My week has been so busy that it hasn't even been a week since my last post. First of all I actually figured out how to do a screenshot on my phone, YAY! I could have found out months ago if I had spent 3 seconds looking on the net but I didn't.

The store where I work had a fire, I was off the day it happened, but my facebook page was covered in updates, Thankfully no one was hurt and the store is ok, no structural damage as the staff were all let back in, if there was damage surely no one would be allowed back into the building. I have been told that it was a bunch of kids who set fire to a car in the underground car park! little shits, I sometimes hate the youth of today. I know that not much has Changed, things like that happened when I was a child, but it does seem to happen more now. I wish I could shout 'GET A HANDLE ON YOUR BRATS!' to the parents.

Me week has consisted of decorating for Christmas, I had lots of fun doing my tree and My husband was having fun being silly in amongst all the decorations. As soon as we had found our Christmas hats, We had to try them on, hehe. I bought a Noel sign and as it came out of the box i put it up the wrong way round. I have two advent calenders this year and they are both malteaser ones, I used to always love the Cadbury, but I had one of these little babies about 3 years ago and nothing else is better now. What can I say I am 26 with 2 advent calenders, a stocking and a big grin!

I made a Sunday Roast on Thursday and bought a ankle length dress that I am using as a nightdress in this cold weather! brrr.

I also had my nieces 1st birthday party, it was the first time I has saw her as they live away. I didn't manage to snap a pic but she has the biggest bluest eyes I have ever seen on a baby, Honestly they are just startling and almost unreal! I have a meal with the family tonight and a Christmas meal at my mother in laws Church Monday evening.

I will be doing these weekly posts as up to Christmas I have lots and lots to do and places to go and people to see. busy time of the year!

When I wen to the John Lewis even I had a few goodies in my bag, All of which were stunning in their own right.

My favorite things where the teddy bear, that has quite a pudgey middle area but is super cute and very soft. I also Love the tin which had a Panettone inside - Im not a fan of it, but that just my personal taste. The tin however is simply stunning as is the little chocolate lolly!

There were also a range of decoration such as a little fur tree candle, silver and white tree ornaments, a pine cone and my other favorite item, the twig heart that is decorated in siver and white.

Since going I have spent a lot of time looking at the Christmas catalogue, and have found a number of things I have fallen in love with. A Michael Kors Watch that my friend Laura desperately wants, and I can't say that I blame her. A beutiful little Glitter raindeer decoration and a Decoupage cherry blossom and chopstick bauble, as well as a eye turning Mint Velvet lace ruffle dress to a set of Aurora Liqueur glasses. That is just the start of it, there are so many things that I would love to have and I feel that this year John Lewis has captured me and what I want, my tastes are reflected in so many things, I just need the money to make my taste come to life.

1) Cold Crisp Evenings - I love it when its dry but really cold and you walk outside. You can see your breath, the evening air hits your face and you get that tingle in you cheeks. Its something I love because it reminds me of being a child and going to see firework displays, Santa in his grotto and visiting relatives.
2) Frost - I love the way it sparkles on everything, Okay I despise having to clean frost off my car and I hate falling on the floor, but it makes the world look pretty and fresh, It makes the world glitter and wink and feel like anything is possible.
3) Snow - I mostly love snow first thing in the morning, when no one has walked in it, the world is a white fuzzy cotton ball and it sounds so quiet and calm, the blanketed white of everything is so bright and powerful that it wipes away any dreary colors of greys and blacks and makes everything uniform. I find I am more relaxed in the snow and I enjoy throwing snowballs at my husband!
4) The Dark - The fact that the evening are darker for longer is lovely, it makes you appreciate the daylight. More than that it means that Christmas is on its way.
5) November - I love this month as its the gear up to Christmas in stores, you start to see Christmas decorations and towns/cities turn on their Christmas light and decorations. There is a real spirit in the air in November and I love seeing the lights twinkle in the cold air.

