What I Got For Christmas 2014

Every year my sister and I are allowed to request a few things from Santa Clause and boy oh boy did he do well this year. Let me just say this now I am not in any way showing off what I got. I really don't want it to come across like that. I am so very thankful for all my gifts and love that I received this year.

So let's begin. 

Sorry for the completely shoddy photography here. I didn't realise until I uploaded it and well by then all the chocolate had been consumed... whoops. I have no regrets. I have been so lucky this year and I truly am thankful for everything I received.

For anyone looking for a bit of beauty advise or wishlist building I have been a lover of the mac brush cleaner for a year now. I purchased my last one in January which lasted me a soild 8 months of use. I am also so in love with the Rimmel primer. It looks and feels like a moisturiser but maintains the look of your makeup all day. Definitely comparable to the Maybelline Baby Skin and even the Benefit Porefessional.

May I also point out now that the Tangle Teezer is possibly the best hair brush. As someone with naturally wavy knotted hair I can say this has helped my life over the past week like nothing else. I no longer struggle with yanking at my hair every time it gets wrapped around the brush handle or caught up in the combs.

You might also spot that I am now in possession of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. At the moment it is a favourite but as I have only been using it for a week I don't want to say I love/hate it just yet. After I have used it for some time I will be posting a full review and my thoughts on the product.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas whatever you were doing. See you in 2015!



Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 24: Preparing for the big day

It's finally here. Christmas Eve has arrived. I'm currently sat on my sofa in my pjs stuffing my face with crisps and dips before dinner and watching Chicken Run. Perfect. 

I'm so excited for tomorrow. I can't wait to wake up and open what we call our 'Santa sacks' after a visit from the big man himself. Then going downstairs for croissants and chocolates. Just lovely.

Today mum and I went on the hunt for a Christmas tree. Yes we realise it's the 24th but we thought a nice skinny fake one would look just perfect in the dining room. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in our quest but did pick up 160 fairy lights in Homebase for just £6. They look so perfect! Our tree is looking a little bare after a set of lights broke this year so thought we'd pick up some more in preparation for Christmas 2015. 

They're currently around the doors in the hallway and I think they just look lovely. 

We also have the vegetables chopped, the snowman filled with sweeties and every fairy light known to man switched on and shining. 

I was also quite festive today myself. Spot on make up and a Christmas jumper are the days dreams are made of. Thank you for going on this blogging journey with me. I have had an amazing time and am so proud that I managed to post something everyday for blogmas. It's been tough but so so worth it! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day tomorrow whatever you're doing.

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 23: My top 5 Christmas Films

Christmas films are, for me, the epitome of Christmas. There is nothing that brings everyone else together for a few hours of entertainment in the same way as a Christmas film. The story of some magical adventure or a crazed human/elf gets us ready and raring for the big day which, if you didn't know, is only two days away! Excited is an understatement. So I thought I'd go on and tell you about my top 5 favourite Christmas films.

1) Arthur Christmas

This is a relatively recent addition to my top 5 as I only saw it for the first time last year. Arthur Christmas tells the story of the Santa family and a young girl who has been 'forgotten'. I don't want to spoil any of these films if you haven't seen them but I love this one as it is a tale of self discovery and a realisation of an indivduals worth in his family. It is heart warming and adorable and will definitely get your festive vibes going. 

2) Love Actually

It is no doubt that Love Actually is a firm favourite with my whole family and probably the rest of the world. I especially love how all the stories are interlinked and when you have that realisation at the end of the film it is magical. Also Hugh Grant's dance... need I say more?

3) The Holiday

I cannot gush about this film enough. It is festive without throwing Christmas in your face therefore making it a suitable watch at any time of year. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are the perfect cross the ocean companions. 

4) Elf

BUDDY THE ELF WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR. This film is filled with fun, festive and tinsel. With some absolutely cracking and memorable lines this film will turn any humbug at this time of year. You just can't help humming along to the soundtrack and practically screaming your heart out to get the Clause-o-meter going again. A must see with the children on Christmas Eve.

