Life & Style
Willow Crossley
The floral stylist, author and mother of three reveals the songs, scents and festive fashions that combine to make a perfect Crossley Christmas.
Christmas cooking
Luckily for everyone around me, it won’t be me doing the cooking. But there will be roast turkey, a lot of bread sauce, mini sausages, red cabbage, sprouts and chestnuts – the whole deal. I think about Christmas lunch a lot; it could just be my favourite meal of the year. There must be Delle Vite Prosecco with pomegranate seeds to drink and huge tins of Roses and Quality Street – I like the strawberry and orange creams best!
Decorating the table
More is more. I take the Christmas table decorating quite seriously; there’s often no room for food... or people! This year I’d like it to be really colourful; lots of print and pattern – starting with the table cloth. There’ll be velvet ribbons to tie the napkins, coloured candles from my sister-in-law Matilda Goad, marbled crackers from Inq, chocolate coins everywhere, and flowers taking up masses of space – anemones, ranunculi and paperwhites, all in my new handblown vases.
I'll listening to...
Christmas carols all the way. And Elton John’s ‘Step Into Christmas’ – I’ve been playing this on the school run since November 1st.
I'll be watching...
We’ve just discovered Schitt’s Creek which makes me cry with laughter. So lots of that. I’d really like there to be a new Gavin & Stacey festive special, too.
I'll be wearing...
Probably my tartan Justine Tabak dress with my Aquazzura ankle boots – they’re burgundy velvet with beaded insects all over them.
My Christmas smells like...
Eucalyptus… and the special Christmas candle from Diptyque, they only bring it out at Christmas and the design changes each year. I can’t bear the sweet vanilla-y, clove-y smell of so many ‘festive’ candles.
My Christmas treat...
Chocolate for breakfast... and my own personal bowl of bread sauce.
How I'll give back...
This year I will be making wreaths and giving the proceeds to the Marie Curie charity.
