Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice….

I have a confession to make. I open presents. I just can not wait. If you give me a pressie of any description early, I’ll have it opened seconds after you leave. This year I was determined to behave & save all my gifts for the big day. That was until a mystery package arrived & I did what any girl would do; tore it open immediately. I genuinely didn’t realise it was a a Xmas present, but nevertheless I have been naughty again. 

My darling friend Jenna has clearly been reading this blog as nestled inside that package was something I really, really wanted. 

  
This pendant was made for me. Plath is one of literary heroes. I adore her words & let’s face it, these words could have been written about me.  I haven’t taken it off since it arrived. 

Once again I am reminded that my people are the best people. Thank you, Jenna. Big love. 

  

My week in pictures… 

I’ve had a rather lovely week. It’s been filled with a beach, a birthday, some beer & a burning sky. So, I thought I’d share some of the photographs I’ve snapped along the way.

Autumn is absolutely my favourite season & an out of season beach is probably my favourite place to be. So, last Friday I combined two loves & embarked on a wee road trip with my sister (& her fur baby). I am so lucky to live in Glasgow as there is so much beautiful countryside so close by. Both my sis & I both enjoy finding new, slightly less obvious places to visit & Lauren came up trumps on this trip. We headed to Ayr, but bypassed the main beach in favour of Heads of Ayr. There we found a stunning deserted beach complete with a crumbling castle perched on a cliff. Like I said I prefer a beach outside of summer, they always feel more atmospheric with wilder weather. Aside from a little map reading bickering (my skills are poor) it was a gorgeous day. 

  

I opted for low key birthday celebrations this year. Mainly because I haven’t been terribly well, but also because I’m so bloody old. I’ll be honest the numbers are getting a little scarier every year. Having said that, the actual birthdays are always a delight. I kicked off my birthday with a family lunch. My family proved once again how much they know & love me by gifting exactly the right things. They even refrained from singing when my cake came out, which I appreciated. I followed up lunch with drinks & my favourite man. We enjoyed some delicious cherry beer & a stunning sunset. No birthday would be complete without a FaceTime with my niece, my incredible little muffin sang happy birthday & told me some very imaginative stories. Finally, my best friend rounded off my day with  another spot on present. I am a very lucky girl. 

  

I’ve also had some quiet little moments with my city & myself. Here’s a little insight into what keeps me ticking over. 

  
  
To cap things off I have received some really interesting writing offers that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. I’ll keep you posted on where you can read the finished results. 

Simply having a wonderful Christmas time….

Merry Christmas!
I hope you all had a wonderful time. It’s been a bumper yultide for me & mine, loads of food, fizz, family & friends. I love the festive season & the opportunities it provides to let those you love know how much they mean to you. By the wonder of facetime I even got to watch my niece open her presents in brisbane, nothing can beat the look on her face as she discovers she’s been given all the things she’s been hoping for.

Talking of presents, I have also been a very lucky girl. My family & friends proved once again how well they know me by buying me the perfect gifts. There are a lot of ticks on my wish list & I am one happy lady.

First from my wish list was an early xmas treat from the lovely people at Bonmarche. As you know I desperately wanted something gorgeous & velvet to adorn myself in, this dress was exactly right. The midnight blue colour is so perfect, the fabric so soft & the fit oh so flattering. I felt amazing in this dress.

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I have actually never shopped at Bonmarche before, but had heard good things, about their plus size dresses in particular. After perusing their website I suspect that some of their ranges are aimed at a slighter more mature woman. Having said that I saw several dresses that I would rock and some faux fur jackets that are to die for. Considering I not only looked super sexy in this dress, but it was also as comfortable as my birthday suit, I will definitely be adding the Bonmarche website to my bookmarks.

Bonmarche also sent me some pretty accessories, which will be featuring in another excellent post incredibly soon.

Another slightly early xmas present arrived in a suspiciously shoe box shaped package. Sure enough when I tore it open nestled inside were the most beautiful shoes ever created. Someone clearly read this blog & liked the idea of having me at their beck and call. I am madly in love with these beauties. Should they ever change the law, I may well marry them.

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Irregular Choice

Last, but not least my darling sister got me this shiny & sleek clutch that she spied on my wish list. Lauren also cooked us all a delicious Christmas dinner, including the cutest dessert ever amp; clearly my little sis has been hiding her culinary skills. Now that her secret’s out she can expect me over for dinner much more often.

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Asos

All of my people gave me marvellous pressies & I appreciate every single one. However, the finest thing in my life is undoubtedly belonging to my warm, loyal & hilarious family. The fact that I’ve been able to add to that family with my magnificent friends probably makes me more fortunate than I deserve to be. So, I’ll leave you with some snaps of our Christmas because I believe this is what it’s all about.

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* disclaimer – all the fizz impaired my ability to take photographs in focus, which some special folks don’t appear. I love you all, people!*

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I have been so on top of organising Christmas this year that there hasn’t been much call for going into town or rushing around shops. Consequently I have missed all the seasonal sparkle & Christmas tunes. In the past week I have rectified that & now feel thoroughly festive.
Having seen the delights of both Glasgow & Edinburgh’s city centre I set to work on creating my own little joyeux noël. With the tree up, presents wrapped, lights festooned & glitter candles in abundance there was only one thing left to do, Christmas manicure!

This is the first of many festive nail
designs. I’m rather pleased with these, I hope you like them too.

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Edinburgh in all it’s illuminated splendour.

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Glasgow is also putting on a show.

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Last, but not least my xmassy home.

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