The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

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There are a few things about this season that make it so memorable. I’ve had moments where I believed the magic was lost, especially on Christmas Eve. Long gone are the nights spent staring up at my celling, willing the hours to drift by just a little faster. I realise now that the magic has simply evolved with me; and it’s much less about the gifts under the tree. In fact those nights swaddled in fresh sheets and festive pyjamas have been filled with the true meaning of Christmas all along.

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There’s one thing all that of us have in common and that is family tradition. Each of us have taken liberty with our celebrations and each year we affirm what makes our Christmas truly ours. Each year, my Mum and I would attend church together first thing in the morning. By the time the service finished, I’d practically be running out of the door. Full of patience, Mum would smile softly and drive us back home and each year, my sisters were nowhere close to being ready!

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Gifts would always wait until after Christmas breakfast and it was always a splendid expression of love, care and attention to detail. Living in a Jamaican household certainly has its perks! We’d have everything from sprats (are these still a thing?), ackee & saltfish, scrambled eggs and bammy to roasted ham and sausages. Mum would always make our favourites and Grandad would bring the callaloo he’d been growing in his allotment all year.

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After eating I’d slip away to my bedroom, wrapping up the last few gifts, making sure everything was perfect. I’d always wanted the presentation of my gifts to be just as good as the gift itself. It speaks to a higher level of consideration and it made me happy to see how special it made everyone feel.

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Once we were all ready, we’d all sit around the tree and open our gifts. Naturally, Mum got the most gifts and rightly so. After we’d opened all our gifts, the attention would go back to the dining table. We’d all help out in the kitchen: peeling, chopping and turning until the full spread was ready. Mum would take out the finest glassware, the best decanters, the largest punch bowl and polished cutlery. It was the only time we used any of it but it was as if she had been secretly preparing without anyone noticing. It wasn’t long before we were all seated at the table, exchanging jokes, riddles and generally catching up.

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From Me To You

You see, after all of these years I couldn’t tell you exactly what gifts I received. What has stood the test of time is the simplicity of us being together. Every occasion where someone let me know that they thought of me is what has made Christmas so special to me and to so many of us. That’s the magic.

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I have created the perfect accessory to any Christmas this year, inspired by my mother, her cooking and her passion for finer things. Cut from 220gsm majestic sheets, the collection captures any glimmer of light in the room. This suite includes The Gift Card, and The Gift Tag. For your dining experience, it also includes The Place Card and The Dinner Envelope which contains three things to get the whole table going; a joke, a riddle and an interesting question for everyone to answer. Every velvet ribbon is hand tied, the wax seals hand finished and meticulously packed. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a considerate touch. The Verona Suite inspired and named after my Mum, has been specifically designed to be completely personalised and tailored to your needs.

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This has been a particularly challenging year for us in a lot of ways. We’ve experienced a lot of firsts, but I wanted to end the year in appreciation of the things that really matter. Our friends and family.

This is my gift to you.

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TC Williams

Creative Director

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