FESTIVE THINGS TO DO IN GLASGOW

Christmas is less than two weeks away; can you believe it? I always try to embrace all things festive in December and like to mix old traditions with new activities. A few things that I never fail to miss include:

• Visiting the Christmas markets to indulge in some of the delicious food and mulled wine      Making an occasion of putting up the Christmas tree (mulled wine and Christmas music are essential elements)
• Writing out Christmas cards – it’s such an old-fashioned tradition but I love it. If I have time, I usually like to make my own.
• Snuggling under a blanket to watch some of my favourite Christmas movies with festive chocolate by my side (current obsession: After Eights)
• And of course, spending quality time with my loved ones

This year, budgets are tight with saving for our wedding but that won’t stop me from indulging in a little festive fun. Last week, I kick-started the most magical month of the year with a festive day out with Glasgow Loves Christmas. We got to tick off one of my must-dos and also tried some new things, so I thought I’d share our day with you as a little inspiration for festive activities to fill your December.

Wander the markets

Yes – I’ve already made it to the markets. Glasgow is great for Christmas markets as we have two to visit. For this trip, we visited the George Square markets. I love to just wander the markets, check out the hand-made gifts, try some of the German cuisine and drink a mulled wine or three. We also got a superb view of the square from the top of the big wheel and even took a spin on the carousel. I seriously love carousels and their vintage beauty! 

You can view the opening times for the markets here. 

Shop the Style Mile

Christmas and shopping go hand in hand and it wouldn’t be the December without a little (chaotic) trip to the shops. House of Fraser is by far the most festive shop in the city with rows and rows of fairy lights draped from every corner.  It is a must-visit to get me in the Christmas mood every year. Something I discovered this year is the store actually run a Meet Santa event within the cutest little grotto I’ve ever seen on the first floor. They still have a few dates upcoming on the 15^th and 22^nd – check out their website for more info.

We also took a little pit-stop to John Lewis. We were treated to a personal styling session and I honestly couldn’t believe the stylish pieces that could be found within their store. John Lewis is the store I tend to visit for beauty, trusty electronic purchases and homeware gifts but they have so many great fashion retailers that I didn’t realise.

If you’re looking for a little gift inspiration for a girl in your family or are not sure what to put on your wish list, take a trip to the beauty hall in John Lewis and give the new Dyson curler a try. I got the chance to test the new styling tool and couldn’t believe how polished my hair. It transformed my slightly frizzy hair to salon sleek in just ten minutes!

Festive Film

Glasgow has a hot new cinema in town and I’m legit obsessed! The Everyman Cinema is a cinema-goers dream. It has Insta-worthy interiors, a delicious food menu and cocktails that you can take into the screen with you. There are only three screens, but each has comfy sofas for a unique cinema experience and they play a mix of new and classic movies. They have a selection of Christmas movies running too including It’s a Wonderful Life in the lead up to the 25th. Definitely one to include in your December activities for a chilled but fun day out.  

The cinema is based on the bottom floor within Princes Square. 

I hope the above gives you a little inspiration for the festive season! Thanks again to Glasgow Loves Christmas for the perfect start to this year’s festivities!

XoXo

STYLE CHALLENGE: FESTIVE FEELS AT BUCHANAN GALLERIES

It feels like it's been a while since I wrote a straight up fashion post so I'm super excited to be sharing today's style challenge with you all.

A few week's back, the lovely lot at Buchanan Galleries challenged me to find an outfit that would take me from day to night. It's December. fairy lights are almost always in sight and the social calendar is packed full of fun activities. I have no doubt that at some point this month, you'll be dashing from the office to the bar with your favourites or getting in some last minute shopping before heading to the panto. Whatever the occasion, picking an outfit that will work for both with minimal changes and (most importantly) little to no bags required, can be a challenge. So, here I give you a little inspo of how you can easily switch up your outfit from day to night. 

DAY TO NIGHT 

By simply switching out casual day boots for heeled sock boots. Taking off my cosy cardi and replacing it with a fur shawl. And ditching my day-time hat for a red lip, I think I've achieved two very different looks that are both comfy, cosy and chic! 

Teddy coat - Mango 

Skirt - River Island 

Cami - River Island 

Cardi - Next 

All available at Buchanan Galleries

I absolutely love how these looks turned out and can definitely see myself switching out the pieces to create even more looks that will see me through the festive season. Using the skirt as the basis of an outfit with some black tights, black boots and a black polo neck would be perfect for a lunch date. Or even closing the cardi as a top, wrapped with a statement belt and mini skirt would work well for an effortless evening look for winter. 

SHOPPING DESTINATION 

Shopping for this look in the centre was so enjoyable and it made me remember just how stress-free shopping can be when you stick to the one location. I think we're all guilty of running the length and breadth of Glasgow to find just what we want but there's real merit in sticking to the one spot. 

Buchanan Galleries has some great shops right now too .... including an unexpected jewellery shop that screams Christmas and NYE accessories like nowhere else I've seen on the high street. It's called Lovisa in case you're interested!

Thanks again to Buchanan Galleries for the fun challenge! 

Until next time. 

xoxo