Presents for myself| A Sales Haul

 

So again this post is late compared to all you other organised bloggers, but I’m going to do it anyways as I wanted to share with you what I bought myself this Christmas. I say that they are presents because my Christmas money went towards them, and a lot of it is actually stuff that was on my Christmas list but Santa forgot to bring me… not that I’m complaining as it’s always nice to treat yourself. I say treat myself, more like spoil… my bank balance is not looking great and it is mainly down to this haul and too much champagne over the Christmas period!

Anyways onto my buys. I did not venture onto the busy high-street to buy the above… there is no way you would find me fighting other people in queue to get into a shop the day after Christmas… no I am not one of those crazies that you see on the news. I am in fact a smug shopper who purchased all of the above without breaking a sweat and from the comfort of my office. Before I go on to my buys I have a little confession… the majority of what I bought was not in the sales… whoops! But everything I bought I have been lusting after for some time, so that’s my justification!

Stylist Pick provided me with the Luz Black Metal Detail Wedge which are perfect for work… even if they are a little higher than I imaged. These were my sale buy with the biggest discount with nearly 50% off, full price £38 sale price £20.

Asos did have a pretty good sale in which I bought more items for work, the Arrow and Stud Detail Waist Belt and Black and Gold Pumps, again both had around 50% off. The belt I bought a size smaller than what I normally would seems I’ve lost some weight, but it’s still a little tight so I won’t be wearing it till next month I image.

Debenhams was where I splurged and bought everything I have been lusting after for some time. I bought my first EVER Mac lipstick…yes you heard me right. You can expect a review on it very soon, along with multiple reviews on the rest of the gorgeous beauty buys I got from Debenhams. I bought Urban Decays Naked Palette 2 so I now have both… yeah! The Benefit set was the only product with a little money off, not much but enough to justify buying it. I had wanted to buy the Primer but thought I’d be better to buy a smaller version to see it I liked it first before I splashed the cash, so thought this set was perfect.

Many of you will recognise my final buy the infamous beauty blogger favourite; Muji Drawers! I have like many of you been eager to buy these for a long time, especially after buying some rubbish makeup storage this time last year. I needed something big enough to fit everything it, and something chic so thought the Muji Drawers were perfect! I bought 3 of the two drawer sets, a 9 compartment organiser and a pen pot for all my brushes.

Did you buy anything in the sales? Leave your links and I will check them out. What do you think of my buys?

Christmas Day 2012| Santa was a very kind man

 

So this post is a little late, I know the majority of you got your Christmas Day Present posts up on Boxing day or soon after, but I have been a very busy bee and have only just had time to sit down and relax after travelling around the country for the past 11 days.

Like many I was unsure as to whether write this post, as there has been some mentions in the blogging community that it’s bragging or showing off, however I have had people asking me what I received for Christmas and I want to share with them what I did receive, as I am very grateful and thankful. So if you don’t like these posts then please stop reading now…

If you are still there, I will continue. I’m going to keep this short and sweet, seems it is so delayed! I love these posts, as I am very nosey and love to peek into people lives. To find out what a person receives for Christmas can give a real snapshot into their personality and their likes, as well as the personality, traditions and tastes of their family.

I received a lot of cosmetics and beauty products… I assume you did too! I received the Soap and Glory Gift Set along with the Sanctuary Gift Set…. both are some of my favourite brands, so I’m excited to start pampering and reviewing some of my favourite products for you. The Lady Million perfume by Pacco Rabanne is a new one for me, I have tried it in the shops and loved it and Matt kindly bought it for me. From my friends I received a caviar nail varnish set and the ELF Smokey Look Palette, both I image will be fun to try and review.

I received two bags, a clutch and a tote bag, both I adore… a girl can never have too many bags! I also received a new purse from my mum’s friends, which is gorgeous, and she must be a mind reader as I was desperate for one but forgot to ask Santa for one. The leopard print and snake skin bag at the front of the photo are my new makeup and toiletry bags. I didn’t previously have a toiletry bag and was scared of things leaking in my holdall when I go away at the weekends, so was desperate for a cute one. I also got the red leather gloves… very glam! And a cute new brolly… definitely needed here in the lakes where it rains 90% of the time!

