Sunday Favourites #162

It's time for another round of my Sunday Favourites...

These hair and eye make up looks from Katie Alves are amazing.

You look beautiful without make up, I promise.

Australian artist Freya Jobbins created these sculptures out of the recycled body parts of old dolls, and dear God are they creepy as fuck!

I love these polygon animal sculptures. They're even available to buy on Amazon!

These marbled candy apples look amazing.

Fun ways to gift wrap with tissue paper.

The prettiest pansy chocolate cake.

A sweet little bunny wearing a hair crown.

I love this piece of art.

This! Never judge a book by its cover.

Emillie Ferris' hand-embroidered hoop arts are beautiful.

Spanish artist Gonzalo Garcia Calvo creates the most incredible, intricate origami designs.

Apparently, turning cats in to Totoro is now a thing...

A unicorn tattoo from Sasha Unisex!

Louise's Lovely Links

♥ Nancy looks so glamourous in this sparkly gold number.

♥ Christine looks fabulous in her green plaid dress.

♥ Danielle looks amazing in a khaki-green dress from ASOS Curve.

♥ I'm in love with Amanda's stunning red and black outfit.

♥ I adore Natalie's 'f*ck flattering' tee!

♥ Leah looks so lovely in this rose gold ensemble.

♥ Jemma explained why failing can be good.

♥ Kaylah's photos from the abandoned Rochester subway are beautiful.

♥ Tbe last words spoken by 93 famous people.

♥ 21 rare wild cat species you probably didn't know exist.

♥ A photographer takes photos of children with rare diseases to encourage people to look beyond their conditions.

If you'd like to see more images and links like these, check out my Pinterest and Tumblr accounts.

Remember to stop by next Sunday when I'll be starting the first of my special Christmas-themed Sunday Faves!

101 Things To Do This Christmas

Can you believe there's less than a month to go 'til Christmas? I don't know about you, but I'm getting so excited for the holidays now, like a kid in a sweetshop at Disney Land.

If you don't already know, Christmas is my favourite time of year, and I love it just as much as I did when I was a kid- although these days, it's the lead up to the big day that I enjoy most. I try to fill the days and weeks leading up to the 25th with as many Christmas activities as possible, from festive movie marathons to Christmas crafting, baking tasty treats, and writing blog posts just like this one! There are so many ways to enjoy Christmas, and if you're stuck for ideas for ways to spend it, you've come to the right place.

I've compiled a list of 101 things to do this Christmas for you today, with heaps of ideas suitable for all ages and genders. If you don't have children, don't worry; every idea can be enjoyed by adults, too! I checked the list twice!

1. Make some festive playlists or dig out your old Christmas CDs to soundtrack all of your Christmas activities.

2. Go shopping for a Christmas tree.

3. Decorate the tree while listening to festive tunes.

4. Decorate the house while listening to festive tunes.

5. Buy or make a wreath.

6. Go to your local Christmas turning-on-of-the-lights event.

7. Visit a Christmas market. The European ones are usually the best.

8. Get hot roasted chestnuts and mulled wine from a street vendor.

9. Take a tour bus around a big city after dark when the Christmas lights have been turned on.

10. Put together a 'Christmas Eve box' of things to enjoy on Christmas Eve night.

11. Go late night Christmas shopping.

12. Visit a fancy garden centre or department store to browse the Christmas departments.

13. Watch a festive film at the cinema.

14. Sit down and write all your cards while listening to festive tunes.

15. Go ice skating.

16. Drive around to spot Christmas lights.

17. Take a long walk to spot Christmas lights.

18. Make your own decorations for the tree.

19. Make your own Christmas cards.

20. Have at least one Christmas movie marathon.

21. Watch a new-to-you Christmas movie.

22. Watch lots of Christmas TV specials. You can't beat The Vicar of Dibley's Christmas Lunch Incident and the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special!

23. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies.

24. Stop off for a hot chocolate or your favourite seasonal coffee.

25. Throw a Christmas party.

26. Do some Christmas scrapbooking or art journaling.
27. Visit a manor house that's been decorated for Christmas, such as Blenheim Palace.

28. Go Christmas carolling.

29. Take family photos in front of the Christmas tree.

30. Make your own Christmas crackers. You can make them from scratch or buy kits from craft shops like Hobbycraft.

31. Make table favours to give guests a little treat during Christmas dinner.

32. Relax with an adult Christmas colouring book. Trust me, it's a great way to de-stress.

33. Have a go at some festive creative writing.

34. Make a gingerbread house.

35. Catch a play at the theatre.

36. Make an advent calendar or buy one to enjoy.

37. Light an advent candle (or any candles) every night in December.
38. Send shoe box parcels to people in need and / or our hard-working soldiers deployed overseas.

