STAR TREK CHRISTMAS CARDS

 Hello! This year's been a funny old thing, hasn't it? I've been working from home for the last eight months, a bit jealous of anyone who's been furloughed (I do like my job, and I am very grateful to still have it, but it has been a bit intense and knackering) and somehow even though it's pitch black at 3pm, it still feels like it could be April and this was all a big fever dream?

I'm trying hard to find JOY and appreciate the good things in life (when really I just miss my pals, and would kill to drink a pint, indoors, with friends), so with happiness in mind I have thrown myself into trying to feel festive! The Christmas tree is up, I have completed my Christmas shopping (and it's all wrapped and already under the tree, what is wrong with me), and my Netflix watch list has their entire festive catalogue ready to go.

The other way I've been coping this year is art! I'm not sure what it is about a global pandemic that has inspired me to paint, but that is now pretty much my only hobby. And I'm definitely getting better! If you remember my old attempts (hello), you might notice a difference! 

So that brings me to my new favourite thing - STAR TREK CHRISTMAS CARDS!

I am a big Star Trek fan, so I just drew these for fun. Some of the puns ('make it snow') were already out there, but it took a long time to come up with 'I'm Dreaming of a Free Bajor'! I am really proud of them, so it took only the smallest amount of encouragement to get them printed, and then set up an Etsy store to sell them.

I was really nervous to see if they'd print okay (they did!) and then nervous about whether anyone would buy them (they did!!) and that it wasn't all an awkward burst of over-enthusiasm (it wasn't! thank goodness). 

If you have a sci-fi fan in your life, maybe you'd like to buy some? You can do so here - Etsy - Juliet Paints, and if you'd like to keep up with my art insta (which is updated much more than this poor blog), you can find that here - Instagram - Juliet Paint. 

I always knew shopping small and supporting local businesses was a good thing, but I really didn't realise how genuinely GIDDY I'd feel every time I got a sale notification, it really means a lot. So if you do buy something, thanks!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What's that saying? The best made plans of mice and men! Obviously I was giddy on my blogging spree (9 posts in 8 weeks! I'm practically a professional), and had dreamt up all sorts of interesting festive things to write about, and then the lurgy struck. Not just any lurgy. A horrific cold that lasted for WEEKS, and coincided with my poor/very brave boyfriend being struck with flu which turned into an intense few days in hospital (!) with pneumonia.

But it's Chrrrrrriiiiiiistmas, and I am very ready for it.

Life has picked up. Our never-ending sickness has finally, finally lifted and I remember what it's like to not be sniffling constantly. Thanks to the December gods, we even managed to be better(ish) in time to escape up north for a few days for my birthday, and it was so so nice to get time to just read, tend a fire, and laze about, after the most frantic of months.

Now it's bedding in for Christmas time! We've got our tree up and it's a beaut - it's a real one from Ikea in their buy-a-£25-tree-get-a-£20-voucher deal (bargain). I love real Christmas trees, I think it's because I'd gladly fill my house with full size trees if I could. Plus they smell amazing!

Presents are wrapped, gingerbread is baked (and burned, but whatever), and I'm planning to spend the next few hours drinking Bailey's, watching Christmas movies, and attempting to build a gingerbread house. I've also got someone very special to introduce you to, but that's for another day.

Have a very merry Christmas, I'll see you on the other side!

QUIRKY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE VOL. 2

It's Chriiiiiiistmas! Well, obviously not quite yet, but there's a chill in the air, Christmas lights are sparkling all over town, and I've already scalded myself on glühwein.

With only four weeks to go, it's time to get cracking if you've still got Christmas shopping to do! I've put together a list of lovely things, with ideas for most budgets, to give you some Christmas inspo.

Stocking fillers

1. How cute are these sleepy moon pin badges? They come hand-stamped with your choice of initial for a personalised touch.

2. These are aimed at new mums, but as someone who is a fan of staying up late and dozing all day, I loooove this So Tired pin.

3. Got a coffee lover in your life? Get them hand-roasted coffee beans from all female coffee company Girls Who Grind.

4. Fusing art and chocolate, you won't go wrong with beautiful chocolates from Glasgow-based Sugarsnap Chocolate.


£15 and under

1. An adorable gift for anyone with jewellery or trinkets to store, this ring dish is personalised with your choice of name or word.