5) The Santa Clause

An oldie but a goodie. This film came out when I was born so I have practically grown up on this Christmas film. The original is a festive adventure of ordinary man to the greatest Santa Clause the world has ever known. With mishaps and mysterious elves The Santa Clause is the best 90's Christmas film out there.

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 22: The Feel of Christmas

I must firstly apologise that this post is up so so late I've had a rather busy day! Mum and I went into town at 8.30... I haven't seen that time of day in a very very long time. I am a student after all. Town was so busy and full of wanderers. These are people I've dubbed the lost wanderers as they dawdle in the middle of the shop slowly wandering between the rails. Get on with things my impatient inner self screams internally. Then I went out to costa to meet my bestie and exchange presents. I had a decaf soy vanilla latte for those of you wondering! Then I had to do the dreaded Christmas shop. It was hell on earth. There were people everywhere and again the wanderers were out in force. Lovely. After an hour and 10 minutes I gave up and am going back tomorrow to get the rest of the things. Can't wait! 

Anyway. I thought id share some festive photos with you just to bring some festive cheer to my very tired self. 

 

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 21: Homemade gluten dairy free mince pies

4 DAYS TO GO! And that means there is a definite need for some mince pies. I recently discovered I coudn't eat gluten, at least not in heavy concentrated doses and this meant no more mince pies. However, Genius shortcrust gluten free pasty has come to the rescue. 

I have made gluten free mince pies before but they weren't as successful. They crumbled a lot and fell apart whilst eating them... not ideal. But let's call that a practice run! These however were much better. So let's get down to it. 

You will need;

Genius shortcrust gluten free pastry

Mincemeat

Orange

Cinnamon

Icing sugar

Cutters

Rolling pin

Grater

Preheat oven to roughly 180 degrees C (gas mark 4)!

(This was half the pastry... I forgot to photograph it before I started making). I split the packet into two just to make it more manageable. Dust your surface with some icing sugar, this not only adds some sweetness to the pie but too much (gluten free) flour can dry the pastry out. 

Kneed your pastry into a round ball making sure there's plenty of icing sugar on the surface so you don't end up stuck! 

Roll out your pastry to about the thickness of a pound coin. Half of the packet should make roughly 12 bases for the pies with the other half used for the tops. I chose not to grease my pan and in hindsight this may have been a mistake as some of the bottoms did get a little stuck (screw you not stick pan). I would advise a very small amount of butter or some oil just to make sure they wont stick.

Now it's time for the mincemeat. You could use the mincemeat straight from the jar but me with my massive sweet tooth prefers it a little sweeter. For half the jar I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and the gratings from the skin of a quarter of a small orange.

Now it's time to cut out the tops. I did the same process as before instead using smaller cutters. 

This is what you should have! Make sure you only use about a teaspoon size of mincemeat per pie. You're welcome to use more but it may escape from the pie and burn and well from experience it makes a bit of a mess!

Once you've put on all the tops I brushed the top of the pies with almond milk just to give them a little crispyness when they came out of the oven. I then poked the pies with a cocktail stick to allow air to enter the pie. This hopefully means they won't blow up in the oven. Lovely. 

I put them in the oven for about 20 minutes but it really does depend on your oven. They should be cooked all the way through and a light golden in colour. Sprinkle with some icing sugar and you are set to start munching! 

Good Luck.

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 20: Festive Makeup

Christmas is less than a week away! Can you even believe how quickly it's come around? Unfortunately I have a horrible cold. I am surrounded by Lemsip, tissues and blankets... not too bad really. Add some christmas chocolate and you've got a party. 

So to make myself feel better I thought I'd do a little festive makeup! 

