The Christmas Tag: 2014

Hello!

"I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one"

With this week being jam packed with festive cheer, how could we not do the 2014 Christmas tag? Although not tagged by anyone in particular, I first read it from milkbubbletea.com and wanted to do it too! (see if you're tagged at the end). Let's get into it.. or should I say 'Let the sleigh bells ring' (okay, dead joke, I'm sorry!).

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

How could one surpass Christmas without watching the iconic 'Home Alone'. My mummy loves that movie and we watch it every year. My fav bit is seeing the beautiful New York Christmas tree being lit up (Home Alone 2, I think it's in!) - oh, and that awesome toy store!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Well, we have a tradition of opening the presents with my mum's sisters children (ie. my cousins), so it's either on Christmas Day or the 26th, depending on when we're all free. However, this year one of my cousins is going on holiday on the 25th , so we'll probably do it on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day... no set day, really - just a tradition to do it together. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Every year our family get together at various houses on different nights and have 'cards night'. This is where we get together at around 7pm and play cards, watch movies and just chill until 3-4am in the morning. One year (think it was 2012), we were at my aunt's house for cards night on Christmas Day, and my two cousins and I stayed up until 6am and went straight to the boxing day sales. It was manic, with queuing for 3hours in the freezing cold, getting inside the stores and shopping like crazy and finally getting home at around 11am in the morning. We all slept like babies that day and didn't get up until about 5pm, and had another cards night at another uncles house at 7pm - it was super tiring yet fun at the same time. Definitely a crazy experience, but one of my favourites.

"spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights!"

4. Favourite festive food?

Biscuits! My mummy and I bake during the holidays and make our traditional biscuits. Everyone loves them and it's fun spending quality time with my mum!

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

Generally, Santa never surprised me. I either got money or something I asked for. One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree. It was a pair of pink and white Heely's. These are basically shoes with wheels. We went out the very next day to Asda, just so I could hold on to the trolley and wheel around. Trust me, all the kids were jealous and I had the biggest smile on my face!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Spiced Apple or Vanilla... or the smell of freshly baked biscuits!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Not really, other than watching Home Alone with the family! 

"One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree"

8. What tops your tree?

 This year it's a sparkly red star!  

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one. Although I never got my puppy, Santa did buy me a robotic one which responds to your voice and walks around. There was also a sensor which means it doesn't walk into walls, and turns when it comes close to one! It was pretty awesome!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

Well, not to be typical or anything, but spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights! 

I TAG:

- Paula (Thirteen Thoughts)

- Rebecca (Rawrrbeccabeauty)

- Leah & Rachel (Beyond The Velvet)
- Monique (Writing Monique)
-Becky (Under The Sea Beauty)
- Ana (Meet Me @ 2AM)

-& YOU!

Wishing you a very happy holiday and tell me: what's the best part about Christmas for you?

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha: The Verdict

Hello!

"Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that."

Another edition of the red-cup Starbucks series, yet this time, it's not specifically a 'festive favourite', yet everyone orders it during this time of year. Though it was my first time ordering it, it'll most likely my last, and here's why:

The coffee not being as creamy as I'd like. Thanks to the Waitress member complimentary coffee, I have found a special place in my heart for cappuccinos - the frothy, milky beverage with a kick from the coffee is my go-to choice. This, being a mocha, I'd expect to have that kick, which it did, yet lacks the frothy milky-ness I am fond of. Unlike the toffee nut latte (my fav) and the gingerbread latte, this is a different kind of drink.

Where does the peppermint come in? Well, there's a hint of the mint after every sip and it makes me flinch. Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that. If you're a fan of the peppermint aftertaste, you may have a different reaction to this, but in my books, this is not one I'm a huge fan of. 

Are you a fan of the peppermint mocha? 

Advent Calendars, Candles & Furry Things: BerryWeekly

Hello!

"housed in fur comfort with the outer material being velvet - luxurious? Not one bit ;)"

I refuse to believe it's almost 2015. Saying this in every post hasn't made it seem any more real. Nonetheless, my advent calendar was an exciting addition to this lovely month of December. Although my mother bought it for me on the 5th of December, I was over the moon - getting 5 chocolates on the first day is just bliss! Fast forward 5 days and I find that all the little doors are now opened and empty, and we haven't even reached the 13th just yet... my brother was to blame! Well, it's okay, because soon after I was gifted another Chocolate Treat...

"making me even more excited for snow to fall (come on London, let it snow!)"