2. I got this Prick Book last Christmas and it is brilliant! It looks beautiful, is packed full of interesting information about cacti and succulents, and is a great guide for your green-fingered friends. 

3. You can't go wrong with a really pretty mug, and this celestial print mug is lovely.

4. Featuring artwork from the first edition of the book, buying this Wizard of Oz tote bag helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need, so you can get a gift and help others out! What a wonderful wizard win/win.


£30 and under

1. How cute is this chubby ceramic rhino planter? Very cute, that's what.

2. I'm a big fan of  indie jewellery label Wolf & Moon's aesthetic, and this eclipse necklace is particularly pretty.

3. I love dinosaurs, so I'm a big fan of this lasercut T Rex necklace. It comes in gold and silver too!

4. Okay, have you guessed I like personalised things? I think it all stems from having a slightly unusual name, and never being able to find anything with my name on it when I was little. Anyway, Papier have a beautiful range of stationery, including this beaut 2019 diary, which can all be personalised!


£50 and under

1. I'm a sucker for anything rainbow, and this bright orange bag ticks a lot of boxes. It's got compartments! Everyone likes bags with compartments!

2. I'm pretty pleased I've managed to only pick one thing from Anthropologie on this list, I am obsessed with that whole shop (although I can never actually afford it, weep). This statement necklace looks giant and great.

3. Brighten up wintery days with this adorable handmade fair-isle knitted hat. The pom poms are detachable too!

4. Perfect for the book lover in your life, this Joanie Sense & Sensibility jumper looks cute and cosy.


£100ish 

1. You can never have enough plants, and geo-fleur's Plant Post Club is a super cute way to surprise plant lovers each month. This subscription delivers an exclusive package of an unusual and beautiful plant, in a handmade pot, or plant related accessories each month. Everything's made in geo-fleur's Yorkshire studio.

2. I know this is a massive list of actual presents, but I am definitely of the opinion, that if you are going to treat someone, there's nothing better than gifting a trip or experience. In Edinburgh, we're lucky enough to have beautiful artisan florists dotted around the city, and I've always wanted to do a Flower School workshop - you get to learn a new skill and take home a beautiful bouquet!

3. Okay, back to commercialism! I can't help being a sucker for MAC, and I'm clearly a makeup magpie, so look, look at the shiny pretty things advent calendar! 

4. Like octopuses? Like being cosy? I do! I'm obsessed with this giant octopus blanket, hand-knitted by illustrator Kristina Micotti.

PERSONALISED GIFT GUIDE

How's the Christmas shopping going? After an enthusiastic (and pretty smug) start, I have obviously lost momentum and am feeling a little panicked as all of a sudden it's December (!) and international shipping dates are fast approaching.

In my never-ending hunt for interesting presents, I find I keep being drawn to custom and personalised gifts. Not only are they ace presents in their own right, but you know you're going to get extra brownie points for finding something that's one-of-a-kind!

I've rounded up a few of my favourite things. If you're still stuck for ideas, check out my other Christmas gift guide that's full of nice things for all budgets.

1. You cannot go wrong with a beautiful satchel, and the Leather Satchel Company have been crafting British-made leather satchels since 1966. All of their bags can be made bespoke to your liking and customised with a name or initials stamped into the leather.

2. How cute is this embroidered heart patch? It would be perfect for giving to someone with an anniversary or special date to remember (although you might want to also get them a shirt or jacket to sew it onto!). If you're feeling extra creative, make your own slogan tee, by ordering a customised t-shirt - this site has express t-shirt printing and does all the design for you, so you don't have to be a graphic design wizard.

3. I think this is definitely something you wouldn't buy yourself, but what a sweet gift to get! Ella Masters makes these mini personalised pen portraits for only £10 and they are adorable!

4. Dreamy stationery is ALWAYS a good idea, and these colourblocked monogram journals are beautiful.

5. I've wanted a necklace like Carrie's since I was a teenager and I was glued to Sex in the City. This gold name necklace is perfect (and very affordable).

