The December 5

A festive mix for the end of December… with some really great tv thrown in for good measure (absolutely not Christmassy but just too good not to mention and, quite honestly, nothing has ever come close the The Family Stone for me – how about you?).

SHOP

At this stage in the game the best bet in the last minute emergency Christmas gifting game is to shop local – avoid those postal delays and support your locals. Here is a very quick list of local lovelies but no doubt any small independent near you would be delighted to have your business…

GLASGOW WEST END
Bluebellgray (a colourful gift emporium), Biscuit, I Am Nomad (for the mid-century interior lover), Decadent Riot

GLASGOW SOUTHSIDE
Ajouter, Sunshine No1

EDINBURGH
ALC, Biscuit, Edinburgh Mercantile, Style Your Spaces (for quirky interiors – top of my Edinburgh list), The Method

BUCHLYVIE
Green Gallery for affordable art

KILMACOLM
Etoile (small but gorgeous selection for tinies), The Ginger Cat (children’s books)

Wreath made at Ania’s Flowers local workshop

COOK

This landed in my inbox last week and solved my Christmas starter dilemma… I have been tasked with the first course of our big family Boxing Day dinner for twelve – essentially Christmas dinner round ii. A board packed with festive cheese, hams, pates, fruit and a side of bread and crackers; literally something for everyone and a great traveller (as long as it stays put on my lap for the car journey). If that does not tickle your fancy then have a look at Tiegan’s 22 most popular holiday appetizers here.

WATCH

Even the theme tune to White Lotus season two sends happy little shivers down my spine. Imagine a strange world set in a luxury Sardinian resort with intrigue, romance and murder where you are rooting for the prostitutes and Stifler’s mom and you are half way to understanding how wonderfully weird this show is. The first season was already on the ultimate tv list but, and this is a rare occurrence indeed, I venture that season two is EVEN better.

If you find yourself disappointed by my decidedly un-Christmassy selection then I have another option for you – Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse airs on BBC on the 24th and I have high hopes…

READ

8 holiday decorating mistakes and how to fix them – I am definitely guilty of a couple of these and reading this by Melissa Penfold made SO much sense…

WEAR

Sparkle. Undeniably sparkle is not a smart investment – a bit of a one hit wonder but now is the time to shimmy those sequins out from the back of your wardrobe and let them shine. If you happen to have some gleaming trews then I have a fun little night and day styling video for you below. If not (like me as mine were returned – build induced budget cuts), a nod to festivities with a rhinestone headband will do the job – I have one I dredge out annually and this year will be no exception.