What I've Been Up To Recently - Christmas Edition

Well hello there!

It's 2013! Happy New Year!

I'm sorry for my long absence, but I decided to take a blog break over Christmas and New Years and spend time with the hubby and friends and family.

I had such a nice few days. I held my annual Christmas Eve (held on Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve) gathering, Christmas Eve was spent with Darren having a walk on Hampstead Heath then lunch at Dim T and seeing Life of Pi at the Everyman Cinema. Christmas Day I was with my family, which was so nice and Boxing Day was spent with Darren's family. Then we had a few days doing odd jobs around the house, Darren painted Titch's room (just over 8 weeks to go!!) seeing the Hobbit with my mum and dad and New Years Eve was spent with a group of our close friends, having dinner in West Hampstead followed by drinks and games back at one of their flats.

Yesterday, New Years Day, Darren and I stayed in our PJs all day, made Jamie Oliver's epic waffles and hot chocolate and managed to watch 4 films! Not a bad start to 2013.

So all that being said, it is now back to blogging :o) It's been a nice break but I have missed it. Here is my little round up of what I've been up to recently in pictures. How was your Christmas and New Years? I hope you had a fabulous one and 2013 is amazing for you all. Enjoy x

Getting my hair did! Hairdresser of choice - James at Headmasters in Hanover Square

Throwing my gorgeous sis in law Michelle a baby shower (2 days and counting till D-day!)

Mama to be opening her baby shower presents

Darren and I worked our way through my whole box of Lush Christmas goodies - check out my review here

Tinkerbell's favourite new spot - it makes her feel big, lording it over Pocket

Decorating my temporary office for Christmas

Making mulled wine and spiced apple cinnamon for my Christmas Eve party

Couldn't resist this card for Darren

Sparkly Christmas nails - see my tutorial here

Christmas day brunch

Darren rocking his new monster slippers

Love my baby cousin Noah's tee shirt

Darren wearing his secret santa present (BTW I wore this the whole of New Year's Day)

Me ducking from the spud gun fight that errupted after Christmas dinner

Our baby haul from Babies R US

Darren showing off my gorgeous new Yummy Mummy changing bag

Darren and "Papa John" after putting up the curtains in Titch's room

Sparkly New Year's Eve nails

Making Jamie Oliver's epic hot chocolate

Christmas Nails

I've got a whole weekend of Christmassy fun planned, including hosting my annual Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve party (weird name, long story). So, I figured to save time on the weekend, when I will be mulling wine and make my delicious (if I do say so myself) hot apple cinnamon...yum...that I would do my nails now.

Hopefully they'll last me to Christmas day - if I have to touch up then so be it! I was puzzling over what to do, but as I have come into some new nail varnish additions to my collection recently, I thought I would use a few different ones to create a simple yet festive look.

Gold and red, sparkles and gems...perfect!

I used a combination of brands, including Rimmel, Maybelline, Nails Inc and new obsession, Nail Art (most exciting nail brand I've used in ages) to achieve the finished look. I didn't want to go too OTT, but I wanted them to have that pretty festive look.

So, here is what I did and what I used step by step. Are you going to do anything special with your nails for Christmas? Do you like playing around with a bit of nail art? Enjoy x

 

From left to right, I used: Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in The Winner Takes it All, Nails Inc in Covent Garden Market, Nails Inc in Fleet Street, Rimmel Lycra Pro in Pink Amazon and Nail Art 3 in 1 kit using the gold shade.

Rimmel Lycra Pro in Pink Amazon

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in The Winner Takes it All

Nails In in Covent Garden Market and Fleet Street (from the Stylist set)

Nail Art 3 in 1 pen (dotting tool for decorating, nail varnish and gems for decorating)

 

Step 1) After using my Essie bottom coat, I painted two coats of the Rimmel Pink Amazon shade on all my nails, apart from the third nail.

 

Step 2) I painted my third nail with two coats of the Maybelline The Winner Takes it All.

 

Step 3) Once the two shades dried completely I then used the Nails Inc Covent Garden Market (the red glitter) on the Rimmel shade and Fleet Street (the gold glitter) on the Maybelline shade. This gives them a gorgeous sparkly finish!

 

Step 4) Using the Nail Art 3 in 1 pen, I dotted little gold dots on the red nails and used the sweet little gems from the kit to decorate the gold nails.

 

Step 5) Once the nails are completely dry, I used my Essie top coat to finish the nails off and create the glossy finish. And there you have it...sparkly, festive Christmas nails.