Lifestyle | I had a chill New Years Eve, and it wasn't that big of a deal.

Aaah yes, the crazy, unachievable New Year's Eve expectations. I've personally been a victim of this plague for a very long time. Growing up, and mostly getting into my teenage years, my family and me would always spend the night together, with some good food and a few movies. It wasn't until more recently that I thought more about going out with my girlfriends, using way too much glitter and drinking champagne without knowing what it's supposed to actually taste like. Due to recent events, this was no longer my plan, but I still had in mind to go stay at a friend's and ... Get my drink on.

THEN. Came the stuffed nose and the scratchy throat. From that day on I thought I was somehow cursed by an ancient witch without remembering it, and I knew I was bound to stay home and go back to my old habits. Bear with me, this did not excite me at all, at first. But then, as the 31st went on and I was constantly blowing my nose and coughing and losing my breath each time I got off the couch, I became quite happy to just stay home. (Unfortunately, we had a little bit of a food problem, but it ended up okay in the end, and that's a totally different story.)

After dropping my sister off at the party I was supposed to attend, we went straight to food. While that was cooking, my first reflex was to go grab my fluffy stars onesie and wrap myself in warm, cosy layers. (The best feeling!) Soon enough, my just-as-ill mother and I knew we wanted to watch a movie while enjoying our food. We had a bit of a problem on Christmas Eve though, so going through movie lists was a complicated process and I now know not to trust every movie list I see online. We settled on Sex & The City, which was such a refreshing choice! It's not as centered around New Year's as the website tried to make us believe, but it was a wonderful mother-daughter moment, that also made me realise getting a shoe proposal is my biggest dream in life. Of course we didn't just end the night here, after a bit of fireworks, we obviously went back to the couch to eat an entire tub of Ben & Jerry Cookie Dough ice cream while watching Larry Crowne (trailer here), one of my personal favourite movies. It puts a giant smile on my face with its cheery attitude and great funny yet simple moments. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone feeling a bit down, especially those of you who think it's too late to start a new project! Overall, I'd say I went to bed happy, and I would gladly do it all again.

Lots of love for this new year, 

Xélia.

Fashion | A great shopping experience: Christmas Shopping At Scotch & Soda

Aaah yes, December, that wonderful time of the year when everyone goes shopping crazy for the holidays. I personally tend to do my christmas shopping after my exams, whenever I'm finished and have some time to kill before having to catch a bus. In my house, we usually fish a name out of a hat and get a present for that person only, which makes it easier for a big family with mostly children. Today's story is not me looking for a present, but me witnessing a wonderful christmas miracle! 

The brand Scotch & Soda opened a store in my small town not that long ago, that actually made a lot of noise: It's in a church, which left most of us curious and waiting to see the result. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about it until very recently, when I went to have a look inside, fell in love with a pricy coat and never went back. It was only last week, when my mother and I went christmas shopping for my father, that I went back. (Disclaimer: my father is a hard person to shop for. His hobby doesn't make it easy to find anything within a reasonable price range, and he either gets coffee mugs or socks. ) 

Anyway, I suggested that we go inside, at first to show her what they made of the inside of the church (the store was made beautifully, I'm so sad I don't have pictures!) but not to shop. What a surprise! We found everything we were looking for & more. 

I'd like to thank both women who took care of us, although they'll probably never read this, for such good advice and a polite and welcoming attitude that surprised me. The store can have an Abercrombie feel to it, with the perfume filling the air and everyone working there being as stylish as possible. 

We bought my father's present, clothes of course, and both my mother and I are determined to go back whenever we need something new for him. I'm personally going back for the perfume and to shop for myself. Overall, I was surprised by how pleasant everything was compared to what my mind had made of the place. 

Also check out the clothes, they have some amazing pieces! 

Xélia

Youtube | Videos For The End Of 2015

Just a small post to get all my videos together! There's the obvious december favourites, which is a thing I'm going to try to do every month, then the very festive What I Got For Christmas, and finally a thing I'm trying out where I talk a little bit about music, and mostly my favourite albums of the year 2015! Hope you like it

Xélia