Christmas Jumpers

Evening all, we're actually in December, can you believe it!? I've been thinking about Christmas none stop and thought what better way to kick off Decembers posts with a selection of cute jumpers. Don't worry, it's not too late to order yours for the big day. I'm actually being paid by my work to buy a jumper to wear during my shift, can you believe it?! Anyway, I've narrowed it down to these six little cuties, read below for more (From top to bottom left to right).

Christmas Fluffy Snow Jumper £18.00 Here
This fluffy little wonder is for the more subtle taste and will go with just about everything. Pair it with some light jeans and ankle boots and you'll be the cutest thing on two legs. Plus the fluffy material will feel oh so soft on.

Millie Fairisle Knitted Jumper £19.99 Here
I think this one is my one of my favourites as it's still super cute and fairisle but will also pass for a spring jumper with the muted colours. That being said, as much as I love Christmas jumpers, only being only to wear them for a month, two tops, is slightly annoying. Especially when they're oh so cute like this lot.

Brave Soul Black Snowflake Jumper £27.99 Here
Again, a pretty plain jumper but super soft. As it's black you can jazz this up with perhaps burgundy jeans for a mixed up look. Generally, super soft jumpers make you want to stay in, watch TV and snuggle. Ideal.

Rudolf Fluffy Christmas Jumper £18.00 Here
Okay so anything with reindeer's on and you've nailed the Christmas trend. This one is adorned with sequins.  Any excuse for me to don the glitter is just fine by me. Team this with red lippy and accessories and you've nailed the Christmas spirit.

Brave Soul Cream Snowflake Jumper £27.99 Here
Oh my god. This one is my absolute favourite. Why. I just don't know. It's just so cute and fluffy and cosy looking! Ahh, I think this may be the one, BRB why I buy it in every colour.

So to be quite honest, these jumpers are cute. That's really all you can say about Christmas jumpers. Be sure to get yours in before the big day. I'll also add that Primark are said to have a lot of cuties but I couldn't link any because obviously they aren't online. Imagine if they did?! Anywho, that's the end of just a quick post from me. Let me know which one you like best, lots of love! 

Laura. 

Gift S.O.S for Her

Evening all, it's coming round to that time of year again! I came home from a long day at work to my living room decorated in all it's Christmas splendour (if you want a sneak peak look in my Instagram pictures to the left!) With all the Christmas magic around, it got me thinking about the gifts that will be under the tree. Fortunately, as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm 90% done with my gift buying but I know lots of people who haven't even started. If you fall into that category, don't fret! I've provided you will some ideas for her as I know that I generally find boys are easier to buy for (but I will do a boys only gift guide). I hope they help!

Bee Clutch Bag £45.00 Here
This little clutch is the cutest clutch bag I've ever seen and the bee theme will carry through to spring and summer. It is on the more expensive side but I tend to buy one more expensive item and lots of stocking fillers so this may be great for that. Other clutch bags are great too, anything super glittery and you've aced winter trends!

Pink Beaut Makeup Bag £6.99 Here
Us girls (and boys!) love makeup, so it stands to reason that we need to store the stash! This cute little makeup bag is simple so shouldn't offend anyone and you can also pop some goodies inside it as an added extra. If you know someone loves something in particular then you may want to get a makeup bag with that theme for that added touch.

Christina Aguilera by Night £19.50 Here
I think we're probably all aware that this perfume is my life. I absolutely wash in the stuff everyday so I can 100% vouch for it's deliciousness. This is a very deep scent (if that makes sense?) but if you know the person in question likes more floral scents try something like Marc Jacobs Daisy. Again, personalisation here is key as it's shown you've gone the extra mile.

Light Brown Wheat Pug £9.99 Here
So I don't even know what this really is but hey, everyone loves pugs! They're hilarious and look super cute doing just about anything! I assume that this little cutie is put in the microwave and acts a a hand warmer to get cosy with when it's cold. It's adorable and it warms cold fingers or toes, what more can you ask for?

Digital Gem iPhone 5 Case £16.00 Here
If you're really stuck, and I mean reallyyy stuck, a phone case is something that is reasonably fool proof. If you know their phone model and something they like, you know it's something they will use. You may not use this as the main present but may add a little extra when you want add a little more to the pile.

Red Snowman Fairisle Knitted Socks Here
I know everyone gets socks for Christmas but it's the only sock injection my collection gets throughout the year. The amount of times that I get to November and I'm in desperate need of some new ones is actually a joke! Make them more of a gift by making them festive or themed with something they like. Easy peasy!

