Counting down to Christmas:

Whether you like it or not, Christmas is now officially just over a month away.  Some very organised people will have already made a start on their seasonal shopping, and a select few seriously ill individuals will have completed the task (wrapping and all) back in August.  

For the majority of us, though - despite all the good intentions in the world - the 25th of December will creep up far too quickly.  Before you know it, you'll be the person tearing your hair out in the middle of M&S, or fiercely wrestling a fellow shopper for the last Downton Abbey box set.  Usually, that person is me.  But not this year, friends, not this year.

Thanks to the (admittedly quite early) John Lewis Christmas launch night last month, I've been brainstorming gift ideas for my family and friends for a while now.  Like last year, I met Gillian and Lianne (and also the lovely Laura for the first time) at the Edinburgh branch to see what John Lewis have got in store for Christmas 2014.  We were all greeted with a special cocoa infused gin and tonic and tasty canapés from the in store Hotel Chocolat Café - something which I'm sure would make the everyday Christmas shopping experience infinitely better.

As always, we were spoiled rotten by both John Lewis and the Stripe team, and I had a lovely time catching up with some of my favourite Edinburgh bloggers.  Hopefully the snaps I took at the event will help you get into the Christmas spirit if you aren't already - is anyone else getting excited about putting up their tree way too early?

Have a look below at my John Lewis Christmas gift guide which I've split up into a few different categories.  Maybe it will inspire you on your Christmas shopping quest, or maybe it will just make your own wish list longer...

Food & Drink:

1. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV Champagne with Ice Jacket Carry Pack: If I'm ever taking a bottle of white or fizzy wine to a friend's house, I like it to arrive chilled and ready to drink. Now, this might be the most first world problem you've ever heard, but carting a bottle with a cooling jacket on it around is always a pain and obviously the John Lewis buyers think so too! Personally I think a carry handle on an ice jacket is a genius idea, and this one comes with a bottle of Champers too (worth over £35 on its own) - bonus!  (£48)

2. Hotel Chocolat Classic Christmas H-Box: If you're going to give a box of chocolates as a Christmas present, you'd better make sure they're something special. Pretty much anything from Hotel Chocolat is guaranteed to taste great, but doesn't this special Christmas box look amazing too? (£12)

3. Edinburgh Gin Cocktail Set: I'm a big fan of Edinburgh Gin (as any regular readers/friends and family members will already know!) and I also love a good cocktail. This cocktail making set comes with everything you'll need to come up with your own concoctions at home. I particularly like the little Edinburgh Gin bottle stopper. (£45)

4. Natalie Chocolates Fondant Sugar Mice Stick Pack: My Mum (err... I mean Santa) always used to put a sugar mouse in my stocking, so I still always associate them with Christmas. These ones are a soft fondant, so will save any cracked teeth dramas on Christmas morning! (£2.50)

5. Build Your Own Gingerbread Train: We're big train fans in my family, so I had to include this cute alternative to a traditional gingerbread house. (£15)

6. Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur: Edinburgh Gin usually come out with a new flavoured liqueur around Christmas time, and this year it's rhubarb and ginger. These taste great in cocktails, or with some prosecco and I'm curious to taste the new flavour for myself. (£18)

Comfort & Beauty:

1. Barts Maria Beanie Hat: I have a strange relationship with hats. I kind of have too much hair to really stand a chance at making them look good on me, but I still always find myself hankering after woolly bobble hats at this time of year - especially when they're as cute as this one. (£19.99)

2. Benefit Pretty Parfait Gift Set: As a total make up novice, I've always been intrigued by what Benefit has to offer, but could never justify shelling out money on expensive products that might not work for me.  This gift set comes with four famous Benefit items that I haven't tried, one of which - the Benetint lip and cheek stain - is worth £24.50 on its own!   (£29.50)

3. MAVALA Nail Polish Bauble in Rouge Rubis: Despite being an amateur when it comes to make up, I do have a soft spot for nail varnish.  (I've barely had my natural nail colour for more than 24 hours in the last five years, and that's not an exaggeration!)  I've never tried the MAVALA brand before, so buying a single polish like this seems like a good way to try it out, and the fact that it's encased in a Christmas tree bauble is just an added bonus. (£5)

4. OPI Nails - Gwen Mini Christmas Holiday Stars Gift Set: OPI have a great reputation, but up until recently their nail varnishes were pretty difficult to get your hands on in the UK.  This special Christmas set has four festive colours (with amazing names like 'What's Your Point-Settia?') and the mini sized bottles will last longer than you think.  Bargain! (£14.50)