6. Tatty Devine make loads of personalised jewellery, and I think my favourite is this speech bubble necklace (my best pal & I have a matching Ernest Hemingway quote). This necklace gives you 40 characters to say whatever you want - whether it's a line from pop culture, your favourite quote or a daft in-joke!

7. If there's a booklover in your life, take a look at these absolutely gorgeous bespoke Bloomfield and Rolfe bookplates. These are all hand-illustrated, completely original, and would be such a special gift.

8. I included Karen Mabon in my last gift guide, but I just love her illustrated designs, and this silk scarf is no exception. Perfect to tie up in your hair!

9. Finally, if you're looking for something that's definitely different, boomf  will print marshmallows with your photos - meaning you can give your pal a weird, but tasty gift of their own mallowy face.

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

QUIRKY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE VOL. 1

Did you know there's only six weeks until Christmas? Not to sound like an old cliche, but where has this year gone? How are we half-way through November? How is it 2018 in only SEVEN weeks? Terrifying.

Despite my total horror at the ever-accelerating passage of time, I have (for once!) managed to start my Christmas shopping early this year, so I'm feeling pretty smug that my December can actually revolve around leisurely trips to the Christmas market for hot booze, rather than panicked scrolling through amazon.

I've come across loads of lovely things on my search, so I thought I'd bring back the Ever So Juliet Christmas Guide, and point you in the direction of nice present ideas, with ideas that hopefully suit whatever budget you are on!


Stocking fillers

1. I am a sucker for a lovely mug, and these gilded monogramed mugs are particularly lovely (I also like pretty much everything in Anthropologie's monogram shop, if initials are your thing!).

2. Channel some Palm Springs vibes with this super cute mid-century house enamel pin.

3. I was given a One Line a Day memory book last Christmas, and it honestly has been such a great journal! You write a moment from each day for five years, and it's so nice being able to track the little moments, and thinking about what is yet to come!

4. I also have this and it's the greatest patch I own. Proclaim your love for Jeff loud and proud with this Jeff Goldblum Appreciation Society patch.


£15 and under...

1. Got a slightly geeky pal to buy for? This etsy shop is packed with cute and quirky anime and video game-inspired accessories & art. These Night in the Wood earrings are adorable (the game is also adorable and you should definitely play it if you haven't already!).

2. This cactus ring dish is cute and practical (win win).

3. You'll never go wrong with gifting a candle! This soy candle is particularly nice.

4. How beautiful are these zodiac journals? They're super fancy and made with vegan leather too.


£30 and under...

1. Part of Black Heart Creatives Mid Century Modern collection, this laser cut
cheese plant necklace is so much fun, and would be a pretty perfect gift for a plant lovin' pal.

2.  How cute is this origami hippo lamp? You can get an elephant and rhino too, but obviously the hippo is the best one!

3. Get a Scottish pal something truly original, with this Irn Bru wool cushion made from a hand dyed vintage wool blanket. You can also get an Irn Bru bag to match!

4. Perfect as a seriously swish toiletries bag or a quirky clutch, Tatty Devine's dental bling bag is ace.


£50 and under...

1. Everyone needs a good statement necklace, and this pearl necklace is very pretty.

2. Is there someone in your life with a penchant for hipster homeware? This Oliver Bonas filament table lamp should do the trick! 

3. How gorgeous are these earrings? This etsy shop is packed with the most incredible beautiful and bright leather jewellery, I'm super into this tassel necklace and this geometric necklace too!

4. I am pretty rubbish with skincare, but I have been using Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil for the last few months, and it is so good and makes my skin feel happy and glowy! Kiehl's have a great gift set (featuring this very product) that is packed with their favourite essential products.


£100 ish

1.  Edinburgh designer Karen Mabon is queen of the whimsical print, and her range of silk pyjamas are no exception. I'm a big fan of the koi carp print and imagine how fancy you'd feel, sleeping in silk veg sleepwear?

2. If you want a gift that keeps on giving, a monthly subscription is a great choice. Everyone should have fresh flowers in their home, and Bloom & Wild's letterbox flowers are gorgeous, and mean you never have to worry about scheduling delivery times.

3. You can't go wrong with anything from MAC's Snowball Holiday Collection, but if you really want to impress, this MAC Classics lipstick kit is the way to go! If your budget can't stretch to that, the mini kits are cute too.