I always receive some gorgeous books at Christmas despite having a Kindle. As much as I love my Kindle I still love to have a bookshelf full of beautiful books and the two I received are both fantastic in their own ways. My mum and Steve bought me the Diva Dogs book which is full of info on your dog and how to pamper it. It’s quite funny, but at the same time has some interesting facts in it. The Pippa Middleton book I was pleasantly surprised with. I’d heard bad things about her book, and yes some of her ingredients are a bit ridiculous, but I love it! I can’t wait to start planning dinner parties and being the perfect little hostess. There is also a lot of DIY and crafty bits in it, which are all very cute. The DVD was a great surprise as it was my favourite film when I was a little girl, so my mum tracked it down for me! On the top of the pile are my new diary and organiser/ notebook. I was desperate for a Filofax seems I’m a working girl now, and Matt excelled himself and not only got me the diary but also a thinner, sleek notebook so I can go to meetings now looking glam rather than scribbling notes down on a notepad.

And this is my new baby! As you will have seen in my New Years Resolution Post I mentioned I received a new camera for Christmas and here it is! Previously I had taken all my pictures either on my iPhone or on a compact camera, and although they were ok, when the pictures were blown up and uploaded to my blog the quality was not to my satisfaction. You can even see on this post the difference between the quality of pictures; all the previous pictures were taken on my new camera and the picture above was taken with my iPhone. I’m still getting to grips with it as I’m a complete novice but I’m excited to be able to do more close ups and be able to write more Face Of the Day posts, as this little baby really picks up all the little details, including my blemishes and fine lines unfortunately!

I also received Michael Buble tickets off Matt as my main present from him. I already knew about them as I ruined the surprise when the tickets were released and I tried to buy them myself, so Matt had to tell me then that he had already bought some for us. However he was a little cutie and wrapped up the confirmation in a giant box and filled it all with tissue and put it under the tree so I didn't have clue what it was! I was rummaging around in what I thought was an empty box! So I have a wonderful weekend away in London in July to look forward to!

So that is my last Christmas post of the year… cue tears and sad face from me! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and managed to spend it with your loved ones and received some lovely gifts. Let me know what you received, I would love to know, feel free to share your link below.

Merry Christmas Everyone

 

Just a quick post from me to say Merry Christmas everyone! I won’t be posting over the next couple of days as I will be busy filling my time seeing family and friends.

This year is a little different for me as it’s the first year I am having my Christmas dinner away from home and with the boyfriend's family. We spend every Christmas together, but for the past 4 years we have spent it with my family, so this year I decided it was time to spend it with his. So Christmas morning I am getting up early; I always do, as I am too excited to sleep, and going for a run. Now yes you may think that’s madness, but I do enjoy it (I swear) and plus I will feel less guilty about munching on endless streams of chocolates all day. We will then open our presents with his family and have Christmas dinner early afternoon. Later in the day Matt is driving us across the country to my Mum’s house where we will spend the night. Boxing day will be a second Christmas for us, with more presents to open, more family to see and more Christmas dinner to eat! Then on the 27th I am back to work so there won’t be much relaxing for me this year… but there never is!

I hope you all have a lovely day and get to spend the holidays’ with the people you love. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all got for Christmas in your haul posts! Have a great day!

Days Gone By| It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

With only a week to go, it’s definitely starting to look a lot like Christmas. I don’t know about you but I enjoy the build up to Christmas just as much as, if not more, than the day itself! That’s probably why I start my personal build up from as early as possible. I started buying presents in October, I made homemade gift tags in November and I always put up my tree on the 1st of December.

I thought I would share with you my life in pictures from the past few weeks, in particular the Christmassy ones!

• The other weekend my boy and I went Christmas shopping in the lakes. I didn’t have much left to buy but wanted to get a few smaller gifts/stocking fillers, and it’s always great to support local shops. While at Bowness-on-Windermere I got his lovely picture of the snow topped fells.
• As I mentioned above, I started Christmas shopping in October so I managed to finish buying it all quite early. I enjoy wrapping presents just as much as I enjoy buying them, and this year I made my own gift tags featuring my cute and troublesome dogs. You can see how I did it here.
• As the newbie at work I was drawn the short straw and had to write a load of Christmas cards for our clients. It took me a good hour or so as I had to use my fancy writing, but on the plus side it did put me in a festive mood!
• My gorgeous Christmas Tree! I take pride in my Christmas Tree decorating skills and love nothing more than putting the Christmas music on and trying to and cram as many baubles on the tree as possible.
• As  you may have seen from my Twitter or Instagram, I bought this adorable faux fur Russian style hat from Primark last weekend. It only cost £6 so was an absolute bargain! I love how glamourous it makes me feel!
• A little shot of my Christmas Graze box… yes I am still buying these! I find that their little boxes are perfect for snacking at work.
• Christmas George! Don’t you just love decorating your dog in Christmas decorations! He doesn’t look impressed does he?
• This is the Christmas Fairy that I have had since I was a tiny little baby and it still sits proudly on top of my mum’s Christmas Tree.
• My mum also bought new Christmas decorations this year. The one I am most in love with is the Christmas glittery Hedgehog… how cute!
• My dogs got treated to new Christmas jumpers aswell. They were going to debut them on Christmas Day but we were too excited so took some pictures of them now.
• The last picture is from June this year when my friends and I travelled around Finland and Lapland. While we were there we visited the real Santa at his workshop in Lapland. I mean you can’t go to to Lapland without seeing Santa Claus!

