Do it yas(elf): Christmas gifts

This festive season, I've made a pledge to myself. Intent on imbuing a little extra love into everything I do (even the most mundane of tasks), I'm aiming to handcraft the majority of gifts for my nearest 'n' dearest. 

Whatever time of year it may be – I don't believe these kinds of gestures oughta be limited to allocated calendar boxes – the act of giving sweet, petite tokens to those I know best has always been preferable to being bestowed with presents myself. Not that they go without gratitude, of course, but I just happen to take way more pleasure in the process of gifting others with well-thought-out momentos and (hopefully) seeing them appreciated too.





Above: It's Brogues "no bad days" bags, filled with cheer-me-up quotes + inspiration. 

 That being said, carving out the time to create is in itself a bit of a s(elf)ish act; making things – usually without purpose – is my ultimate mode of relaxation and "me" time. So the fact that this personal Christmas commitment actually bears some kinda altruistic motive is just an added bonus! 

There's also the additional price perk, since the dominant expenditure is time. Stocking up on basic materials – namely canvas bags, paperwares, pens, pretty tape and unnecessary-but-cute items like heart-shaped hole punches – indeed requires initial investment, but the amount of £/€/$ spent really is minimal compared to the crazed consumerism so characteristic of the festive season.   

Of course, part and parcel (ha) of a gift, handmade or not, is also the presentation. I like to take a bit of a holistic approach to my gift givin'; although a quaint idea not to judge a present by its wrapping, it's equally charming to give the gift-wrap a little TLC too. All in all, this – I hope – makes for a one-of-a-kind, highly personal bundle of Christmas contributions that sprinkle some cheer and stand the test of time (at least more so than those novelty socks/multiple body washes/chocolate selection boxes).

Hint o' Halloween

This Monday, in anticipation of Friday's hair-raisin' happenings,  my not-so-fearsome flatmates and I prepped and presented a humble Halloween evening with the lovely lot that live a few doors down from us. The sartorial interpretations of the night's "black tie with a hint of Halloween" theme were varied and impressive, ranging from my burgundy-lipped look with día de los muertos style maxi, to a stunning star-embellished ensemble from a certain Lucy Iron. 

Our cute crib was transformed into a veritable haunted house, comprising of carefully draped cobwebs (apologies Mr Beckham), bloody prosthetic hands and dislodged - jelly - eyeballs. The sinister scene was even accompanied by a bunch of good (almost) clean games, including the old school mummy wrap contest and guest-specific clandestine challenges. 

Gastronomy-wise, we went for a simple but seasonal starter of ghoulish guacamole and creepy crudités, presented very much in keeping with the night's overriding vibe. These were followed up by a not-so-novelty main of chicken rollatini with spinach alla parmigiana (piri piri smoked mackerel for pesky pescetarian me), served with new potatoes and a splendiferous side salad. For the formidable - in both senses of the word - finale, strawberries were served up with a ghost-shaped white chocolate coating, as well as gold-spritzed mini pumpkin pies, handmade by Miss Amy SW. 

Suffice it to say that we all had a bloody (ha) brilliant eve, spent with the finest folk I coulda wished for. Indeed, if Monday night's events were any indication of the memory makin' to come, this final uni year's gonna be far from gruesome.