New beginnings this New Year...

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and Santa brought you everything you wanted. Christmas was a family affair once again for me this year, and back in Birmingham my family and I ate Christmas lunch at a fabulous restaurant at the top of the Mailbox building...

What a treat to avoid the stresses of hungover Christmas day cooking and terrible Christmas TV. While you can't beat Christmas at home, we discovered a couple of years ago that having the meal itself at a lovely restaurant can avoid a partly frozen turkey, tonnes of washing up, and the teenage boredom and angst of my 19 year old brother that comes hand in hand with spending the whole day stuck at home.

I was a very lucky girl this year when it came to presents... One of my top gifts this year was a silver bracelet with my name engraved - which my mum had hidden in a Christmas cracker I pulled at the meal.

When it came to surprises my beautiful boyfriend G gave me a lovely treat... On Christmas eve he rang my mobile and said has my parcel arrived yet, go check the doorstep to see if they left it there. I opened the door and there he was! He whisked me off shopping to choose my prezzie - he wanted to buy me a dress to wear when we go away for New Year, and he needed to have me there really to pick one I loved and try it on. I chose a beautiful purple silk one from Selfridges - I will upload some pics of our New Year night away so you can see it yourselves! I feel a very lucky girl to have a man spoil me so much, but it was more the thoughtful aspect of him wanting to surprise me on the doorstep than the actual gift that meant so much to me. (Didn't tell him that though as I still wanted the dress!)

The gifts I got him were far less poignant and romantic - two PS3 games, and I took him to a football match on boxing day... What can you do though it's what he wanted! I had thought out romantic ideas for presents, perhaps a meal at the restaurant where we had our 1st date... But I know we would have got there and he would have said can I have my PS3 games now. Boys and their toys!

He will have to tear himself away from the PS3 for one night though when we go away for New Year. We've booked into a lovely hotel in Bournemouth to spend New Year. I can't wait, it means a lot to be with him to see in 2009 and Bournemouth as a town means a great deal to me too as I spent 3 happy years at University there.

Our time together is limited as I'm back to London the very next day and we will part at the train station. He can expect tears from an over emotional and undoubtedly hungover me, but I am looking forward to getting back to my fun life in London and seeing what 2010 holds for me...perhaps G will move down before the year is through.

I hope you all have a fabulous New Year and wake on the 1st with a hangover but a smile, who knows what 2010 will bring! x

Merry Christmas

It's that time of year again, when everyone heads back to their roots to be with family, battling the snow covered roads and delayed public transport.

Like so many others I packed up my bags and laden with presents set off back to Birmingham, my home town, to spend Christmas with my family and boyfriend.

This year, in the midst of a recession, I wondered whether Christmas would be a parred down affair. I've read in the news that companies won't have Christmas parties for staff this year, that people are attempting to make their own presents not buy them. Home made or not, drunken Christmas party or not, it appears to me that people are celebrating the season as enthusiastically as ever this year. On my journey back home I was pleased to see most people had gone to town with Christmas lights. In addition to this, the shops do not seem to have suffered this year with Christmas shopping. Which bodes well for my presents - I can't imagine what I would receive should my brother take it upon himself to start hand making gifts.

What are your plans this Christmas? Whatever they are I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends. Eat, drink and be merry. And remember, Santa comes tonight so however merry you get make sure you behave!

Happy Christmas everyone x

Entry to Embassy

Another night another nightclub...

And this time it was the turn of Embassy nightclub in Mayfair to wow me for the evening, with their fabulous Christmas decor accessorised by famous faces at every turn.

How did I, a lesser known mortal gain entry? It's all about who you know, and luckily two of my well connected friends from school were down in London for the night and got the three on the list....

We had a fabulous night, albeit fairly sober due to the drinks prices.

Christmas is the time for festive drinks but I don't want January to be the time for a festive overdraft so I resolved to limit myself to only one or two glasses.

Mingling with the rich and famous it is easy to forget you don't have their kind of resources... anyway, who said a girl can't have a good time sober?

It was lovely being with old friends for the night surrounded by the glamour of a lifestyle not quite in reach.

The best bit of the night though might have been returning to the lovely hotel in Mayfair where they were booked in for the night, collapsing in to the huge super king size bed with them and ordering room service. By 2am we were eating smoked salmon sandwiches in bed and watching sky news as we dozed off...

Such hardcore party animals!