#Blogmas 2: Wrapping up for Christmas

 As Christmas approaching we are all rushing out to the shops to buy our friends and loved ones presents in the hope they are going to love them and have the best day full of laughter and happiness. One thing a lot of people forget is the wrapping of the gifts. Frantically searching in WHSmith and the like to find bargain wrapping paper in any assortment of colours and patterns, just to make sure your presents are kept a surprise for the big day.

 Now I'm an odd ball when it comes to this as wrapping is a big thing for me. I'm a designer, so of course I'm going to take pride in the design of the wrapping of the present as I feel it is just as important as having a wonderful gift on the inside. I'm a little bit of a control freak I know, I'm working on it.

Now this year I have gone for a different look to my presents! I was going to do the whole brown paper thing as I found some great double sided rolls in IKEA but on my second trip to the store in two weeks I found all these beauties. Paper, tags and ribbons all in gorgeous pastel hues with hints of copper! Its a Pinterest lovers dream and not too expensive either.

I LOVE how it all comes together with accents of different colours. All ice cold and wintery with a Swedish twist on them. The rolls of paper also came with a similar monochrome pattern too so that will be for the boys of the family.

 I then saw some mini glass baubles in Paperchase and decided they would go perfect with my theme. Perfectly complimenting the colours of the papers and tags where that touch of Christmas is needed. I think the whole styling of my wrapping this year has really come together and I couldn't be happier. Keep an eye on my social media for the final display of all the presents once they are wrapped. I can't remember where the heart pegs were from but I have a feeling I found them also in Paperchase last year.

I hope you have enjoyed day two of Blogmas and to see how I will be wrapping my presents this year. If you want to get your hands on any of this I would suggest going to the stores to buy it as there is always a lot more to offer than the websites at this time of year.

I will be putting together a Pinterest board here of some more inspiration for you incase this style isn't for you. Enjoy wrapping! It can be really fun and satisfying when the person receiving the gift is just as excited about it as you are.

Leave any comments below of things you would like to see this Blogmas
Love Khrissie xx

Blogmas #1: Christmas has arrived!

 I was thinking about stopping my blog for a bit and starting fresh in the new year. I've been ill with kidney stones and not feeling myself. It is the first of December as it is unlike me to not be in the spirit already, all day being a right moner until on my way home as I was passing through Waterloo station in London. They has a brass band that was playing Christmas songs, and that was it! I officially started to get excited and decided to try and blog everyday this month.

Its going to be posts of 24 things I am loving each day in the lead up until Christmas. I'm going to wing it and post on the day every day so I am really living in the moment...so here it goes!

Day 1 and it is time to put up the tree and some little decorations! Now this is something I will always do, even if I am doing it on my own because I really just enjoy it! The designer eye in me is never 100% satisfied with the outcome but I never will be.

One thing me and Nick have decided to do each year is buy a new tree decoration which symbolises us and this year, its a gooden.....

I mean how amazing is this! A pizza! Who ever thought of this is a genious and I love him/her a lot! Its from Paperchase by the way and you cant get it online so pop to your nearest store quick, its a keeper! Me and Nick do order quite a few dominos through the month, mainly Nick I would admit as I do prefer a stone baked pizza but our love for it is the same, non the less. So this is the year that we bonded over pizza! Sounds made but food is the key to a mans heart.

This was our decoration from last year. Love birds moving into their new home together! Plus it went with our white, silver and mint green theme of the year. This years has broken that but it will be nice over the years to collect decorations that mean something to us!

These are a few other bits I have around the living room. The snow globe is from when my friends went to New York and I have kept it ever since as I dream of going there, especially at Christmas.

Those crackled glasses are for candles. The burner is from Yankee Candles and the smaller one from ASDA, both using Christmas scent. The smaller glass has my candle in from my advent calendar today. Yankee 'Icicles' and it smells divine! Fresh but warming at the same time, that feeling you get when you catch the cold breeze of winter as your sitting indoors with a hot chocolate and a blanket. You can actually buy the Yankee Candle advent here for 50% off.

The last is a mint green and gold stag I got from Paperchase and I just love it! I love a woodland themed christmas and the white tree behind it really finishes it off nicely.

I hope you have had a wonderful first day of Christmas, enjoy your sleep and I'll see you tomorrow for more Christmas fun!!