Have you been getting in the festive spirit? When do you put your Christmas tree up? Do you have any Christmas traditions?

Feeling Festive| Christmas Party FOTD and OOTD

 

So what does a girl wear to her Christmas party? Never mind that! What does a girl wear to her first Christmas party at a company where she is still trying to impress and make a good opinion? This was my dilemma last week. Usually I would be the first to whack on a tight dress, get my tanned legs out and put on my stiletto heels, but when I work in an office in a very rural location, where my nearest cocktail or champagne bar is at least 70 miles away, I had to second think my attire. I still wanted a look that was glam, but maybe not as sexy as I normally aim for.

I decided to based my outfit around my sparkly shoes from Moda In Pelle which I love with all my heart! Look how amazing they are! They were the pair I wore for my mum’s wedding, and I think they are perfect for the festive season. I paired it with a matching glittery clutch bag from TKMaxx.  After I chose my shoes and bag I was stuck; I have a million dresses in my wardrobe, even more so now I have lost a dress size, but couldn’t decided which one was appropriate. So like you probably all have done, I ended up sat amongst all my clothes after having a hissy fit about how “I don’t have anything to wear!” I know a little black dress would of looked great but I wear black dresses to work everyday, so wanted something with a bit more colour. So after trying on all of my dresses I finally settle on the above lilac one from H&M. at first I thought of it as a more summery dress; more fitting for a wedding. But after trying it with the shoes and bag I thought it was perfect; sophisticated, girly and festive!

My works Christmas Party was a great success. We all went to a local hotel to have an all expenses paid for dinner and drinks, plus a little disco. It was a nice change to see my work colleague outside of the office, and we all had a great night; Sunday was evidence of that! Lets just say I had a few too many glasses of wine!

What did you, or are you wearing to your Christmas Party this year? Anything sparkly like my shoes?

A Crafty Christmas

Firstly thank you to everyone for your Birthday wishes on my previous post! It means so much to have such lovely, supportive readers and followers, and I’m over the moon that my little blog is one year old!

Anyways onto the reason for this post! After seeing many of my fellow bloggers sharing their Christmas craft ideas, I thought I would take the plunge myself. Someone had mentioned on their blog that creating gift tags out of pictures of your pets is a great personal touch to gift giving, plus a very cheap alternative! (If you are the blogger who suggested this, please let me know, as I have completely forgot who it was… a to hazard reading so many blogs!) I had also played with the idea of making my own gift wrap, but decided one craft afternoon was enough for me this year… maybe next year I’ll do more! I will talk you through how to make the gift tags above;

1- Firstly you need a willing volunteer, who will become your muse! I used both my dogs, one is photogenic (George the black and white one) the other could not be less impressed with a camera (Archie the ginger one). George even got into the Christmas spirit and allowed me to decorate him with ribbons…he’s such a daft pretty dog!

2- So after you have your picture of your pet you need to make the picture Christmassy. I did this by super imposing a Christmas hat onto each of the dogs, and writing a greeting on them. I then printed the pictures out on card.

3- I decided to add some glitter to my tags to make them a bit more special. I added glitter to certain areas by using a wooden skewer, however anything with a pointed edge will work fine.  I dipped my skewer into a PVA glue and dabbed in onto the areas I wanted to.

4- Next you need to sprinkle glitter onto the card, which will then stick to the areas that are glued. Try to shuffle the card around so you can cover all the tags evenly. Then stand the card vertically and tap it onto some newspaper so the excess glitter falls off the page.

5- Once you have added glitter detailing to all your tags you can them cut them up and use a hole-punch to make a clean hole for your ribbon.

6- You can now thread ribbon or string through the hole, so that the tag can be attached to your parcel.

7- You now have your pretty personalised Christmas tags, ready to be attached to your Christmas gifts. I think these tags add a little something extra to your gifts and make them stand out from the others underneath the tree.