Products used: 

Face

Benefit Porefessional

Rimmel Match Perfection 010 light porcelain 

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer 1 fair

Rimmel Stay Matte 001 translucent 

NO7 Skin Illuminator - I mixed this in with my foundation to give a slight 'glow' to my skin since I've been looking a little grey and ill as of late 

Benefit HOOLA bronzer 

Benefit Watts Up highlighter

Eyes

Collection Work The Colour eyeshadow pencil 1 Vanilla Sky

MUA Ever After palette 'Penny'

L'Oreal Super Liner So Couture black

Rimmel Scandal Eyes 001 black - I applied this to my upper waterline to provide some definition along the lash line

Rimmel White Pencil 071 - This is very old, I'm honestly not even sure they sell it anymore 

Barry M Fine Glitter Dust 4

MUA Extreme Curl Mascara black

Lips

Collection Lip Definer 5 damson

L'Oreal Colour Riche 461

Brows

MUA Ever After Palette chino

I am so in love with this look. It's christmassy and sparkly and everything I love. I am also a super fan of a dark red lip because it just screams CHRISTMAS! I wanted to do something wearable but also festive and glowy because your make up at Christmas should make you feel all warm and cosy and festive. I've said festive way too much. 

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 19: My Christmas Bedroom

Wherever you go in your house you should be hit in the face by festive and my bedroom was no different. If you've been following my posts for a while you'll know this bedroom had NOTHING in it when we moved in, not even a lamp shade and therefore everything you see is new. Wonderful.

I really wanted to go for a vintage vibe in my bedroom because I just love all things vintage, hence the pin ups and black and white photographs. I will be doing a tour of my bedroom at somepoint, probably in the summer as that's when i'll be properly moving back from University! Anyways I am rambling. This is the full view of my bed as you enter my bedroom. My bedding is from ASDA and it was only £14. Amazing! If there are any left they might even be on sale. My v cushion is from IKEA and the white pillow is from Tesco. The owl cushion was from Primark and the teddy bears are just cute. 

As you might have seen from my previous blog post about my bedroom this hurricane cracked vase from The Range had some bright pink and white flowers in... not very festive. So I swapped them out for a candle from IKEA, some round fairy lights from Primark and some red tinsel. I had planned to use holly instead of tinsel however as the switch for the lights was inside the vase I didn't really want to get stabbed everytime I turned them on and off. Regardless, when the lights are on the red sparkles through the cracks in the glass and glows all over the room. Lovely. 

Finally I can show you these canvases. I have been nagging my dad to put these up for months and finally he relented. These two canvases are from Buyology for only £1.99 each! I love them. If you know me you'll know The Beatles are my favourite band so a canvas of them was just perfect for my bedroom. I also am a major fan of Audrey so she had to get a mention. The garland I picked up from ASDA when I was doing my weekly shop and I'm sorry to say I have no idea how much it cost but I want to say around the £3-5 mark.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at my christmas bedroom. If you have any other festive ideas send them over to me on instagram TheAllyGator2

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 18: Wrapping Presents

When it comes to Christmas I am very particular about presents. Not what I want for myself even if I do have a few suggestions, but how they should look. I know everyone says what matters is on the inside and yes that is very true but what's on the inside is made even better if the outside looks beautiful too. 

For me a present should be wrapped to perfection with neat corners and adorned with ribbons and bows. I just love the magic moment when you give someone a present you've taken pride in wrapping and watching them tear it all open to reveal what inside. And even though all the wrapping inevitably ends up in the bin and, arguably, under appreciated, I can never get over the moment when you hand over the present to await its fate. Magic.

This year we opted for some brown wrapping paper with reindeers and snowflakes and a general nordic style print. My mum tells me this was from Primark but I don't know for sure! The ribbon we bought a few years ago from The Range. Love it!

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 17: Christmas Party Outfit 4

Can you believe it? Only a week and it's Christmas Eve! I hope you've got some Christmas parties to attend... unlike me. But that doesn't you can't look great. This week we're focusing on Mango because their AW 14 collection is just so fabulous I don't think my heart can handle it.

There is absolutely no reason in my mind why you can't wear brights in winter, even if it is just a shoe. Everyone seems to think that bright warm colours can only be worn in the heat of the summer but I disagree. On a day when it's cold and wintery outside, where the darkness of night rolls in before you've even left work and when you get home and are welcomed by the heating and cosy pjs, warm things are exactly what you crave. And at a Christmas party with all the hot slightly sozzled bodies are raving over articulate and mulled wine, you might as well stand out in something bright and inviting. 

