Perfect presents:

I know Christmas has been and gone now, but (just like last year) I was given some lovely homeware as gifts by my thoughtful family and friends, and I'm excited to share them!  First of all, Craig gave me an awesome wooden stag's head from Oliver Bonas.  I've had my eye on one of these for ages, so I was very excited and grateful when I opened this gift!  I think it (he?) looks brilliant above the fireplace.

My very talented Auntie embroidered pillowcases for me (and Craig!) with sweet messages.  She makes sewing and knitting look so easy, but I can't even comprehend how bad the outcome would be if I had attempted this project myself...  It's lovely to have something unique but practical that we can keep for a very long time, if not forever!

Craig chose this 4x4" dark wood stained photo frame (also from Oliver Bonas) as another surprise present for me, and it's perfect for our bedroom.  I've popped it on my bedside table already - just need to remember to put a photo in there at some point!

Remember the cutesy milk carton jug I included in my November Instagram update?  Well, my lovely little Mum did, and bought it for me!  It was a brilliant present, as I thought the jug had sold out.  Craig's Mum also surprised me with a pair of quirky Coca-Cola salt and pepper shakers in a little caddy.  They'll look so cute on the dinner table when we have dinner parties!

And last but not least, my big cousin brought me back some beautiful flower fairy lights all the way from Thailand, and my best pal, Emily, picked me out a Jimbob Art plate, by James Ward.  There are SO many great designs on his website, but the 'What Cake?' side plate that Emily chose is perfect for me.  I'm tempted to start a collection!  When did I become one of those people who collects plates and hangs them on the wall?

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?