6) Wrapping - It may sound strange but I hate the actual wrapping of presents, but I love the final outcome. I love looking at something wrapped and knowing what is in it but that the intended recipient will have a nice surprise. I love to give,
7) Layering - The cold comes and you start to put on layers, I tend to wear legging and knee length socks under my jeans/trousers. I normally wear a vest top, a long sleeve top and a jumper plus my knee length coat. I also wear a scarf, hat and gloves. this comes back to cold evenings as there is nothing better than piling on the layer and leaving your house and staying warm, but also after being out for hours the reverse it true. Coming in from the cold and feeling the warm air hit you and removing your layers.
8) Decorations - as mentioned in #5 - November, I love the decorations in towns and cities, I also love putting up my own. Buying some new ones every year, adding to the original, spending a good evening deciding the best place for things to go. I also love looking at other peoples decorations, seeing what they like and the effort they have made.
9) Candles - I love to burn candles all year round, but in the winter, during the darker nights, candles take on a life of their own. They are much more warming and homely, they invite you in and make you feel warmer just by looking at them. Maybe its just a left over caveman instinct, but I love to light a candle or 3 in the evening to bring that soft glow to my life.
10) Christmas - Yes, I love Christmas, I have not grown up. My husband and I do a stocking for each other. We wake up (well I say wake up, we normally barely sleep no more than 3 hours on xmas eve) open our stockings. Then while we fully wake up, he puts the kettle on and makes a cup of chocolate. we then open all the other presents. I love it all, cooking dinner, feeling stuffed after overeating, watching tv/dvds, staying in all day and just the whole day.
Our Christmas this year will be a little strange as my husband has to work on Christmas Day, so we are going to do the dinner on boxing day. We will still make the most of it.

I wouldn't say I was tagged in this, more I found it on my friends website and as I love Christmas I felt I had to do it. I invite anyone who reads this to do the tag yourself. Tags are fun and give you a chance to tell others about yourself.

1: What item of clothing do you love to wear in winter but wouldn't be seen wearing in public?
TBH since i moved into my little flat I had to throw away a lot of stuff as there was no space, so pretty much all of my clothes are decent, the only things i love to wear in winter, but would never ever ever wear them outside (not even to take out the rubbish) is my dressing gown which is big, fluffy, white and oh so cosy, and a pair of slippers that are shaped like Eeyore, as I am a huge child in the confines of my home.

2: Most wanted item for autumn/winter?
I have managed to aquire all I need for the winter, but I would love this coat from littlewoods, I have drooled over it since I first saw it. I have only just bought a winter coat similar (and cheaper) to this, but this one is a lot nicer.

3: Favourite boots to wear in the winter?
I dont really own any boot, I used to but as I got bigger my calfs got fatter and now I can only really wear ankle boots. But in general I prefer flat or small heeled boots.

4: Are you a fan of UGG boots?
No, I do not like them at all and do not understand the craze with them, but then again, each to their own!

5: It's snowing/raining outside, what are you favourite wellies to wear?
I only have one pair of wellies, they are black ankle ones that have a red ribbon tied into a bow at the top, I have yet to wear them as last winter was quite mild, however I'm expecting to use them this year with the supposed arctic weather we are due to have.

6: What is your favourite autumn trend?
I love the difference in style, hems go down, boots go up and scarfs become a statement piece. Plus as the party season approaches sparkles become much more fashionable and I love to wear sequined pieces.

7: What is your typical winter day consisting of?
Hiding away from the cold, but loving it at the same time. having hot drinks and planning to wrap up if you do leave the house.

8: Cup of tea, hot chocolate, or coffee?
I like all three, but it is really more dependent on my mood as to which I prefer. A cup of tea is normally what starts me off, Coffee I tend to drink while I'm out or if I need a pick me up, and hot chocolate is what I drink if I need to be hugged! I especially love the options hot chocolate and all their flavors, the hazelnut is the best.