5. John Lewis Christmas Tree Duvet Cover and Pillowcase Set: Some people might think decorating your bedroom for Christmas is over the top, but I am not one of those people. Last year I bought a snuggly, tartan flannel duvet cover for the winter months, but I'd be willing to take it one step further with this pretty Christmas tree number.  (£40-£50)

6. Fat Face Reindeer Jersey Pyjama Pants: If I'm going to be properly cosy under my Christmas themed duvet, I obviously need the appropriate reindeer pyjama bottoms to wear. I usually get a new pair as a present every Christmas and wear them to death throughout the year. As long as you get the size right, it's an ideal gift idea for anyone!  (£28)

Gadgets:

1. Lumie Bodyclock Go 75 Wake-up Light: I've hankered after one of these alarm clocks that simulate a sunrise for a long time because I have real difficulty waking up in the morning. The idea is that the gradual light will wake you up naturally, rather than jolting you out of bed. I'm not sure if it would work, but I really like the idea! (£75)

2. Joby GripTight GorillaPod Tripod for Smartphones: My Dad has a GorillaPod, so I've seen firsthand how cool and useful they are. I've wanted a tripod for my iPhone for a while (more for filming than taking photos, but it could come in handy for that too!) and having the bendable legs means you can wrap it around anything to get your shot, rather than carting around a bulky, tall tripod. (£25)

3. Nespresso Inissia Coffee Machine by KRUPS in Red: I never thought I would be a coffee (or tea) drinker, but apparently adulthood requires a lot of caffeine. We had a Nespresso coffee maker in one of our USA hotel rooms, and it was really easy to use. Buying a machine like this might be a bit pricey, but at around 30p per Nespresso pod I would save a lot of money on coffee in the long run! (£62.99-£80)

4. Apple Wireless Remote: Having a remote for my laptop (and phone) is a bit of an extravagance really, but it could come in handy while watching movies in bed or listening to music around the house. I don't think the Apple remote is compatible with third party programs - like Netflix - but that's not the end of the world when it's not overly expensive. (£15)

What's on your Christmas list this year?

Christmas in October! John Lewis Christmas Event 2013:

I love Christmas - that's no secret - but last week I was hurled into the Christmas spirit much earlier than even I'm comfortable with!  The fast paced nature of retail means that the Edinburgh John Lewis Christmas event 2013 for press, suppliers and bloggers was held at the very start of October.  I was lucky enough to be invited, and headed along to The Bonham Hotel in the West End with Gillian, Jade and Lianne.

The boutique hotel's small function room was a lovely and cosy setting for the event, and the decorations made it feel like we really were all at a festive Christmas or New Year party.  John Lewis's Christmas theme this year is 'inspired by reliving Christmases past', which I can definitely get on board with, as memories of my childhood Christmases are some of the happiest I have!  Around the room were little displays of different John Lewis products, from a huge pile of toys (which the four bloggers were instantly drawn to - clearly we are all still big kids!) to clothing, homeware, drinks and beauty.

Of course, I couldn't resist the offer of some Edinburgh Gin tasting, and Jane (who runs Spencerfield Spirits with the help of her husband and family) was there to tell us more about the different flavours and ingredients used in their products.  The spiced orange infused Edinburgh Gin is a new addition to the range for the festive season, and Jane recommended drinking it with cider for a mulled taste.  There is also an elderflower flavour, if that's your cup of tea/gin, and a raspberry, which was definitely my favourite!  These can both be mixed with fizzy wine as an alternative to the traditional kir royale cocktail.  I enjoyed trying all of the variations of Edinburgh Gin, but I'm going to get my hands on a bottle of the raspberry flavour as soon as I can!  It didn't taste artificial at all, and would be a great addition to a whole host of cocktails.

There were some lovely pieces of crockery and homeware on display, alongside pretty Christmas decorations.  Even though I hadn't even begun to think about Christmas shopping at that point, the evening planted the thought in my head.  Maybe I'll be really organised this year and have it all done in advance!  Or maybe that's just clever marketing...

(Can you spot Gillian snapping some photos of her own in the reflection below?  I'm like the bloggerazzi.)

We spent quite a big chunk of time chatting to Donna from Liz Earle, who works at the Edinburgh counter in John Lewis.  Honestly, we were talking about this, that and everything for ages, but we did manage to learn a little about Liz Earle beauty line, and their special Christmas releases.  I've used the famous Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish cleanser before, but haven't tried any of their other products.  I thought the star shaped tin gift boxes were a really cute idea for a Christmas present.  They contain either a nail polish or lipstick, and afterwards the box can be hung as a Christmas decoration on your tree, or (as Donna suggested) even used as a candle holder!