Alongside the advent calendar, another thing that has been making every day special is the lighting of a candle. Special, really? You may ask. Well, yes, festive candles are the best and who doesn't like an occasional whiff of spiced scent and the relaxing feeling you get from flickering candle light? However, this beauty of a candle is almost waxed-out. But fear not, I've stocked up ;)

"you can only guess my excitement when I saw these"

Speaking of cosy-ing it up, these new additions to my slipper collection have been lovely! My feet couldn't be happier being housed in fur comfort with the outer material being velvet - luxurious? Not one bit ;)

"I refuse to believe it's almost 2015. Saying this in every post hasn't made it seem any more real. "

These coconut filled lindt chocolates do make up for the loss of advent calendar chocolates. I must say, Lindt have gone all out with the snowflake, festive packaging making me even more excited for snow to fall (come on London, let it snow!). These truffles are super yummy, you can only guess my excitement when I saw these if you know how much I love things coconut (refer to this, this and this!).

Do you have an advent Calendar, and have you stuck to it?

Starbucks Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate: The Verdict

Hello!

"Topping it off with chocolate cream, honey and chocolate sauce, do I need to say that it was darn chocolate-y."

During this time of year there are a million different festive things going around, take Vlogmas, Blogmas and The Christmas Tag as some examples. Well, without really planning it, this year for BerryBloomXO seems to be the season of the Red Cups - that's right, it's the time of year for Starbucks! 

If you've heard or read about the flavours that Starbucks offers, you would know about the new Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate that is released in UK Starbucks stores. As one of the four festive drinks released, it was a must try - being a chocoholic and all, how could one resist? 

"If you're a fan of the whole 'salted caramel', 'bitter and sweet' kind of thing, this will be right up your street"

Topping it off with chocolate cream, honey and chocolate sauce, do I need to say that it was darn chocolate-y. If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, I'd say stay away. It has that bitter aftertaste you get from dark chocolate and is super rich. I'd say the drink has sort of 3 'notes' to it: first being the mild taste of milky, almond goodness, second being a sting of honey (believe me it's strong) and a final kick of the dark chocolate bitterness.

Overall, I'd say a surprising mix of flavours, one that I wouldn't opt for again, but worth a try, nonetheless. If you're a fan of the whole 'salted caramel', 'bitter and sweet' kind of thing, this will be right up your street, but for me, not my top Starbucks drink.

What's your favourite festive drink of the season (be it from Starbucks, Costa... wherever!)? 

Starbucks Gingerbread Latte - Christmas Blend: The Verdict

Hello!

"'Christmas Blend' version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it?"

It's that time of year when the red cups come to town. No, I do not mean the red cups you see used at every party in American TV shows, but the oh-so-famous festive Starbucks Coffee cups. With the new festive season comes 4 new flavours and here's where I tell you about one of them...

"I'll give you my top pick of the 4... and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1"

Not really been one that needs a daily Starbucks fix, but scoring myself a new job in London meant there's a Starbucks every 10 steps (literally). Just outside work, there's a Starbucks, the first thing that caught my eye when I went out for a breath of fresh air during lunch break. How could I not, hey? Spent an extra 20p to get the 'Christmas Blend' A.K.A. medium roast version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it? Oh yeah. The coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you. The gingerbread taste itself? Very ginger-bready. I liked it but would rather go for the toffee nut latte again - which was another one I tried the previous day (didn't I say I don't need a daily Starbucks fix?). Although I didn't get a nice enough photo of that one, I'll write a blog post the next time I get it.

"coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you."

The gingerbread latte, full on with the whipped cream and all, did do itself justice and is not a bad drink at all. However, by the end of the festive season, I'll give you my top pick of the 4 they've released and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1.

Overall, a lovely drink to have in hand if you're a huge fan of gingerbread (duh!) , but of all the festive flavours to choose from, I'd say don't get this one. However contradictory this may sound, just trust me on this!

Have you tried the festive flavours yet? What's your festive drink of choice?

Christmas Inspiration Board

Hello!

"They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, well here's 12, 000 for you! "

Sometimes it's nice to get a little push in the right direction - this is exactly what inspiration boards are for! Now that it's Christmas in 27 days, the push is needed now more than ever! 

"it's Christmas in 27 days"

From decor, nail colours, socks, chestnuts and snow... it's all in here. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, well here's 12, 000 for you! 

What makes you most excited for Christmas? 

source: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

December 2014 Calendar - FREE PRINTABLE

Hello! 

"due to the utter fact it has snowflakes... that means christmas time!"

We have arrived to that time of the month, where we can't quite believe how it's the LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR next week. That's right, you can read that again: the LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR. That means a lot of things, i.e. christmas is really soon, it's okay to finally put the tree up now, presents buying time and it may just snow right about now, but most importantly: time to get the new calendar! 

Click HERE to Download

It would be daft not to include christmas decorations in a calendar for December. I hope this colourful mix of ball balls (is that the official name of them? Don't think so...) can satisfy that feeling of festivity inside you!

