Happy New Year!

Normally I would have made a long list of New Years resolutions by now. But this year, for the first time ever, I haven't come up with one single thing I want to resolve come tomorrow morning. I know that the next few months with a new tiny baby are not going to be the best time to be banning myself from treats; So trying to do a hardcore detox or running fifty miles by 6am every morning is beyond pointless

If anything, I'm going to try and do less this year. Slow down and stop trying to cram a million different things into my day. Stop planning. Maybe I could even learn to meditate...

I hope you have the happiest 2012

xxx

Chanel's Indian Dream

I dont think i've ever seen a more beautiful fashion show. It's making me re-think our Christmas table decorations in a major way. The Galerie Courbe in the Grand Palais in Paris was transformed last week, into the most beautiful, Indian inspired banquet setting to show Chanel's new Metier's D'Art Collection.

Photos by Oliva Da Costa courtesy of pleasemagazine.com

In another life I would love to be a florist. My brother Tom's girlfriend was staying in Wales this weekend with us and spent hours teaching us all her magic floral tricks of the trade. She works for the very gorgeous florist Moyses Stevens so we couldn't have been in better hands. I've even spent the past two nights wiring fir cones and hydrangeas in my sleep.

This is the wreath that is currently jazzing up our front door.

Last Minute Shop Up

Not for the first time in my life, I'm kicking myself for being such a keano. I've just switched on my laptop to be greeted with email after email from shops inviting me to check out their newly opened sales.

This in fact is when the early bird has definitely not caught the worm at all. If I'd managed to be slightly more laid back, a little more patient, I could have saved myself a fortune. And then, with those savings got myself something gorgeous too - for free. (technically)

So if you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet, well done you. You should be feeling rather smug right now.

My best finds so far are on mywardrobe.com and asos - mostly jewels and accessories seeing as I'm not going to be able to get into a lot of clothes for a while...

Smythson Ipad two cover. Was £325 now £227

Assya London Charm bracelet.

Was £165 and now £115

Day Birger flecked cardy jacket

Was £199 now £139

all the above are from mywardrobe.com

Jo Gordon lace scarf.

Was £130 and now £78 on asos

Sheepskin cossack hat

Was £50 and now £27

asos

YSL stingray effect ring

Was £180 now a bargain £108

matchesfashion.com

www.mywardrobe.com

www.asos.com

www.harrods.com

www.matchesfashion.com

Comfort and Joy

I am now officially on holiday. We are in Wales having fake Christmas before real Christmas next week at home and I'm doing as little as humanly possible. I'm even managing to read a book. This might sound extraordinary but I haven't had the energy or enough concentration to pick one up since the Cub's arrival two years ago. I was given India Knight's 'Comfort and Joy' last year and have been saving it up to read this Christmas - seeing as it's all about Christmas. It is absolutely hilarious - the perfect easy, festive read and I'm already despairing about finishing it..

Wrap it Up

I've nearly finished all my Christmas shopping and as I'm meant to be resting, I'm going to make the wrapping especially beautiful this year. I've even bought wrapping paper for the first time rather than my usual recycling. I want them to look almost too pretty to open and have got lots of buttons, ribbons, washi tape, pompoms and embroidery thread all ready and waiting to get crafty..

Tree Time

I'm not quite sure what planet I'm on at the moment. I've been looking forward to this moment for probably a year. And now it's here. I have finished my book. All the writing and all the shooting - done.

I haven't really been quite sure what to do with myself today. I've been so manic for the past few months and used to frantically grabbing any free second I could find to write my copy, plan the shoot, choose fonts etc that I've completely forgotten how to not be busy.

I obviously couldn't go full on cold turkey with nothing to do straight away and so have the got builders back again this week. The Cub thinks that Luca the painter, or Oooooca, as he calls him - is the best thing since sliced bread and has decided to make himself his right hand man. I left for five minutes to do the coffee run this morning and returned to find my small Cub masquerading as a small blue Smurf; head to to in blue paint. In his mouth, his hair, all over his clothes. Not a millimetre left untouched.

Hosing him down kept me busy for at least an hour. The rest of my two hour lunch break was spent ordering the Christmas tree. Much harder than it sounds but I finally tracked one down and it's being delivered by a company called the Good Elf, for free, tomorrow...

So the rest of this week is going to be spent decking the house with boughs of Holly, making festive wreaths and trying to decide if eighty chipolatas - the most important part of Christmas - is going to be enough or not....

All I Want For Christmas..

I am so happy that it's finally December. I've been feeling very Christmasy this year and cant wait to turn the house into one big sparkly nest. The Christmas tree is coming next week and I've been collecting so many beautiful baubles, I'm hoping it's going to be nothing short of visionary.

Until that Cub gets his hands on it.

As usual I've been compiling present lists since July. So far this is what I'm hoping for..

1.

Top top top of my list is a month long holiday. Somewhere preferably sun and sea based.

2.

A jewel encrusted Mulberry bag

3.

A Woolrich parka. I've wanted for one for years and was so close to buying a red tartan one last year from the Bluebird. Navy's probably a better colour choice though.

4.

A vintage striped Balenciaga motorcycle bag. I've been desperate for one ever since Nicole Richie was swinging one around a few years ago.

5.

Starry Barnaby Gates wallpaper

6.

We are in desperate need of lamps. I'm loving these two below, both from Graham and Green.

7.

Anything and everything from Indian antiques heaven, Opium.

8.

A years subscription to Not Another Bill

9.

Hattie Rickards's Octo Ring.

10.

An Odd Rocker.

11.

Chinti and Parker cashmere starry jumper. Or anything from Chinti and Parker.

12.

Some more Stella days of the week pants. My current Tuesday and Saturdays have seen better days.

13.

Some Tribal rugs from Odd

14.

Jasmine Pebble soap from Bamford.

15.

I cant think of anything better than chucking out all my make up and starting again. This Bobbi Brown trunk full of their all their prods would make me the happiest person on the planet.

16.

My stationary supplies are dwindling and I love these flamingo fanices from Singapore's Ribbons and Roses.

16.

A heavenly fairy from Magpie and the Wardrobe for the top of our tree.