I COULD NOT RESIST FAIRY DECORATIONS IN OCTOBER

ALISON SMITH, 48, is a wedding venue stylist and lives in Warrington, Cheshire. She has a son who is 25. She says: WHEN I walk into my house and see my 8 ft, fairy-themed, artificial Christmas tree shimmering before me, it’s impossible not to smile.

Putting it up in October was exceptionally early but, after such a challenging year, during which 100 of the weddings that I had been hired to style were postponed, my overriding view was ‘sod it’.

I’ve never put it up this early before. It happened by accident when I started shopping early for decorations for clients, worried that wholesalers may have to close at any moment with the ever-changing restrictions.

When I spotted fairy and toadstool decorations on sale I could not resist. They made me smile instantly — something I haven’t done an awful lot of this year.

The tree and trimmings cost around £500 but I have worked exceptionally hard to keep my business going through the pandemic and, having treated myself to little else this year, I decided to have a little splurge.

I laboured on the tree for ten hours. It took another few hours to dress the staircase. I also made a heart-shaped wreath for my front door with a sign saying ‘fairies welcome’.

The reaction from everyone who has been to the house has been ‘wow!’. Although my son has grown up and lives with his fiancee, I love the magic of Christmas.

Come Twelfth Night on January 5, when we are supposed to take our decorations down, mine will have been up for over two months.