39. Go out for a turkey dinner / carvery at a cosy country pub.

40. Make a Christmas cross stitch picture.

41. Make Christmas cross stitch cards.

42. Have a go at some festive nail art.

43. Go to the Christmas party and have some fun.

44. Learn a Christmas song on an instrument.
45. Find the tackiest Christmas earrings you can find, and wear them proudly whenever you can.

46. Hang stockings over the fire. Don't have a stocking? Make one! Don't have a fire place? Hang stockings on the banister, wall, radiator (make sure to turn it off first), end of the bed etc.

47. Knit or crochet something festive.

48. Make a yule log.

49. Make popcorn and cranberry garlands to string up on the tree.

50. Read festive books like A Christmas Carol and Little Women.

51. Have a girl's night in but instead of watching the usual rom-coms, watch Christmas movies instead.

52. Take part in a secret Santa.

53. Relax with a hot bubble bath, preferably using a festive bath bomb from Lush.

54. Make a Christmas cake or pudding.

55. Go see The Nutcracker ballet.

56. Buy and wear a Christmas jumper.

57. Start a new tradition.

58. Go to a church service, if only to listen to the carols.
59. Spend a day watching classic Christmas films like White Christmas, The Holiday Inn, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and Meet Me in St. Louis.

60. Make some Christmas embroidery hoop art.

61. Visit a Christmas craft fair.

62. Make your own Christmas place settings for Christmas dinner.

63. Go to a pantomime.

64. Take at least one photo a day.
65. Visit a Christmas shop.

66. Go see a musical at the theatre.

67. Make your own Christmas gifts.

68. Bake and ice some Christmas cupcakes.

69. Go Christmas shopping.

70. Buy new festive PJs to enjoy on Christmas Eve.

71. Have a lazy PJ day at home to recover from your hectic schedule.
72. Go foraging for foliage to use as natural decorations. You could even spray paint them afterwards.
73. Make a Christingle.

74. Master the perfect Christmas dinner with all the trimmings

75. Buy a new Christmas decoration.
76. Donate food, toys, blankets, money, your time etc. to your local animal rescue centres, hospitals, homeless shelters, food banks, and other good causes that help those in need.

77. Try a Christmas tradition from another part of the world.

78. Have a sleepover next to the Christmas tree with comfy bedding, PJs, and snacks.

79. Make your own mulled wine, eggnog, or sloe gin.

80. Spend some time wrapping Christmas presents as beautifully and creatively as you like.

81. Have a carpet picnic with lots of festive treats.

82. Meet up with old friends for a few festive drinks and a catch up.

83. Hang up paper chains.

84. Go to a concert.

85. Have a board game night next to the Christmas tree.

86. Make your own chocolate truffles.

87. Visit some reindeer.

88. Revisit your old Christmas family traditions.

89. Hang up some mistletoe.

90. Get your hair done ready for all of those Christmas photos.

91. Go Christmas shopping in a town or city a little further away from home than you'd usually shop. You could even make a night out of it, and stay over night in a hotel to give yourself a little break.

92. If it snows, have a snowball fight, build a snowman, make snow angels, go sledding, and go for a long walk.

93. Take a holiday or a short break. I'm sure we all dream of visiting New York at Christmas time one day.
94. Try a new recipe, such as a delicious dessert. If it turns out well, it could even become a tradition for you to make it every Christmas.

95. Make mince pies.

96. Take a Christmas Day walk.

97. Visit Disneyland, Harry Potter World, or another big attraction when it's dressed up for Christmas.

98. Spend a day in the kitchen making foodie gifts for friends and family, or just for you and your immediate family to enjoy over Christmas.

99. Educate younger members of your family on the awesome Christmas films from the eighties and nineties, like Santa Claus The Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Snowman, and Home Alone.

100. Spend time with your family and friends- whether they drive you mad or not!

101. Make a Christmas photo album of all your Christmas memories.

Will you be giving any of these activities a go this Christmas?

What do you like to do to get yourself in the festive spirit? Are there any activities my list is missing that you think should be on it? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday Wish List

These are some of the pieces on my wish list this week...

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14

15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26

1. I love the mid-century style, cocktail-glass print Audrey dress from Lindy Bop. 

2. This kangaroo and joey brooch from Erstwilder is one of the cutest brooches I've ever seen.

3. I need this red telephone-box bag from Accessorize, and I need it now! (Though, sadly, it will have to be later).

4. This red rose print 'Evelana' dress from Lindy Bop is stunning.

5. A possum brooch? Now I've seen everything!

6. I'm in love with these Cheshire Cat Vans. In fact, the entire Disney Vans collection is perfect.

7. This navy knitted cardi looks so cosy.

8. 101 Dalmatians print Vans!