Well that's all. Other ideas may include alcohol (Disaronno, yum!), or jewellery or an experience, get inventive! The main thing isn't the gifts, it's the fact that you've thought about another person and what will make them happy. Keep that in mind when you start to get overwhelmed. It's about more than just gifts. I hope this helps and good luck with your gift grabbing! 

Laura.

Monthly Diary: November

Good evening lovely readers, I hope this post is reaching you curled up in front of a cosy fire! I thought I would do a diary post this month as there have been some pretty big changes in my life at the minute and I find it so therapeutic to write them all in a blog post and hopefully, it's something interesting for you to read.

Around this time of year, as more and more Christmas ads creep on telly, the present buying panic starts to set in. Last year, I brought all of my presents the week running up to Christmas and it stressed me out so this year I promised I wouldn't do it again. I'm actually already sorted with everyone's presents this time around, only needing to buy a few bits for the boyfriends family, call me Miss Organised! I've already received some in the post and awaiting others and now I can't wait for the big day to see everyone's faces! Some of the things I've bought for people I really want myself, whoops.

Christmas aside, I've actually recently changed jobs too. My final shift at my local pub was last night and I was on the brink of tears all night. The people I work with are one big family, lots of annoying little brothers haha, but people I'll miss so much and would consider great friends. The shift itself was completely hectic and I was determined to work really hard and go out with a bang. We ended up staying for drinks which then ended up as a McDonald's run at 2AM, not clever but fun.

You're probably wondering after reading this why I'm leaving at all, which is something I've been asking myself. Whilst I love the job, the late hours that come with bar work make it difficult to see my friends and make any plans. They also overlap with my families jobs so I feel like I never see them despite living with them. Now, I'm joining my local Midcounties Co-operative for a higher wage and more regular hours. I also won't have to work Christmas day or till the early hours of Christmas Eve morning. That being said, i'm still sad that I'm not going to be working with the same lovely people.

Overall, I think it's a better job and I do think I'm making the right decision (finally). As for what I want to do in life, career wise, I haven't decided but it's a decision I want to take time with. There's no rush as long as there's money coming in. I'm currently working towards gaining my driving license and until then, my feet are firmly planted in the Co-Op. All I know is that there is a career for me out there and i'm going to take my time in finding it.

What about you guys, have you found that all perfect career for you? Have any advice for me? As always, let me know in the comments below! Thanks as ever for reading and have a lovely evening! 

Laura.

Birmingham German Market

Images: 3-10, 14, 15 mine, 1,2, 11, 12, & 13 from Tumblr. 

Hello all, I am happy to say that I am well and truly in the Christmas spirit. Last night, my sister and I decided on a spontaneous trip to the German Market in Birmingham. For me, It's a "must-visit" destination if your Christmas spirit is yet to make an appearance. We got wrapped up in our warmest clothes, even donning the earmuffs which have yet to make an appearance this month. In fact, part of the fun for me is the dressing warmly to avoid the cold nipping at your fingers! 

As for the German Market itself, Birmingham delivers every year. Last year I tried Apple mulled wine and absolutely hated it which is strange as I generally love 99.9% of alcohol (whoops). This year, we avoided it completely and tried the raspberry cider instead and while it did taste suspiciously like it had been watered down, it was absolutely yummy. Following that, the heavenly scent of Nutella crepes wafted over until till we could resist it no longer. So delicious but so messy! Following that, we ended up eating potato wedges with a garlic sauce which was absolutely gorgeous. As to why we had that after the sweet food I couldn't tell you. 

The stands also sported such cute little goodies. My family tree is already overflowing with decorations and so I had to resist splurging on more cute decorations. I have to be honest, following the raspberry cider, the quality of my photography had nosedived completely. So I have to be honest and tell you I've had to supplement some of my blurry images. I know right, what a lightweight! Overall, despite being freezing, it was lovely evening. After telling the boyfriend about it on the phone, I found out that he has never been. I know, completely unacceptable. So, I will be dragging him along to experience the magic all over again soon.

Have you visited a German market near you? Are you in the festive mood? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading, I love you all!

Nail Talk

Hello all, I've decided to do a post all about nails as I've taken on the challenge of growing my own! I think it's been a long time coming but something I've wanted to avoid addressing. All the women in my family have long lovely nails and recently, my sister went in to have shellac nail treatment. Naturally, I was curious to see the results. It costs just £15 pounds and is like a hard nail varnish. Much like mine, her nails are prone to breaking as she uses them 24/7 throughout her working day. Since having the treatment, her nails have grown considerably and have only broken once in the 2 months she's had them done.

