CHRISTMAS 2013 // JOHNNY CASH, XMAS CAROLS & CHAMPAGNE BREAKFASTS

I love Christmas, I think I have grown to love it even more after being away for most of the year at uni because you know that Christmas means home time :) I like the carols that are sung, the films that are watched and the excuse to just lie on the sofa for most of the day guilt free. The Thomas household Christmas is relatively relaxed with only the four of us (+ Hendrix) spending the day together with my Mam-gu popping in to have some lunch. I'm not a big fan of being confined in a space filled with people so a small family suits me well. Christmas eve is all about the preparation, the wrapping and champagne breakfasts with friends while Xmas day is all about the present opening, film watching, dog walking, christmas dinner eating and of course the birth of Jesus. 

I always wake up early on Christmas morning much to the annoyance of my brother. This year I woke up at half 7 but held out from waking everyone up until 9am when I started to sing Christmas carols (O Deuwch Ffuddloniaid // Oh come All Ye Faithful) for all to here. After much grumbling and eye rubbing my brother and I opened our stocking while my mum laid in bed and my dad came home from work. Muesli, croissants, champagne and toast were on the menu for breakfast and after the veg was chopped and everyone was showered and ready we ventured in to the living room where our bigger presents were waiting. With the cheesy/ cringeworthy Johnny Cash 1976 Christmas Special programme playing in the background I opened my prezies and I received an awesome leather bag from Foley & Agamo, a Lancôme beauty set, Dr. Martens (1460 Boot), my first ever onesie, CD's, books, my staple Miss Dior perfume and many other wonderful gifts. 

Before the pigs in blankets could have time to digest, myself and my mam headed off on a little walk with Hendrix just to get some fresh air while my brother washed up. Upon our return we watched the end of Toy Story 3, watched Despicable Me 2 in 3D (well, I had a nap through the majority of it), caught the end of Homealone 2 and laughed at the Mrs. Brown's boys and Father Ted xmas specials before heading off to bed. B-E-A-UTIFUL day. :) 

Here are some of my favourite gifts I received from Santa and family. Thanks // Diolch :) 

DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS :)

Well, it's been a busy week trying to get everything organised before we go home for a 3 week break for Christmas! 3 essays were turned in this week along with numerous quizzes and diaries. Finally they are done so I can now relax for a bit! Although we do have an essay to do over the holidays (bleeeeeeugh!) although it's still CHRISTMAS so that's fine! I can't wait just to be home for a bit, as much as I like it here and the friends that I've made, I think after being home only once in nearly 3 months one needs to just relax on a sofa and be able to go to the kitchen and get food whenever you want without having to worry about not eating too much as you have to survive off if for the next 3 days!

To get us all in the Christmas mood we did our secret Santa last week. This is where you put all the names of the people in your flat in to a hat and then the name you pick out is the person that you're buying your present for. It makes it much easier and it's much cheaper! It was nice to see everyone getting excited about opening their presents (the first present of Christmas!) I received a lush sign from my Santa which said "Live well, Love Much, Laugh Often" which I loved. It was cool to see what people bought for each other!

A couple of days after Secret Santa we went out for the Block J Christmas meal in Prezzo which is an Italian restaurant down the road. Everyone dressed up - the men in suits and the girls in nice dresses and heels etc (like a little black tie event!). I had risotto for main which was soooo flavoursome and tasty. For desert I had honeycomb cheesecake - yuuuum! To finish the evening I watched a film (and fell asleep) in my friend's room!

Wwwww... I've spent the last week listening to the Christmas playlist I created on spotify! It is awesome if I do say so myself! A bit of Buble, Elvis and the classic Shakin' Stevens!

I'm going home tomorrow! I can not wait!

. . . "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . !"

Here are some pictures of campus that I took because recently it's been looking all christmasy because of all the frost that's been everywhere making everything white (: