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.

Heaven is a place on Earth

Sitting at my desk, drinking hot tea, wondering where my thermals are, I cannot believe that 48 hours ago I was sitting on a sun bed, sipping fresh juices in Paradise - a.k.a the Maldives.

You know those pictures you see of the Maldives, impossibly white sand, crystal seas, tropical fish darting around? They are real. They haven't been altered or photo-shopped to make them look prettier. They are actually, really like that.

So for a week, our first time ever away without our cub, we sunbathed, swam, ate, bicycled and snorkeled in what I imagine heaven to be. Probably about 85% of our holiday was spent eating. The breakfast buffet is something I will dream about for a very long time. Anything you could possibly want, they had it; A patisserie section - croissants, wholemeal croissants, donuts, cakes, baby chocolate donuts (my best), banana cake. A bread station with about 12 homemade different loaves. A muesli section - I've been banned from saying 'Bircher muesli' I banged on about it so much. Every exotic fruit known to man. A sushi department , yes, for breakfast. A whole menu dedicated to all things egg related (eggs benedict for Chaz, pancakes for me) and another housing the Spa juice menu. They even had a curry area; fish curry when I wake is not at the top of my agenda but I can assure you it went down a storm with the Sri Lankan family next to us. The award for weirdest breakfast went to a Dutch lady who had a spicy fish curry with a mini chocolate donut every morning followed by vegetable noodles and job fish sashimi.