4. It's got bees on it! It's vegan-friendly! You can personalise the strap! Did I say it had bees on it?! (I love bees, this Olivia Burton watch is wonderful).

HOW TO: MAKE A WICKED BLOODY MARY

I'm a fairly recent convert to Bloody Marys (I've been wimpy about spicy things for a long time), but I've come round to the joy that is this ridiculous (yet acceptable) boozy weekend breakfast drink.

Last year on Boxing Day we made the most amazing Bloody Marys, served with a seafood, quail's egg and bacon garnish that was taller than the drink (I say 'we', it was actually handed to me by Joshua, Bloody Mary-extraordinaire). You don't need actual food when you've got one of these bad boys, it's the perfect Boxing Day or New Year's breakfast!

Here's how you do it...

Drink:

• Ice cubes
• Double shot of vodka
• 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
• Tomato juice (to fill the glass)
• Lemon
• Garlic salt

Rim the glass with lemon juice and garlic salt. Put a couple of ice cubes in the glass, add the vodka, then the rest of the ingredients and mix! 

Garnish:

• King prawns
• Quail egg
• Lemon rind
• Bacon
• Celery

Hard boil the egg and pan fry the prawns and bacon. Assemble on skewers and add to your drink with a sprig of celery - it's not a Bloody Mary unless there's celery!

Enjoy (responsibly)!

CHRISTMAS DINNER RECIPES

Are you guys aware that Christmas is literally only one week away? How?! This month has absolutely flown by... I'm only just starting to get my Buble fix, and up my intake of hot festive booze. I am behind!

I'm assuming that most people will have their Christmas presents sorted by now (and if you haven't, here's a gift guide to point you in the right direction!), but even more important than present shopping is food shopping! Christmas dinner is the very best meal of the year - you've got to get your menu sorted! This year I'm roasting a pheasant on Christmas Day with Joshua, and then we're cooking a goose with our pals on Boxing Day. I realise that makes me sound massively middle class, but holy moly, if you've never roasted a goose (and roasted potatoes in the goose fat), you are missing out!

If you're in need of some festive feast inspiration this year, never fear. I've found some pinterest picks for you...

Sides

Rosemary roasted carrots | Bacon wrapped avocado | Roast pumpkin with feta

Mains

Pheasant with cider and bacon | Spiced roast goose | Roast chicken with garlic and lemon

Puddings

Teacakes christmas puddings | Christmas puddings | Winter pudding bombe

Ah, I can't wait to eat, drink and be merry!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

I know the blogosphere is full of Christmas gift guides at the moment, but if you've still got Christmas shopping to do, hopefully a last minute bit of inspiration will help!

I've rounded up a range of lovely things to suit all budgets - whether you're looking for stocking fillers, or splashing your budget. Happy shopping!

£5 and under...

Lucky Cloud lip butter | Camera crew patch

Glitter snap clips | Writing map

£15 and under...

Nikki McWilliams passport cover | Danny Brito pouch

Novella journal | Typography mug

£30 and under...

Tear drop terrarium | Gold leather necklace

Elderflower bath crystal & candle set | Rabbit vase

£50 and under...

Letterpress 2016 calendar | Duffle bag

Neom intensive skin treatment candle | Coco chocolate box

£100 and over!

Lush legends gift set | Aesop Cassiopeia set

Tatty Devine dinosaur necklace | Custom Mango Bike

GIFT WRAP INSPIRATION

Have you bought all your Christmas presents yet? I'm seriously lagging this year, I've got Joshua's sorted, but I need to go on a big mission to get my family gifts.

One of my favourite things about gift giving is wrapping presents. I think it's so nice when you can surprise someone you care about with your present from the very start - it just shows you've taken that little bit longer to make it special on the outside and the inside. I mean, yeah, obviously when you're in a rush wrapping is stressful and boring, and making it pinterest-pretty is your lowest priority, but if you have that bit of extra time? It's so worth it.

Pretty wrapping is a total pinterest cliche, so OBVIOUSLY I have an entire board dedicated to it. Here's a few of my favourite crafty wraps and adorable packages to inspire you this present-giving season.

All images from Pinterest

Happy wrapping!