I'm not one to jump on a fad without doing a wee bit of research first. So, after a few google searches, I found that Shellac is a less abrasive version of gel nails, but misses out the damaging removal process. It provides the finish of perfectly painted nails for up to a month. After a month period has ended, you'll need to get them either removed or re-done. This isn't because it will have chipped (although there is a chance they may) but usually because the growth becomes obvious so a new coat will cover it.

To cut an already long rant short, after seeing my sisters lovely claws, i'm pretty much convinced I want to go ahead and get it done. My problem is that I have been an avid wearer of false nails for the past three years and a nail biter before that so my nails are weak to say the least. But, I am sick of feeling like I have to have falsies on all the time, I want to feel more natural. There's nothing worse than being in work and having a false nail fall off mid shift and having to go looking scruffy with one nail down. I hate it and I hate running in the back to glue it back on even more. And that's another thing, nail glue. I can't stand the stuff. It gets everywhere and it's just horrible.

So, I think that settles it. False nails are out and natural nails are in. Now begins the painful process of bearing my own nails and getting them to a state where I don't want to hide them under gloves. I will be taking a photograph week by week and monitoring my process and when it's all finished, I'll post my results on what works. Until then my loves, enjoy your nails! 

Laura. 

Winter Wardrobe Wants

Evening lovely readers, I am currently patiently awaiting payday so I can inject some well needed lace and glitter into my wardrobe. And what do I do better than salivate over yet more things I don't really need, no one does it better. These little beauties are the latest bunch, the green dress and heels are going to be joining first, they're yummy! On to the rest!...

Cameo Rose Lace Trim Crop Top £12.99 Here
I love crop tops like this and have included many in lists like this before. They can be worn with high waisted trousers or midi skirts for a really awesome outfit. I would personally wear this with a leather look midi skirt to clash textures and tick both trends in one outfit. Again, I think lace is just beautiful and perfect for winter.

Navy Strappy Metalic Mini Dress £19.99 Here
Glitter is a no brainer for winter, it is the perfect excuse to go OTT. My mom and I are similar in that we go both can be quilty of going overboard on the glitter sometimes, but hey it's fun! I can picture mixing this cute little number with the cut out boot heels and the clutch, love it.

Lace Bodycon Tunic £36.00 Here
As I mentioned earlier, this dress is my ultimate fave, I don't even care about the cost because it's so delicious. I'm at the verge of buying this now and making myself broke between now and payday. I wont because that is very irresponsible, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about it... a lot.

Black Laser Cut Shoe Boots £26.00 Here 
For me, I've found that no one does nice affordable heels quite like New Look. Every year, a new black pair of booties enter my wardrobe until I wear them to death. This year, I've fell in love with these laser cut boots. I always like to wear boot heels as they go with everything and they provide much more support for the feet.

Gem Leather Box Clutch £48.00 Here
Clutch bags are like chocolate bars, you can never get enough (heh hehee).  Again, I tend to have a dozen in black and none in other colours (doh) but nonetheless, they go with absolutely everything and this little cutie is no exception. Box clutches are great for having everything all in one place but not having to lug around a massive bag. That being said, the price is a little excessive, but a girl can dream!

Black Scuba Bardot Neck Bodycon Dress £22.99 Here
Floral prints are more springtime, but have been spotted on the runways this year and creeping into winter. For me, I need no more excuse than that and this little number ticks all the boxes. It's bardot, floral and in shades perfect for winter. What is more, it will go with those lovely heels, hoorah!

Well well well, I've managed to talk my way through another post about clothes. It's getting to be quite the problem. I've practically re-vamped my whole wardrobe this month alone. Not good! I've also got some changes occuring personally, but when the details are ironed out i'll tell you all about those in a monthly diary post so keep your eyes peeled. Until next time my loves! 

Laura.

Rimmel Moisture Renew In Vintage Pink

Hello all, review time again, this time round it's for (another) lipstick. I had previously owned this lipstick in my 'non-adventurous' lip days where anything other than a nice nude sent me running for the hills. Now i'm older, and a little braver, I  decided to re-start my relationship with this little beaut.

Autumn Winter is all about dark lips. None more so than the classic plum lip. This plum, like the name suggests, is still a pink shade, but comes out quite dark on the lips. As with all Moisture Renew lipsticks they're very moisturising, which in the colder months is essential to avoid those horrid flaky lips. Overall, I really like this shade and I think it will go with all skin shades, especially paler skin tones. Pair it with winged eyeliner  and you have a classic Autumn-Winter make-up look.

As with all Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks, you can pick them up for just £6.49 Here. Unfortunately, this lip shade seems to be a little too popular as since writing this post it has completely gone out of stock on the Boots website. Alternatively, you can try it from Amazon here. Thankyou as always for reading, until next time!

Laura.