9: Do you like or dislike that it's starting to get dark?
I kind of love it, the days seem longer and you can tell that Christmas is on the way, after Christmas is over I don't like it then.

10: Christmas is coming, do you have any idea of what you want?
I want everything and nothing, I have seen so much make-up I want this year, lots of different perfumes, not to mention id love a new TV or ipad, but as everyone is pretty skint this year including myself, my want list is a lot simple, a few dvds some new slippers. I'm just happy that I can buy people things and I don't care if I only get token gifts, because I love to give.

Q.   What’s your favorite thing about Christmas?
all of it, From the smells to the anticipation, to the cheesy films and bad music, Its just that time of the year that makes me feel in a good mood no matter what. Childhood memories of opening giant presents and playing for hours. Its all so lovely!

Q.   What’s your favorite makeup look for the festive season?
If I have said it before and you've read it I'm sorry, but glitter, I love glittery lip sticks and lip glosses and glitter on the eyes, I especially love gold eye shadows and making your make up fun and festive.

Q.   Real tree or fake tree?
I love the smell of a real tree, there is nothing like it. However I do not have the money to pay £60+ every year for a tree. Plus with the small space in our flat, real ones are generally far to fat to fit in the small space we have for it. Unfortunately I have to say fake, Just because it cheaper (mine is pre-lit and cost £20) and lasts longer.

Q.   Giving presents or receiving presents?
I love to give more than to receive, don't get me wrong I'm not adversed to receiving, but I love to give as much as I can, I will pile presents to my friends and family and spend way more than any original set limit, just because I love them to open them up and enjoy what they have got.

Q.   Do you open your presents Christmas morning or evening?
Christmas morning! I have always had one present on Christmas eve (something my parents allowed me to do) but the morning is when I always had them. I still get up pretty early to open them, though not 6am like when I was a child, normally around 8.

Q.   Handmade Christmas cards or bought?
I'd love to do handmade cards but I have neither the time nor the artistic talent to do so, so its normally store bought from me, though I do spend quite a while picking out everybody's cards and making sure its individual the them.

Q.   What’s your favorite Christmas film?
I love love love A Nightmare Before Christmas, not 100% a Christmas movie, but it is. Its just fun to sing to and I love it. Otherwise I love all 3 Santa Claus movies and normally watch them on the week leading up to Christmas. I also have a tradition of watching Raymond Briggs Father Christmas at somepoint on Christmas Day, I love how hes such a grumpy old git!

Q.   What’s your favorite Christmas food?
Turkey, Stuffing, Christmas Log, I have so many there is just no way that I can choose.

If you read this, then please count yourself as tagged!
taken from makeup pixi3.

FashionVouchers.com are calling on all bloggers to meet their Xmas Party outfit challenge. go to their web page see for yourself and try the challenge, click here to get to the challenge page, all you have to do is choose from a store on their site and make a complete outfit for Christmas.

I started by looking through lots of different stores and settled on New Look, this is because I tend to find that they always do lovely party clothes and are reasonable priced. As it was a Christmas outfit I decided that I need to make sure it had lots of sparkles as to me that invokes the Christmas spirit. I looked to buying things that suit my taste and style, there was a lot of options but this is the outfit I decided on.

The dress is simple and flowing, the gold sequined top is perfect to set the Christmas mood and the flowing white skirt reminds me of snow. As it is a winter outfit I felt the need to add tights, but due to the glittery nature of the rest of the outfit I wanted to keep them simple and normal. With the cold weather a Shrug is a good option to keep the chills away, this black one looks nice and warm and has some lovely gold fastening detail.

I instantly fell in love with the shoes, they are decadent and look expensive and this is what you want at christmas. The purse is black with glitter inset into it and the gold detail of the stripe means it ties in perfectly with the shoes and the shrug. To finish off my outfit I found a pair of simple gold hoops but with the black diamontes set into them, they go well with every thing else and the necklace though not needed would sit well on over the dress and bring out the black heart.

