A very crafty Christmas:

Happy New Year, friends!  You may or may not have noticed that I ended up taking a bit of an unintentional hiatus from blogging over Christmas.  I woke up with a tummy bug on Christmas morning (such a huge disappointment) and have really only started feeling better in the last few days.  I think I've probably missed the window for a full blown 'What I Got For Christmas' post, but I did receive some lovely homeware and some handmade gifts that I thought deserved a special mention.

This plain table lamp was hand decorated by my very creative and talented cousin, Morag.  Check out her bespoke cake toppers and sculptures and her Etsy shop to see more of her artistic skills!  She said she modelled the design  of my lamp on henna tattoos and that it was 'a project', which means it took a lot of time and effort, as I think you can see from the result!  It's now in pride of place on my bedside table.

Morag also made this adorable mug candle for me.  Okay, okay, the mug isn't handmade (although it is very cute!) but the candle is, and it smells like hot chocolate - delicious!  If I'm honest, I feel like I won't ever burn it because I want to keep it perfect forever...

Picture found here

I love so many things about these pretty Cath Kidston mugs already, even though they were only given to me by some family friends last night!  The starry pattern is so sweet, and just my style.  Also, the mugs stack on top of each other.  That's right, STACK!  (I'm not quite sure why that feature excites me so much, but it really does!)  Best of all, they come in a reusable tin, so it's pretty much two presents in one!

I also received these polka dot candles (also from Cath Kidston), and I'm eager to invest in some candle sticks so that I can put these beauties out on display.  Again, I might never burn them, though, just to keep them nice!

Comparison photo found here

This is actually one of Craig's Christmas presents on the right: a custom Frightened Rabbit anchor, designed and hand made by our friend Ruaridh.  We (half) jokingly asked him to make one for our bathroom back in the summer, but the end result is far too handsome to be hidden away, and it has found a home on the living room fireplace.

And this was my present from Ruaridh, a necklace modelled on a Frightened Rabbit print that the band's frontman drew.  I can't find a good comparison photo for this one, but it doesn't really matter because the necklace is an exact replica of the drawing.  It's insane.  Even the band were impressed on Twitter!  Unfortunately Ruaridh doesn't have a website yet, but I have been bugging him to get one up and running, and you should too!

As you can see, I did very well this Christmas, and these are only a small selection of the amazing presents I received.  I'm very grateful to everybody, not just those mentioned here, but aren't my friends and family talented?