Christmas diary of a very spoilt spaniel

Searching for a bit of Monday night cheer I have been flicking through photos of the Christmas break. The most lovely thing in all the pictures being my gorgeous spaniel Danny.

He seemed to have a delightful Christmas holiday despite being left in the car on the 8 hour ferry trip to France (it was that or the kennels!). He soon got over the travel fatigue...

A cuddle with me certainly helped. He does like to sit on my lap and sleep, but there was too much excitement around the room for him to sleep...

He certainly liked out visit to Hotel Le Fort de l'Ocean, where he positioned himself at my feet in anticipation of leftovers coming his way...
And he didn't seem in any way phased by the hog roast, in fact he spent most of that evening in front of the fire (and the pig) getting his tummy rubbed...
Finally, on Christmas day, the tiredness caught up with him. He proceeded to sleep for 9 hours straight, before eating half the leftover turkey (when my hilariously thoughtless brother left the pantry door open) the next day. But that's what Boxing Day is for...right?

Mistletoe and wine

London town has been dipped in glitter and sprinkled with Christmas cheer over the last fortnight and I have been loving snapping the decorations and window displays as I dash around town.

The late November weather has been cold, wet and very windy so a lot of these photos were taken in the few moments between downpours, just before I had to run back to shelter.

My mind is turning to Christmas shopping, planning for Paris and what I am going to enjoy eating while in France.

I am about to sit down to enjoy Jordan Ferneys' fantastic guide to Paris and then create my own itinerary which doubtless we will completely ignored once there in favour of hours spent in cafes and parks.

This weeks activities include a cinema date with a gaggle of girls and the world's most adored vampire (I only managed to see Twilight last Friday and now completely get the R-Patz thing having previously been fairly snooty about him), a dinner cooked for me by extended family in Wandsworth and a date with my beloved to round off the week.

French Retreat

I have just 27 more working days this year before I wave goodbye* to my colleagues, kip over at my friend Katys' flat and then arise at 4.30am to jump on the Eurostar to Paris.

I spend three days in Paris with my beloved and then catch a snazzy French train down to Nantes in Western France to spend Christmas with my family. My aunt and uncle own a rambling old chateau and I will spend a week frequenting the local market, eating the freshest green beans covered in butter and sleeping as much as possible.

I have already touched on how important this Christmas is to me. Apart from my desire for a more positive Christmas, there is the added factor of my desperate need for some solitude and time to decide on my next big step. I just cannot wait to hole up in the French countryside, walk my dog in the local forest and enjoy a few days sauntering along at a much slower pace.

I have not yet booked my accommodation in Paris so if anyone has a recommendation please do share....

* or flip them the V sign, depending on my mood. Apart from you Z - I would never cuss you.

A-List

On a lighter but still Christmas related note, I have begun compiling a list of gifts for myself. The gathering of just some of the items I am coveting in a serious way. These are not fleeting desires but rather the pieces I have spent the year trying to justify buying, but haven't quite been able to.

Maybe it's a little indulgent to put a big old list of things I want but don't really need (other than the puppy of course) however I think the reality is that those who can do like to give and receive. I already have my Christmas gift buying trips sorted - one in London, the other in Paris - and I really do love finding the perfect things for my friends and family. I think this is a time to go for quality over quantity, invest in key pieces which will last a long time and to shower those you love with items they will always hold dear.

Derek Rose Woburn Silk pyjamas

Diptyque candle (multiple)

heal's Cashmere Cable knit throw

Lemon tree

Michael kors perfume

Pasta cutting machine

Pinhole drawing on vintage photograph from Etsy seller Restless Things

Malti-poo puppy (yes, I know that creating an uber cute designer dog by crossing two different breeds is considered ethically dubious, but in this instance I have to ignore this in favour of this utterly gorgeous creature which seems perfectly happy to me - cue the angry comments)
Holga camera (and a polaroid too please, now that it's back)