OUTFIT: CANDY CANE CHRISTMAS

It's December 1st which means it's officially time to start counting down to Christmas! Hooray! I love December so much - I love the decorating, the food, the hot booze, the fact it's okay to wear glitter all the time, that you have big get-togethers with your friends and family, AND it's also my birthday month. Best time of the year!

George at Asda are also fans of Christmas cheer, and asked me to share my essential Christmas Day outfit. I also got to pick a couple of things from their party dress collection (thanks guys) and pose in front of my new candy striped study wall - I knew there was a good reason to paint my house ridiculous colours!

Dress* - George at Asda
Shoes* - George at Asda
Necklace - JOY

Christmas Day for me is generally a very relaxed affair - my family always played board games rather than dressing up fancy, and I've kept that tradition as I've carved out my own Christmases away from home. 

Generally, after lounging about the morning, most of the day will be spent cooking Christmas dinner - last year we cooked a goose and it was incredible! - then eating as much as physically possible, and collapsing on the sofa to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special and old festive films. So for my Christmas outfit I try and find something that feels like I've made a little bit of an effort, but allows for maximum comfiness when I'm too full to care! 

I picked out this lace insert dress and it's perfect! (It's also only TWELVE POUNDS. Christmas bargain!). It's a skater-style dress in a jersey fabric, so it's soft and super cosy. The lace sleeves and back help dress it up that wee bit, so it happily sits in the land between I-made-an-effort and I'm-going-to-snooze-on-the-sofa. 

To give it a little bit of colour, I added my very favourite JOY rainbow necklace (I'm going to have to buy another soon as I am wearing this one to death!), and a glittery holly clip from Crown and Glory.

To add another touch of festive sparkle, I wore these amazing gold lace-up brogues from George. They're a really beautiful rose gold colour, and I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing these all of December (and hoping the weather isn't too terrible so I don't ruin them!). They're also a bargainous £14 (and come in silver too). 

I hope that's inspired you to start planning your outfit... there's only 24 sleeps to Christmas!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

There are a million christmas gift guides in blogs and magazines right now, so I figure one more won't hurt!

I've chosen a few of my favourite things and (where possible), have picked things from independent shops and designers, as well as a few things from bigger stores (to be honest, this ENTIRE list could have been made up solely from Anthropologie, but that's another story).

I hope this helps... happy shopping!

£5 and under...

Blogger pencil set | Glitter bows

Brass notebook | Paper animal decorations

£15 and under...

Notebooks | Bike tote

Rhino washi tape holder | Astrid jug

£25 and under...

Leather journal | PyroPet candle

Moroccan tile candle | Fox plate

£50 and under...

LUSH vanillary gift set | Cage light

Mountain necklace | Leather fox purse

£100 and over! 

Hand painted globes | Not Another Bill subscription

Lomo instant camera | Arrow lamp

HOW TO: Make a candy cane garland

Yankee Candle have released two new Christmas ranges this year, and to celebrate this they are soon going to be running a series of Yankee 'How To...' Guides for Christmas, based around the different candle ranges.

As part of this Yankee kindly sent over a couple of DIY guides for me to give it a go (as well as some candles to make my crafting experience suitably festive!), and I thought I'd share a simple guide to making a candy cane star. 

Except.. well, my star didn't quite go to plan. So instead, here's how to make a candy cane garland... (so simple that people who are incapable of gluing things into a star shape can do it). 

To make my garland I used candy canes, brown twine, sellotape and some blue wrapping ribbon.

I started by attempting to glue pairs of candy canes in a heart shape. However, before I started this DIY, I took all the plastic off the candy canes (thinking to myself smugly - why would I check this? OF COURSE the plastic comes off). Um. I don't think the plastic comes off. 

Turns out, superglue will not glue sugar together. Is that obvious? After attempting to glue my canes together, and holding them patiently for AGES feeling completely complexed, I then thought I should check that the superglue worked (....) and GLUED MY FINGERS TOGETHER. Goodness me.

Anyway, it was that point that I gave up on the super cute star that Yankee had suggested I make (you can see what it is meant to look like in this lovely blogger's post!) and instead, sellotaped them into heart shapes, and used blue wrapping ribbon to tie the hearts together. I then tied brown twine to each each so I could hang it up across my window. 

