The arrival of Starbucks’ Red Cups heralds a number of
different things – among them being an unhealthy amount of Praline Lattes to be
consumed. But there are two in particular which would be simply rude not to
mention: One is the extraction of anything remotely resembling fur out of deep
storage – my lack of boyfriend renders chunky knits and faux fur my first
snuggle option, and the other is a significant increase in the amount on the
Broadband bill. It is inevitable – the wireless always crashes in the lead up
to Christmas but you can’t blame a girl for being generous and shopping for her
friends online!
The concept of ‘friends’ in that sentence is very
loose....interchangeable with ‘myself’ in fact. Once you have quickly got the
purchases for other people out the way, Christmas provides the ideal cover to
do a ridiculous amount of online shopping...or in my case, online window
shopping, after which I compile a list of things to be SNAPPED up in the
post-Christmas sales!
In the vain hope that at least some of my family will read this post, I have made a list of
current obsessions: the words ‘wish list’ are simply just not strong enough!
1)
The Diary – it sounds ridiculous but
I feel like my life has become infinitely more organised with the addition of
my delectable, metallic baroque print diary by Paperblanks. Although my
teachers may beg to differ...at least this year I’m actually writing down the
numerous French/English essays that seem to be never ending!
2)
Alt-J – if you go on the ‘Recently
Played’ playlist on my iPod, Alt-J have achieved total domination. Tickets for
a concert are definitely on the agenda for some point next year!
3)
Cortados – with the exception of the
revered Praline variety, lattes are for the grandmas of the coffee generation. Cortados
have conquered I’m afraid...specifically the Hermitage Road cortados: served in
a little glass with a delicate shard of hazelnut and chocolate biscotti, there
is no other option.
4)
Paisley – not exactly a ‘seasonal’
groundbreaker, but Urban Outfitter’s granddad shirt means I am never far from a
70s style burgundy swirl...as I’m sure you have seen from the instagramming!
5)
Maple and Pecan Pastries – having a
friend who works in Caffé Neros makes it an obvious choice for Saturday morning
and therefore these pastries were a natural step forward for me...totally
addicted.
6)
Collar up – a 3-day visit to Leeds
left me with 3 new necklaces...and a severely depleted bank balance. Collar-esque
necklaces just add that extra sparkle to any outfit, leaving me wondering... how
did I ever survive without them?
7)
Au Bonheur des Dames by Emile Zola – if
department store shopping was as heavenly as portrayed in the screen adaptation
‘The Paradise’ of Zola’s novel, I think I would move into John Lewis...or any
department store for that matter. E-Books for iPods are an absolute life saver
when I’m forever on buses between several schools.
8)
Lindt Dark Chocolate Excellence – it
seems as I’m getting older, I’m developing a taste for anything bitter...I hope
this is not a reflection of me - ‘Small and bitter’ does not make for a
particularly attractive description.
9)
Jordan Askill X Topshop- yet another
ridiculously successful collaboration on the part of the high street Deity, the
gothic romance captured in the dream-cloud-holding-panthers not only reflects
my current literature topic (I’m a slight English geek ok?!) but means that at
least one of these rings needs to
have a place on my hand.
10)
Sunday Brunch at Hermitage Road –
dinner dates no longer hold the appeal they used to for me...it’s all about
brunch. Pancakes, Eggs Florentine, Full English – the choice is yours...for
only £5!
#obsessed
Claira xo
