It’s ever-so very nearly time to break up from school. Otherwise known as the last day in the office before the New Year. Words can’t even touch on how excited that makes me… combine that with the fact I’m flying to Berlin tomorrow, and excitement reaches epic proportions. Y’see, for someone like me who throws themselves into Christmas 110%, that city is perfect. I don’t care how many stalls there are featuring homemade tree decorations… I will look at them all. Twice. With bells on. I hope you’ve all got lovely weekends coming up – what do you have planned?
With cards starting to drop through the letterbox (many coated in a generous amount of glitter – how well my friends know me), I’ve been looking around for inspiration on how to display them. Last year I went for the simple trick of stringing up some tinsel and lining the cards up along it. But for something a bit more creative, the ideas below caught my eye, especially the cards hanging from branches. You can’t beat a bit of Martha magic:

{images via pinterest & Martha Stewart}
For my look of the week, I’ve gone for Brooklyn Decker (if you haven’t seen the movie Just Go With It, please do… unexpectedly hilarious) in a skater-esque dress with a very daring shoe choice. But somehow it works. What do you think? And for my favourite room, well, who wouldn’t want to curl up on that sofa with just a good book and a blanket for company:

{images via prphotos & creamy life}
I hope you have an amazing weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…

As featured in UK Cosmopolitan Magazine, January 2012

{words & images via Cosmopolitan}
on being saying too much: “Being outspoken just became my thing. Hollywood likes to label everyone so you’re easier to identify. I didn’t mind it; I got mouthy the way a child does when you celebrate them for something. The mouthier I got, the more I’d be celebrated. I was like, ‘You think that’s outspoken? How about this..?’ Then it bit me in the hand.”
on falling for her husband: “I don’t believe in love at first sight. I think love grows as you get to know the person. But I definitely believe in chemistry. You can be attracted to somebody and instantly feel something you’ve never felt before. There is something about Josh that is so uniquely attractive and sexy to me. He is so different from any man I know. He’s really charming and gregarious and he’s also super-positive about everything – like if the weather is crappy he’ll somehow make it a good thing.”
on bringing baby Naleigh home: “The first few days we were shell-shocked and terrified of messing up. I felt a need to protect her – that’s just a mother’s instinct – but I was also intimidated by her, and nervous she wouldn’t love me. She’d just flown across the world and we were speaking a different language, we were in a different time zone, we looked different. For the first three weeks, we couldn’t get her to giggle. I was like, ‘Oh no, she hates us.’”
on feeling the pressure to look a certain way: “I was 20lbs heavier (in my twenties) and wanted to look like those girls with fantastically beautiful bodies like Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Alba, but I just couldn’t lose the weight. It’s only now I realise how hard those girls work for their bodies, and what level of commitment they make to that. I’m too lazy and I like my food and I like my free time too much to spend it working out.”

Ahh, one of my very favourite posts to do. The gift guide. Basically I get to take a tour of my choice online spots and pick out what I’d like to see under the tree this Christmas. It’s a tough job, but I’m happy to do it for you, my friends. So here you have it… some pieces that I think would make for very stylish gifts, whatever your budget. Especially #6. The perfect party accompaniment:

{1. Kate Spade Prize Ball Thermos – $35 / 2. Mulberry Bayswater bracelet – £200 / 3. Jonathan Adler hot pink throw – £295 / 4. Archipelago peony scented candle – £24.95 / 5. West Elm safari rug – from £67.27 / 6. Miu Miu two-toned sequin clutch – £595 / 7. See by Chloé patent wallet – £120 / 8. Anthropologie faux fur collar – £158 / 9. Oliver Bonas Valeria agate cuff – £22 / 10. Toast knee high boot – £275 / 11. Vanilla Paris Bertie bag – £125 / 12. Zara sequined ballerina – £49.99 / 13. Graham & Green feather cushion – £38 / 14. Rose & Grey linen and leather armchair – £655 / 15. Accessorize stripe slippers – £16 / 16. Alyssa Smith Tweetie necklace – £65 / 17. Hello Monkey ‘Learning to dance’ print – £14}
What you are you secretly (or not-so-secretly) wishing for this Christmas?

It has seemed like an awfully long wait since the inaugural issue of Heart Home magazine (seen here), but the wait has definitely been worth it. We have been treated to another absolute corker, filled with pages of interior inspiration and stunning imagery that you just want to dive into. I’m nothing if not predictable, so it will come of no surprise that my favourite pics include a dreamy pastel-coloured table setting, a buttoned sofa, festive food, and fresh and bright decor. Roll on March and the next issue!

{images via Heart Home magazine}

The countdown to Berlin has started (we leave on Saturday), and I cannot WAIT to be in a city that consumes itself with Christmas. It will also be the start of two whole weeks off work… which has me grinning from ear to ear. We’ve visited Berlin before at this time of year and from experience I know that I’ll need to pack many many layers, since it’s on a par with the New York winter I endured seven years ago. Ergo, it’s a bit nippy. To say the least. So here are some cosy pieces that would keep me nice and warm between market stalls. How gorgeous are those fur-topped Hunters?? Smitten:

{1. Topshop large spot jumper – £40 / 2. A/wear leather glove – £11 / 3. Toast cable knit long socks – £39 / 4. Hunter wellington boots – £78 / 5. Warehouse knitted aztec snood – £25 / 6. BHS knit and fur trapper – £18 / 7. French Connection fur collar coat – £190 / 8. my-wardrobe.com skinny cords – £204 / 9. Oliver Bonas Vero Moda long jumper – £45 / 10. UGG Kensington biker boots – £255}