do...

xxx