So what do you think? Do you like the idea of homemade gift wrap and tags? Have you been getting crafty for Christmas? Do you regularly give homemade gifts on special occasions?

Wednesday wants| Christmas Wishes

It’s that time of year again lovelies! The Christmas decorations are going up, Christmas planning is beginning, the party dresses are in the shops, and your friends and family are forever asking “What do you want for Christmas?”

My answer always is a Channel bag, however I know that as much as I wish for it Santa will not be bringing me one this year. My dream list would be filled with designer bags, purses and shoes; Hermes, Channel, Mulberry, Christian Louboutin, and Jimmy Choos, but having already received some Loubuotins this year I think I’ve had my share of designer items, so for the interest of my lovely readers, friends and family I thought I would share with you what I’m wishing for this Christmas.

iPad- I would love the have a 3^rd generation iPad, my laptop is fairly battered and I think reading blogs and watching my TV programmes would be so much better on an iPad. Plus it will be easier to transport than my laptop, and as I seem to spend a lot of my “free Time” travelling to see my boyfriend, friends and member of my family it’s kind of necessary.
Camera- My number one want and need! I currently use my compact camera or iPhone for the pictures on my blog, and I have noticed recently since the dark days and nights have been rolling in, that taking pictures is very difficult and the quality is not good! I would love a good quality camera, that is still compact, something like the Nikon One as I’m a novice and really think I won’t be very good with using different lenses etc.
Cute iPad case- Obviously if I get my iPad I need a cute leather case to keep it in!
Benefit cosmetics- There are so many beautiful benefit products that I would love to try that I just can’t justify buying for myself. My top picks are; They’re Real Mascara, POREfessional primer, Sun Beam Highlighter, Brown Zing, and How to Look The Best At Everything Kit.
Nail varnishes and nail art pens- My obsession with nail art continues! I am always happy to receive nail varnishes- OPI, Nails Inc, Essie, Topshop are my favourite and the first three are always bargains when found in TKMaxx.
Perfume- A need and a want! I have ran out of my favourite signature scent- Dolce and Gabbana The One, plus I would love some Pacco Rabbane Lady Million.
MAC Cosmetics- I have to be honest with you girls, I have never owned any Mac cosmetics... shock, horror! Yes I have used friends, however I never saw the appeal myself and have never indulged. But after only hearing great things about their products, I would love a MAC lipstick as their colour range is amazing!
Shoes- I have been a lucky girl for receiving amazing shoes this year; however my heel selection is out numbering my flats, and I desperately need some cute flats for everyday wear and work. (I’m a size 6)
Muju drawers- After buying a rubbish makeup case at the beginning of this year I am yet to replace it. My ideal solution would be the muju drawers as they are gorgeous and a bargain!
Rings- I love costume jewellery, and love beautiful and interesting rings, as I can wear them day and night.
Makeup bag and wash bag- I would love a new makeup and wash bag. The Marc Jacobs one is very cute! I love the glittery bow on it!
Filofax- As I am now a working girl I need a cute Filofax to write down all my appointments, meetings and top marketing ideas! I would love a leather Filofax in purple, red or hot pink.
Soap and Glory & Lush- Anything form Soap and Glory or Lush would make me happy. I love their products and there are many that I am yet to try.
Urban Decay Naked Palette Two- I have the first one and would love to try the second one, as feel I have exhausted all the colour combinations with the first one.
Real Techniques brushes- after receiving the Core Collection for my birthday I am a convert, and I would love to complete my collection with the Starter Kit, Blush Brush, Setting Brush and Powder Brush.
Ear muffs and Fur collar- I don’t often ask for clothes for Christmas as I quite fussy and sizing is always difficult. However ear muffs and a fur collar are easy to buy, and both are incredibly cute… perfect for keeping me warm when the snow comes!

So there is my (quite extensive) Wish List of what I would love to see in my stocking and under the tree this Christmas.

What are you wishing for this Christmas? Is there anything that is on my list that you also have your eye on? Also do you have any recommendations for a Camera?

A Week in pictures

* My last Festive feast :D Yummy Krispy Kreme doughnut*

* My adopted cat, tuna*

* Christmas mug, its has its own cosy :D*

* University work, multiple assignment and dissertation writing and mass highlighting*

* Mini haul from Primark*

So I have unfortunately been super busy with university work this past week, so I feel like my posts aren't really interesting, and my lovely followers deserve more than that, so please accept my apologies.