I have been a big lover of black and orange since I can remember and yes I am well aware that black and orange practically SCREAMS halloween but I think if you get the tone of orange right, you wont look like you've just stepped out of October. 

This will be my last Christmas Party look as the big day is only a mere 7 days away! I wanted to put together looks that could be easily transitioned from AW to SS. The jumpsuit for example could be worn with sandals and a floppy hat as you roam the streets of Versailles. Or the shoes with some white shorts and a chiffon floaty vest. 

We forget that our clothes can be worn at all times of the year. I encourage you to take a look at those summer shorts and picture them in a new light. Perhaps try them with some tights and a leather jacket. You'll look fabulous. 

Coat
Jumpsuit
Shoes
Ring
Bag
Necklace


Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 16: My favourite Christmas decorations

Yesterday it was my duty to decorate the house for Christmas. This is my favourite thing to do when I get back from uni as it really gets me in the festive spirit and I get to look at all the cute things we've collected over the years.

I love decorating the house for Christmas and even more so this year. We moved house in the summer so this is our first Christmas in the new house. This meant there were some major decisions to be made on where the tree was going to go, where we'd put the decorations and how we could 'festiveise' every room. In our old house everything had its place as we expanded our collection of Christmas things through the years but now we're trying to decided where everything look the best. We also haven't hung any photos in our new house yet and the previous owners took down all the hooks before they left so we have NOWHERE to hang any wall decorations. They're currently hooked onto the end of curtain poles and dimmer switches... not the best. Anyway, before I start rambling away about Christmas too much I thought I'd show you a few of my favourite things. 

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 15: Making my own wreath!

We all want to feel welcomed when we enter someone's home and I never feel that more at Christmas than when there's a wreath on the door. For me a wreath is something fairly new to our household. It was just something everyone else had but we never did.

Last year when Christmas sale shopping at the local garden centre my sister and I spotted a beautiful red and green wreath for just £5. Absolute bargain. Yes it was after Christmas but the sentiment was the same. We phoned our mum and practically begged her to let us buy it. Thankfully she said yes on the condition it was fake (she's a bit allergic). We assured her it was and went off to the checkout...

Turns out it wasn't as fake as we thought. When we moved house this summer we found the wreath we'd lovingly packed away in January had turned to complete mulch. Not the best.

Now for some reason a circle of tree with ribbons on it can set you back nearly £30 if you aren't careful. RIDICULOUS. So when shopping today for Christmas decorations I spied a nifty way to get a homemade wreath for cheaper.

The fake wreath cost just £3.99 but it was a little boring. So I also picked up some gold glitter ribbon for £1, some gold bells for £1 and some wire flowers for just £2.29. We already had the gold beads in the Christmas box but I decided not to use them. 

Step 1: fluff out the wreath, pull out the strands and make the stick out in odd directions to make it look more 'tree' like

Step 2: cut off the stalks of the flowers from the bottom. You should have about 6/8 stems of flowers to make this work. Its important to note wire flowers are a must! 

Step 3: wrap the strands of flowers at individual points around the wreath until you run out

Step 4: tie on the bells. I just wrapped the string of the bell around a strand of tree a few times until I was sure it was attached!

Step 5: add the ribbons. I chose to do 4 bows purely because I didn't want to over crowd the wreath 

I am so pleased with how this turned out. It jingles when you open and shut the door. What a way to feel festive! I think it looks so much better than any other fake wreath you could buy, with the fake snow and pine cones bleugh. I just love the red berries poking through with the leaves of the tree and the flowers. 

If you try this out send me a photo on my Instagram. 'TheAllyGator2'

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 14: Christmas Party Outfit 3

Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t wear a little bit of goth glam. Because if you can’t look edgy at Christmas when can you? You might as well enter the post Christmas blues in style.

I am totally in love with the 90’s goth revival look we’re seeing at the moment. Turtle necks, black platform boots and heavy make up – dream. My inner goth is loving it. 

I wanted to put together a look that was both hard and soft, where comfort meets rough. I recognise that a burgundy leather jacket wouldn’t be everyone’s choice. We all go for the standard black jacket with gold trim. We all have one in our wardrobe gathering dust because we never wear it anymore. A black leather jacket whilst yes is fabulous just doesn’t stand out in a crowd. You blend into the background with all the other black jackets. But a burgundy leather jacket screams LOOK AT ME. You can’t not be noticed in this little beauty. It’s a touch of biker at Christmas.

