BUMPER CHRISTMAS POST

Somehow the entire run-up to Christmas has happened without me writing a single blog post about it. This is bad form, because I LOVE Christmas and everything about the festive period. It's just that for the past few weeks I've been 'snowed under' (ho ho ho) with work and #partyseason antics, and have been kind of absent from the internet. And now it's five days until Christmas Day! How did that happen?

Whenever I look at other Christmas want lists on blogs, it always seems like everyone has a perfectly formed wishlist consisting mainly of clothes, makeup, perfume and cute homeware. Mine isn't like that. I think it's because I a) am highly dubious about other people buying me clothes, b) I always completely forget about makeup and beauty stuff, and c) I buy myself anything I REALLY want, and if I don't REALLY want it then chances are I'll have forgotten it existed by the time the 'what do you want for Christmas?' moment rears its head.

So, I know everyone and their cat has done one of these already, but here's mine anyway...


1. A hairdryer. It doesn't matter which one, this is just a generic picture of a hairdyer - as long as it's better than the one I'm using at the moment, which was £6 from Argos about 5 years ago and is even more useless than one of those you get attached to the wall in foreign hotels, then I'll be happy.

2. Ferrero Rocher with LIMITED EDITION ~green~ PISTACHIO FLAVOUR!!! Enough said.

3. I spotted this Versace-rip-off print dress in Miss Selfridge the other day, and upon inspection of the website I discovered there's also a slightly odd sleeveless shirt version with a strange hole in the back. I wouldn't mind either, although it's highly unlikely I'll buy them myself unless they're at least half price.

4. DVDs, of course: Doctor Who series 5 & 6, True Blood Season 3, The Big Bang Theory complete boxset, X-Men: First Class and Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Don't judge my taste in TV and film, please, I use it for pure escapism, okay. (I obviously also want The Devil's Double but that doesn't come out until Boxing Day, when I will venture out and get it for myself.)


5. THIS DRESS. Aaaahhhh, this dress!! Brace yourselves, I am about to use a Clichéd Blogger Phrase... It is THE DRESS OF DREAMS. Let's face it, I have put on far too much weight to get away with this sort of thing anymore, but if someone bought me this dress, I WOULDN'T CARE. It combines my three favourite things: 1) black 2) gold and 3) tacky shit. It couldn't BE any more perfect and if it gets reduced, I am 100% definitely buying it for myself. And breathe.


6. This ASOS Slim Heritage Check (or 'CHeck') Coat has been on my wishlist for months now. I just keep hoping they're going to reduce it to less than £60. Then I spotted... 7. the Belted Midi Coat the other day whilst idly browsing (always dangerous). HOW GORGEOUS IS IT?! I feel as though it would make me look a million dollars, but in reality I'd probably look like a bag lady shuffling around in it.

Okay, that's it for the wishlisting. How do people find all these things to wish for?! It's exhausting. I could of course make a wild imaginary one and stick an iPad, £100 candles and £150 bottles of perfume, Steve Coogan and this (!!!) on it but that would just depress me, frankly. A £48 dress is unrealistic enough at the moment. Paying the gas bill is unrealistic enough at the moment, ffs.


I've watched Scrooged about 4 and a half times over the past few days. I really, really fancy Bill Murray in this film, which is a bit weird because I've never fancied him in anything else. Ever. I think it's the suit.


I also saw this for the first time ever a few days ago... Yes, I know it's hard to believe but I've seriously never seen Nightmare Before Christmas before now. I was nine when it came out, okay, and I saw the trailer in the cinema and THE ANIMATION TERRIFIED ME. It wasn't this trailer either, it was a much scarier one. Anyway, at 27 I've finally decided I am old enough to withstand the horror, and I really liked it. (I also saw Elf for the first time this year - not, I hasten to add, because I was previously scared of it. I'm just way behind with Christmas films, but I still maintain that Santa Claus: The Movie is a classic.)


This is the best Christmas song of all time, just in case anyone needed reminding.


I FINALLY managed to figure out what this song is after being subjected to it day after day at work last year and then realising I kind of... really liked it.

This took me so long to write I missed The Only Way Is EsseXmas and will have to watch it on the dreaded ITV Player. I hope you're happy with that. PS, Merry Christmas.