'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

... And I'm back in my house. Yes, I'm back home in London finally, after staying in Leeds for work. Preparations have been in full swing today. There's been last-minute present-buying, a few more decorations thrown up, and the pile of presents under the tree is slowly growing. (Although my parents still do the overnight-Santa thing. Cute, I know.)


I had a whole post lined up about cute, unorthodox Christmas decorations I'd seen at Modcloth (here), Starbucks (here) - seriously, and at Christmas Unwrapped. But I'm super-disorganised lately and now it's way too late so instead I'll share a bit of my Christmas Eve with you. 


Note: We go all-out traditional in my house so it's chestnuts roasting on an open fire, etc. And yes, it's looking like it'll be a white Christmas this year. There's a reason I get referred to as Tiny Tim a lot around this time of year, and it's not just because I'm short. Christmas-cynics amongst you, prepare to feel queasy...


Going home for Christmas...

Leaving Leeds (so many books!)

Leaving Leeds.
Christmas tree in the office district.

Leaving Leeds, sky so pretty and wintery.

Wrapping the presents.

I am the worst present-wrapper in the world; this took me forever.
And yes I know the paper's not very festive but it was all I had!

Some more of my wrapping 'skills'; there are
many more little piles like this one - I go a bit overboard
buying gifts.

The Food...

Love them or hate them, the brussel sprouts are
prepped for tomorrow!

Chestnuts. My absolute favourite.

Clementines... A Christmas staple.

Nuts. Also, for some reason, a Christmas staple.

Ok, it doesn't look like much but once heated
it will be Mull and it will be yummy.

RECIPE: 1 ltr apple juice, 1 cinnamon stick, 2cm strip of fresh ginger, 3tsp demerara sugar, apple slices studded with cloves - and, for a less virgin mull (a slutty mull?), some whisky or brandy. Heat over the stove and voila!

Preparing Christmas Eve Dinner (yes, that's
a thing)... Stubborn Pumpkin.

Table set for Christmas Eve Dinner. Tomorrow's table setting
will be much more festive, honest.

Pretty pathetic attempt at a "centrepiece".
The tealights are John Lewis' Vanilla and Amber.
They smell delicious.

The decorations...

Decorated stairwell.

Decorated Stairwell.

Stairs to the third floor, also decorated.

The beginnings of the 'open fire'.
I'm sure it will be sooo delightful. 

Look the part...

Festive headgear. Because I look so joyous.
(Yes, they're Manchester United reindeer antlers
... I'm so trashy it's not even cool.)

My rather festive slippers.

And finally, of course, the tree...

Merry Christmas!

Hope you're as excited for tomorrow as I am! Have a wonderful day, whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate it.
Merry Christmas Eve!!

Ciao for now,

Charlotte

Don't Hate the Layer, Hate the Game

In my last year of sixth form (feels simultaneously like only yesterday and like 2 and a 1/2 years ago), we went on an annual school trip to Russia. (Follow the link for more on that.)

 

 

I learned many things from this journey of self-discovery. I learned, for example, some Russian history, how to write my name in Russian, the many, many rules they enforce for walking past Lenin's embalmed corpse, how to say 'thank you', 'my name is', some directions, and 'vomit' in Russian, and how to handle copious amounts of vodka (hence the need for the last of those Russian words).

But the most important life-lesson I learned on this school trip was how to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. (Aside from afore-mentioned copious amounts of vodka.)

(Please remember that alcohol doesn't actually keep you warm but just gives the illusion of feeling warmer, leaving you more at risk of developing hypothermia and pneumonia. Please also enjoy alcohol responsibly. Much more responsibly than I may have done on said school trip.)

Indeed, there were times when the temperature was -20-something celsius and we were walking around outside for hours on end.

First rule: Always have a full stomach. (Food, not alcohol). Eat carbs for slow-release energy.

Second rule: Drink warm drinks. (I'm a Northerner, I don't need to be told twice to drink more tea)

But the third, and most important rule - one which my mother has been trying to instil in me since I was a wee baba - is to LAYER.

So I thought, seeing as the temperatures (in the UK at least) are heading rapidly towards the ones I experienced in Russia, I'd share with you some of my best layering pieces and tips.


The Blazer

Aside from a good coat, blazers are a dream. They raise your chic-factor by like, a few thousand points, go with almost everything and are nothing short of wonderful for layering.


I have a new favourite blazer, which I tend to wear as a coat:

Style Columnist Blazer, $69.99, Modcloth

I love this blazer because of its longer length, its gorgeous contrast pockets and collar and the fact it goes with absolutely everything and remains flattering with several layers underneath.
Image from www.modcloth.com

But my new-found romance with this gorgeous blazer has not entirely displaced my love for old reliable. Yes, that blazer that every girl has in her wardrobe (sometimes in several colours) that just always looks perfect with everything and never goes out of style.

