PHOTO OF THE DAY

Oxford Street, Oxford Street,, 1889

Starbuck Eggnog Latte

Starbucks' Egg Nog Latte features espresso with steamed eggnog and milk, topped with ground nutmeg.

 The first thing I noticed about the Egg Nog Latte is that there was a definite egg nog smell which I really like it .

Taste-wise, the Egg Nog Latte is very much like a Starbucks Latte, but with a hint of egg nog flavor. It is my favorite Starbucks holiday drink.
The Egg Nog Latte is also the only Starbucks holiday drink that doesn't come with whipped cream by default.

The Book Thief-Love, life, death, literature and the impact of war upon ordinary people

What I enjoyed most about the film was how death is introduced as a character. It's the voice of death which is used throughout the film to narrate much of what has happened in the past.

It's death who introduces Liesel, Sophie Nelisse, in the opening scenes and death who fills in her life story in the closing scenes. He's in and out throughout the film gently taking souls while passing on his own unique and inspiring message about all he has learnt about us, the human family. Very philosophical and really quite beautiful. His speech in the closing scenes was so uplifting I was almost moved to tears.

The story concentrates on the war in Germany and focuses upon the growth of the Nazi's and the impact that has on a small town in which Liesel is taken to live with 'adopted' parents. Liesel can't read much at first but develops a passion for books. A passion that will remain throughout her life and one that's encouraged by her new 'papa' and the Jewish boy, Max, hiding from the Nazi's in their cellar.

Some of the darker events of the times are shown but the film doesn't concentrate only on the fate of the Jews. It goes to great length to highlight the absolute racism and discrimination of the Nazi's even against their own people.

 There are a couple of great scenes set around Jessie Owens, American track and field Olympic gold medalist, which I thought were particularly well done. What 'The Book Thief' is asking you to consider is the effect an extraordinary war had upon ordinary people and how it impacted upon love, friendship and family.

I bought the DVD last week and I've watched it twice. It really is a good movie and such a clever blend of dark/light, sad/happy.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Behind the clock face of Big Ben, 1920s

Paperblanks Great Minds At Work : Kafka Notebooks

I'm one of those people who decides that they'll start a journal but then just gives up after a week or so and so I decided that I would treat myself to a nice new notebook that would encourage me to write in it!

These unique journals portray the work of some of the greatest writers, thinkers and artists of all time. These reproductions of excerpts of original manuscripts, letters, scores and drawings provide a glimpse into the creative process of figures such as William Shakespeare, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Vincent van Gogh.

I love Paperblanks but as with most things the price from stationary stores is ridiculous so I funded that notebook on Amazon .It's of a brilliant quality with a lot of pages ,there is also  handy little pocket/folder at the back where I can store loose bits of paper or pictures or something along those lines! This notebook has good thick paper and looks amazing!It has approximatelly 95 - 100 pages or so. A bit heavy but it reminds the

old days notebooks!

Lancome La Nuit Tresor

Lancome launches La Nuit Tresor fragrance in February 2015. The scent is a flanker of the original Tresor from 1990.

The composition is announced as a gourmand aphrodisiac and a love potion created by perfumers Christophe Raynaud and Amandine Marie. It supposedly depicts the dark side of rose and mixes notes of black rose with Tahitian vanilla orchid absolute. There are also accords of natural incense, papyrus, patchouli and litchi praline added to the mix.

The faces of the campaign are Penélope Cruz and Ilay Kurelović and the photo was signed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The video campaign was directed by Rob Marshall.

Christmas perfume sets

The attractive sets of almost all perfume houses are designed especially for the upcoming holidays and make the offer in perfumeries significantly richer while we are selecting gifts for our friends and family. Some of the perfume houses among which are Lancome, Guerlain, Clinique, Givenchy, Dior, will offer their most popular editions accompanied with body care products or purses, while other houses combine perfume flacons with miniatures and jewellery.