Click HERE to Download

You know I mentioned that 'snow' earlier on in this post? Well, here we are again. It may just be cold enough for you to see the 'smoke' coming from your mouth every time you talk, but that doesn't mean we can't think about the beautiful white christmas that can just happen! Although the previous calendar is meant to be more festive, with it's ball balls and such, I feel like this one is more so - just due to the utter fact it has snowflakes, and to me, that means christmas time! However, if you live in Australia  I guess sun's would have been more appropriate! 

None-the-less, a pretty calendar is all you really need - wherever you are in the world!
What makes you feel festive?

Merry Christmas!

Hello!

Today is the day. This day has literally crept upon us this year, and it's time to make the most of it!
So, I hope you have an amazing day full of happiness and laughter!

source

Manicure Monday - Christmas Edition!

Hello!

Literally 2 days until Christmas Day!! Does it feel more festive-y now? I mean even on Saturday night did it feel like a normal weekend!

Anyway, so it being a Monday and having freshly painted nails obviously means it's time for a Manicure Monday! Taking advantage of the date, it had to be a Christmas-y one! I was debating on whether to write this post or not as I have written a similar one before! I had received so many compliments on that Mani, I thought I had to do it again…

So, I wasn't one for a legit nail art manicure this year, I'm more for the simple but glam ideology right now - therefore, red and gold glitter it was!

What is your Mani like for Christmas?

London City Lights - Holiday Festivities in full blast!

Hello!

Being it less than ONE WEEK before christmas, it is officially Christmas Week! Hence proving why I have let out two other Christmas Posts this week! One being some festive spirit and another being outfit ideas! Who isn't hurrying around searching for the perfect presents, admiring the beautiful scenes in town - so find the perfect outfit for the parties can be made easier with those ideas!

Anyway, so like I had just mentioned, part of the Christmas Spirit is admiring the festive spirit in town.. so with that I thought I'd share my town with you!

So, if you follow my twitter then you may have seen me mention that I went to the city one Friday night and had so much fun… so obviously I took some pictures:

This was Oxford Street! The bobbles looked so lovely and I like the way the bus is in this image! Really brings out the idea of our beautiful city of London! 

Piccadilly Circus: There's a SNOWGLOBE around the statue! What a cool idea, hey? You may have read this post where I met Nick Clegg, well, I went there then and it looks totally different! The christmas atmosphere changes a lot! 

Look at the Christmas Tree!!

 We stumbled across a Christmas Market and obviously had to have some Roasted Chestnuts! They burnt some, but it was fun none-the-less!

 Also, I had a chocolate covered apple!

As for my bedroom, I have christmas lights behind my bedstead and tinsel wrapped around it! Not shown in the picture is a snowman teddy (called Mr. Chilly, FYI) and 3 christmas candles!

 Finally, the CHRISTMAS TREE!

So tell me, how has your city decorated for Christmas, or how have you? 

Last Minute Christmas Outfit Ideas

Hello!

It being Christmas day in 1 week, the most wonderful time of the year, it means parties and gatherings and sometimes we just don't know what to wear! On Christmas Day you'll find me in my PJ's - however it's the parties around the christmas and New Years period that I dress up for!
So, to help you out and give you some inspiration for this festive season, I made 3 outfit ideas that are comfortable, cute and easy to pull off for many events!

Links for items: 1, 2, 3 

Knit Cardigans are perfect for the winter - they are snuggly, comfortable and a winter wardrobe staple! I paired that with a cute floral dress and a pair of cute heeled ankle booties which make the outfit a little more dressy yet not over the top! 

This would be great for a casual family get together or switch up the cardigan for a cute blazer for a more going out style! 

 Links for items: 1, 2, 3 

Soft sweaters are so warm, cosy and easy to wear! I also love festive leggings for Christmas time so the red leggings with snowflakes and reindeers on them - if this doesn't scream winter and christmas then I don't know what does! Also, I recently bought tan Uggs which I have been loving wearing with fluffy socks in the weekend so I thought it would work well with this outfit! My feet are always warm and I love them! 

Perfect for very casual get togethers or on Christmas day when you don't want to be worrying about the skirt you're wearing and want to be carefree! 

Links for items: 1, 2, 3 

Finally this look is more for going out to Christmas parties and restaurant invites when you're breaking up for the Christmas holidays. I love Velvet Dresses and this burgundy one looks super cute! I'd pair it with tights, black heeled booties to extend the look of your leg length and add height as well as a statement necklace to make you look even more dressy! 

Perfect for when you want to be a little more dressed up! 

So, tell me - are you one to wear Pajamas on Christmas Day (like I do) or do you dress up? 

Getting into the Xmas Spirit!

Hello!

You may have started to feel festive the day after Halloween, or maybe even the first day of fall - but now it's ALMOST CHRISTMAS!