A black lace effect see through pant skirt might not be everyone’s choice around Christmas when your life mainly consists of consuming as much mulled wine and quality streets as possible but hear me out. There is no other time of year when your bum is going to be as big. Lets face it, if you’re going to eat an entire tin of quality street in one night (don’t judge, we all do it) you might as well flaunt off what you have instead of hiding it under a long flowing shapeless black skirt or sucking the poor thing into some spanx. Get it out. Twerk. Shake around what your mother gave you and show your fabulous self off.

It’s Christmas. Be merry. Enjoy yourself and what you have. Afterall, if you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Bag - http://www.riverisland.com/women/bags--purses/clutch-bags/Black-split-front-clutch-bag-661590
Necklace - http://www.riverisland.com/women/jewellery/necklaces/Gold-and-silver-tone-metal-choker-661057
Boots - http://www.riverisland.com/women/shoes--boots/ankle-boots/Black-leather-cleated-sole-ankle-boots-660454
Skirt - http://www.riverisland.com/women/skirts/tube--pencil-skirts/Black-mesh-sheer-pencil-skirt-664978
Top - http://www.riverisland.com/women/tops/going-out-tops/Black-velvet-bardot-top-665038
Jacket - http://www.riverisland.com/women/coats--jackets/biker-jackets/Dark-pink-leather-biker-jacket-659453




Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 13: Festive Cheer Photos

There’s nothing I love more than scrolling through the Pinterest Christmas tag. Stockings, decorations and wreaths are in abundance. Magic. Everyone has a different ideal of how they envision their perfect Christmas. Some like blue, white, gold, red, silver – everyone has a different style and Pinterest is the perfect place to go for inspiration.

Personally I enjoy red and silver with white gold lights. Cute ornaments are dream. I can’t wait for the day when my (hopefully) husband and I have our own collection of ornaments we’ve picked up over the years, from glass baubles from liberty to homemade decorations we made when we were children. I’d love to be sitting down in front of the fire, mulled wine in hand, a Christmas movie on the TV with a real Christmas tree in the corner adorned with our own decorations. As you walk up the stairs, a garland with red bows and bells jingle on every step you take. So dreamy!

This year I’ve been inspired by Pinterest to create some table decorations with candles. All you need is some holly, candles and a large hurricane jar. Sorted.

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744300251/

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744300238/

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744300240/

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744335349/

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744519068/

DAY 12: Christmas Jumper Day 2014

Christmas jumper day is upon us yet again. This time last year I thought Christmas jumper day was just a myth people had made up, a day dedicated to the guilty pleasure that is a Christmas jumper. But one year on and it seems everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. My Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feed has been full of teams of people, from the new look PR team to lectures on biochemistry, all proudly wearing their Christmas jumpers.

But Christmas jumper day isn't just a day where it seems the whole of the UK gets in the festive spirit. This is a day dedicated to wearing something to raise money for children all over the world. Everyone seems to be consumed with the idea of buying presents, setting up the tree and gathering the family round for mulled wine and mince pies but we seem to forget those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Some children don't have homes to go to, families to spend Christmas with or can't make it from their hospital bed to spend Christmas with their family. 

That's why Christmas jumper day is so important. To remember those we don't think of, to raise money for something other than ourselves and help spread a bit of Christmas cheer and love to those who need it most.

Here's my Christmas jumper for Christmas Jumper Day 2014. Have a lovely day.

DAY 11: New Christmas Decorations

There's nothing I love more than buying new Christmas decorations. I get more excited than a child waiting for Santa to arrive. When I walk into a Christmas department my palms sweat, my heart races and I feel so overcome with excitement that I can barely control myself. I'm not even kidding.

A few days ago I went to Winchester with my housemate to visit the Christmas market. Now, I didn't go with the intention of buying anything but that went straight out the window when I saw the first stall didn't it. There were scarfs, bath bombs, chocolates and of course festive decor everywhere. Heaven.