Small jar candles* - £7.99

I'm not going to lie, it wasn't the most relaxing crafting experience I've ever had (especially as I am STILL picking super glue off my fingers), but now my garland is up (and hasn't fallen apart), my christmas tree is sparkling, and my candles are twinkling away, I'm starting to regain my festive spirit.

I was sent two of their Christmas candles: Angel's Wings (a sweet, flowery scent) and Candy Cane Lane (a seriously minty, christmassy scent). At first sniff, I thought Candy Cane Lane would be too minty for me, but my house smells amazing! 

And look! My mongrel of a Christmas decoration actually looks really sweet next to the tree. Hooray for Christmas!

So if that's inspired you (ha! If I can do it, honestly anyone can), then keep an eye out on Yankee Candle's twitter and facebook to see more.

HOW TO: EASY FESTIVE MAKEUP

There's only five weeks to go until Christmas (aaah!), so I reckon it's definitely time to start sticking up some fairy lights and thinking festive thoughts.

This time of year always brings parties, fancy work lunches, and the excuse to be a bit more glittery than normal, so here's a super easy makeup tutorial that should help you out if you're in a festive face fix!

I was very kindly gifted some makeup from No7, so I could have a play around with their new #TaDah makeup looks. To be honest, I think I always walk past No7 in the shops (it looks so grown up, and I still shop like a teenager!), but I'm a new convert - and some of the products are so easy to use, I feel almost a bit guilty for badging this as a tutorial.

For this look I used the following:

• Benefit Porefessional primer
• No7 concealer (in Deeply Ivory)
• No7 Stay Perfect foundation (in Deeply Ivory)
• No7 cream blush (in maple silk)
• No7 Instant Radiance highlighter
• No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define eyeshadow pencil (in Glistening Ray)
• No7 Stay Precise liquid eyeliner
• No7 Lash Impact mascara
• No7 High Shine lip crayon (in Statement)

To start, I tidied up my eyebrows (using products from my everyday makeup), moisturised and used my favourite Benefit primer to smooth out my skin. Then I used concealer and foundation - my skin gets quite dry easily, so I tend to look for a foundation that isn't too heavy (and doesn't mask my freckles!).

Once you've got your base down, dab some cream blush into your cheeks and blend in.

Take the highlighter stick and dot it on your cheekbones, your browbones, the inner corner of your eyes and down the centre of your nose! Less is more - with highlighter you are aiming for a lovely glow, rather than a twilight-esque sparkle (...I'm aware it's 2014 - can I still reference twilight? I'm going to say yeah. Yeah).

Then take the eyeshadow pencil and build the colour up on your eyelids, and along the lower lash line. This goes on quite sheer at first, but should build to a nice gold colour very quickly!

I get the rage with cream eyeshadows that crease quickly, so am pretty pleased with this guy - it did not budge at all and was still in place in the morning, after I'd fallen asleep with makeup on (shh, this is why I'm not a beauty blogger).

Now, line your lids with liquid eyeliner, flicking it out into a small cat's eye. If you aren't practised with liquid eyeliner, this tutorial should help, or the pen-style eyeliners are great if you don't have a particularly practised hand.

Then, take your lip crayon and colour in your lips! This goes on quite light at first, but you can build up the colour as much as you want. And that's it! (told you it was easy).

I know it's a simple look, but I seriously love it. It's a pretty classic look and is just SO quick and easy to pull together - perfect if you are rubbish at makeup, or have ten minutes at your desk to descruff and turn into a more put-together human!

I'm seriously impressed with the lip crayon too. I love lipstick, but sometimes I can't be bothered with the faff of putting it on, worrying it's wearing off weirdly, only managing to reapply in perfect light, etc - so this product is perfect if you want a nice colourful lip, but don't want that hassle. Hooray!

Christmas fun!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas - I had planned to schedule a post to go up yesterday, but my last week has been very, very busy (in a good way!) and this is the first chance I've had to sit down with the laptop. I just wanted to share some photos from our day yesterday... I love this time of year!

Riley & our lovely Christmassy living room 

As this was our first Christmas in our new home, earlier this year we very enthusiastically invited my parents & Craig's parents round for Christmas dinner - not worrying about actually making it (or the fact that I had only just started to learn how to cook!). So I think it's fair to say I was a wee bit nervous about cooking a massive meal for six people, but I really shouldn't have been!

We had a really lazy morning (opened presents then watched the Muppets - perfect!), and I started prepping food around 3pm. I cheated for a lot of it (ready made cranberry sauce, turkey crowns instead of a full bird, etc) so my main mission was just making sure everything was cooked, hot and on plates at the same time!

I ended up serving food 14 minutes behind my "official schedule" (ha) but I think I did good! Everyone seemed very happy, plates were cleared & my mum said that it was the best turkey she had ever tasted (!!!) - high praise from my mum, the best cook I know!

I'm a much more confident baker than cook, so I couldn't resist making some sweet treats too! I made some Christmassy cupcakes (this recipe plus decorating inspiration from the Lily Pink bakery!) and a gingerbread house (this recipe plus tonnes and tonnes of sweets!). It took ages to decorate the gingerbread house because I'm a bit of a sweet perfectionist, but I really love how it turned out!

Today I've just been chilling out with Craig - Christmas is for spending time with the ones you love, and I am doing really well on that front so far!

Hope you're all having lovely days and are tucking into leftovers right now! x

Christmas fairs in Edinburgh & Glasgow

Looking for somewhere to buy unique, handmade, lovely presents this year? I've put together a wee list of the nicest looking craft & shopping fairs taking place in Edinburgh & Glasgow this month...

EDINBURGH

Noir | Christmas Bookmarket | Judy's | Maker's Markets

Noir! #11 'A Christmas Fair'
8th & 9th December, 11am - 7pm
A weekend of fashion, design, food & an arts market at Summerhall. There will be bespoke stalls, exhibitions, live music performances, toy making workshops, & more! It's worth a visit just to see the building alone - it was the old Vet School & is still packed full of interesting & quirky stuff.

Christmas Bookmarket
6th, 13th & 20th December, 6 - 9pm
The lovely Fruitmarket Gallery run events all year round for artists, designers, publishers and other creative types to sell and present their work at the gallery. They are running three festive events in December (first one is tonight!) which promise lovely gifts & a pop up hot chocolate parlour (hello).

Judy's Very Vintage Christmas Fair
16th December, 12 - 5pm
Britain's biggest vintage fair is setting up shop at the HMV Picturehouse again for a special seasonal event. There will be vintage-inspired gifts and collectibles, gorgeous clothes, carollers, tea & cake & lots of loveliness.

The Makers Markets
8th December - St Andrews
15th December - Portobello
These markets run all year round in five different venues across Scotland. You'll find a mix of artists, crafters and designers from all over Scotland.


GLASGOW

Lighthouse | Granny Would Be Proud | Little Birds | Traditional 

Christmas Markets at the Lighthouse
8th, 15th & 22nd December, 10.30am - 5pm
An art and craft market with 30 artists, designers and makers, including my very talented pals Debbie (designer of beautiful prints) & Claire (tie dye extraordinaire). Visit their stall & say hi!

Granny Would Be Proud
9th, 16th & 23rd December, 12 - 7pm
A small but perfectly formed vintage, design arts and crafts fair, held in the super cool Hillhead Bookclub. They guarantee smiley sellers & affordable gifts & have the best name!

Little Birds Market
9th December, 12 - 5pm
Exhibitors selling everything from homewares, upcycled furniture, jewellery & millnery to baking, vintage clothes, accessories and artwork. Phew! Little Birds markets are based in the Grand Ballroom of Sloans, with 'Mrs Sloans Cake Salon' running all day (amazing).

Traditional Christmas Market
All month, 10am - 8pm (ish)
You need to go to at least one traditional market each year, and Glasgow's sits in St Enoch Square. Eat bratwurst, drink mulled wine, be merry. Hooray!

Christmas shopping: gifts for guys

It's a well-known fact that boyfriends are pretty hard to buy for at Christmas. I always dismiss things as being "too gadgety" when shopping, then regret it when I see Craig's eyes light up over plastic. So to help us all, I have roped my lovely boyfriend into putting together a gift guide of Christmas inspiration.

Like my version from last week, it's full of ideas from £10 - £££s, so there's something for every budget. Hope it helps! Over to Craig...

