Obligatory 'What I Got For Christmas' Post

I've really enjoyed reading about what everyone has received for Christmas so I thought I could do the same.  I also tried to do some sale shopping this year for the first time but I wasn't very impressed.  Maybe I'll do better next year :')

Illamasqua Blush in S.O.P.H.I.E.

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

Me To You lip balm

Stitch Iphone Case (SO adorable but also HUGE.  He gets a lot of attention though!)

Ninja Russian Dolls!

Lady Gaga Fame Perfume and Shower Gel.  I'm not a fan of Gaga but I tried this in Boots a while ago and loved it.  The shower gel is black as well which made me grossed out at first but I'm over it now.

Tutti-Frutti Jelly Belly Candle (smells amazingly sweet, I'm in love)
A tealight holder from Ikea.

A Ralph Lauren Shirt with scenes of horses and dogs all over it.  I don't support hunting but the print is beautiful.  My favourite bit is right in the middle where some dogs are swimming through a river :)

I went to Zara for the first time and spotted this amazing dinosaur print jumper.  There were only 2 left so I snapped one up pretty quick!  It's really big, comfy and soft so obviously I'm in love.  It was £19.99 which is more than I'm used to spending on a jumper, but the quality is great so I'm not complaining.

I also received a beautiful pocket mirror which I'm saving for another post as it deserves its own one.  I hope you guys all had a wonderful Christmas!  If you've written any 'What I Got For Christmas' posts I'd love to read them :D

1 More Sleep To Go

It's finally Christmas Eve and I can't believe how quickly December has flown by!  I haven't seen many Christmas decorations up this year but there are some beautiful ones dotted about.

My parents are away (coming home late tonight though!) so my brother and I had to get up really early this morning to get all the food we'll need for tomorrow.  The supermarket was quite busy but everyone was cheery (minus one moody shop assistant who wouldn't help me find satsumas, but we'll ignore him).  I love how much happier everyone is at Christmas.  I find people are just nicer in general and more willing to help you as well.

Anyway I hope you're all having a great time wherever you are and whatever you do :)  I'm spending the day tidying and watching movies on TV.  Fun times!

Today Is A Gift, That's Why It's Called The Present

As promised here is a blog post about my birthday presents from friends and family :)

 A gorgeous squirrel print blouse from Cath Kidston.

A pair of Dr. Martens Triumph boots.  They have ribbons instead of plain laces and the sides can be folded down to show the patterned lining inside.  I've worn them twice and they're incredibly comfy.  I thought I'd need to walk them in like my last pair (which shredded my feet) but so far my feet are pain-free!

 Some Avon and Body Shop goodies!

My friend bought me an amazing dinosaur print pencil case and an adorable dog brooch from Cath Kidston :D

My brother bought me the special edition of Dishonored.  It's a game I've been really looking forward to and it has won plenty of awards.  This edition comes with a tarot card deck which I haven't looked at yet in case there are spoilers!

I also got this amazing lego Gandalf keyring!  I'm thinking of hanging it in my car somehow as he's so awesome :D

Of Cake And Hobbits

It was my 21st birthday on Monday and my parents bought me the most amazing cake from Patisserie Valerie.  It tastes amazing and there's not much left now as my whole family loves it!  I got to write my own personal message which was a lovely touch and the woman who served us couldn't help but comment on the smiley face.  

I'm going to dedicate another blog post to my presents as I got some awesome ones (*cough*CathKidston*cough*) that I'd love to share with you guys!  I was also really impressed with The Hobbit when I saw it and can't wait for the next 2 movies.  There are some bits which were never in the book which confused me but they must have been added to make the film longer.  I'm not sure how I feel about Jackson splitting the book into 3 parts as they managed to fit Frodo's huge story into 3 movies, and The Hobbit isn't a very long book!  If you've seen the movie as well I'd love to hear your opinions :)

Lastly I want to mention how incredibly happy I am with my new blog header!  I commissioned an artist called Kasey Gifford and she did an amazing job at illustrating my wolf Whimsy.  She has her own website if you'd like to see more of her work.

Winter

Winter is finally settling in and I'm still getting used to all the changes.  Jack Frost now visits every night so I have to tackle Gandalf's windscreen with an ice scraper every morning. Gloves and a cute bobble hat are a must and my Dr. Martens are practically glued to my feet.  D and I exhale warm smoky puffs of air every morning and pretend we're dragons.  Sea mist creeps across the land in the morning but Winter also provides some beautiful sunsets that remind me that one day it will be warm again.

I'm never sure if I love Winter as much as other seasons, but it sure is magical.

I couldn't resist photographing Gandalf in the mist.  I've never really been interested in cars but I'm so attached to him.  

One For Sorrow, Two For Joy

I've finally finished my university projects and have time to do some blogging again.  It's been a very difficult term for me and I'm so glad it's over.  I overworked myself to the point where I wasn't looking after myself properly and spent most of my time sat in front of my computer.  

 My birthday trip to Ikea was successful and my favourite addition is a new desk.  It's huge and I bought some red legs for it to match my bedroom walls.  I changed my whole room around and it felt a bit weird at first, almost as if it wasn't really my room.  I've managed to settle in now though and D and I are slowly finding everything a home.

 Some of my little purchases over the last couple of months.  I desperately wanted some washi tape after seeing Katie blog about them.  I'm going to use it to wrap some Christmas presents.  The cat paperweight is from a charity shop I used to volunteer in and it has been really useful for all the big art books I've been reading.  The quirky pot I store my makeup brushes in is from Paperchase and was only £2.50.

 D bought me a dress to wear on my birthday and I'm in love with it.  I couldn't decide between this one and a burgundy velvet skater dress.  When this one arrived we discovered it was velvet too!  I tried it on straight away and it fits perfectly.  I'm going to wear it the day before my birthday as I'm having a little party with my friends and we're going to see The Hobbit (I'm actually so excited as I'm a big Tolkien fan ♥ My phone, car, kindle, xbox and PC are all named after Lord of the Rings characters).  Anyway the dress only cost £19.99 and I just tried to find it on their website but it's not on there anymore :(

I've decided that I really want to get back into photography again.  I have a Sony Alpha 350 DSLR and it's an amazing camera that I don't use enough!  I found this free '31 Days to a Better Photo' course and I'm determined to read and do all of it so that I can improve.