Lorna Cole

As I’ve not been doing Blogmas this year I thought I could do a roundup of the lead up to Christmas!  Secret Santa   I participated in a Bloggers Secret Santa again this year and we opened our presents last week. I was kindly given some really lovely gifts, I’m especially looking forward to trying the different masks as it’s something I often forget to buy! Also Lindt chocolate is always a winner!  I also really enjoyed buying the gifts, it’s so fun to wrap everything up and see them open it! Big thanks to Casey for organising it - you can see a roundup of it on her  Instagram! Decorating   I think the thing that really kicks off the season for me is decorating the tree as it instantly makesme feel Christmassy! I think we have a fairly simple tree, with a red, white and wooden theme, I kind of wish we could have a tree that was decorated for every season! Christmas Shopping   I said on my Instagram recent...

On Sunday it was my 20th birthday and it feels pretty weird to not be a teenager anymore, I'll admit (though in reality, I feel no different) but I had a lovely day and thought I'd share some of the gifts I kindly received! Globe Necklace I've had my eye on one of these for the longest time now, I'm pretty sure I even tweeted about it a while ago and I've definitely liked a lot of photos on Instagram! Unfortunately, I'm not sure which brand this is from but there are so many great places that sell them and you usually choose from gold, silver or rose gold. I really like the design and since I have such an interest in travelling, I thought it was perfect.  Jumper I've been meaning to buy a more boxy style jumper for a while now as I really like the cut of them and this particular one from Topshop is also an off the shoulder which I think can really add interest to an outfit. Grey is one of my favourite colours to wear too so I know it...

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas, holiday or just a nice time if you don't celebrate anything! I know these posts aren't everyone's cup of tea but, I'm very grateful for everything and am not bragging at all, I just think it's interesting to see what people received. Also, I like to be able to document all the gifts I was given this year as something to look back on.    My main present this year was a Fujifilm Camera which I was so excited to open, I've been interested in photography for as long as I can remember and plan to start a Creative Arts Degree which will help me to develop my photography skills. It's also going to come in really handy for blogging too and I can't wait to start taking better photos for my posts! I've been meaning to get a new pair of shoes for a while now so this year I asked for some Nike trainers.  I wanted black ones since they go with pretty much anything and have a feeling this w...

Christmas Eve is often a very busy day and begins with the chaos of getting all the final bits ready for Christmas. We usually collect and deliver presents to different family members and do some last minute shopping for any food or essentials. My Mum then prepares some bits for Christmas Dinner and my evening usually kicks off with the annual trifle making. I’m not sure how many years I’ve been making one for me and my Dad but it’s at least 6+ so it’s become a tradition now! The evening is (hopefully) a bit more chilled out and we usually watch a Christmas film. This year’s pick is The Muppet's Christmas Carol! One of my favourite traditions is getting a few gifts to open on Christmas Eve. Most often, this consists of some new festive pyjamas which we usually put on straight away and have them for Christmas morning. I’ve had multiple designs over the years and this time I received this matching grey fairisle set which I really love! Luckily it’s not too thick as I hate getti...

This year I participated in a Secret Santa for bloggers which was organised by the lovely Casey. Despite a few hiccups, it was a lovely thing to be a part of because I was able to connect with so many new bloggers and we all have a great support system now! You can check out Casey's post here if you'd like to see what everyone else got too as she kindly provided links to all of our blogs! My gifts arrived quite a while ago, packaged in some really festive Christmas Pudding wrapping paper and I really had to resist the urge to open them, I always used to be one of those kids that would feel around and try to work out what a present was when I had to wait to open it, haha! My Secret Santa was Eloise who blogs over at The Longing Wanderer . She absolutely nailed my gifts and I couldn't be happier with them so I can't thank her enough! Firstly I opened two bath bombs which smelt amazing even before opening them, I quickly recognised that they were from Lush whic...

It's that time of the year again when everyone is trying to think about what to give people for Christmas, as well as making their own wishlists. I thought I'd do a quick post with a range of ideas because I know I always look for posts like this to get some inspiration! Beauty: → Bath or shower set - I mean you can't go wrong can you, they make a great gift and can be used by anyone. I love this set from the brand Hugg that I got from Waitrose . → Perfume/Cologne - Also a super simple idea but it's so nice to get something new to wear. Also Fragrance Direc t has 70% at the moment! → Bath bomb - A good bath is underrated and of course Lush is the ultimate go-to for amazing bath bombs but of course, lots of places sell some lovely ones. → Makeup palette - For the makeup lovers, I feel like a palette is a gift that will be appreciated and you can get eyeshadow, contour, highlight etc. James Charles x Morphe Palette is insane for those who l...

Happy Christmas Eve everybody! I thought The Christmas Tag would be very appropriate to do today, I tag anyone who wants to do it!  Q) What is your favourite Christmas film? A) Elf! It is just brilliant! Q) Is your Christmas tree real or fake? A) It's real, wouldn't have it any other way! Q) What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season? A) New York or somewhere really cold and snowy because we don't really have much hope for a white Christmas where I live! Q) Do you stay in your pyjamas or dress up on Christmas Day? A) I stay in my pyjamas whilst opening presents, having breakfast and then at some point, usually late morning I'll get dressed. However we don't necessarily dress up, I'll usually wear a top or jumper I received as a present with some jeans. Q) What is your favourite holiday snack? A) Cheeselets! They are a must have and something I can eat and eat! / Q) Are you a pro present wrapper or do you...

Christmas is approaching so today I thought I'd share my gift guide to hopefully give you inspiration for the people you are buying for this year. I am going to do a combination of gifts for her, gifts for him and then gifts for anyone!  Knitted Jumper - Perfect for this time of the year and something most people would appreciate. Head over to Asos for a huge selection!  Jacket - Another one that is useful for the colder weather, personally I'd like a denim jacket this Christmas but you could also go for a leather, smarter or bomber jacket. Have a look on Topshop for some inspiration!        Image via: Topshop  Shirt - This is definitely something I know my Dad would appreciate and would be a great present if you tend to dress smarter on Christmas day! There are some great choices at John Lewis and Marks and Spencer.  Slippers - Another ideal gift for this time of the year and so cosy,  Next  have some great ones! ...