Bath Christmas market

Hello there,

It wouldn't be Christmas now without a trip to a Christmas market. When I was a child, I don't remember there ever being such a thing (well, not here in the UK) but now, well they're everywhere.

It does mean though that you can have a little bit too much of a good thing. Some towns I've visited just have a few sheds with the same things in every year. Other places though know how to do it properly - and Bath is one of them. With over 130 stalls dotted around the historic Abbey and Pump Rooms, it's a fantastic day out in beautiful surroundings. We were there for a whole day but I'm sure there's some bits we missed!

The disembodied head of the stall holder in this shot amuses me - I had no idea she was there at the time!

There are so many hidden gems in Bath if you take a few moments to stop and step away from the main high street.

And of course, it wouldn't be a day out without the obligatory Christmas jumper - this little gem is from Primark this year.

I could have spent a small fortune (esp on the macron stand!). These are a few of the bits and pieces I came home with.

How beautiful is this? Who wouldn't want a jammie dodger from Speckled Wood on their Christmas tree? 

Bath Christmas market was beautiful. It was the perfect way to spend a day with friends Christmas shopping and generally having a great time. If you get the chance to visit next year, I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks for reading

Cathy

xx

Blogmas 16 &17 - Winchester Christmas market and festive nails

Hello there,

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I work from home. This is great 99.9% of the time, but at this time of the year, I do miss the Christmas parties and Secret Santas etc. I used to enjoy planning what to wear and all the anticipation etc.

Well, the Secret Santa was sorted this year when a number of us plus size bloggers got together to do one between us - you can see my post about that here. And on Wednesday, some friends who also work from home got together in Winchester for a spot of lunch and a catch-up before Christmas. Not strictly a festive meal at all, but it's the closest I'll get to a works Christmas do - so I donned my Christmas jumper, painted my nails and headed out.

I'm so pleased with my nails! This was the nail varnish I got in my Secret Santa with some Barry M glitter over the top. It's lasted nearly 2 days now without chipping which for me is a minor miracle. I love the contrast of a dark colour on short nails, esp at the time of year (plus short nails makes opening tins and bottles so much easier...)

By the time lunch was finished, it had turned into a pretty dark and miserable day in Winchester, so excuse some of these looking a bit dark.

To be honest, most Christmas markets are similar and tend to sell the same things wherever you are, but what makes this one different is the beautiful location in the grounds of the Cathedral.

How beautiful were these little ceramic houses for burning incense in? This was one of those 'I wish I'd bought one' moments!

The Christmas tree on the High Street - I seem to have chopped the head off - oops...

And finally, a round up of the last few days of the Sephora Advent Calendar. I have to admit, it's been a bit disappointing lately. I love the travel samples and miniatures, but the little booklets on beauty tips do nothing for me. I'm really hoping I've found all of those now and there's only good things ahead.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx