Mini New Yorker and Her Christmas

So it's Christmas Eve Morning and up and ready to travel a few hours to my mums house to start our festivities. After our what can only be describe slightly obscene office Christmas do!! I got stitched up Royally.....my boss swapped the Secret Santa so he would have me so I would get the obscene shaped chocolates....but I am happy to say that one of my colleagues got my boss...and bought him a green mankini...which he promptly tried it on....!! Very amusing but I just don't think lime green is really his colour...that's probably not what I should be worrying about really...!!!

Any way back to my family Christmas, I got to my mums at lunch time so we had several cups of tea and then our neighbour popped round to give us a Christmas gift...!  We started to get the house ready....I think spent most of the afternoon cleaning the bathrooms....!! I was then sent to get the last bits of the shopping...tried to find a few bargains but unfortunately there weren't any!! I was in there ages....I started of with a basket which got too heavy to I gave up carrying it and then just slid it a few feet when a nice sale guy asked if I wanted a trolley instead (much better option)..which he rushed off to get and then transferred my shopping from the basket into my trolley!! Good job I hadn't bought anything embarrassing...!!  Any way I picked my brother up and we went home to have dinner and wrap the last of my brothers presents...(which I do every year-what is it about boy wrapping or lack there of????)  I think it doesn't matter how old a male is wrapping presents is just not in their DNA..!!

Any way with the house as ready as it would ever be so I sneaked my mums stocking out of the living room where it was hanging up and ran up stairs to fill it up with all the goodies my brother and I had got for her this year...!! It's a kind of a tradition that us, Murray's never stick to the stocking...we always have over flow bags...!!

Well Christmas day and I was up so early that I was not used to seeing that time of day!! I had a lovely cup of tea straight out of a fresh pot and we stuck on the AGA and put in some croissants and got some yummy smoked salmon....unfortunately I could not saver the moment as I had to started peeling potatoes, parsnips- which will be honey roasted of course, Baby carrots (which were sooo cute) sprouts and other root vegetables. Then we opened our stockings which we got some lovely things...lots of sweeties yay... My mum and I got most of the food ready and the table set....then I showered and put on my "Sunday" best which was my blue sparkly dress and glitter silver tights...which I love...!! I have seen a few more sparkly dresses which I would like to buy when I have a bit more cash flowing...!!

So all the relatives arrived and the kettle was on and the sherry was being poured...!! Presents were all unloaded and then once everyone had the right drinks...my cousins and I handed out the presents...some didn't have labels so it was a memory game of which presents were for who...!! Any way this year we reverse the order oldest first...! It was nice, I got one present from my cousin which was a large zip....which confused me.....I sat looking at it...then I twigged and started to zip it and it started to make a shaped....I finished the zipping and it was a little make up bag.....!! Very cool!! I also got a RED WII too...to try and get me fitter...!!

Then it was time for lunch and we got everything out of the oven served up all the food and the best gravy ever made...(it was made by my mother-totally yummy and full of flavour.) We pulled the crackers and then lit some candles for those we had loved and lost in our family...!! To them we toasted and then tucked in to a lovely dinner...which was soo filling...I couldn't finish my christmas pudding but I did get my 20p...!!

So dinner was wrapped up and christmas tv on, we all settled to watch various shows....several rounds of coffee later... it was time for some of my relatives to go home and then all over again in London with my other uncle and aunt...with our secret santa box/lucky dip.. on boxing day!

So Christmas day is over and now for the second round on boxing day...sorry pardon the pun....any way toodles..xx

Mini New Yorker and snowy christmas on the cards.... and the last of Ugly Betty...so sad....!!

Snow covered village

It's snowed...I have been wearing two coats all week as it has been soooo cold lol!! I am really hoping that it doesn't continue to snow because I have very sore feet from chilblains and would like to be able to walk properly, as at the moment I look a bit odd when I am walking and I pull an awful face...!

Driving in the weather is not very fun...a journey which normally takes 20 mins took an hour-and-half. I thought I would never get home but my Nissan Micra and I did very well and even some of the big 4x4s were struggling....and my Micra is an automatic so the only way to slow down is to break and this weather is not fun...however my Micra or mousemobile as it's affectionately known as did very well...!!

I'm starting to get more excited about Christmas now at my mum's house looking forward to sitting down with the family and having a great dinner....my mum's Christmas dinners are amazing!!! She could feed the five thousand..!! I have the job of making the soup for our starter which was very well received last time so might tweak it a little- for the element of surprise...! I am wondering if it will be a white Christmas because we might not be able to get to London on Boxing Day for our traditional family box/ secret Santa thing we do- very fun!

It has been snowing the last couple of days (actually the few weeks- for goodness sake) but it's stopped for the time being but the weather says its going to snow on Thursday and Christmas Eve....! I hope not as I have to get down the M25 and go through the country lanes to get to my mum's. I don't think I will be in my best gear to travel down as I will be stuck in my car for several hours may end up pushing it most of the way.....I really need my sparkly wellies from the Isle of Wight.

On Thursday it's our Christmas work's do, so can't wait for that as we are doing a secret Santa for that too...but we are all trying to guess who's got who and we're not very good at keeping it a surprise- that seems to be a running theme for me - lol!! Any way should be good fun....here comes the gold glittery tights...might even wear glitter gold eye liner too just to be OTT!! Yay! Not sure what shoes yet as it depends if I go for warmth and sensible or if I go for stylish and freeze your feet off look! Not quite decided.....!!! lol!

I am going to be putting up my little cupboard in my bedroom which is going to be for all my nail varnishes as I'm trying to collect as many as I can with loads of different colours...! There is room for my newest arrival which is fuchsia pink which my work colleague got me.....!! Barry M baby...wooop woop...!

Oh and just to say goodbye to Ugly Betty....I cried through both episodes and I am going to need the box sets to stop me from having withdrawal symptoms. I loved Uglys Betty's fashion in these episodes and I am going to be hunting them down and stocking my wardrobe...!!! I have started to give style advice out...well actually I was asked to help find someone a red sequin dress for New Yea'rs Eve and I think I found it in about 10 seconds...that's got to be some sort of record- surely?

Any way I am off to bed....I will post more tomorrow as I will be getting ready for the big parrrtaaaayyy!! So you know it by now TOOOOOOOODDDDLLLLLLLEEEEEEES haha!! xxx

Mini New Yorker.....70 pots of tea, nattering with mum...and Ugly Betty

So I have had a great day with my mum having several pots of tea....I don't think the kettle was off for more than about a second.....we had a lovely day together, getting ready for our family Christmas.....!! I started to make my famous soup me and my dad practised it before Christmas day.....!! I started it today and got half way through making it and I had to head home so I left it to my mum to finish....!! It was my dads favorite soup recipe....so I will make it for us in memory of him I know he would enjoy it!!

It's 10 days now till Christmas and I am only just starting to get excited about it....but My mind is Pre-occupied about something else....which I am not aloud to talk about but I am just bursting with excitements but I have to wait before I can tell you guys but I am hoping it will be soon and then I will burst.....!!

When I got home I made an even hotter chili than last week and then I watch Ugly Betty- come over to this side of the pond....it was funny because the Americans think we either all talk like the queen or do cockney rhyme....I how ever do talk like the queen a little bit because I am from a posh town...even my friends from the same town think I am posh....I don't think I am that posh it's not like I have a polo club in my back garden...lol!!
Any way I am off before I spill my secret/ surprise...well what I think will happen.....? Toodles xxx

Mini New Yorker....present all wrapped up....then unwrapped....then rewrapped......

So I wrapped up all my present and was very pleased with my self until I had a bit of a panick when I went to look for my debit card and I couldn't find it....I literally turn my house and car up side down and shook them to see if my debit card fell out....!! So I decided in a moment of panic to check if I had accidently wrapped it because I had chucked it in with the shopping and I had used some of the bags for cushioning. I have now got to rewrap the presents because I couldn't fit the items back in the bloody paper.....I was so cross with my self for losing my card right before christmas....So I now having the challenge of rewrapping.....What a muppet........what ever I'm wearing can't stop me looking stupid from this fiasco....my mum laughed at me too....!! Me and my boyfriend were not laughing when I was tearing the house apart and running around Asda....!! It's only going to be a short one tonight because its a school night as it were and I will have more to write about on wed...as I'm going to see my mother for a cup of tea and a good natter as well as get the house ready for when the whole of the family come over for christmas day....can't wait but also looking forward to after christmas too.....should be exciting stuff.....!! right toodles xxx

Mini New Yorker Getting her festive groove on....

Wooooo!! I have just put up my Christmas tree and it looks fabulous....red and gold with, tinsel and ribbon to make it look even prettier. I have used red baubles and little god ones....I have also used candy canes to hang on the tree too. Its simply styles but it's an effective look....especially if money is not flowing before Christmas. You can get your baubles from various place, local superstores or some where like Ikea are good places to get lots for a small budget. Or if you want something a bit glamorous then I know Chic Interior Solutions may have something some very nice candles holders...!! Or have a look at my Christmas Moose/ Reindeer is from the Christmas range last year but there may be similar items available.

I have also got a wooden Advent calendar which is I can put little chocolates in and then my boyfriend and I will take turns in opening the days. So we went to our local food store to get our weekly food and I did a bit of Christmas shopping too...I was in the cosmetic aisle having a look at a few bits and lady started to ask my opinion about some make-up and I started to give her advise about what would suit her and best for her skin tones. I laughed and said to her well I should know what I am doing as I write a fashion blog....!! I must have looked like I knew what I was doing..! lol!!

Well the house looks lovely and I have done a bit more shopping... I am going to start wrapping things.....I am going to be ultra organised this year. I have bought some of 5X £2 presents for the big box which my family do a big lucky dip kinda thing and then we do a swap depending what we get if we want to its very fun.... when my brother and I were younger we would actually all dive in to the box....it was a bit manic but we all loved it...Last year we ended up having a bit of a disco in my uncles kitchen and we were given tasks to do too. I had to iron my uncles shirt...very funny!

 So my question to you guys what are your family traditions and what would you like to do...? Any favorite foods you get...we always have flumps....! Any way I am going to get some more wrapping down now so I am off so toodles.xxxxx

Mini New Yorker....Lanvin for H&M Haute Couture Fashion show New York 2010

Button bracelet made by my dad

Button bracelet

So it's been very busy in the fashion world with plenty of fashion shows....London, Paris, New York, Miami, Milan! But I thought the best was definitely the H&M fashion show which took key pieces from their range and made them more individual with the help of Lanvin!  Some pieces will being sold for Unicef!


The clothes were amazing.... I love the pink dress which was accompanied by a very cute grey poodle! I thought the catwalk was lovely with the arch of flowers and general energy and fun brought by the models and designer was just great!

I think that is the first time I have seen the models on a fashion show actually look like they were having fun down down the catwalk... I wish I could have gone...maybe next year I will get an invite? It kinda reminded me of some of the choices our Fabulous Sex In The City star- SJP would wear.

Oh yes the Sex In The City 2 is out on dvd that I am going to have to  get.....I was looking at some SJP's outfits from the series and the films....I think I would now wear a lot of her stuff....well only if I had her credit card limit....lol! But actually I suppose you don't need to spend loads, like the H&M fashion has shown that you can get basics and style.....its more fun too....! I went into a haberdashery store and it was like I was in Aladdin's cave...or like when I was younger in Hamleys in London just before Christmas- kind of a family thing- we would go up to London and look at the lights and windows of the big department stores-they were so creative and beautiful they were like works of art. Anyway when my brother and I would go to Hamleys and head to the sweet floor, we would stuff the sweety bags full....I remember one year I think it came to about £25 worth of sweets.....on the way home we sat in the back of my dad's Jeep Cherokee just munching on them....I don't think we were meant to, mind you...I do remember being told not to eat them until after dinner-oops!!!

I think if you have a coat or top with buttons and when you buy it, it's got plain buttons on it-then that would be my first thing I would change. Get some over sized button or ones with detail. You don't have to stick with buttons that are all the same- mix it up!! Buttons themselves can be accessories...I have a brilliantly made button bracelet which was hand made for me by some one very special and when ever I miss them I wear it....its very funky and it livens up an outfit by just a small change....!! They are in-expensive, a few minutes to sew and a new look to an old outfit- thats good maths....!!! The best way to save too is to collect any button that come of the clothes you bought and then make it into accessories...!! Well my boyfriend and I got our little Christmas tree out and I am off to get some more decorations...!! Toodles xx