This advert made me feel all fuzzy and festive inside and I thought I'd share it with you!

Being it the first Christmas Advert I had seen this year, it was bound to make me feel this way! Can you believe there is 8 days until Christmas day?!

What's making you feel super festive?

NOTD - Diamonds on the clouds...

Hello!

Itttt'ssss Monday - you know this calls for a Manicure Monday!
I love these posts as I love painting my nails. Okay, let's be honest here: I like it when my nails are painted - I don't like painting my nails. However, when they're painted, I feel better than when they're not painted - so painting them it is!

I felt like rocking a lighter shade as the last manicure I had were darker in colour and quite bold.

This time I went for a Champagne, nude base colour and a sparkly top coat. I used a couple of coats of both to make my nails look nicer.

I've received many compliments from people asking if they are gel nails!

The top coat is by Barry M, a jewelled glitter paint called 'Diamonds'. It's very subtle on this shade and twinkles in the light.

The nail look reminds me of snow and 'winter whites'.

I like painting them while watching something…. and that way I am patient enough to let them dry properly between coats! This makes them stay on longer, so I have to paint them less often - avoid chipping and still have painted nails… it's a win, win situation!

Oh, and Happy December!

What's the best time for you to paint your nails? 

Candle Crazy!

Hello!

I don't know if you feel the same, but candles are a slight obsession for me - I have one in practically every room and everyone that really knows me knows that they make me happy!

Being in England I haven't found the perfect place to buy candles. I mean in the US, I know there is a store called 'Bath and Body Works' which I WISH was available here!
They sell what seem like the best candles ever! Call me weird but I went onto the site and picked a few of the ones I would probably buy if I could:

Leaves is probably the most heard about candle from Bath and Body Works, especially for this time of year! People stock up for the entire year because they love this candle! Does it really smell that nice?! Let's just fly to America and smell it! This is number one on my Bath and Body Works list (okay, you caught me, I just made that list right now!)...

 I love the smell of cinnamon now - I used to hate it but nowI love it! I actually have a cinnamon and mulled wine candle (shown here) which is ALMOST finished :(

 First of all, can I just say, doesn't this look just GORGEOUS! It looks so girly and totally my style! I love the smell of vanilla too - who doesn't?! - and the rose image just tops it off - this would be #2 on my B&BW list!

This one looks pretty and like it would smell nice! You know there is no description on the website so your guess on how the candles smell are as good as mine! 

Lastly, this is a candle holder! Isn't it just the cutest thing ever!! So festive and it would look lovely! Oh, and watch out for more festive posts coming out next week on Wednesday! 

Okay, enough with my weirdness with candle obsession!

Images and products from here. At the moment you can save 45% by buying 2 of these candles!

Are you lucky enough to live near a B&BW?! 

Or if you live in England, where do you suggest a good candle place is?

Get Fall-Festive! - Room Decor

Hello!

October is most definitely among us no matter how unreal it may seem that we're already in the 10th month of the year - so that means you and I need to make our rooms more fit for the cold and cosy months! Do I sound excited through this post to you? Because I am. Believe me.

First, and foremost, the easiest and most simple thing you can do is light a candle. Okay it's not that easy - I mean you have to go out and look for and buy a candle, then come home, put it in a room then light it (gasp) BUT essentially it's a great way to make your room fall festive! This is one I recently bought and lit:

It's a mulled wine and cinnamon apple scent and makes the room smell and feel warm and luxurious! Featured in my book review here - yes I light candles and read books: pure luxury.

Another idea is things to do with Pine Cones.
You could decorate them with glitter and put them in a pretty bowl.

source: here

This is so easy to do and you can just get the pinecones for free in a local park (as long as it's permitted). For the longest time, I called these beauties ACORNS not PINECONES and it wasn't until I spent a while google-ing random words to try and find what they are called that I started calling them Pinecones - because that's what they are: Pinecones! Anyway, there's a accessible idea too!

source: here

If you don't want to decorate the pinecones (not called acorns - even though you could also collect acorns to display/decorate) then simply decorate the basket! 

source: here

source: here

Flowers are not only for summer - warm coloured flowers can be stunners for fall too! Who doesn't love a little bit of florals in their life?! If there really aren't any flowers around, even branches look lovely when displayed right! 

source: here

Adding a knit pillow will bring some cosiness to your room! 

Finally, add some pumpkin to your life. October wouldn't be October without a bit of Pumpkin!

source: here

This image is of a pumpkin covered in stocking! What a great idea! It looks so lovely! I wish England was more pumpkin-festive... not many people around here have pumpkins out during fall! 

Anyway, I hope you have a Fall-festive season and make your room as cosy as possible! 

What are your ideas for fall decor?