wagwaan?: The red cups are back!

Well, for some it's not Christmas until the Coca Cola ad appears on our screens. For me and Claire it's when the red cups make their appearance at Starbucks :) And they are here!

Today I was going to do some photo editing and then go to fatigue management: well, first our Microsoft mouse finally died, and secondly, the OT was off sick so my session got cancelled. Instead, I thought I'd make a quick trip into town to get a new wireless mouse, some tights and some non-permanent hair dye because I've finally decided I have waaaaaay too much grey for my age....

I got the bus in, and decided I was going to pace myself, and make sure I sat down every 15 mins or so. It worked quite well and I didn't feel as exhausted as I usually do, so I feel like I'm making some progress at last. I was just finishing my shopping when I got a call from Claire who was due on her lunch break, so instead of going straight home we met up to have a sandwich near her work. Afterwards, I was full but she wanted a hot chocolate (it was cold and raining and she was cold; I on the other hand have the wonderful internal heating system that is, um, due to my age... and I was actually too hot), so we popped into Starbucks to check out the red cups. It felt very Christmassy.

Much as I would have loved to do some "real" shopping, mine consisted mainly of boring old cleaning products and other essentials. However, I did manage to do a bit of window shopping, gathering ideas for presents for loved ones. I made a little mosaic of things I liked in the shops today.... just the stuff I would like to get myself so I don't give any Christmas secrets away:

These are just iPhone pics and the colours aren't fab, but it gives you an idea of the kind of stuff I was admiring. The cushions are wonderful appliqué ones and much prettier IRL. They are all part of the Maison Vintage range in Bhs, together with the artificial flowers in the jug, the hand-painted bowls, the doormat and the lovely sewing box marked "make do and mend". The china plates and cake stand are by Portmeirion and are from John Lewis.

Sigh. I do love the shops at this time of year. Especially mid-week when they aren't so crowded.

Well, it's way past my bedtime, so I'll leave you with a pic of the gingerbread house that Claire put together with her friend Kaylee... with a little help from me because it was so much fun. (It's from a John Lewis kit that Claire bought back in September (!) because last year they had sold out by December when she wanted to buy one). Enjoy!