domestic goddess

Okay, so my baking skills might not exactly be up to Nigella's standards but I happen to think that my mince pies look pretty good! (Nothing that a bit of strategically sprinkled icing sugar couldn't hide anyway!) They went down a treat last night with the family; a perfect snack for a cosy night in front of the telly.

With only twelve days left until Christmas, and despite a tonne of present shopping left to do, I've had my eye on all things sparkly in the shops. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my friends this weekend, and I want something pretty to wear while dancing the night away in Camden on Saturday.

This cream knitted sequin cardigan, from Topshop, is perfect for going from day to night and I love the soft nude colour. However, I've got my fingers crossed that this beauty will hit the January sales as my bank account certainly doesn't have £85 to spare at the moment!

I'm also searching for the perfect pair of black flats as I am fed up of living in boots. I have no stylistic preferences, but I want them to be comfortable enough to work in all day and dance in all night!

I have fallen in love with the 'Dale' suede shoe from Office; a quirky blend of brogue and loafer with cute fringing detail across the front. (Also available in tan, and a lovely green colour). These shoes would look great with my daily uniform of opaque black tights and vintage playsuits.

I am also besotted with these Topshop Premium velvet platform sandal), which are perfect for the party season! (Although they are most certainly not flat!) Unfortunately, as the name suggests, these shoes carry a premium price tag.

Would £100 be too much to spend on an early Christmas present for myself...?

black velvet

I have discovered that the perfect way to spend time recovering from a cold is to take to bed with hot water and lemon, and waste countless hours browsing fashion websites and glossy magazines for 'grunge glam' inspiration. I will upload my own take on the trend later; when my nose is less red and streaming, and my hair less frizzy (although the latter is a constant problem in my life, and therefore not directly related to sickness).

The resurrection of the 1990's grunge trend is, of course, nothing new for this season. We have seen high street hysteria over leather, velvet and lace in previous year's autumn/winter collections. However, this year's grunge is different; it is chic, it is effortless, it is chiffon and fine knits, it is less teen angst and more grown up playfulness.

Topshop, as always, were spot on with their take on the trend; 'Dark Nouveau' has plenty of leather and lace, alongside softer layers, chiffon and sparkles.

Their 'Heavy Duty' make-up collection, launched recently, also nods a head to the trend. Being a sucker for a new beauty product, I was quick to snap up the kohl dust and lip marker in an attempt to pull off the morning-after look that only the offspring of rockstars can truly achieve.

(Note: Okay, so this isn't exactly a 'morning after' look, especially not for the Geldof sisters, but I love Pixie's dark eyes and berry stained lips here.)

if you still want me, please forgive me

Apologies for the rather delayed blog update! Oxford Street tends to opt for rather anti-social retail opening hours over the Christmas period, and I have consequently found myself arriving home at nearly midnight some evenings. (Note: Who are you mad people that feel the need to purchase a new dress at 11pm on a Saturday evening?! That is the beauty of online shopping, no?)
However, I am hoping that December will prove to be a month of inspiration, and I am planning on being rather more active within the blogosphere.

Last night, I went to see Arcade Fire at the O2 arena with my boyfriend (hence the blog title; taken from 'Crown of Love') and I thought they were amazing. The band sounded even better than on CD and the set was visually stunning, as was the singer's fantastic sequinned dress! It was the perfect start to my favourite month of the year, made even more perfect by the snow falling as we left the venue. (Yes, I am unashamedly a huge Christmas fan, and love the excitement leading up to the 25th even more than the day itself!) Anyway, for those of you yet to catch this band live I would highly recommend grabbing a ticket for the tour - I think there are still some available for tonight online.

I'm going to trek through the snow to my doctor's appointment now, as I've been suffering with a typical December cold for over a week now, but I will post a more fashion related update later today. I have recently bought a velvet maxi skirt (feeling like I wanted to channel a grunge chic look for winter) which needs some outfit planning!