Love Khrissie xxx

Ideas: A Lazy Weekend

So there is nothing better than having your days off at the end of the week to enjoy yourself, relax, indulge and experience new things. I see as Fridays and Saturdays as my days for getting out of the house and doing fun things and Sundays as my relaxed day. Lately my Saturdays have been my chilled day as I haven't been feeling too good and so when it gets to Sunday I feel like I need to do something.

Dont get me wrong, its still a chilled out day but sometimes I just can't handle sitting around all day as I feel like I'm wasting my life away, so I've put a list together of little things you can do on your day off that make it a little bit more interesting.

1/ Making snacks ready for a film or a TV marathon
So sometimes there is nothing better than getting cosy in your dressing gown and sitting down with some treats to watch a film or catching up on your favourite shows. Instead of buying in some snacks full of bad things why not make your own? This will help you accomplish something in the day and also help to improve your cooking skills.

Now I'm a little addicted to popcorn at the moment and it can be such a simple thing to make. Buy some popcorn kernels, add half a cup to a saucepan with some coconut oil or butter, put a lid on and watch them pop away. All you need to do it make sure you shake the pot now and then so non of them get stuck to the bottom and add your flavourings. You can just add sugar and a pinch of salt or if your feeling extra naughty drizzle some chocolate over the top! yum!

Another thing that is really easy to make are cookies! I always whip these up on random occasions as they take less than 20 minutes and taste a lot better than the ones you find in the supermarket. You can try my 'Chocolate Tea' flavoured ones here or just change the recipe and miss out the tea leaves and mix in chocolate chunks instead or if your feeling health conscious you can try this 'Coconut Tart'

Tea flavoured cookies dipped in chocolate 

Gluten-Free coconut bites (tart)

2/ Yoga
I've done yoga here and there over the past few years but I haven't really stuck to it but when I do take part in a class or follow a yoga video I feel so much better in myself. Yoga helps you to reflect on the positives in your life and get rid of all the negative vibes that are dragging you down. Its also a form of exercise which releases good endorphins which will make you feel better anyway.

So in the comfort of your own home grab a mat or blanket, turn on youtube and either follow a session from your laptop or connect it to your TV with a HDMI cable. No one will have to judge you but you will feel much better for it when you are finished.

3/ Plan a weekend away with your loved ones
So todays the day when you really don't want to do anything so why not take the time to plan a little break away? Everyone needs some 'me' time or just a moment to get away from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy what is around you. I done this the other weekend and now I have something to plan and look forward to.

Me and Nick have planned a 2 day getaway in Graffham, West Sussex in a cute little flat that we found on Air BnB. Its set in a little town where we can go for walks, have lunches at a local pub and enjoy the quiet life of the countryside. Its going to be a great time for us to spend some quality time together and really enjoy each other company without worries about the daily chores we need to get done. There are hundreds of places on Air BnB you can check out and you can get a lot of them for a great price and in locations that hotels dont offer you.

Source: Air BnB 

I am already dreaming of staying in a log cabin in the heart of Scotland where there is a hot tub and beautiful scenery around us, I mean, how dreamy does that sound? So grab a notebook and start a Whats App group and get your next trip planned. It doesn't have to be expensive like a holiday abroad but you can have just as much fun because its about the company you keep, not where you keep it.

4/ Write a letter
The world we are living in right now is becoming more of a digital one as the months go by. Gone are the days when we need to make a effort to talk to someone by either travelling to their house for a catchup or writing a letter and telling them about your day, all it takes is a quick facebook message or a text and thats it. The only thing with this is that the communication is short and sweet and not really meaningful.

Now we all love a bit of stationary and what better excuse than to buy your own writing set? There are lots of beautiful ones out there so head down to your nearest Paperchase or purchase one online and get writing! Here are a few of my favourites:

Source: Paperchase Art Deco Set (left) & Paperchase Parisian Set (right)

Source: Etsy Writing kit with box

 5/ Go to a Car Boot

If your a pinterest fanatic like most of us then you are going to love a good car boot sale. There are always little gems hidden away which would make the perfect DIY project. Buy an unwanted chair or bedside table, sand it down and re paint it. Spray an old ornament or lamp stand copper. All done for pennies but way more satisfying than finding something triple the price in a shop. 

Give your area a good google for some car boots and head down one weekend. You will be surprised what you can find when you have a good nose around. 

I hope you have enjoyed this post and I have inspired you to do something different with your day!

I will add a few more things when I get the time so watch this space. 

Enjoy your lazy day no matter what you do.

Love Khrissie x