What I Got for Christmas 2014

Hey guys!

I know this post is about a week late but it is finally here! I'm not making this post to brag about what I got I just know how much I like seeing what other people got for Christmas so I am making this post for people like me. I know I got a lot of presents and that is not because I am rich but because I have a very large and close-knit family. Some presents aren't on here because either I received them early or received them after Christmas and after I took these photos. But anyway, let's begin with this photo heavy post! 

my gifts from my boyfriend. We're going to put a photo of us in that frame.

a beautiful tealight holder which makes the skull light up!

front back back of the top

tights and leggings

What did you get for Christmas?

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | New Year's Resolutions

Hello!

This will be my last post for the #BigBlogmasProject2014! What a busy month it has been!

2015 is going to be a very important year for me personally. In 2015 I will be turning 18, taking my final exams, leaving Sixth Form, finding out what University I got in to and beginning my gap year. How crazy! I cannot get over the fact I am going to be an adult.

One of my main resolutions is to not let my anxiety get in the way of the new chapter in my life. Things are changing drastically in my life in 2015 and I don't want my anxiety to hold me back like it has done for years and years. I have always struggled with anxiety and panic attacks and I am determined not to let them get in the way of things.

Additionally, I want to work hard in my gap year and get a full-time job ready to make some money to go away with my friends and with my boyfriend. My resolution is to work hard to achieve these things and to also do lots of volunteering for a local mental health charity.

Finally, my New Year's Resolution is to just have fun. Years and years in education has made it difficult for me to have a social life and I have always been so focused on exams and getting the best grades. This year when I leave Sixth Form I plan to take a step back and focus on me for a year and to have more fun. 


I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's! What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Merry Christmas!

Hey guys!

Just a quick post to wish you all a very merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful day full of family fun, delicious food and great presents.

And if you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful day anyway. :-)

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | Family Christmas Traditions

Hey!

Seeing as it is Christmas Eve I thought I would share with you traditions my family have for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we like to put on some fun music we love whether it is ABBA, Elvis Presley or UB40. We will have a dance around and set up presents under the tree.

As for Christmas Day I get up at 9 AM and open presents in my Mum's room which are in my stocking. We then have croissants and bucks fizz for breakfast before going in to the living room and opening presents under the Christmas tree. After all of those are open we will then open the big main presents!

Afterwards, we have Christmas dinner which is homemade beautifully by my Nan following a homemade Christmas cake which I sometimes make. We will then settle down and watch some Christmas films.

After that, I then go to my Dad's house and repeat the whole process all over again!

What are your family Christmas traditions? Let me know!

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | 4 Easy Christmas Baking Recipes

Hey!

Today's post from the project is about food. This post comes just before I'm about to bake  for Christmas on Christmas Eve so instead I will just share with you some simple baking recipes I found online which you can do alone, with friends or with children. Just click the name of the recipe below to be taken to the recipe!

1. Snowy Owl Christmas Tree Biscuits
   
   
   
2. Mince Pies
   
3. Reindeer Cupcakes
   
4. Christmas Tree Cookies
   

What are you baking for Christmas? Let me know!

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | My Christmas Playlist

Hey!

When I am decorating the Christmas tree with my family our favourite thing to do is to put on some loud music and take it in turns to choose a song. Here are the songs I picked this year!:

• Michael Buble- White Christmas
• Michael Buble- Feeling Good
• Elvis Presley- Hard Headed Woman
• Slade- Merry Christmas Everybody
• Elvis Presley- Jailhouse Rock
• Robbie Williams- Mac the Knife
• Robbie Williams & Jonatham Wilkes- Me And My Shadow
• Louis Armstrong- It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
• Frozen- Summer Song
• Frozen- Love Is An Open Door
• The AristoCats- Everybody Wants To Be A Cat
• 42nd Street- Opening Sequence (musical sequence)
• Gene Kelly- Anchors Aweigh (musical sequence)
• Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly- Babbitt & The Bromide (musical sequence)

What songs are on your Christmas playlist? Let me know!

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | Oh Christmas Tree

Hey!

Every year I have two Christmas trees: One at my Mum's and one at my Dad's. We haven't put our Christmas tree up at Mum's yet but we just did at Dad's! 

Three years ago our fairy that goes at the top of the Christmas tree broke so me and my sister's took matters into our own hands! With the help of a toilet roll, wrapping paper, foil and kitchen roll we managed to make our own fairy: Angelina. She is still here 3 years going strong!

It is things like that which make Christmas extra special.

We have had the same decorations as far as I can remember so I don't know where they are from.

What is on your Christmas tree?

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | Candy Canes and Sparkles Nail Art

Hey guys!