Prada prepared sets in round boxes which also hide accompanying body care products with popular editions Prada Candy and Prada Candy Florale. Gift set Prada Candy includes eau de parfum 75 ml, body lotion 75 ml and miniature flacon 7.5 ml EDP, while gift set Prada Candy Florale includes eau de toilette Prada Candy Florale 75 ml, body lotion 75 ml and miniature flacons 7.5 ml EDT).

Gift set Chloe Signature Gift set includes fragrance bottle 30 ml, body lotion 10 0ml and miniature flacon 5 ml / 0.16oz.

Traditionally, Viktor&Rolf launch limited editions of their popular fragrances Flowerbomb and Spicebomb for each holiday, as well as special gift sets with perfumed body care products. Inspired by the upcoming holidays, they introduced several gift sets, such as: Flowerbomb Gift Set with a large bottle of eau de toilette accompanied with perfumed shower gel, perfumed body lotion and travel bottle  and gift set Flowerbomb Gift Set which includes Flowerbomb 100 ml EDP, perfumed body care 200 ml, and travel packaging of shower gel 50 ml.

Thierry Mugler always has interesting sets with miniatures of the popular Angel, and this Christmas, they launch the irresistible fragrance perfect for winter and holidays in four versions of the flacons; three different flacons are filled with the classic Angel edition as eau de parfum, and one flacon is filled with eau de toilette Angel.

Christmas Jumpers For Feeling Festive

It may seem a little early for Christmas jumpers but we think it's worth getting a head start and finding your perfect knit before the high street gets really busy. 

 I ‘m already in the festive spirit !

Whether you want a glitzy Santa statement buy, or you're more of a snowflake print kind of girl, there's something for everyone.

Ideal Christmas gift- Leuchtturm limited edition metallic medium lined notebook

I love this little notebook. I love the dotted system. They don't totally 'disappear' when you write on the page, but they do fade nicely into the background. The book seems to be well bound and of good quality, unlike others I'd had which start to fall apart after several months.

Christmas Coffee

KATIE LEAMON CARDS

I would like to share with you Katie is a surface designer & illustrator based in London 'with a love of drawing and typography along with great ambition and a desire to create beautiful things'.

I love her natural talent for typography.

Escada Turquoise Summer

Escada launches its annual new fragrance (this has been a tradition of the house since 1993), summer limited edition for season of 2015. The fragrance is named Turquoise Summer, inspired by the serene atmosphere of summer, vivid orchards and butterflies.

Escada Turquoise Summer invites you on a fragrant holiday with its irresistible and mouthwatering fruity-floral mixture. The fragrance opens with pineapple, strawberry and tutti frutti accord, crosses the floral heart and ends with the base of blackcurrant and vanilla.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Cavallini washi tape

Cavallini & Company manufacture high quality products. This paper tape set of 5 rolls is no exception.

 It has a vintage look & feels to it which I love. The container it comes in is just as nice. You already have a way to store the 5 rolls.

These Cavallini number tapes are expensive, but they are really fantastic!

They are the quality washi tapes (not normal decorative paper tapes) and worth the extra money to me because they are really thin, semi-transparent, have gorgeous designs, and I have so much fun using them. I cannot think of a brand of washi tape that measures up to Cavallini. 

Clinique Aromatics in White

White color definitely replaces the years-long trend of black color. One fragrance in the long line of very interesting editions arrives from the house of Clinique as a successor of the classic from 1971—Aromatics Elixir. As the oldest fragrance of the house of Clinique, Aromatics Elixir takes special place in the collection of the house but also an envious place for the quality of the composition in the perfume industry in general. Its chypre-floral composition highlights tart floral essences of carnation and rose, cooled with aldehydes and moss.

In October 2014 Clinique presents Aromatics in White, a women’s fragrance which lures with tart notes of Sichuan pepper, elegant violet leaves and labdanum in top notes. The gentle transition towards the heart comes with floral shades of roses and orange blossom, surrounded with patchouli, creating a harmonious union of floral and earthy textures. Depth and sensual aromas are ensured by leather musk, intertwined with warm grey amber, benzoin and vanilla. United this way, they leave a soft, oriental signature in the base. The new composition by Clinique is signed by perfumer Nicolas Beaulieu.