Hiya! Juliet asked me to pick out some gifts that I thought fellow men might enjoy as a Christmas gift. I got my thinking cap on and this is what I came up with – hopefully some of these might provide a little inspiration for those hard-to-buy-for guys in your life!

IF YOU HAVE...

£10 to spend

1. These ‘cool’ steel ice cubes (see what I did there?) are re-usable and safe, ideal for cooling down your whisky (or other beverage, I suppose) without watering it down. £13

2. USB mixtape. Take it back in time and make a mixtape complete with liner notes for that special person in your life, without having to worry if they actually have a way to play a real C90! £15

3. With Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained due for release in January, the Christmas holidays could be the ideal time to get reacquainted with the director’s trademark stylised violence and sharp dialogue. This collection has all his movies up to Kill Bill, for less than the price of a cinema ticket and some popcorn. £12

4. These clever little chaps attach to any shoes to help you get a bit more grip when things get icy this winter. Ideal for staying upright on the walk to work! £9

£25 to spend

1.  Personalised Christmas Sack! These come in 4 styles for the full-size ones and 2 styles for mini-sacks, giving you a very nice way to present all your gifts that you can re-use every year. £20

2.  I think this is such a good idea! This tail-light for a bike does all of the things a normal rear light for a bike does (i.e. flashes, lights up), but also uses nifty laser technology to project 2 lines on either side of you, effectively creating your own bike lane and handily giving other road-users a guide to a safe distance. Plus it looks pretty space-age! It's $20 plus postage.

3. This Tetris light is pretty amazing. A set of all 7 tetrominoes which can be arranged in any pattern you like and light up when they touch one another. Thankfully they don't disappear when you get a line of them together though, as replacing them could get pricey! £30

4.  Drum machine t-shirt. This t-shirt has working drum pads that let you create rhythms and loops anywhere at any time. It's washable, and fully functional, and is sure to provide hours of entertainment, especially for the other passengers on your bus ride. £30

£50 to spend

1. This elegant glass teapot lets you brew all your favourite loose-leaf and bagged teas and see when the colour is just right. Plus it looks stylish too! It's just over £38.

2. Pretend to be Rick Deckard, unwinding from a hard day’s work ‘retiring’ replicants, with this Blade Runner whisky glass, hand-blown by Italian glassmakers Arnolfo di Cambio (Cibi, ‘double old fashion glass’), the folks who made the glass in the movie. It's £55.

3.  This is a very stylish hip-flask for the more discerning gentleman, and comes with a very nice chocolate-coloured wax canvas cover. $50 plus shipping.

4. A gift guide for guys wouldn’t be complete without a video game or two, and Christmas is like summer blockbuster season for this industry. Some of the most-anticipated titles this year include -  Far Cry 3 (£30 - £48), Assassin's Creed 3 (£38) , and Halo 4 (£35).


£100+ to spend

1. On November 30 Nintendo launch their brand new console the Wii U. This has a tablet-like gamepad which lets you play on both screens simultaneously, or even with the main TV off or on a different channel. It’s potentially a weird concept, but if anyone in video games can pull off a weird concept, it’s Nintendo! This also promises to be able to link up to all your Netflix, Lovefilm, iPlayer and other internet TV stuff, so should be a useful living room addition. £200 - £400

2. These Edifier Spinnaker Bluetooth Speakers have received amazing reviews based on their sound quality and design. For wireless sound in your home you’d be hard-pushed to find a better quality set of speakers. They're £329.

3. This is a weird one! The Remee Lucid Dreaming mask is an eyemask for sleeping in that is designed to increase REM sleep and promote lucid dreaming – the kind of dreaming where you’re aware that you’re dreaming and can control what happens. I don’t personally know if these work as they’re still at pre-order (due to be available by Christmas though!), but the concept is pretty amazing. $95 plus shipping.

4.  Some of the best gifts aren’t things, they’re experiences. These always make good gifts as it’s something people don’t normally buy for themselves, but would be delighted to receive. There are lots of different activities to choose from – this is one I think would be pretty excellent fun (not recommended for people scared of heights!) – an extended microlight flight, with the chance to take the controls. Flying! In the sky! Like a bird! It's £149.