The story behind the photos;

I am meant to be starting my health kick this week, so this doughnut was one of my last treats. I am back onto a diet of smoothies for breakfast, chicken wraps or soup for lunch, and a healthy low carb dinner. I also need to up my exercise again, as I am feeling really unfit. 

Tuna meet the world, everyone meet Tuna! This is a cat that occasionally pops into our flat, he is extremely friendly and loves tuna (hence the name). I assume he has a home, as he has a collar and is well fed and groomed, but he just likes to pop by and say hello and give me some cuddles. He's a very welcome visitor. 

This is my new favourite mug that I received for Christmas, it has it's own cosy! Wow! I am a massive tea lover!

As I said previously I am extremely snowed under with university assignments at the moment. In my final year, and still manage to leave it till last minute... argh! So as of Friday I will be more free, although still having  the dreaded dissertation. 

This is my little treat that I bought after work. Total sum of £26.. bargain! Love Primark for some little gems every now and again. 

I hope you all had a great previous week, and have a good week.

Disappointing Sale Shopping

Left to Right- Nail Varnish  £5 £3, Makeup Brushes £26, Nail Varnish Set £12  £8

La Senza Underwear- Bra’s £30 each £10 each, Pants £9 £3. Dorothy Perkins Dress £32  £15.

Dorothy Perkins Dresses- Red- £30 £15 Purple- £35 £15

Well I  don’t know about you but I haven’t been very successful with my sale shopping this year. I was pretty disappointed with what was on offer by the time I got round to the shops. I had a little nosy on Boxing day at my hometown, but there are very few shops there in the first place. I went to Next, Dorothy Perkins, and Boots. I found something I liked in each of these shops, a ring and baubles in Next, three dresses in Dorothy Perkins, and some half price Christmas beauty collections in Boots.

When I got back to Newcastle it wasn't until the 29th and 30th of December that I managed to get a look at the shops in Town and at the Metro Centre, by that time there was barely anything left and shops were actually bringing out their new stock for next season. I managed to buy some really cheap underwear from La Senza, and a couple of beauty products from Topshop (some of which weren't even in the sales).

Although when writing this it sounds like a lot, in my head I had a few things which I wanted to buy that I couldn't find anywhere, or if I did it was in the wrong size. These things included a faux fur gilet and jacket, smart office wear for job interviews, a few pairs of high heels, a pair of boots, a couple pairs of flat shoes for day to day wear, a new large handbag I could use for lugging my books to university everyday, and many more dresses and cardigans. So I think my expectations were pretty high to find all this stuff in the sale, I just expected to get at least some of it.

In my opinion it seems that unless you are willing to get out of bed really early on Boxing Day, and are willing to queue and fight for the bargains then you are going to end up disappointed, and I refuse to shop in this way as I hate being stressed and rushed when shopping. For me it’s a hobby so I like to browse and take my time.

How does everyone else feel about sale shopping? Love or loathe it? Also let me know your sale shopping bargains, I would love to see what I missed out on.

Presents and more Presents

So this Christmas I was a very lucky girl and many lovely things for Christmas. I do truly love gifts. Not just receiving but also buying, wrapping and giving, I have actually been buying and planning my family’s gifts since October. I always insist on people opening them in front of me as well, as there is no greater pleasure than giving someone a gift and them truly loving it!

 I got the usual smellies, perfume, beauty products, and many vouchers to buy clothes. I also received the lovely snowman charm for my bracelet, and from my boyfriend an organised trip to Edinburgh Zoo to go and see the Panda Bears… which I am hugely excited for.

What was everyone else's favourite present?

Christmas Time In Pictures

This is the past week for me in pictures.  I have had an extremely busy Christmas week. I only had 3 days off work, and still managed to clock up 360 miles travelling to see all mine and my boyfriends family. When I arrived back in Newcastle my father and his girlfriend visited for a few days, so it has only been till today that I have had a day to myself. Not that I am complaining I have had a great Christmas.

I hope you all had a lovely week.

In my dreams| Christmas Wishlist

So I have made a wishlist for Christmas for my family and friends, obviously within a suitable budget. But if money was no object for myself I would definitely be indulging in some of these beauties. 

Classic Chanel bag

Louis Vuitton luggage

Makeup brushes

Victoria Beckham dress

Hermes Birkin bag

Roberto Cavalli Jumper

Lancome

Glitter Louboutins

Jo Malone

Donna Karan Shearling Gilet

Cartier Watch

What designers would be under your dream Christmas tree?