9. I'm not convinced I could pull this off, but the paisley print 70s kimono maxi dress from ASOS Curve is so beautiful.

10. I love this red tartan circle skirt from Lindy Bop. I just love tartan, period.

11. I don't usually like fish tail dresses / skirts, but this navy blue velvet maxi from Scarlett & Jo is absolutely gorgeous.

12. This green studded cross body bag from Topshop would be perfect for the festive season.

13. This Erstwilder brooch would look great with my brown polka dot swing dress.

14. Way out of my budget, but this leather rucksack from Lost Property Of London is a beauty.

15. I adore this colourful tartan print Evelana dress from, you've guessed it, Lindy B. It would make a great Christmas dress.

16. The red knitted jumper looks so festive. I think it would be a great piece for embracing the Christmas jumper trend if you don't want to go for anything too tacky or OTT.

17. A sweet polka dot owl brooch from Erstwilder.

18. I love these purple mermaid-print PJs from ASOS Curve.

19. This unicorn necklace is awesome.

20. Guys, there is actually a necklace with  a sausage-dog-in-a-hot-dog-bun pendent! Yes, really!

21. I'm loving this green alpine-print swing skirt, which is yet another piece from LB.

22. This blue velvet bodycon midi dress is beautiful. Perfect for the Christmas party.

23. A cute pair of unicorn studs.

24. A pink echidna brooch!!

25. I don't need a new pair of slippers, but I love these colourful fairisle ones from Accessorize. 

26. And last but not least, I adore this 2-D illustration style backpack from Jump From Paper. Isn't the design amazing?

If you'd like to see more of the clothes and accessories I'm coveting each week, check out my style boards on Pinterest. I have several I pin to as and when I find new pieces that catch my eye.

What's on your wish list this week?

Sunday Favourites #161

Here are some of my favourites from the past seven days...

This bronze sculpture took artist Courtney Brown five years to make!

This illustration is so cute.

Pretty fluff-ball.

These mini oreo sprinkle cakes look delicious.

I'm in love with Amina Mucciolo's hair, make up, and outfits in these photos! Absolute perfection! If you love colour as much as I do (which is a lot, in case you haven't noticed, haha!), you  need to check out her Instagram; it's so colourful and the photos are always so beautifully styled. 

I haven't made a friendship bracelet since I was about ten, but now I kinda want to!

The prettiest gift wrap inspiration, complete with tutorials.

Always! And never let anybody ever hold you back.

Katie Alves' make up looks are works of art. Just look at these amazing creations! 

This embroidery / fabric hoop art is so lovely.

I wish I wasn't intolerant too cream because these cherry chip sponge cakes look so good.

Unicorn pig!

Amsterdam based knitting group, Club Geluk, knit the unknitable, and the result is awesome!

Louise's Lovely Links

♥ Kaylah's photos of one of her Dad's pet foxes are gorgeous. I wish we could keep foxes as pets in England.

♥ Natalie spent a day cuddling up to giant dogs at the Coban Kopegi Festival, and I'm so very jealous! Haha!

♥ Amanda and Katie look stunning in two beautiful burgundy dresses.

♥ Sammi and her pal Henry look adorable in their coordinating Autumnal outfits.

♥ Plus size blogger Becky Barnes wants plus size brands to stop telling fat girls they are beautiful, and to start giving us a wider choice of fashionable, well-fitting clothes.

♥ Leah wrote an interesting opinion piece about grief shaming; about public grieving on social media after a major tragedy or the death of a celebrity, and how some people like to shame others for grieving in the wrong way or for the wrong people.

♥ One chronic pain sufferer's personal perspective on pain, and a reminder that not everybody taking prescription opiates does so because of addiction. For many people living in excruciating chronic pain, myself included, taking prescription painkillers is essential if we want to make it through the day without writhing around on the floor in agony.

♥ Dad-to-be Ste Walker, who suffers from all five types of Chron's Disease, felt he had to post Facebook photos showing his scars and the life-sustaining tubes attached to his body after being accused of faking his disability. It makes me so angry that people with invisible illnesses and disabilities get attacked for using disabled facilities if they don't look ill or disabled on the surface. Why are we so judgemental of people we don't even know? We can't know what another person is going through, and it's none of our business, either.

♥ Healthy Place have compiled an inspiring list of mental health quotes.

♥ This woman has secretly dyed her hair purple, green, and blue, and the result is amazing.

♥ Forget thigh gaps, apparently 'thighbrows' are the new 'sexy' holiday trend people are aspiring to photograph for Instagram. *Rolls eyes.* Whatever next?

♥ The story of a woman who was assaulted by a man because he mistook her scarf for a hijab. 

♥ 10 ways to improve body image.

♥ 22 things that seemed cool as a kid but actually suck as an adult.

♥ These kids in Canada tied coats to street poles to help the homeless prepare for Winter. Love!

If you'd like to see more favourites like these, why not check out my Pinterest and Tumblr accounts. 

Thanks for reading.