Last Minute Christmas Ideas

One of the best bits of Christmas is getting your home ready for family, friends and admirers.  Priorities for me include fairy lights - tonnes of them - candles, flowers and sparkle.  Jam jars and a mixture of old glass tumblers are brilliant for tea lights.  My sister, who is hosting, and I have had our decorating committee meeting and we're all set for a fabulous break.  I hope the below gives you some more last minute ideas. 

We always drink Kir Royale at Christmas.  I'm also going to try and introduce hot cider with vodka this year, which I drank on a magical rooftop in New York and have wanted to recreate ever since.

I thought this cake was genius and SO simple.  

Just pipe chocolate roughly into little tree shapes, wait to dry and place around a snowy white cake.

For me, the best of wreaths are made with flowers over holly and pine.  

This blend of lime, moss, white and silver is gorgeous.

Green and clear bottles are also great for foliage or candles.

Sweets piled high look great on top of cakes or in little jars.

I love how the fairy lights in this photo even twine round the bicycle. 

Candy cakes dotted around the house is great for children (sorry, AND adults)

London at Christmas - incredible.

Every boxing day I make a ginger bread house with my nephew Max - a great thing to 

keep children relatively quiet for an hour or two.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! xxxx

Imagery - pinterest

10 Of The Best - Makeup Bags

It's finally happened.  My old faithful Prada makeup bag, bought for me years ago by my sister and her husband, has decided to give up hope.  The zip is bust and I'm in the market for a new one.  And so the hunt commenced and here are my top ten.

Mulberry

(this is my number one because the padlock is a pencil sharpener - practical perfection)

Anya Hindmarch at.net-a-porter

Topshop

Aspinal of London

Marc by Marc Jacobs

John Lewis

Mulberry

Stella McCartney

notonthehighstreet.com

Flamingo Gifts

Auld Lang Syne

For me, the only thing to do on New Years Eve is attend a brilliant, mammoth house party.  No overpriced tickets, no rammed tubes, no drunken horrendous crowds.  But if you're heading to a house and the dress code is far from cocktail dresses what do you wear?  I've gathered together some looks for the biggest party of the year.  'Cause when else can you wear skin tight, latex, metallic blue leggings?

The Leggings

These beauties courtesy of Topshop (who else?) are not for the faint hearted.  They are the party piece for pure unadulterated DANCE.  I've teamed it with a men's Beyonce T, always nice to pay homage to an icon, and the touches of yellow make everything pop.  Go on, you know you want to.

Disco Pants - Topshop

Beyonce T - Circlemenswear.com

Heels - Zara

Nail Varnish - Nars

Black Necklace - Zara

Yellow Necklace - Etsy.com

The Sparkly Dress
A dazzling dress can be paired down with some uber cool day wear.  A military jacket will toughen things up and these leopard print plimsols are a great injection of fun.  Complete with scarlet touches of makeup.

Parka - Chicnova.com

Dress - Lavish Alice

Plimsols - Vans at Nelly.com

Nail Varnish - Chanel

Lipstick - Estee Lauder

Mascara - Maybelline

The Hot Pants

Spangly hot pants, with a tiara.  I don't need to explain this.

Body - Topshop

Shorts - Motel at Topshop

Tights - Wolford

Camo Parka - The Ragged Priest at Topshop

Studded Boots - Topshop

Tiara - ASOS

Nail Varnish - Boohoo.com

  

The Skirt

Fluttery feathers look great in small doses, when given a masculine edge.  

This Topshop skirt is teamed with a ripped band vest and door knocker earrings.  

Feather skirt - Topshop

Tights - Wolford

Vest - Jades24.com

Boots - Zara

Earrings - Kenneth Jay Lane

The Shirt

This 'trophy' shirt is sinfully sheer (wear a lace or structured black body underneath) 

and smattered with little beaded medallions.  It shouldn't work.  But it does.  

Team with equally bejewelled shorts and keep the rest simple.

Shirt - Miss Selfridge

Shorts - Miss Selfridge

Tights - Wolford

Shoes - Zara

Nail Varnish - Revlon

The Slogan Jumper

I LOVE this Lazy Oaf sweater (especially as the big night is on a Monday this year) 

and these shorts have just a touch of metallic thread to make it New Years appropriate.  

Throw on a MEGA statement necklace.  This my fairy tale one from Mawi.

Shorts - Topshop

Men's Sweatshirt - Lazy Oaf

Necklace - Mawi

Shoes - H&M

Eyeliner - MAC

Nail VArnish - Nars

The Sequin Jacket

This is SERIOUS sparkle from the creators at Reiss and looks incredible teamed with little denim cut offs.  I'm imagining a ring finger manicure - a vivid dose of turquoise with one finger topped with gold.

Sequin Jacket - Reiss

Denim Cut Offs - New Look

Tights - Wolford

Boots - H&M

Nail Varnish - both Topshop

And the countdown begins....

It's a Wrap

Ok, I'm officially excited.  I've been at my sister's this weekend warming myself by the roaring fire, painting snow men to Christmas music with my niece Amelia, and being woken by her in the mornings at 7am wanting to watch Disney films.  Cookies were made, Strictly Come Dancing was watched and presents were wrapped.  As always I shun wrapping paper and opt for brown.  It looks great with string or silk ribbon.  Here are some ideas for making presents look gorgeous.

Imagery - pinterest