Sundaze 143

We’re a week into the last December of the decade and, you guys, I’m finally feeling festive! I’ve really struggled with getting into the holiday mood this year. If anything, I’ve just been in a mood, but yesterday I went to see Last Christmas with my Mum and sister and last night, Harvey and I had our belated Christmas date night (more on that later). And so, I’m finally feeling as though Christmas is coming! I think working in the retail industry for the last nine years has meant that each year, I feel a little less festive, having worked on Christmas campaigns since about July.

Moaning aside, I’m much more content knowing that we have a few extra weeks in the house. Packing has come to a standstill, and in fact we’re now unpacking because our Christmas tree is finally going up. The house is an utter mess and every room is as chaotic as the last, but I’m grateful we even have a place to stay amidst stuck-in-a-chain madness. Because all of our stuff is in boxes, I popped to the library on Friday and have three titles to sink my teeth into this month. Funny what having no access to your belongings leaves time for…!

My London Boy shoot went live!

I’m absolutely thrilled that my little passion project, London (Girl), is finally out in the open! On Wednesday I shared a set of photos that Sian and I shot over two full days, in homage to my girl Taylor Swift and Stella McCartney. We painstakingly listed out the locations from London Boy, researched the best, most iconic places to shoot that still felt ‘Daisybutter’, and I styled looks around my Taylor × Stella McCartney top. I’ll be sharing more photos soon in a behind-the-scenes post, but for now, thanks for the support thus far and head here to see the full post.

FriendsFestive

Perhaps most excitingly this week was that my brother, sister and I went to FriendsFestive! Comedy Central UK have brought FriendsFest back for a festive edition and so we booked tickets a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t been to the original but, like any self-respecting millennials, are huge fans of Friends.

We had so much fun and basically laughed our heads off all evening. It felt so surreal to see the sets for ourselves — even if I did get pushed over by a seven-year-old whose parents didn’t have a care in the world — and to mess around taking photos at all of the photo spots. Plus, the themed food! There was a vegan Moist Maker!! I’ve got an Instagram Stories highlight up if you want to see more.

We saw ‘Last Christmas’!

I’m a sucker for a Christmas film and as soon as I saw the trailer for Last Christmas, I knew I needed to see it. Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Emilia Clarke?! I like all these things! We headed to our local cinema on Saturday afternoon to see it and it ticked all the boxes for a cheesy festive film. Plus, I didn’t expect it to be so woke and genuinely captivating? I also love spotting places I know in films and on TV, so it really made me realise just how magical London is at Christmas and how lucky I am to spend three days a week in central London. I won’t say much more for fear of spoiling it for anyone, but if you haven’t already seen it, please do.

Grow & Glow Member Spotlight

In super exciting news… I’m Grow & Glow’s December Member Spotlight! I’m thrilled to have been nominated and chosen. I’ve been a G&G member for a few months now and couldn’t adore it more. Although I’m nearing 10 years of running this blog, I’d begun to feel as though I needed a little more get-up-and-go and some accountability. Whilst I’ve never struggled for writing or blogging inspiration, the loss of community is definitely something I’ve noticed recently and I felt as though my usual avenues — Twitter and Instagram — had become echo chambers of sorts.

Vix’s brilliant Grow & Glow venture is a community for creators and creatives. Each month the team release a training bundle for a different topic related to blogging and content creation, and alongside that there are SO many inspiring resources perfect for both long-term and newbie bloggers. You can even find accountability partners in our dedicated Facebook group! Join the waitlist to become a member right here.

Links I’ve Loved

Gem’s Garlic Mushrooms on Toast sound absolutely delicious! I’m going to have to recreate these with a vegan butter alternative…
I feel privileged to be included in Rebecca’s inspirational bloggers list! And amongst such great company too!
The Wonder List on The Frugality is full to the brim with dreamy gift ideas.
Jaime’s letter to her toddler, ahead of her twins’ birth, was absolutely breathtaking to read.
Want to shop small this Christmas? Liv’s guide to the best Etsy gifts is a perfect read and full of wonderful finds.
Olivia is taking part in Blogmas this year, and this post is all about how she’s decorated her narrowboat home for Christmas.
A hearty vegan stew recipe.
Ella from Coco’s Tea Party shared mini reviews of everything she read in November and I instantly added one of the titles to my to-be-read list.