I have been waiting 2 months to write this post, and finally the time is here! Back in August, I took part in the Christmas Tree Challenge for Style at Home magazine, to be featured in their Christmas issue. When I got an email from the team asking if I wanted to take part, I jumped at the chance! I LOVE Christmas! And to dress a tree, I am the expert!
For my first job after uni, I was in the Events Department at Woolworths HO, and I had to dress all the Christmas trees in each director’s office! I was so honoured 😀 The Christmas Tree buyer showed me exactly how to dress them, there were steps – you don’t just chuck the decs on! So I felt I was exactly the right person to dress a tree for this Style at Home shoot!
There were 6 readers taking part in the challenge, and each was teamed with a well-known High Street retailer to dress their tree and take part in a photo shoot. It took part over 3 days, and I was the first on Day 1.
I was told to arrive at an address in London. It was on a residential street, and from the outside it just looked like someone’s home. A rather grand home at that. I thought, have I come to the right place?? I knocked on the door, and as soon as it opened, I knew it was the right place – suddenly it was Christmas in August! The Style at Home team were so welcoming, I felt at ease straight away. The rooms were being dressed and we were just waiting for the decs to arrive.
I went downstairs and had to wrap loads of boxes in my retailer’s theme to go under my tree. I was in heaven, it was ribbons, bows and strings galores – every crafter’s dream!
Next thing you know, it was time for me to go upstairs and start dressing my tree! There was a table of decs, and so many cutie ones to choose from! I won’t reveal the name of my retailer or the theme – you’ll have to buy the mag to find out! – but maybe you can guess 😉
And here was my fellow reader’s decs in the next room – can you guess which retailer?
I really enjoyed dressing my tree, and it was actually me doing the whole thing my way! Then I got changed into my photo shoot outfit – I chose my favourite dress, the blue one with hedgehogs on it – and I got posing. Now I’m normally behind the camera, so for me this was such a new thing, to be in the limelight. It was so strange! Luckily the photographer was amazing and really made me feel at ease, so that I wasn’t nervous and it was really fun!
We had lunch afterwards and then I had to do a little video interview for their website – now that was nerve-wracking! Then I was done, so I watched the other reader do her tree and helped packed things away. We all had dinner in the evening and I met the other readers and PRs – everyone was so friendly and we all got along. All us readers added each other on Facebook to stay in touch, it was so nice to meet people I got along with straight away and had something in common with – a love of interiors!
When I got home, I felt like the whole experience was a magical fairytale dream! I was like, did that really happen?! I had to keep looking at my photos to convince myself it wasn’t a dream!
So now the time is finally here, the Style at Home issue that I am featured in is out on shelves next week! It’s out Wednesday October 28th – so buy an issue if you’d like to see the finished trees and which retailers they are from. I’ll probably be buying 10 copies, hah!
Sabrina x
What fun! I live beautiful Christmas decorations and have to stop myself buying too many.
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Haha, me too – I have so many boxes of baubles in the cupboard! xx
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Oh how exciting. I adore Christmas, would love to decorate them for a living!! What a wonderful opportunity x
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Oh yes, this would be so cool if it was my job now, I’d be well happy! xx
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What fun! I will be buying my copy on Wednesday… I’m going to guess that your shop was….Dunelm? And maybe the other tree was Wilko? x
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Hehe, I can’t wait for Wednesday! Ooh good guess – you have got one right and one wrong 😀 xx
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Christmas already! I like the colours red and silver. Feels like a reflection of tartan. #HomeEtc
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Haha, yes it’ll be December before you know it! Lovely warm colours, aren’t they 🙂 xx
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Ohh this is getting me so excited for christmas! It looks like such a fun day, I love what you chose 🙂 #HomeEtc
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Oh I know, I’ve been feeling Christmas-sy since August because of this! It was such a fun day xx
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I think I would have been in Christmas tree heaven if I had been there! What an amazing experience! I will definitely be buying the magazine next week. Xxx #HomeEtc
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That’s exactly what it was – Christmas Tree heaven! Hope you like the issue, I can’t wait to see it! xx
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I love decorating our tree and house for christmas. We never have a theme we just have an anything goes kinda look
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It is fun doing all the decorating. I try to have a theme at home, but it also ends up an anything goes look too! xx
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What a brilliant experience 🙂 well done you such an amazing opportunity. I hope you will be framing your article and picture 🙂 xx
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Thank you, I really felt like I was dreaming! Haha, yes it should go in a frame, my minute of fame! xx
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This is really great! Your decorations look good and I look forward to seeing the magazine article! Well done!
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Thank you! I can’t wait to see the magazine too! xx
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That sounds like a fantastic experience, lucky you! Well done on being chosen, I’d say you had a brilliant time. I absolutely adore Christmas and honestly can’t wait till I can start talking about it so I love this post 🙂
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Oh it really was, I felt so lucky! Hehe, it’s never to early to talk about Christmas 😉 xx
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Ooh look at all those lovely decorations. Well done on being featured, that is so exciting x
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Thank you! Oh I loved all the decs, it was so magical! xx
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Aw bless you well done you must be so proud of yourself. So glad that you got the chance to show the world what you are made of plus those decorations look fab.
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Thank you, I was well chuffed! It was really nice to show my skills. Usually I’m a ‘behind the scenes’ girl, so this made a change! xx
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Wow that is an amazing project, I love Christmas and decorating the tree. I will certainly be after a copy of the magazine next week. #HomeEtc
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Oh me too, Christmas is the best time of year! Hope you like the issue, I can’t wait to see it! xx
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What a super fun day that sounds like, I never really got into Christmas that much but now we have our home it’s such a joy to decorate it X #HomeEtc
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It really was fun! Aw hope you get into Christmas this year, it’s so nice having the fairy lights up! xx
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Awesome!! What a fab day!! I got asked recently to do a similar thing for Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas but totally bottled it — being shot for a mag is one thing but I don’t want to be on the TV!!! SO scary!
Can’t wait to see your finished tree in the magazine pet — well done you!! Great job! Thanks so much for linking up with us on #HomeEtc
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Oh wow Kirstie’s Handmade Xmas – how awesome! But you’re right, being filmed is the most nerve-wracking thing – my mind went blank just for this little video we did! I can’t wait to see the mag too – ahhh! xx
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I know!! I was a bit gutted not to go for it but I’m really, really not ready for that! I’m no stylist!! And would be pretty scared to appear on the TV!! Am only just getting to grips with vlogging!!! 😉
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Awww amazing!!
What a brilliant experience 😀 You look so cute in your first photo, I love seeing ladies with bows in their hair… I always used to wear one LOL
I need to find the magazine to have a look 😀
Thanks for sharing hun
Charlotte x
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Aw thank you, I’ve always had a flower clip or a bow in my hair since as long as I can remember – feel weird without one on! The mags out 28th Oct, hope you like it! xx
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How fun does that sound! I love Christmas as I adore decorating the tree and wrapping presents. I take my time and do it in stages to make sure it’s perfect!
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It was! Oh me too, it gives you a warm feeling, decorating and wrapping presents, doesn’t it! xx
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Ooooh amazing 🙂 Cannot wait to see it – I read that mag and love it. Yay!!! Thanks for linking up – loved this post. Jess xx
#HomeEtc
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I can’t wait either! Ahhh! xx
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How exciting! I will definitely need to buy the magazine to read about your tree. Sounds like an magical day and congratulations!
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It was an amazing day, I can’t wait to see the mag too. Out tomorrow – eek! xx
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