I picked up these white and red bells for just £1 each. They are so jingly and cute. They have a soft tartan ribbon to tie them to the tree with spots and stars. SO CUTE. 

A few days before I went to London with my friend Rhiannon for a spot of Christmas shopping around London. If you've been following my #24daysofinstagram over on my Instagram then you'll know I bought a black turtleneck from Forever 21 and I cannot stop wearing it. I am actually obsessed. I'm wearing it as I write this. 

I went to London with the intention of wanting to visit Harrods, Liberty and Selfridge's Christmas departments. Unfortunately we ran out of time to make it to Harrods but I still made it to the other two. And boy am I glad I did. 

I picked up this glass bauble beauty from Selfridge's for around £7. It has snowflakes, sparkles and glitter and I love it - of course. I love how each sparkle catches the light on the tree lights. I must also point out this bauble isn't massive, we just have really tiny baubles on our student christmas tree... they were cheaper. 

After Selfridge's and an urgent stop at Costa we made our way to Liberty to get our hands on one of the infamous purple bags. I have to say their Christmas department was exceptionally beautiful. The ceiling was draped with lights that looked like starts but also did a great job of lighting all the beautiful decorations they had on offer. 

I picked up this glass bauble for around £5. It has a rainbow effect so everytime it catches the light it has shades of purple, gold, white, yellow. It is beautiful. I also love the glass spots. It is just so different from any other bauble I've seen or own and think it really makes a beautiful and elegant statement on a tree. (Can you tell I'm in love?)

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 10: Stocking Filler Gift Guide

When we go into a shop, stocking filler’s are usually the type of thing you find near the checkout. You know the usual bags of sweets with questionable expiration dates, the packets of nail varnish that chips before you've even finished painting them and a plastic glittery compact mirror that will go into your handbag never to be seen again.

But it doesn't have to be like that! A stocking should be filled with useful things that you love to use, that inspire you and when you see them you don’t think ‘oh there’s that useless thing I got in my stocking last year’… a bit like the random orange we always have at the bottom of ours. Yeah I still don’t understand that Mum.

Stocking’s are something we grow up and for me it’s something magical that mum puts together; a surprise goody bag full of things I didn't know I needed in my life. But I always wonder, how does she come up with so many goodies? So I thought I’d have a hunt around at the type of things I’d put in my own stocking in the hope that it might inspire some of you lost Christmas souls out there.

I specifically didn't want to use blogmas to create a gifts for her and gifts for him gift guide. Products in our day and age are becoming too gendered and if you’re a guy who wants to wear nail varnish a gift guide shouldn't tell you otherwise. Instead I’ve chosen things that I would like to own myself. I have a particular crush on Ryan Gosling *swoon* and who honestly wouldn't want a photo of him in a suit on their wall everyday. Third year is notoriously difficult after all and I need some eye candy to get me through those essay slogs…

The key to creating the perfect stocking is not to spend too much but fill it with great things that you might not remember you have until August but realise how much you love it. For instance, an argan oil set might not be useful at the moment but in those summer months when your skin and hair is being constantly dried out by the sun and humidity is plaguing your life, this little body shop gift set might just come in handy.

1 Book
2 Barry M Varnishes
3 Calendar
4 Invisibobble
5 Body Shop Set
6 Hottie
7 Ornament
8 Topshop Varnishes


Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 9: My Christmas Wishlist

When I was a little girl, my parents would sit my sister and I down at the dining room table and we would write our Christmas list. We could ask for whatever we wanted, within reason, and then our list would be sent off to Santa.

Now as we’re older our Christmas list usually involves a last minute text to mum with a few things were in desperate need of i.e pants and socks.

This year I am in desperate need of a tangle teezer. These have been all the rage on the bloggersphere over the past few years and I, rather stupidly, have yet to invest. As you might have seen in a few of my selfies I have very long hair which is naturally quite curly. I’ve broken more handles off a hairbrush than I can count. A tangle teezer would therefore solve all my problems.

I’ve also been dying to get my hands on some pink converse for a long time. They’re just so versatile – jeans, dresses, skirts, shorts both summer and winter. I neeeeeed them.

