You may have noticed in my past blog posts that my family and I originally decided against present giving, and instead spent time and money on special family moments instead. However, my mum surprised my sister and I by still treating us at Christmas! Here I take a look at all the lovely things I received this year.
Culinary Treasures
Baking, cooking and entertaining are fast becoming my greatest passions, so not only do I appreciate every culinary gift I receive, but it gets put to good use right away! And as my collection grows, and I invade cupboard after cupboard in the kitchen, I feel a huge sense of pride that I am equipped to create whatever food creation I desire. I am a big cheese lover so when my sister gave me a luxury Cheese knife set and the most stunning Cynthia Rowley marble cheese board with silver edges, I was over the moon! My mum topped it off with two luxury cheeses called Epoisses, and Petit Pont L’eveque, which just so happen to be two of the smelliest, strongest and most flavoursome cheeses in the world. They were absolutely delicious! To help my cheese board pairings I also received The Flavour Thesaurus, which is on course to become my bible. It may appear to be a novelty, but the Diary Maid butter pat maker will add the most charming finish to any tea party, allowing me to cut butter into a pretty flower shape. It’s all in the detail after all! Also perfect for tea parties is my Lisbeth Dahl heart shaped tea infuser. I drink a lot of tea, even by English standards, but I’ve only ever used teabags. It was upon realising that the distinctly fragrant cups of earl grey I enjoyed at tea shops were nearly all made with a tea infuser, and so I requested one to try myself. I’ve been using it everyday since Christmas and my tea has been notably more flavoursome; the tea bags have been pushed to the back of the shelf! No tea party will be complete with out some cakes, so I am immensely grateful for a set of icing nozzles. Despite baking whenever I get the chance, I have never owned a cake slice. I’ve wanted one for a long time, so my Grandparents bought me the most beautiful cake slice with a bow and ribbon handle that will be something I will use for years and year to come.
Dinner with Mr Darcy
It’s when I unwrap presents such as the ones above that I know my family has a faultless understanding of my personal style. Blushing pinks and sparkling details infused with playful elegance without a doubt puts a smile on my face. You may recognise Dinner with Mr Darcy from my Valentines day wish list last year, which also grabbed my mums attention and prompted her to get me it for Christmas. Brownie points for Mother! Dinner with Mr Darcy is the most charming cookbook filled with fanciful recipes inspired by the works of Jane Austen. It most certainly calls for a Pride & Prejudice tea party! To accompany such entertaining my mum got me a set of four beautiful, vintage liqueur glasses, each a mesmerising, iridescent colour. My grandparents gave me a a stunningly intricate glass cocktail stirrer topped with a spectacular christmas tree, which will no doubt become a familiar sight during the festive periods to come! Another gift was based upon a personal joke in my family, but it’s a truly stunning joke none the less; an ornate, silver tape measure. Mum prepared me for the glitz of the year ahead with vintage gold, evening gloves and some beautiful gold and pearl earrings. To complete the array of sparkling presents, I unwrapped a little pink bird which was adorned with glittering details. When all the table dancing and glass clinking is finished, I can relax with my new heavenly scented bluebell candle, and experience ultimate indulgence with Cafe De Bain’s Raspberry & Rose softening Shower Creme. The raspberry macaroon packaging is enough to whisk my imagination to Paris and back and the scent is just as whimsical.
B. Beautiful
There are several reasons why I swear by Superdrugs B. Skincare and makeup range. One being that the products are of exceptional quality and at prices that even my bank account approves of. Then theres it’s sleek design and packaging that gives the impression it cost a little bit more, whilst providing a fundamental element that so many high-street beauty products lack; it doesn’t self destruct in your handbag. The skincare range comprises of four stages, each designed for particular age groups, with stage one providing gentle anti-aging and revitalising products for those in their 20s! But my final, and quite possibly my favourite reason behind my ever-expanding collection is that the entire B. range is cruelty free and is bunny-logo certified! For Christmas my mum treated me to several products from their range, providing me with all the tools I need to scrub, cleanse and nourish my skin to radiantly, smooth tip-top condition. I will be posting reviews over the coming months about each item, many of which I’ve never tried before. I may be slightly overexcited about what each product will reveal. The cannot wait to try B. Refined Exfoliating Cleanser, B. Energised Eye Cream, B. Rescued Energising Balm, B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing peel, B. Pure Micellar Water, B. Nourished Night Serum and the B. Ready Day Cream
I also got given some Max Factor products to enhance my eyes. The first being the Masterpiece Transform mascara and the second being the Masterpiece Glide & Define Eye Liner, both amazing products.
Something Sweet
What would Christmas be without obscene amounts of chocolate to devour in-between all the other chocolate? I think we could have half a cadburys shop in our living room and my mum would still fill our stockings up with foiled chocolates, the obligatory santa claus and a sharing pack of Maltesers that you don’t actually want to share. Despite my current January diet making up for such sugary traditions, I wouldn’t have it any other way. This year particular favourites included chocolate brussel sprouts, Disney Frozen chocolate bars, hot chocolate stirrers and an edible £50 note. My Grandparents put together a lovely handmade stocking for me filled with not only presents but a traditional orange. My boyfriends parents sent over some treats from Australia, one of which was a bag of Karamello Koalas, which are similar to the freddo frogs we have in the UK! Two particular presents that got me grinning from ear to ear were bottles of Baileys Chocolat Luxe (pure heaven) and Amarula. If you haven’t tried the latter, it’s an african cream liquor made from the fruit of the marula tree. It’s a personal favourite that won’t last long!
Home Comforts
Earlier this year, my sister and I posed the question of why we’ve never had new pyjamas at Christmas to my mum. Many of our friends consider it a tradition in their family, and so in jest this year my mum decided to buy us both – for the first time ever – a pair of Christmas pyjamas. We also got to snuggle up in the quite possibly the softest dressing gown I’ve ever come across. Another present was this lovely addition to my bedroom; a vintage, fabric pin board to hold precious photos and keepsakes.
The Bakers Dream
It’s something I’ve wanted since I fell in love with baking, but was one of those luxuries I didn’t think I’d have for many, many years. When my boyfriend handed me a present half the size of me, wrapped up in princess wrapping paper, I hadn’t the foggiest what it could possibly be. When I unwrapped it, excitement and happiness rushed through me as I jumped around like a child. I now have my very own Kitchen mixer, and a brilliant one at that. It’s already been put to good use (Coca-cola cake anyone?) and I’ve got an ever-growing list of cake recipes I want to try. Plus, I owe my boyfriend ALOT of cakes!
Once again, I feel truly spoilt by all the lovely things I’ve received from my family and my boyfriend. To me the most touching thing is that the people around me know me so well, my style and my passions. I feel incredibly lucky!
Find me else where (:
So many great presents!
Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
♥♥♥
Dinner with Mr. Darcy gets all the points! Such a special and cute idea!
xo, Anastasia
http://www.natbeesfashion.blogspot.co.uk
Everything looks so pretty! How cute of your mum to surprise you with these!
The Velvet Black | UK Style & Beauty Blog
Stunning pieces. ^^
Have a nice Friday…
cool
http://amandachic.com/
http://amandachic.com/