Today I FINALLY painted my Christmas nails! I have decided to go with candy cane nails with a blue glittery accent nail on both ring fingers. Want to know how I done it? Read on!

You will need:

• Light blue nail polish
• White nail polish
• Red nail polish
• A striper
• Glitter nail polish
• Top/Base coat

1. Paint your nails with a base coat and let them dry fully.

2. Paint all nails but your ring finger nails white. They may need more than one coat to create a solid colour. Leave them to dry.

3. Paint your ring finger nails with the light blue nail polish and let that dry.

4. Once your ring finger nails have dried, paint a coat of the glitter nail polish on both of them and leave that to dry.

5. Coat the striper in the red polish. Begin to draw diagonal stripes across your nails. I think doing 3 red stripes on each nail looks super effective. Also, try to make each red line similar in thickness. Leave them to dry.

6. Paint a top coat on to your ring fingers like normal. When it comes to putting on a top coat for your candy cane nails, do them following the diagonal lines as opposed to just straight down like you normally would. Do all the white stripes first and then all the red ones. This is because if you do it like you normally would you will smudge the colours together and ruin the design!


There you have it! Alternatively, you can try cutting tape into thin stripes and using them on your nails to create the perfect stripes. I tried this but it didn't work well with the white nail polish I was using and just pulled it all off!

What are on your Christmas nails? Let me know if you recreate this!

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | My Christmas Jumper

Hey!

I have never owned a Christmas jumper before until a week ago when my sister just came up to me and said "Hey, I've bought you a Christmas jumper". Days later I had a package from Amazon and it turned out to be this!

As you can see it has Olaf (the snowman from Frozen) on the front with "Do you want to build a snowman?" around him (I know the photo looks like there is no 'n' but there is I promise). There are snowflakes all over the rest of the jumper. It is a soft and comfy jumper perfect for wearing when its cold! This came in good time actually as I had to dress up Christmasy for work on the weekend. My only issue with the jumper is that Olaf's arms look reddy-pink!

What is your Christmas jumper this year? Let me know!

#BigBlogmasProject | 5 Films for Christmas

Hey!

Today I bring to you 5 films for Christmas that I watch every single year.


1. Tangled- I know this isn't a Christmas film, but for the past two Christmases it has been a film that I have watched on Christmas Day. Because of this, in my head I regard it as a Christmas film. I love Tangled, and know a lot of the words to the songs, so this definitely had to be on  my Christmas film list.

2. Elf- This is my favourite Christmas film which is actually about Christmas. It never gets old for me and I will forever find Will Ferrell absolutely hilarious in this film. I don't know one person who hasn't watched it!

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas- Tim Burton never fails to write amazing films and this is one of them. A fun film mixed with Halloween and Christmas- my ultimate mix of things. The animation is perfect and I kind of fancy Jack Skellington. Is that weird?

4. Gremlins- An oldie but a goodie that I've loved since my childhood. It's a film that I have watched a countless amount of times. It's funny and about these creatures called 'mogwais' based at Christmas time. I want Gizmo for myself! He's too cute. If you haven't seen this film then trust me you are missing out!

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas- Dr. Seuss is a genius and this film definitely supports that. My childhood was full of Dr. Seuss books so when this was made in to a film I was ecstatic. It is about the moody Grinch who wants to ruin Christmas for everyone. What makes it even better is that the Grinch is played by Jim Carrey (you can tell why he was picked for it when you watch him act in the film) and the child being played by the beautiful Taylor Momsen who you'll know from Gossip Girl and the band The Pretty Reckless.

So that's it! What films do you watch at Christmas?

#BigBlogmasProject2014 | Christmas Nail Art Inspirations

 Hey,

As you guys should know by now, I'm a big fan of nail art. But none of my own nail art come without inspiration! I take the majority of my inspiration from Instagram, so I have compiled for you 5 of my favourite Christmas nail art inspirations from Instagram.

1. CutePolish (Insa: @cutepolish Youtube: CutePolish): She is the Queen of nail art on YouTube and has inspired so many of my designs. She is definitely one to check out. She always does these fantastic Christmas nail art guides every year!

2. Insta: @Sherrinessparklies: This design is flawless, artistic and sophisticated. It is a beautiful design, my favourite part being the snowflakes, that would go well with a Christmas dress to a Christmas do.

3. Insta: @BonitaJuanita2: These are too cute! These Christmasy polka dot tips would be super easy to do and very effective. 

4. Insta: @Kristyhomolya: I always love it when a nail artist creates these nail wheels so you can see various designs. Each and every one of these designs are beautiful and you could even merge one or two of them together in to one design! A definite artist.

5. Insta: @Nailsbytinav: I don't know about you, but this design reminds me of a traditional Christmas jumper! The reindeer are just too cute!

What do you think?