DIY Christmas Wreath

It's getting rather Christmassy in our household, so today I wanted to share with you one of my yearly traditions - decorating our Christmas wreath:

You will need:

Christmas wreath base

Fir tree branches

Dried orange slices

Red berries

Ribbon
Large ribbon for bow

Scissors

I made the base of the wreath many years ago at a workshop in Wicken Fen, a local National Trust site. Using local willow and reeds, the wreath is both natural and sustainable and provides the base for my decorations. However, if you don't already have something similar, Martha Stewart explains how to make a Christmas wreath using wire as a base instead.

Once your base is ready, we can start the fun part - decorating. This year I decided to use a selection of fir branches from our Christmas tree, rosehip and other red berries, and dried fruit. To dry the fruit, I sliced some oranges and placed them on a wire rack. I then slowly dried them out in a preheated oven at just 80C for about two hours. I kept some of our fir branches left over from trimming our Christmas tree and collected my red berries whilst walking the dog.

First, I began to bulk up the wreath with my fir branches. I threaded the branches under my plaited reeds, which ensured they were kept secure. You could also use wire to keep the branches in place.

Then I began to add some colour with the berries and orange slices. I started with the orange slices by punching holes in each slice and threading it with gold ribbon, which I then tied onto the wreath. To finish off the ribbon, I curled the ends with the blade of the scissors.

I then added my red berries to the wreath by threading the twigs underneath the reeds and into the willow. I arranged them into bunches sporadically around the wreath to add some Christmassy red colour. Finally, I tied a bow on the top of the wreath, added some ribbon to use to hang on the front door and it was finished!

What do you think of my DIY Christmas wreath? Do you make your own or just buy one? I'd love to see your versions!

<3

xx

Access All Asos: Social Media School and Asos HQ

Last weekend, I was over the moon to be invited to Asos HQ in London for 'Social Media School.' As part of Asos' Academy School series, I caught the train from York to Camden for a lecture on social media by Sedge Beswick, followed by a tour of Asos HQ:

Of course, we were greeted by some yummy treats - I particularly enjoyed the social media themed cupcakes - then ushered into the 'classroom' for our talk. However, this wasn't your usual university lecture; we were given 'Social Media Bingo' cards to cross off topics once they were mentioned and ensure we paid attention - a great tip for all teachers out there, as I intensely focused on my card and was ecstatic when I won some Anna Sui Minnie Mouse Hand Cream.

We learnt some fascinating facts about the world of social media and its importance to brands. For example, if Facebook were a country it would be the third largest in the world and over 350 million Snapchats are sent per day - that's a lot of power to be harnessed! Asos of course are great at social media, especially with Twitter where you will be responded to almost instantly whether your comment is positive or negative. As a customer, this means I am far more likely to buy from them as opposed to brands which aren't so responsive, and Asos really understand this.

We were then treated to a tour of Asos HQ. It was a dream come true to trawl through all the offices and studios, and we even got to meet some models and photographers shooting for the 'New In' section. How amazing would it be to work here every day?

Access All Asos applications are now open for 2014, so if you'd like to get behind the scenes at Asos, fill in their application form. You get all the insider gossip from the brand - for example, Asos are launching Asos Helpouts on Monday 16th Dec. You can book a slot via Google Helpouts to chat with a stylist and resolve all your styling, make-up or Christmas gift dilemmas. Yet another example of Asos putting the customer first, and as an Asos Insider, I'm the first to know about it!

You don't have to be a blogger, just an Asos addict like me, so why not apply today and join me?

<3

xx

#MyFabbHaloHair

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the White Cloth Gallery in Leeds by Halo Hair Extensions and Fabb Events. I arrived at this trendy venue hidden behind the train station, with the only hint for the day being Fabb's hashtag #MyFabbHaloHair:

Myself and a small group of bloggers were greeted by champagne and cupcakes (an excellent start) before being introduced to John from Halo Hair Extensions. He explained the history and development of their brand and introduced us to their signature product - the Halo. Many bloggers who were more hair-savvy than myself nodded along to this introduction, but as a complete novice when it comes to hair extensions, everything was new to me. I was fascinated to discover that the Halo is simply placed on your head, tightened with a 'miracle wire' and you immediately have longer, natural-looking hair! No damage, no clip ins, no scary glue - it really is that simple.

Hair extensions have always intrigued but scared me, thanks to all those horror stories out there and the fact that I am far too low-maintenance to bother with the upkeep required by 'normal' hair extensions. The simplicity of the Halo is therefore for me it's main selling point - I promise that the fact I can easily put on my Halo in a matter of minutes, means anyone can! On the day, professional hair stylists demonstrated how to attach our Halos and then styled them for us. This was a brilliant idea because it showed quite how simple the process was, and gave me far more confidence to go home and try it out for myself. Before the event, we had all sent photos of our hair colour to ensure we received the right shade - a service which is available for anyone thinking of purchasing a Halo, and meant that my #4 Chocolate Brown 16" Halo matched my hair perfectly.

We were generously gifted a goody bag, which included our now-styled Halo, shampoo and conditioner and a tail comb, which is perfect for combing your hair over the Halo wire. Unfortunately, I haven't had the right opportunity to photography my Halo properly yet, thanks to the dark and gloomy weather, but I'm looking forward to sharing my next post showing off the process of putting on a Halo in more detail. In the meantime, check out Halo's own How-To videos and I hope you enjoy the images from the event - especially these 'transformation' shots (thanks to Hannah Rose Photography and Fabb Events):

I felt like Cheryl Cole and couldn't stop playing with my new, voluminous curls! If you want to add some extra glamour to your Christmas party outfits this holiday, check out Halo Hair Extensions as a fool-proof, user-friendly way to really make an impact. I'm certainly a convert!

<3 

xx