Dancing through December

Winter is the perfect time for a spot of shearling.

Whether that's long and swooping along the floor like you're part of a 90s pop music video, or short and denim like a 19-year-old hipster. 

You know what the other thing that's great in December? Red. All the red during the festive season please. Whether that's a simple and bold lippy, a punky pleated skirt or a sparkly slogan sweat. 

And on the days you're feeling really lazy? An oversized 101 Dalmations sweatshirt with a big ol' Lazy Oaf heart. 

Sassy over the knee boots optional.

And when the festive season gets all too much, put on your chunkiest and coziest piece of knitwear to hide the fact that you've eaten so many pigs in blankets that you've in fact, become an actual pig in blanket.

As a regular Mrs.Christmas myself, it'll surprise no-one that I'll have festive headgear on me more often than not. Whether it's more on the subtle side with a sprig of mistletoe or go all-singing, all-dancing with a flashing headband of tinsel. 

Throw in a pair of pom-pom earrings and a metallic gold skirt and you're ready for a night out of fizz and festivities. 

But you know, there's times you have to go hog-wild and when those times call, find you're jazziest Winter Slopes top and matching it with a shimmering, mermaid pleated number...

Or why hold back? Deck your jumper with boughs of holly and tie that tutu round your waist.

And who says clothes get to have all the fun. Time to fab up the hair with hues or purples and blues. 

But the star of the show? The star at the top of the December tree? This magical LBD.

Sparkly stars ahoy, and a crown to finish the whole thing off because you know, it was just a bit too low-key.

The look of a girl living her best life y'all. Living. Best. Life.

Until next time,

A.x

Month by Numbers: skates, stars & shimmying

7 favourites...


1.) There’s been ice-skating, there’s been present opening and there’s been drinking. Oh my has there been drinking…I think at one point it was just pure prosecco and cocktails running though my veins. Festivities to the max y’all.

2.) This month has been filled with a lot of work-related fun outside of work time. This time last year I had lost one job, working a freelance job, and hunting for another job. It was lonely and soul detroying to be quite honest, but this year could not be more different. Colleagues have become more than just that and are now friends, and I danced with them along to cheesy festive songs, drank with them in cringey christmas jumpers and boozy brunch-ed with them on a Sunday afternoon. Once upon a time in Sheffield, me and my bestie said ‘imagine if one day we’re both journalists, living in London & in the same office!’ and lo and behold, here we are! From shorthand lectures together to dancing the night away at the office Christmas party together. And I could not be happier or how it’s all turned out and the new friends I’ve made in my life because of it.


3.) Every year some some of my closest friends and I get together and have a Christmas weekend together, or as we call it, Hunmas (long story). We stayed up until the early hours of the morning swapping secret santa presents, we drank wine, we ice-skated, we ate food and we talked the world to rights. That how weekend with these girls usually go and they never, ever get old and I’m always planning and feeling psyched for the next one.


4.) One of the perks of my job is I get to go to cool events, and one of the more recent and also coolest things I’ve been to is the Christmas party that Netflix held. Not only were there sets made up to look like some of their original shows, but the actors and actresses dressed up in those sets never went out of character and pulled up in to get involved.

Stranger Things have happened on a Thursday night ✨🔮 #strangerthings #netflixmas #netflix @netflixuk #london #lights #xmas #christmas #boomerang #instsvid #gif

A video posted by Amy Lo 🐚 (@amylo92) on Dec 1, 2016 at 1:13pm PST

 I essentially played charades with Queen Elizabeth on the set of The Crown. There was cocktails being passed around, I took full advantage of the gif-making photo booth, and there was a free chrome cast in my goodie bag to take home. Oh and I met Bake-Off winner and queen, Candice Brown, who I just banged on about how she slays the lipstick game and I love her piggy sausage rolls. So there was that too...good job Netflix.

5.) And one of the other perks of my job is that I get opportunities to go to stuff that I’ve loved for years, like Strictly Come Dancing. It’s the one show me and my whole family all love - it’s just pure joy! And after the hellish year my mum’s been through, it was an absolute privilege to be able to take her and every now and again, I was sneakily look over at her and she was laughing and enjoying herself with so much joy. It filled my heart up with so much love and not gonna lie, it filled my eyes up with tears.


6.) Christmas calories don’t count, and i may have taken that motto a bit too seriously. Just maybe. My body is made completely out of pigs in blankets, Quality Street sweets and red wine right now. i think when you you cook essentially a Christmas dinner in a pie and plait the crust of it and feeling like flipping Snow White, you’re in full on festive mode aren’t you? I’ve even been gifted sparkly jam that has prosecco and actual glitter in. I mean, I’m living my best damn life right now, but my waistline and health says otherwise.


7.) Living your best life during Christmas consists of mainly of drinking, dancing, partying and not much sleeping. And as much as i love a life of that, it starts to take it’s toll, and that’s when it’s time to hop of a train back to the shire and switch off for a bit. My fave thing about Christmas is how people bound together with joy and I’m lucky enough to have an amazing family full of love to share that with. And being an aunty in that family to 3 gorgeous nephew and nieces means i get to spoil them rotten and seeing their faces and reactions of pure, unadulterated excitement when they open presents that i’ve put so much thought into buying, makes me feel like there’s no better way for me to spend my hard-earned money.

5 tweets...
1.) My neck hurts from too many hair whips on the dancefloor & I'm still finding glitter on me - THAT'S how fun the xmas party was last night 🎄
2.) Have come to China Town for dim sum with family. Randomly developed a rash out of the blue - am I allergic to my own culture?! 🎎
3.) My friend just told me I look like I'm straight out of a 90s music video & I couldn't be happier with comparison ❄️
4.) Nephew's present consists of Star Wars, Pokémon & McFly's @TomFletcher. Couldn't be more excited, pysched & proud of that combo 🎁 #TopAunty
5.) What do you mean I have to go to work tomorrow and can't sleep in till 10am and have a cheese board as a snack?

3 songs…
1.) Gallant -  Weight In Gold

The coolest, most chilled vibes you could want to balance all the cheese and excitement of December. I started hearing this and was thinking ‘oh this is cool, I feel like i’ve come across this sound before?’ And that would be because they supported Jack Garratt when I went to see him and I can say they are fucking brilliant live so go and do that guys and girls.

2.) Barbara Streisand - Rain on my Parade

I found myself listening to this many a morning on my commute, and i think it was solely to psych myself up to get myself to work and make my commute that bit less shit and that bit more chipper.

3. ) JC Cooper - September song

December is an odd time to feel all summery, but this is what this song did. And as much as I am essentially Mrs.Christmas, this made me look forward to sunny summers to come and feel nostalgic about sunny summers past.

Until next time,

A.x