CLAPHAM COMMON, NEW YEAR'S EVE

The past few mornings have been really special on Clapham Common, making it a little bit easier to get back in the swing of work again. I think frost may be more beautiful than snow, especially the grey sludge we usually get here in London, and this morning was the best of the week with a thick layer of mist and a blazing orange sun. I'm so lucky to call this my commute! Happy new year, pals!

CHRISTMAS DIGEST 2014

Since it's Christmas Eve, I thought I would sign off for the year with my favourite blog posts of 2014. I've really tried hard to create interesting, original content that people want to read and (in the case of recipes and DIYs) do at home, so I'm feeling quite proud looking back through all of these posts.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

FOOD

• Entertaining for friends on a budget
• Easy meatballs for a quick, hearty weeknight supper
• Darren's epic pulled pork
• Hosting a surprise engagement party
• Restaurant-style scrambled eggs
• The importance of a pinch of salt

LIFE

• The best books I read in 2014
• Alternatives to the pill
• Tell someone you love them
• How to have a better commute
• Saying good bye to Por Por

INTERIORS

• Boutique style on a budget
• 3 steps to update an old sofa
• How to find affordable art
• Plaster walls

TRAVEL

• 6 days on the Gili Islands 
• A weekend in Cornwall
• 5 tips for the reluctant haggler
• Buying memorable souvenirs
• Saving travel memories 
• Discovering Angkor Wat

And if you're still not sick of it...CHRISTMAS

• Christmas gift wrap details
• DIY clay ornaments
• A Christmas shopping pit stop in London 
• Free Christmas calligraphy printable

I'm so grateful for the gorgeous, creative, supportive friends I've made through blogging and the sweet readers whose comments I love receiving. See you in 2015!

KINGLY COURT, LONDON

I think I've found the most Christmassy place in London! If you find yourself doing last-minute Christmas shopping on Oxford Street (good luck!), then I highly suggest you pop into Kingly Court on Carnaby Street to get away from the hustle and bustle.

As far as I can remember, this little complex has always hosted an array of little indie shops, but now it seems to have been mostly cleared out and turned into a foodie paradise. From the ones I've tried - Cha Cha Moon, Pizza Pilgrims and Shoryu - to the ones I haven't - Señor Ceviche, The Rum Kitchen and Whyte & Browne - I think it's safe to say there's something for everyone. And the Christmas lights are pretty darn good, too!

A PHOTO FOR FRIDAY | 21

Phew! It's the weekend and the last weekend before Christmas to boot! We were in Cornwall last weekend (sorry for the instagram repeat). Everytime we go down there, I fall for it even more!

This week was a bit of a whirlwind of dinners, drinking and general festivity. It's my mum's birthday tomorrow so I'm looking forward to having a nice meal and putting up our family Christmas tree. Then it's on to my friend's house on Sunday for a big blowout with my old school pals. I'm seriously looking forward to that 5 day break right around now - all I want for Christmas is a lie-in!

How are you spending your last weekend before Christmas? Last minute shopping? Present wrapping? See you next week!

DECK THE HALLS

The best part about moving into my own place (apart from the obvious things!) is that now I get to decorate two Christmas trees every year! There are pros and cons to both trees - my parents get a fake one, but we decorate it with a sentimental array of ornaments we've been collecting since before I was born, and at my place we always get a big, bushy real tree which smells amazing, but still a bit sparse on the decoration front.

I love having mismatched ornaments, and I'm happy to have a slightly bare tree (especially as this year's is about 7 foot!) over decorations that are picked just to add bulk. There are vintage glass mushrooms, cheeky gnomes and feathered birds alongside sparkly pinecones and a handmade golden glitter star. Some have been gifts from others, others gifts to myself - new additions this year include the little white deer from Paperchase and some handmade clay ornaments. Decorations don't stop at the tree either...

Did you blog about your Christmas decorations? Link up below and we can all get in the festive spirit. 8 SLEEPS, PEOPLE!

CHRISTMAS DIY: gift wrap + bags

Last week I posted about the Christmas shoot I styled for 91 Magazine and this week I wanted to share some extra little crafty details that will perk up your gift wrapping.

I'm a big fan of simple brown paper and ribbon (this polka dot update is from Paperchase) and so it's usually the little details that make it extra special - one year I illustrated ribbons and gift tags straight onto the paper and last year I tied them up with jute string and a sprig of rosemary.

With the leftovers I had of the Imogen Owen x Quill London printable for 91 Magazine, I decided to make some little ribbon badges to adorn this year's presents. I simply cut-out discs, glued them to another layer of paper for a contrasting trim, and then used double-sided tape to attach different ribbons to the back. I love the way they look so much, I ended up making a whole bunch more which I will probably never give away!

I also found a way to re-use gift bags, covering any logos or brand names with a strip of satin ribbon and a little disc. I think it looks really sweet and it's a good way to use the bags I always keep for just such occasions, but never use because they usually have writing on them.

A PHOTO FOR FRIDAY | 20

It may not be a snow day today, but it’s the day after the office Christmas party so I definitely wish it was. Let’s cancel Friday and go back to bed!

Have a good weekend!

CHRISTMAS DIY: clay ornaments

Last week I got my Christmas craft on and made these little hanging ornaments to give out instead of Christmas cards this year. I got the idea from the DIY mecca that is A Beautiful Mess and used a couple of their designs, along with my own.

91 MAGAZINE: issue 11

I've been waiting for WEEKS to share this gorgeous shoot I styled for the December issue of 91 Magazine. After attending Quill London's amazing Modern Calligraphy Workshop back in July, I thought it would be fun to incorporate calligraphy into a Christmassy-diy. My calligraphy skills are still somewhat lacking, so I enlisted the lovely Imogen Owen to create a free printable exclusively for the magazine.

Imogen created a loosely seasonal design so that readers can keep crafting with it beyond Christmas, and the simple detailing translated perfectly onto lightweight card with a regular desktop printer. I played around with the motif to create some cards alongside Imogen's gift tag template - the best part is, using word, you can easily make your own stationery. Simply buy the new issue of 91 Magazine and download the template linked to in the article (page 84-87) - there are gift tags and cards, but you can also manipulate the motif yourself to print onto any size paper you like. If you do this, please always credit back to Imogen, Quill London and 91 Magazine as this printable is creative property and Imogen has kindly produced it for free.

I loved loved loved doing this little Christmassy shoot and I was so happy to have my friend Siobhan shooting the pictures for me. She captured everything so beautifully, don't you think? Check out her post for more images and a peek at the finished article. Next week, I'm going to be sharing an extra little project using the printable to create cute wrapping details and gift bags.

All images by Siobhan Watts for 91 Magazine.

A PHOTO FOR FRIDAY | 19

I know everyone is probably sick of everyone else banging on about how 'Christmas is coming up so quickly this year, isn't it?'...but isn't it?? There's something funny in the air this year for sure!

Anyway, this week felt super Christmassy - I finished most of my gift buying, we bought our Christmas tree (!), I had my first mulled wine of the year and I spent a lovely evening of crafting and listening to Michael Buble. This weekend, I'm going to be running around like a crazy person catching up with friends, babysitting, volunteering and meeting some dogs (more on both of those things another time!) and trying to squeeze as much Christmas cheer into the mix as possible (tree decorating + more mulled wine, most likely).

Next week I can't wait to post some festive things I've been saving up, including some more shots of Siobhan's gorgeous photos of my latest piece for 91 Magazine. Make sure you buy the new December issue - there's lots of gorgeous crafting and non-seasonal Christmassy things that will make it worth reading well into the new year too.

A VERY ANTHROPOLOGIE CHRISTMAS

A couple of weeks ago now, Jo and I went to a little Christmas shopping evening to celebrate the opening of Anthropologie’s new Richmond-Upon-Thames store. Anthropologie is hands-down my favourite shop – from the inspiring shop displays and beautiful products to the lovely staff, it’s just one of those places that makes you feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside.

There were glasses of fizz on hand, a Christmas cracker-making demonstration and a lovely goodie bag complete with Christmassy cactus. Plus, the evening was hosted by Red Magazine – one of my favourite magazines, so it was great to meet some of the team. If you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas, I’ve rounded up a few of my Anthropologie picks in the Sprunting! Christmas Wish List (boyfriend, take note). Happy shopping!

MY ULTIMATE TRAVEL COMPANION

Longchamp's Le Pliage bag is an icon with timeless appeal. I see them everywhere and I always think they look perfectly polished. So much so, in fact, that I never really considered buying one for myself - they just looked too grown up. But it turns out the travel-sized version is the best purchase I've made in a long time - and I'm definitely picking up a few more as Christmas presents this year. I bought the second to largest size, which is just right for a weekend away, but the magic thing about it is that it folds to the dimensions of a large wallet, so it's perfect for tucking in your suitcase for any unexpected purchases when you go on holiday.

This is where things are going to get a little embarrassing when I show you what we used mine for! While we were in Malaysia, we took a quick one night trip to Singapore to see my cousins and meet my new baby niece. But the thing my boyfriend was most excited about? The Japanese mall that our hotel was attached to. We came back with a whole carryall of Japanese snacks, which was a little awkward going through customs, but totally worth it! I have a feeling me and this little bag are going to get along juuust fine.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TIP: the best gift wrapping service

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Is it disturbing you that I’m asking you about it? Well, it being the first of December and all, I feel it would be rude not to bring it up, and seeing as I’ve been in the festive spirit since the beginning of November, I’ve just been itching to post something, anything, Christmassy on here. 

Last week I did a whip round London and I’m feeling rather smug about it because I’m kind of almost finished buying my presents (those Christmas cards I meant to send? Well, we can not mention those for the time being…). Anyway, I just wanted to share a quick Christmas shopping tip that is too good not to shout about. 

Have you ever bought a gift from Kiehl’s? Well, aside from the fact that their products are awesome and would make a lovely gift in their own right, they do the best gift wrapping ever. Whether you buy one product or three, they will pop your items in a lovely ribbon-tied gift box (usually kraft paper brown, but at Christmas a lovely festive red) and fill the extra space with samples and tissue paper or pretty potpourri. They put so many samples in, and the samples are usually of a pretty generous size, that the first time I got something gift wrapped and they asked if I was happy with the way it looked, I shyly pointed out that I hadn’t chosen all those extra products, to which the guy said, ‘uhh, they’re free’ …#awkward. SO, to cut a long story (that didn’t need to be so long) short, go to Kiehl’s, buy some stuff and they will make it look like the most beautiful, thoughtful gift you ever gave.

Note: I've only ever bought products from the Kiehl's concession in Harrods, though I imagine the wrapping service is standard throughout. In the picture above (which I took at night because I was TOO excited about it, so sorry about the photo quality), I only bought the two bottles of body wash - the rest of the box is samples!