Mikko Lagerstedt's Winter

I'm not much of a winter person. I tend to go into hibernation, don't fancy walking around and cuddle under blankets with lots of books and lots of snacks. In fact, I'm trying really hard not to dash to the kitchen right now and bake some chocolate chip cookies...because I will just eat them all.

I'm not a fan of the cold, the fact it gets dark before it's even 5pm or the slushy snow and treacherous ice. I can however appreciate how gorgeous the changing seasons can be. In fact, I love crunching in the autumn leaves and will sit for hours watching it snow... happy so long as you don't make me try to walk on it when it's turned all slippery. If you do I will provide you with a very good Bambi on ice impersonation.

I'm trying my best to get into the spirit. The Christmas tree is up, the presents are brought and wrapped (except for my boyfriends - I'd be grateful for your ideas) and I've invested in some cable knit cardigans and a new coat so that I can venture out into the cold now and again.

I came across Finnish photographer Mikko Lagerstedt's work today and it's reminded me that even though there are so many things I don't like about winter it is an incredibly beautiful season and as I slip around on the ice I promise to try to enjoy it because spring is only around the corner.

Snuggle Up

I don't know about where you are but is officially freezing in England.  Both in the West Midlands (where my home town is) and the North West (where I am at uni). Halloween has gone, Bonfire night has gone and now the long stretch is ahead of us.  There's even talk of snow.

I cannot stand the cold.  I especially can't stand the cold when I'm in bed.  I'm not one to lounge around in lace and satin.  I'm more a cotton t-shirt kind of girl, usually with some retro cartoon or generally silly print splashed across the front.  I like to mix and match as well, switching shorts for trousers etc dependent on how effective the central heating is being.  Here is my favourite pyjamas this winter.

 Talk Nerdy Set (New Look £12), Honey Monster Oversized Tee (Topshop £18), Reindeer Socks (Topshop £5), Fairisle Slippers (Accessorize £20), Afraid of the Dark Set (David and Goliath $52)

Bah Humbug

Christmas is upon us.  Apparently.  My email inbox has been bombarded with reminders of Christmas from gift ideas to alerting me to the fact there are only a certain number of shopping/posting/work days left.  Well all it's doing is panicking me.

I have so far brough one present and that present is for my five year old sister Holly, who is the easiest person to buy for in the world.  She wants things.  Lots of them.  Anything with her favourite Disney characters will do perfectly and currently those are Tinkerbell and Ariel.  Therefore, on Christmas day she will be dressed as Tinkerbell courtesy of moi...complete with twinkling lights on her chest.

I have trawled over the internet, with little to NO time left to go shopping by the time I've caught up on random chores/visits/events on weekends.  The internet is not being helpful.  I would like to turn back time.  By 4/5 months would do...I see myself lying in the sun in south France laughing at the boys I was travelling with and worrying about getting sun stroke again.  Now I'm worrying about the fact that someone at work has informed me "Jack Frost will be visiting for the first time tonight".  This tells me I'll be freezing on the walk home.

Some may say I've outgrown Christmas, that I'm bitter, that I'm silly, that I'm the Grinch...I say I'm just a fan of summer, it's when I'm happiest, and I can't wait for it to come back.  Oh...and Christmas isn't the same when at you have been putting out the presents yourself for almost 10 years.  Santa has officially gone my friends.  Bah humbug.