Just Flapping

Is it just me or has CHRISTMAS just dropped out of the sky from nowhere?! I feel like HALLOWEEN and BONFIRE Night have gone in no more than a whizz and a bang and suddenly M&S are playing Christmas music, everyone's drinking some kind of beverage with cinnamon, gingerbread or salted 'something' in and i am nowhere near as organised as i need to be.  
I say this.  I have pretty much decided what sort of wrapping 'scheme' i am going for this year (THIS IS IMPORTANT) and sort of got an odd present or two…ish.  And i think i know what i am getting the Mr (which is task and a half alone) but, i just feel a little panicked.  And feel as if i have several thousand lists in various places all over the shop.  And as if i might go bankrupt.  If i haven't already since i didn't really require the new Topshop dress i have just purchased.  More on that another time.  Despite my recent frantic list making and general flap over all things Christmas, our weekend was a nice one.

Inside this cheeky little CROISSANT hid lots of melted butter and STRAWBERRY jam.  I am quite the healthy bean during week day breakfasts and because well, i could eat breakfast for each and every meal, the weekend variety tend to be a little more indulgent.  And largely pastry based.  I chose jam, the Mr chose nutella.  I could have eaten another if i am honest. 

 BRIGHT LAYERING and clumpy boots and the softest, cosiest fur cossack hat for tramping around the shops before lunch.  I sometimes feel as if i dress brighter in the winter to compensate for the minus temperatures.  If that is possible.

 The clearest brightest (AND COLDEST) autumn skies and present pondering in the sweetest (and my new favourite) gift shops.  Shops like Ashbridge and Brown are so few and far between in bigger towns and cities.  This little gem is packed to the rafters with so much lovely stuff that it is hard to focus on the christmas shopping task in hand as i could quite happily buy the lot just for me.  The icing on the cake is the friendly, cheery and genuine service i always receive in this sweet little place which puts some of the bigger retailers out there to shame.  I wish the British hight street could be filled with these sort of lovely independent businesses like it used to be, they are so much more pleasurable to shop in.

Making the effort to make loose leaf Bluebird Tea in my pretty tea strainer always reminds me of making tea at home in a huge pot, with a tea cosy.  Putting the kettle on was always a bit of a ritual and making tea for five fussy tea drinkers at home was definitely always a challenge.  There was always a sense of achievement if you got everyone's right.  It's a bit sad how now its more of a 'shove a bag in a cup' sort of an affair.  

Perfect autumn SUNSETS watched from our huge windows, wrapped up in a big blanket and with a copy of Simple Things magazine for company.  I can't get enough of all the Christmas-sey editions of magazines and look books about at the moment.  I may or may not have a Christmas themed mood board on the go already….