I'm going to warn you now that by the end of this post you'll have heard the names of a couple of shops several times over. Uniqlo is one of those. The Japanese comfort-haven is THE best place for layering. I started shopping at the one on Oxford Street in London about 5 or 6 years ago now and I have never  looked back. This isn't the blazer I got from Uniqlo (mine is navy, though I've been looking to get the same one in black and grey to cover all eventualities), but it's pretty perfect anyway.

Super Light Wool Tailored Jacket, £29.99, Uniqlo

Also available in black. It might go without saying but get a blazer in a colour that will go with everything and that won't dirty too easily.
Image from www.uniqlo.com

The Cardigan

I love cardigans. I'm a bit of a cardigan fanatic. I literally collect them. Different colours, styles, patterns. Yay, cardigans. You get the idea.

I have two favourite places to buy basic cardigans. The first is (say it with me now), Uniqlo. Again. Duh. I love that I can go to Uniqlo in either Oxford Street or Westfield, London and know that the chances are they'll have some sort of offer on cardigans that will mean I can get one for £15 or 20 (about $23-30). My two favourite styles are these:

Cashmere Blended Cable V-Neck Cardigan, £29.99, Uniqlo
Oh yeah, did I mention that when you shop at Uniqlo you know you're getting quality? Their cashmere blends are so,  so soft and their cardigans honestly last for years and years.

And the best part is, they have each of their styles in a myriad of colours so you can mix, match and always look amazing and cosy.

Merino Cashmere V-Neck Cardigan, £19.99, Uniqlo

Again, these are super soft, available in pretty much any colour you can think of, amazing value for money and great quality. They retain their colour well in the wash, stay soft and cosy, and add to any outfit.

No wonder women in Tokyo always look so perfect. The Japanese have got it soooo right.

Images from www.uniqlo.com

Moving on slightly from my love-in with Uniqlo (though I guarantee I will come back to it), I also love to buy (slightly more costly, but slightly warmer) cardigans from United Colors of Benetton (side-note: I so always want to write it as 'colours'. I'm very British and very fond of our spelling.)

These cardigans don't have quite the staying power of those from Uniqlo but only because their materials mean they require better care; don't do what I did and accidentally stick them in the washing machine. Again, they're available in a rainbow of colours, and (take my word for it), there are Benetton stores all over the world.

What Lies Beneath

So layering doesn't just mean layers on the outside. A great way to stay warm is to stick a camisole on underneath your outfit as a whole. The entire point of layers is that warm air particles get trapped between the layers and keep you warmer, which is why they work better than just wearing one thick layer.

Again, I love buying basics from (you know this by now)... Uniqlo. Check out their merino cashmere range here. 

Another great place for basics, though, and one of my favourite shops in general (I'm seriously surprised I haven't tagged it in a post until now) is American Apparel. 

I'm gonna be a total poser and go ahead and say that I was well ahead of the trend in the UK when it comes to American Apparel. I started shopping at their flagship on Oxford Street when I was still at school and have never looked back. 

Again, their items are available in a whole range of colours, great quality, have staying power and are super soft - and I have to say, once I find something I like, I'm a sucker for buying it in all my favourite colours. I'm so their target audience.

Here are some of my favourite Am-Ap pieces for layering:

    

    

    

    

Images from www.americanapparel.com

You'll have to take my word for it, but I own some of the above in several colours and they are always favourites (especially the skirt second from bottom, which I have in tan and love sooo much).

On top of this (not necessarily literally), of course, you can wear long johns (always sexy), thermals, double helpings of knickers and tights, and big warm boots.

Never forget to wear gloves, scarf and hat in cold weather. For a great idea for text-friendly gloves, see my flatmate's blog.

Keep warm, everyone! Stock up on hot chocolate, marshmallows and warm blankets for when you get back from your Arctic explorations of your town or city.

Ciao for now,

Charlotte

Hat's all, Folks

Woodhouse Moor, Hyde Park, Leeds (Winter 2009)

The scenes outside my window currently are very similar, but I'm too lazy to take a picture!

I know, I know, I keep going on about it - but it's COLD. And I want to be WARM.

So, a few posts about hats, gloves and scarves in the coming days. No beating about the bush, here we go:

Hats

In Winter, I mostly wear berets. I lived in Paris for a while and while I was there I totally bought into the whole beret thing; bought several wool specimens in different colours. Of course, I didn't wear them in Paris (waaay too 'touristy', darling) but when I got home in November 2008, boy was I glad of them.

