It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Yay! Christmas! Santa on a polar bear! YEAH!

Just a short, heavily photo-filled, post to share my excitement for CHRISTMAS! EEEEEE!!! Not long now! I really am so very festive this year, more so than usual. I can't help but think it's because I've got an advent calendar again this year. I didn't have one last year so nothing to visibly move the days forward. Although I did have a major Christmas binge in my classroom last year, so I was excited during work, and then maybe the excitement had run out of my system by the time I got home - like most of my energy did, life of teaching 6 year olds. We did have our major snow week too last year.... ok.... maybe I was equally as excited as this year. (I might actually put up some snow pics from last year since we've still not had any snow!) But I love it! I'm filled with ripples of excited anticipation for the big day! And I know the anticipation is almost always better than the real thing, so I'm enjoying it lots while I have it. Yay! 

Saw this in a shop window. Not Christmassy, but I love it,
it's just such a Scottish take on an English craze! I'd love something of this - necklace maybe?

It's also really nice to walk around the town, look at wonderful Christmas window displays, and see all the street decorations varying with each street. The shops really do go all out on their displays. They just add to my excitement - I'm like a little kid and I really hope it never changes.

Empty Princes Street for a change.
Crisp clear day! Cold! Beautiful!

So this post is really just to share my excitement with the rest of the internet world. A few photos to mark my travels over this month and the lead up to the most celebrated two events of the year - Christmas and Hogmanay! Woo. Can't wait for both. I can't believe there's only a week to go till Christmas Eve. Wow! And only 6 days till Stu and I celebrate Fakemass. So technically I get 2 Christmas'.

This weekend was the last real time to go shopping and my gosh were there a LOT of people out! Was a good day though. Stu's lovely Mum came through to go gift hunting for me (how lucky am i?!) and then she and I went hunting for a few more things for Stu. Easy peasy! Then we stayed in town and wandered round with a couple of other friends through from Dundee. I'm really enjoying going into town and enjoying Edinburgh at this time of year and not having to hop back on a train to head back to Dundee. I live here now :-D sometimes I need reminding of that.

Same day, hours later - almost same place.

Another reason I'm so festive this year, I think, is being able to stay at home and watch all the Christmassy films that are on TV during the day - one of the benefits of being jobless just now. Every cloud eh?

I really get a feel for the seasons by the weather. Do you ever get that? You're out and about on a day and suddenly you think - hmm it's cold and dry and crisp, feels like today should be Halloween? It happens most around the Autumn/Winter time, probably because so many things happen during this time. I may be the only one that feels this - I hope I'm not alone. 

But recently, looking out my window to Arthur's Seat, and walking through the park into town, I really do get the feeling that its Christmas, or very close to. Ah its a good time! I'm glad I've got such a positive outlook on things just now, it would be so easy to let the negativity get the best of me. And I really hope Hogmanay is good on the 31st, so many years have just been meh when they had so much promise, but hopefully living here now will be much better. Bring it on!

The Red Bus - selling Pizza and a Pint. Not bad!
Snapped with Santa's sleigh coming past, with Stu and Ewan enjoying mulled cider. 

Some shops really do put a lot of effort into their displays! Especially the high end shops like the two here. They are both jewellery shops, with very very expensive beautiful items. I really love the wee snow-y scene with the park bench. Such a simple idea but executed so brilliantly. The wee LCD screen actually had a film playing snow falling. Really did make a wonderful display. Even the wee post box. They had 4 of these wee things, I'd love one, just to sit and watch. And the image next to it, my word! They had watches costing 50K+! 

Incredible! But they were Rolex. They had a lovely wee snow-y scene too, and had a wee toy train on a circular track, pulling trailers of rings and earrings. I took Stu back to see it later but they'd cleared the display of everything valuable, just had price tags and empty stands, and a dead track. So sad compared to earlier - but I did manage to snap Santa's sleigh!

And some pubs just go all out! Like the Dome on George Street. It's legendary at Christmas so I had to pop in and have a look. I've driven passed it loads and always marvelled at the huge wreath covered columns outside and wondered what it was like elsewhere. It was wonderful! Like stepping into a M&S advert! It even smelt of Christmas! My photos don't do it justice, but my emotions thinking back do!

The columns outside.

There was even a red carpet to walk up and get in. And a waiting list, it was THAT busy! But worth the wait to get inside, to the Christmas scented warmth.

Main bar, with stunning door decorations.

You can see the centre-piece Christmas tree in the centre of the main bar. They had loads of other ones, smaller but equally as beautiful, on each of the stairways.  They apparently have had an upside down tree hanging over the bar before. I'd love to have seen that.

Door to foyer and red carpet.

The place is huge. I'd love to go back sometime that it's not packed! They have a huge outside area too, with a huge tree, all lit up, with bows and presents and everything. It was like a Christmas dream! Definitely worth braving the cold to see.