I think this would be a lovely little outfit for any occasion around the Christmas period and with all the sparkles it should put anyone into the Christmas spirit, I know it works for me.

Just in case you missed it, HERE is the link to enter.

FashionVouchers.com are challenging all bloggers to make an outfit for under £100 from one store just go to their website and check out the challenge page Xmas party outfit bloggers challenge, here is the link.

I looked at some different stores within the site and settled on New look, as they tend to do very nice party clothes. I really made this more to my taste and what I would wear, and as its a Christmas themed imaginary party I wanted to stick with gold and giltter as to me this is the first thing that comes into my head when I think of Christmas clothes.

The dress is simple yet reminds me of the season with the gold sequined top and the white flowing skirt (almost like snow). Because I chose such a light dress I wanted to keep the rest of the outfit dark while keeping it all matching. As its a winter outfit I think some tights are a must have and with the glam of the rest of the outfit I kept them plain and almost skin colored. I chose a black soft looking shrug, with a gold clasp to keep off the chills.

For the rest of the outfit, I chose a pair of shoes that I fell in love with, they look decadent and expensive and this is what you want at Christmas. The Clutch purse is also black with glitter set into it and with the gold detail on the stripe I felt that it tied in well with the shoes and shrug.
For the extra touch of glamor I also found a necklace and earring to go with the outfit, the gold hoops are a classic, but with the black diamante set in them, they were a perfect match for the rest of my outfit and the necklace, though not needed is cute and would sit well on top of the dress making the little black heart stand out.

This is just a smart little outfit that I could see being worn to pretty much any occasion around the Christmas season.

So I already mentioned the amazing John Lewis Press event, and this is part of the same event but I have decided to dedicate it on its own. I have to say that I loved the shoes, for anyone who reads this and knows me they know that I love glitter and shoes, so when those two things combine they make my day!

The fashion choices were stunning and most of all I loved the Black figure hugging dress with silver glitter (yes glitter again) over bust and shoulder area. I also really liked the pink, silk almost wrap around style dress that was elegant and beautiful.

The best bit was certain items in hanging balls (I only have a pic of a shoe) that just added a real element of fun to the whole section. It was really nice that the mannequins were placed so that I could walk right the way around them and get a good overall view.

Once again John Lewis has not disappointed, and If I was thin enough to wear these clothes then I would break out my credit card and buy them tomorrow.

On Thursday I was invited to my first ever pr show thanks to a very good friend. What can I say about the whole event apart from the fact that it was amazing, a fantastic showcase of what John Lewis has to offer. I would highly recommend getting a catalogue or logging onto the website and emerging yourself in the spectacular choices offered.

It was all about Christmas stock, I am a true lover of Christmas and was very excited to be part of this event. There were also members of each department on hand to talk about anything that you wanted including YSL and NARS. I am a complete stickler for homeware and spent a lot of my evening looking at the beautifully decorated trees and the layouts of throws and pillows. A toy section, Including a new furby, was also featured.

Everyone at the event was helpful, friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere was just electric and everyone I met from Directors to bloggers were lovely. If I had infinite riches I would probably spend all my money in John Lewis.

I had my first try of Estee Lauder sensuous nude perfume, which I had a sample of and have used a lot since, the initial smell is very much like talcum powder to me but after it settles I can smell hints of blueberry and sherbert. I also have a few samples to try including YSL's Touche Eclat foundation, but will be reviewing them at a later date. The new Andy Warhole collection for NARS make up range is simply stunning, the design is sleek and the quotes on the mirrors are inspirational.

The homeware is very modern and Chic and the lack of bright colors is perfect for me, There were very traditional options from pinecone candles to silver star ornaments and on the other end of the scale, very oriental style choices of little dolls and cherry blossoms.

John Lewis is filled with items that are beautiful and stunning and give me inspiration to create a better looking home, I will definitely spend even more hours looking around the next time I am in Cardiff.