I wanted to dive into this cosy, Christmassy corner and have a snooze!  There's so much going on, but everything is cute and fluffy, and I would be happy to have it all in my home for the festive season!  It definitely looked like there were enough pairs of warm slippers and comfy cushions for everyone.

After chatting for hours and sipping a few glasses of lovely prosecco, we bloggers headed out into the rainy night with an extremely generous gift bag from John Lewis.  It included some samples from Edinburgh Gin and Liz Earle, as well as some lovely Christmas decorations that I can't wait to add to my tree in December!  

I haven't cracked open the Edinburgh Gin yet, but I'm looking forward to a few special G&Ts in the near future!  I have, however, tried both of the John Lewis Colour nail polishes pictured above (from left to right - Candyfloss and Festival) and they both applied like a dream!  I especially like Festival, which is a sort of toffee colour when applied.  I probably wouldn't have automatically chosen it, but it's a nice neutral that I think I'll get quite a bit of use out of!

As you can see, I had a lovely time at the event!  We hoped that we might get a sneak peek at this year's John Lewis Christmas advert for 2013, but alas no secrets were given away.  Someone did mention that the cute little panda above is a new 'character' for this year, so maybe he will feature in the advert when it's finally unveiled?  If so, remember you saw it here first!

 I hope this post has inspired some (extremely early) festive cheer!  Don't worry, I won't be mentioning Christmas much again until December rolls around, but I might try to get some of my Christmas shopping organised early.  Are any of you super prepared, or do you usually leave things to the last minute (like me!)?

Oliver Bonas, Edinburgh:

If you've never heard of Oliver Bonas, don't worry, you and I were in the same boat up until a week ago.  The stores are primarily based in London, with a few scattered across England, but the brand new Edinburgh shop is the first one to reach Scotland.  I was invited along (by the lovely Emma!) with a few other bloggers to celebrate the Hanover Street store's grand opening, and I had a fantastic time!

I was very excited to find out that Oliver Bonas sells a huge array of clothes, jewellery, homeware and even beauty products.  I was especially excited about the homeware!  Apparently Oliver Tress, the founder of Oliver Bonas based the idea for the business on 'his love for buying unusual gifts for friends on his travels'.  This means that the stock is hugely varied, and there is something for every price range.  The Edinburgh shop is laid out beautifully, with attractive displays and plenty of space to browse.  Think Anthropologie, but a little younger and with more neon colours!

I love the cardboard stag heads in the photo above, they're the most decorative ones I've ever seen!  My favourite has to be the little birdhouse on the far left, though.  Wouldn't that be a cute addition to any home?

This necklace is one of many stunning statement necklaces on display at the back of the Edinburgh store.  Normally I would be totally intimidated by jewellery like this, and I would never even think about trying to pull it off myself.  However, one of the lovely staff members at the event was wearing this necklace as part of her uniform, and it looked amazing!  She told me she was planning to wear it with her graduation dress, but it looked just as good with a simple black collared shirt.  It turns out it's a surprisingly versatile piece, and it just goes to show that it's worth trying these things on!

These ornate iron chairs in various pastel colours are a big part of the shop's window display at the moment, and I think they do a great job of summing up the feel of Oliver Bonas as a store.  They are also so summery!  If I had a patio, or even a balcony (sigh, a girl can dream) then I'd be in great danger of purchasing a few for myself!

Sofas, chairs, stools and benches from The Velvet Chair Company are dotted all over the Edinburgh store in a huge variety of colours.  I even tried one out, although the price tag made me a little bit nervous!  If you're looking to make a quality soft furnishing investment, however, the chairs look great and are obviously sturdy.

Just to add to the excitement, two barmen from Candy were on site to mix us up some delicious fresh cocktails (my favourite of which was served in a jam jar!) and we were all given a hand decorated Bibi's Bakery cupcake to take home with us.  Some of the best butter icing I've ever tasted ensued!

So, what did I buy?  Well, I honestly could have bought almost everything in the entire shop.  Lianne and Gillian kept (nervously) laughing every time I picked something up off a shelf and announced that I didn't just want it, but needed it, but that's really how I felt!  In the end, I was quite sensible and went for a Korres lip butter in jasmine (above) and two glass neon bottles that I had been eyeing up all night (below).

I had a lovely time at Oliver Bonas, and was extremely excited and grateful to be invited along.  I will undoubtedly be back in store to have more of a browse, and I would recommend it if any of the stock in my photos seems up your street.  If you're more local to Glasgow, you might be happy to hear that an Oliver Bonas is due to open on Byres Road soon.  If not, there is always the option to shop online, and there are literally thousands of products available there.  My poor bank balance!