Fashion
Give your scribblings a high fashion spin with a beautiful, limited edition Smythson notebook by hot London designer Erderm, from £115…. No all you sane people out there – that isn’t a typo. That is a cool ton for a notebook. Maybe all you poor sods that have been made redundant in the worst recession ever to be seen by this country…. can trot off and buy one to take notes in your next interview? What a joke.
Put this amazing bag on your Christmas list – Referring to a £28 faux croc painted black bag.
Sequins are big this month for the party season. I already have some muted ones, maybe I need some sparkly ones? Maybe I can customise something with sequins as I’m quickly running out of cash.
Justify your Whistle’s Love – le sigh, so pretty and so outside of my budget.
Shoe Heaven: Metallic shoes – Phew, I have gold and silver so will get them out!
Dance-Floor Hits – this winter’s classic black heels adorned with delectable detail. I have a pair of black shoes adorned with a bambi – take that for detail!
Colourful soles: Put the bling back into your step with these bright buys. Or I could get my lovely bright green KG heels for a little party.
Prety Pumps: Keep your feet firmly on the ground without compromising on style. Bummer – having one size 6 and one size seven foot always means you have to compromise on style – because you need to be strapped in.
Get aheah – get a headband. I already have a great one, with a net Madonnaesque bow. It can come out for a little trip.
Brocade parade: Give your outfit instant opulence without a flashy price tag. There is a £34.99 borcade skirt in River Island that I could get.
Seduction: Turn up the heat with these stylish but sexy looks. Referring to a mass of sequins, draping, tailoring
Get seriously glitzy for Christmas at marieclaire.co.uk/diamante
Cocktail Hour: Referring to partying in style in an LBD, lace accessories and dramatic sparkle.
Finishing clutches: From sequined to feather, oversized to petite, these chic bags are sure to make your outfit dazzle. For more great party shopping picks go to www.marieclaire.co.uk/shopping. I shall be getting my oversized clutch out then!
Discover my Jewellery personality
From Dusk till Dawn fashion story
Let it shine fashion story
Give thanks for Spanx – I certainly will, I love my stomach sucker inners!
Beauty
Culture
Meet our newest blogger, Lianne Gutcher – read blog.
Watch this face – Lilly Collins (Phil Collin’s daughter) – I’m following on twitter, at least I think it’s her!
Follow the Hot Metal make up looks
Follow the Glow Getters top to toe radiance guide.
Follow the easy party eyes guide.
Add a daring flash of colour to your LBD (referring to red lippy)
How to look expensive: Eighties Glamour.
Follow 5 steps to beautiful hands
Channel Lauren Bacall (not going to happen with my hair!)
Spoil your senses by:
Meeting friends for afternoon tea. I won’t be doing it in London as suggested because I have no free days to get there.
Enjoy a beauty treat: It suggests recreating sultry eyes, I shall get Mac to do this for me.
Cosy up: A new scarf updates your look – that’s lucky as I bought one from Gap a few weeks ago!
Competitions
Win a shopping trip to New York – Done
Win a spar day for 2 – Done
Share your shopping tips at mareiclaire.co.uk/accessory awards – Done (Ugg Australia comp)
Relationships
Find a new friend – This refers to a website called fridaynightsucks.com. A website for people who have moved to a new city and want to fins some people to go out will. I’d invite someone to come out for my birthday – but it’s a London centric website.
Share my infidelity experience at www.marieclaire.co.uk/infidelity
Share the pleasure: Get £10 off a Phillip’s (Yes, the same guys that make shavers and tellys) sex toy. At £60 I would want it to make me a brew afterwards!
Home
Entre the face of Habitat Competition.
Visit the Christmas Tree Man – this is a fantastic Idea. You can order a tree which is delivered via an environmentally friendly courier service, then they take it away after new year’s day, replant it and then you can get it again next year. I LOVE this idea, the question is can we afford it
Visit canon.co.uk/takestories
Cook the mini banoffee pies in the Carnation advertorial.
Cook Kimberley Walsh’s Christmas Menu
Follow Jane Packer’s Festive home tips.
1. When choosing festive flowers, go for big blooms like hydrangeas.
2. Introduce a new colour or style of bauble each year. It makes the season feel so much more exciting!
3. Always hang a festive wreath on the font door as it ads a nice welcome to your home.
Cook the chocolate and pear tart recipes
This is in relation to a story on Peru and how climate change is devastating the local communities:
Walk to the corner shop, buy energy saving lightbulbs and turn the thermostat down 1 degree. Visit direct.gov.uk/actionco2 to see other ways to reduce our carbon footprint and support Oxfam’s appeal to get the government to back a UN deal that will avoid temperature rises. In order to do this I need to got to a March in London on the 5th of December, but in this same issue, Marie Claire has stated I mustn’t miss the clothes show live, which I have a ticket to on the 5th!
Health
In relation to an article on how to avoid the Christmas minefield and not crack up..
To avoid dodgy gifts: According to Glenn Harrold, my hypnotist friend on Twitter, the best thing to do is laugh it off to diffuse the situation before starting work on him so he gets it right for next year. I know husband has got it right for me this year, because I went out and bought some stuff, brought it home and said “This is what you have got me for Christmas” Simples!
To avoid getting too pissed: Don’t drink on an empty stomach, eat a sarnie before I go out and don’t start drinking before I get to the party. There is also a 5 point plan to stay on the right side of disaster.
1. Stick to long drinks – wine as a spritzer, draft beers, or well diluted vodka tonics.
2. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or low cal soft drinks
3. Don’t allow your glass to be topped up before you have emptied it.
4. Find out about how many units of alcohol is in my drink
5. Pace yourself, be aware of how many drinks I’m having an hour.
To avoid piling on the pounds
Plan ahead – thing about how many dinners lunches and parties you are going to. Cut out snacks and treats (there goes the 5 small meals a day then!) and when it comes to canapés avoid anything with pastry and fill up on crudités without the dips. In addition to this, go out for a daily walk and don’t veg in front of the TV.
To avoid money problems
Dr Holden advises: To avoid spending, on anything, walk away from the shop and count to 10. Once the spending urge has finished, write a 5 point list of my biggest financial worries and pledge to get to grips with them and write a debt busting plan after Christmas. The advice then goes on and tells you to buy Dr Holden’s Book “be happy” for £9.99…… I am walking away from my computer….. I am counting to 10… I am thinking it’s a bit of a joke to tell you to buy something to help you stop buying er…. Things.. FOR GOD’S SAKE!
Travel
Other
5 things not to miss
Children in Need – Oops! Missed it!
The Nutcracker @ the Royal Ballet. There is NO way I can make this between now and the end of the December.
Christmas lights switch on – Did it! See photos on previous post.
David Hockney 1960 – 1968 a Marriage of styles: Hmm this is in Nottingham, again not sure when I’ll have any time to do this.
Clothes show live: I have my ticket and will be meeting Mrs Z on Saturday in my jump suit!
Watch Bright Star at the Cinema
Listen to Robbie Williams: Realty killed the video star
Watch the Queen on channel 4 – bah , the last episode was today and I missed it! (So I’ll watch Gavin and Stacy as advised instead)
Read a book – any bloody book!