Berets look great jauntily to one side (if you can pull that off without looking too faux-French and stereotyped), or - as I wear them - pulled back slightly to show the front of your hair but cover the back of your head (and your ears if you so wish).

But you don't have to go to Paris to get a beret - a lot of high street stores and department stores stock a great range. Try Accessorize in particular, they're always great for winter warmers, with a whole section dedicated to cold weather accessories on their website.

And of course, there's a whole range of other great warm hats out there; quirkier knitted 'Peruvian' or furry 'trapper' styles with 'ear flaps' are SO effortlessly cool (wish I could pull them off without looking like a munchkin):

Columbia Navy Peruvian Hat, £22, Debenhams

(Image from www.debenhams.com)

Faux Fur Pom Pom Trapper Hat, £15, Marks and Spencer

(Image from www.marksandspencer.com)

For (faux) fur with a little more high-octane glamour, a Russian 'ushanka' is a great call and something many celebrities have been seen out and about in recently. These, too, often have ear flaps that can fold down. When I went to Russia a lot of my compatriots bought genuine Russian ushankas - I was tempted, but when I learned that they were real rabbit fur I lost interest somewhat. Luckily for us, there are a whole range of options available. This Kangol version is certain to be a hit:

Kangol Wool Ushanka Women's Winter Fur Hat - Black, £35.01, at Urban Excess

(Image from www.urbanexcess.com)

Of course, since Katy Perry famously wore River Island's Panda hat, there's been a wave of recent styles featuring all kinds of animal ears too - gotta love a bit of quirk. River Island still have numerous similar styles.

The day Katy Perry famously wore River Island's adorable hat, sparking infinite copycat styles from every high street store.

(Image from www.sugarscape.com)

And - as always - there's the reincarnation of a vintage darling, the cloche.

Bow Trim Red Cloche, £26, Accessorize

(Also available in black, with similar styles in purple and pale pink with corsage)

Remember, a great deal of heat is lost through your head - but with so many varied and gorgeous hats on offer, that never needs to be a problem again.

Ciao for now,

Charlotte

The Deutsch-Markt is coming.

I can count the good things about Winter on one hand... and most of those reasons involve the word 'Christmas'.

The Leeds Christmas tree (before the lights were on)

But one thing about Winter is that your resident city inevitably becomes lit up all gorgeous, and will probably have a lovely market happening.

Christmas lights in Leeds' Victoria Quarter

In Leeds the German Christmas market is quite a big deal; everyone really enjoys it - maybe because of the litres of beer or the hot mulled wine - but it could be for the lederhosen-clad band playing Bavarian takes on 80's classics; why not?!

This week I went out with the flatmates and 'them downstairs' to the German Market and then for cocktails at Brown's - a lovely evening by all accounts:

The Lads - bit excited, maybe because they had too many...

...of these. Yes sir, that's a litre of the good stuff.

More Christmas lights (apologies for the BlackBerry-quality pictures)

For those who don't speak German, it says 'Will you marry me?'

Not sure how anyone could turn down that proposal!

...and finally, a moose head. It spoke, it moved. It had a very camp German accent. Why not?

Then... to the warmth! For cocktails!

(Please note this cocktail is not actually from Brown's but one I had at The Living Room, Leeds a couple of weeks ago. Sorry for cheating!)

At Brown's I had a Berry and Pomegranate Martini... scrumptious! (and holiday-appropriate, I felt.)

I also very much enjoyed the food of the German market, tucking into white-chocolate covered strawberries and a pretzel the size of my head. The mister (my lovely boyfriend Marc) had himself a Berliner (a jam doughnut auf Deutsch). See here for some interesting stuff on those!

Of course, the only thing about said evening was that it posed a bit of a clothing dilemma; how to keep warm at the mostly-outdoor market, and how to still feel appropriate for cocktail hour.

I plan to do a detailed post soon about winter layering (something that took me years to get any real grasp on), but for now I'll just give you the run-down of my multi-purpose outfit, which took me from lectures, to daytime shopping with the mister, to dinner in a local bar, to the german market and then for cocktails.

I wore a black shift dress from River Island (great staple, also good for funerals - depressingly enough) with a nude French Connection belt, the obligatory black opaque tights and black pumps.

I layered a couple of cardigans over that and then my new favourite blazer from Modcloth (get the blazer itself here). Add a scarf I bought from Prague (because the Balkans know how to do warm), some soft leather gloves my Nana passed on to me, a mug of mulled wine and a good friend to huddle with and you've got yourself a toasty situation!

Only thing I should have thought of was a hat... Oops.

Remove several layers once you're in the sanctuary of the cocktail bar and voila, appropriate dressing.

Enjoy whatever pre-pre-Christmas festivities are happening your way and remember to wrap up warm but stay stylish!

Ciao for now,

Charlotte