THE OBSESSIONS

The arrival of Starbucks’ Red Cups heralds a number of different things – among them being an unhealthy amount of Praline Lattes to be consumed. But there are two in particular which would be simply rude not to mention: One is the extraction of anything remotely resembling fur out of deep storage – my lack of boyfriend renders chunky knits and faux fur my first snuggle option, and the other is a significant increase in the amount on the Broadband bill. It is inevitable – the wireless always crashes in the lead up to Christmas but you can’t blame a girl for being generous and shopping for her friends online!

The concept of ‘friends’ in that sentence is very loose....interchangeable with ‘myself’ in fact. Once you have quickly got the purchases for other people out the way, Christmas provides the ideal cover to do a ridiculous amount of online shopping...or in my case, online window shopping, after which I compile a list of things to be SNAPPED up in the post-Christmas sales!  

In the vain hope that at least some of my family will read this post, I have made a list of current obsessions: the words ‘wish list’ are simply just not strong enough!

1)      The Diary – it sounds ridiculous but I feel like my life has become infinitely more organised with the addition of my delectable, metallic baroque print diary by Paperblanks. Although my teachers may beg to differ...at least this year I’m actually writing down the numerous French/English essays that seem to be never ending!

2)      Alt-J – if you go on the ‘Recently Played’ playlist on my iPod, Alt-J have achieved total domination. Tickets for a concert are definitely on the agenda for some point next year!

3)      Cortados – with the exception of the revered Praline variety, lattes are for the grandmas of the coffee generation. Cortados have conquered I’m afraid...specifically the Hermitage Road cortados: served in a little glass with a delicate shard of hazelnut and chocolate biscotti, there is no other option.

4)      Paisley – not exactly a ‘seasonal’ groundbreaker, but Urban Outfitter’s granddad shirt means I am never far from a 70s style burgundy swirl...as I’m sure you have seen from the instagramming!

5)      Maple and Pecan Pastries – having a friend who works in Caffé Neros makes it an obvious choice for Saturday morning and therefore these pastries were a natural step forward for me...totally addicted.

6)      Collar up – a 3-day visit to Leeds left me with 3 new necklaces...and a severely depleted bank balance. Collar-esque necklaces just add that extra sparkle to any outfit, leaving me wondering... how did I ever survive without them?

7)      Au Bonheur des Dames by Emile Zola – if department store shopping was as heavenly as portrayed in the screen adaptation ‘The Paradise’ of Zola’s novel, I think I would move into John Lewis...or any department store for that matter. E-Books for iPods are an absolute life saver when I’m forever on buses between several schools.

8)      Lindt Dark Chocolate Excellence – it seems as I’m getting older, I’m developing a taste for anything bitter...I hope this is not a reflection of me - ‘Small and bitter’ does not make for a particularly attractive description.

9)      Jordan Askill X Topshop- yet another ridiculously successful collaboration on the part of the high street Deity, the gothic romance captured in the dream-cloud-holding-panthers not only reflects my current literature topic (I’m a slight English geek ok?!) but means that at least one of these rings needs to have a place on my hand.

10)   Sunday Brunch at Hermitage Road – dinner dates no longer hold the appeal they used to for me...it’s all about brunch. Pancakes, Eggs Florentine, Full English – the choice is yours...for only £5!

#obsessed

Claira xo