And who doesn’t need the Michael Buble Christmas album in their life. I’m currently having to listen to it on youtube… not quite the same as having your own personal cd to hold and lust after. (I love you Michael)

1) http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/bags-accessories-1702216/bags-purses-462/tara-colour-block-holdall-3260961?bi=1&ps=200

2) http://www.boots.com/en/Tangle-Teezer-Pink_1000439/

3) http://www.office.co.uk/view/product/office_catalog/5,20/2413175070

4) http://uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise/cleanse-and-polish-hot-cloth-cleanser.html

5) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Michael-Bubl%C3%A9/dp/B005H0IW6W


Dislclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 8: Christmas Party Outfit 2

Where would your Christmas party be without a little bit of sparkle and glamour. You might as well enter looking like you’ve stepped off a red carpet as, if the party is a success, you won’t be looking so fabulous at the end of the evening.

This week were focusing on ASOS which my friend has only just told me means As Seen On Screen. Who knew? And yes this might technically be cheating but this is still buying it all in one place...

I love a bit of ostentatious glam as much as the next person but you can’t go too overboard or else you might look like a bit of a bauble staggering around drunk. Especially bad if you’re not attending a fancy dress party. But I digress.

This maxi dress is the perfect Christmas party staple piece. You can glam it up with heels and dress down with white converse. I also love that it looks like separates. Crop tops have been all the rage in 2014, some better than others, and I’m glad we’re now seeing a move into a higher neck simpler style. Clean and fabulous.

 
Necklace
Shoes
Bag
Dress

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. 

DAY 7: Christmas Day with my housemates!

Today me and my housemates arranged to celebrate our very own Christmas together. We had a secret santa, Christmas dinner and as I sit writing this we're just about to put on Love Actually and drink mulled wine. Lovely. 

I had my housemate Aimee for secret santa, a renound lover of tea, wine and cheese. So I thought it would be just perfect to buy her a mini bottle of rose, a Camembert, a heart shaped tea strainer and loose tea leaves. We all had the same wrapping paper and were under strict instructions to not reveal who we had for our secret santa... we failed. Obviously. 

My housemate Charlotte did exceptionally well. I am a lover of 90's, cosy things and Christmas. She bought me two pairs of fluffy socks from primark in red and white stripes and red sparkles and two sparkly scrunchies. Ooh my heart. 

We started preparing dinner around 12pm after an exceptional clean up from our party last night. It was a bit wild and let's just say there were a lot of black sacs and disinfectant this morning. Hattie and Nat made these CUTE placecards with our names on and bows. 

(Yes that my housemate sleeping in the background). For students, I don't think this is too bad a set up. NOW ONTO DINNER. How good does this look. Now of course, I am the most awkward person in the world. Gluten free vegetarian roast dinner isn't the easiest feat to achieve. But I did and it was wonderful. 

My housemates this year are just lovely. It's so nice to feel like part of a University family and celebrate the big things like birthdays and christmas' together. 

Look how cute we are together. L-R Aimee, Me, Charlotte, Hattie, Natalie and Maddie. 

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.

DAY 6: Pinterest Christmas Crafts

Whether your spending some time with the kids, hanging out with your friends or are generally bored on a Saturday afternoon, Christmas crafts are the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit.

I love having cute little homemade things on the tree at Christmas time. A few years ago I made a sock snowman. It’s pretty hideous but I love it. My sister begs every year for us to throw it out but I battle hard and eventually it ends up at the back of the tree where no one can see it. Disappointing.

Hopefully these Pinterest crafts won’t end up like that. I particularly love the bow wreath as it’s so easy yet looks amazing. All you need are a couple rolls of ribbon and some wire and you’re set. What more could you need in life?!

I personally will be having a go at festivifying (I don’t know either) my glass jar in my bedroom. At the moment it has some pink and white flowers in and is in desperate need of some holly, candles and red ribbon. I’ll let you know how it goes…

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/500462577315427727/
http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/574560864934988304/
http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/149533650103097591/
http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/87820261457751294/


Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored.