18 Nov 2016

Christmas Gift Guide

You know it's that time of year when you can't flick through the radio stations without hearing a rendition of an out-dated festive tune blared at you, or enter a shop without having to struggle through the crowds, getting the fear of that ever-growing queue at the till. Christmas really is nigh and it won't be long before the present-panic sets in a week before the twenty-fifth and everything you want is conveniently out of stock. I'm trying to do most of my Christmas shopping relatively early this year and mostly online to avoid the inevitable shopping-centre mayhem that has begun already. I've compiled a few ideas to get thinking of potential gifts for family/loved ones, but mostly just to lust over everything in the shops right now (funny that shops start to up their game at Christmas, isn't it..). And after all, tis also the season to start thinking about all those unnecessary things you couldn't justify for yourself throughout the year, and start hinting to those around you for things you don't want, but need..

The Luxury
Giving one of these as gifts would have to be for someone pretty special, all being the creme de la creme of gifting and not things you'd receive or buy any old day of the week. It's especially satisfying buying someone a present that they wouldn't usually buy for themselves which all of these fall into the category of, being luxuries rather than essentials (and mostly sleep related..).
Christmas Gift Guide - Indulgence

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15 Nov 2016

Gucci-esque Loafers and Fishnet Socks

The sartorial ethos in the classic chick-flick In Her Shoes has always resonated with me: you might grow out of clothes but shoes will always fit; shoes will never make you feel bad. Footwear has become more of a weakness opposed to a practicality as I've got older and that has never been more true than now, especially as ankle-boots are beginning to line the shelves of every high-street shop. Not one to manage heels with elegance, flats of all kind are my go-to from day to evening (on a special occasion I'll begrudgingly make an exception), especially during winter when icy/frosty surfaces are not on my side. Undoubtedly influenced by the Gucci designs that have hit the fashion-conscious head-on (they have really nailed it with their leather footwear this season), the current shoes from catwalk to high-street have taken a leaf out of the headway designer brands book and produced some to die for footwear making my online-shopping habit increasingly worse each day. Luckily, the high-street options are making my lack of designer that bit less painful. 



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11 Nov 2016

Dressing-Table Decor



Whether your thing is jewellery, first-editions or souvenirs from travels. the dressing-table homes all those possessions you treasure and are pretty enough to be on display for all to see. It's probably the only part of my bedroom that is permanently well-kept, even when the rest of the room looks like a jumble sale, and mine has recently taken a turn on the gold side along with being overwhelmed by pillar candles now Christmas is on the horizon (there's nothing better than a half-melted candle to make things look antique-y and lived in, especially if it smells amazing).  


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9 Nov 2016

Iceland Inspiration

The countdown is on; two weeks today and I'll be heading to Heathrow for a four-night stay in Iceland, staying in both Reykjavik and Akureyri for a couple of nights each. Iceland is somewhere I've wanted to go for a long time so needless to say I am looking forward to the trip.. A land of natural wonders (northern lights, geysers, waterfalls, the list goes on..), it's unlike anywhere I've ever seen before as sun-seeking is typically my go-to getaway anytime of year, but there's something about Iceland that is just as enticing, albiet in a slightly different way. Going away this time of year seems alien to me (my passport is usually lost in the depths of the draws by now) but it is coming at a very welcome time with the whole daylight saving and non-existent evenings taking full force. A change is as good as a rest as they say! 

Suprisingly (or perhaps not), the temperature is quite similar to the UK, meaning thick jumper weather all-day and thermals all-night so it won't be too much of a drastic change of climate but being outside most of the day (which I imagine we will be) isn't something I'm particularly used to in the winter months. Mixing practicality and fashion has never been a strength but layers is my manta this time round and I'm taking as many socks as can physically fit. I'm not usually very good at packing for all weather scenarios but I've finally learnt my lesson in that there is nothing worse than being cold so precautions are being taken. Doing the typical pre-holiday Trip Advisor scoure and itinerary-building has inevitably led to hours spent Pinterest-scrolling finding photographs which I'll spend the next few weeks day-dreaming about..

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2 Nov 2016

Notes on Sleep

Since leaving home and going to university, sleeping has become more of a battle and less of a given; often erratic and occasionally non-existent until about 5am. A variety of factors has contributed to this and it comes in waves; sleeping is undoubtedly habitual for me. The main circumstances that hinder sleep are staying at somewhere other than my house, or the night before something out of routine (travelling the next day, an interview, an irregularly early start..). Combine this with late-nights over the weekend and you have a prominent lack of zzz's that can seriously affect morale. I think this is probably quite common and I'm far from an insomniac, but sleepless nights are becoming more of a regularity than I care for so naturally, I've started to develop remedies the next day, aside from the obvious (coffee, water and sugar in abundance)..

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