Everything I Wore This Week
+ what I'm actually buying people for Christmas (and the contents of my soon-to-be-baked cookie boxes)
MONDAY
I had a few errands to run on Monday, and the weather was pretty mild, so I experimented with wearing a non-denim pair of trousers to mix it up a little. These worked, thanks to the massive wool coat I wore over the top, but I’d forgotten just how fresh white and grey can feel together. Paired with a rich chocolate brown, it’s one of my favourite colour palettes. I love the ‘pop’ the camel leather gives, too. This might be a contender for one of my favourite looks of the week. If the weather permits, I’ll repurpose it for next week. It’s one of those outfits that looks good with a bun, so I’ll keep it in mind for days when all I can be bothered to do is spritz my hair with some dry shampoo (I’ve just stocked up on this Christmas set* as it’s better value than buying them separately!).
TUESDAY
Mark and I spent the whole of Tuesday shooting and writing a post that will sadly never see the light of day. Sometimes that happens! In doing what I do, I create a lot of content across a lot of platforms - here, Instagram and YouTube mostly - and sometimes it’s just best to walk away and go back to the drawing board. As it was a day where I was in and out of clothing and then attached to my laptop, I went for a classic working-from-home formula - oversized knitted jumper + elasticated waistband trousers + fancy slippers. I felt productive enough but still cosy enough to pop a blanket over my knees when I was writing. My happy place!
WEDNESDAY
I headed up to London for my final ‘London day’ of the year on Wednesday. Although my early morning meeting got cancelled, I was PREPARED. The evening before, I’d made myself a packed lunch, prepped a breakfast, got my outfit ready and packed my back. I’ve never felt more Virgo in my life. The star of this show was the coat. I felt brave wearing it on a day that involved so many tube journeys with that viral Nuuly/Subway TikTok story freshly etched onto my retinas, but it was the talk of the town and anyone I saw asked about it. It makes me terribly fancy and dresses up even a basic outfit that’s just jeans and a jumper. If you’re in need of two OUTSTANDING London beauty recommendations, here’s who I saw on Wednesday (not sponsored in any way, I pay full price for both these treatments):
Jayne at Pfeffer Sal - I trust this woman with my life. Not only is Jayne the kindest, most soothing soul, but she knows exactly what your skin needs and does the most wonderful facials. She gives great advice, not only on skincare but lifestyle and diet too - in one year, she has transformed my skin.
Hollie Parkes - I really wanted to start embracing the full shape of my big, bushy brows. Not only do I feel like I look fresher, but it’s meant the upkeep is minimal, and Hollie just instantly got it. I’ve been seeing her every two months or so for over a year, and I always love her work. She’s not cheap, but she’s the best in the biz. She is ALL about the details.
THURSDAY
On Thursday, we downed tools to tag along with friends to LaplandUK (thanks, Zoe & Alfie!). It was SUCH a cute day, and seeing the kids’ little faces when they saw *THE* Father Christmas was so special I may have cried a little lot. It’s mostly outside, so I knew that I needed to be relatively warm (a UNIQLO Heattech layer* took care of that), but it wasn’t freezing, so a leather jacket was a good option for being warm enough outside, but not needing to strip off immediately once we got inside. I’m calling my vintage jeans my ‘driving jeans’, because it’s like someone else has worn them in for me, and for a day with around four hours of driving in it, I was surprisingly comfortable. Could I have done with a bigger bag? Yes. Case in point…
FRIDAY
Excuse the photo quality; Friday was GREY. Ralph wasn’t feeling the ticket, so we spent most of the day rotting together in bed - him with his train videos and me writing Friday’s Weekly Wishlist newsletter. I did head out for a nail appointment, and here’s what I wore. A commenter reminded me about this coat (from ARKET last year) and put it back in the forefront of my mind, and actually, I feel like it will be a bit of a workhorse for me this winter. With my realisation that I need a bit of texture in my outfits to liven them up, this coat manages to do that thanks to the houndstooth (I think!?) pattern. This outfit wasn’t much, but I was comfortable, and check the red manicure!! My nail lady almost fell off her chair when I said I wanted to do red!!!
SATURDAY
A fever-ish child does not equal a great night’s sleep, so I woke up 17 minutes before my friend was due to pick me up for breakfast plans. In that time I managed to brush my teeth, shower, do my skincare and put on clothes. Not bad. I always think it’s quite fun to see what we reach for when we’re under pressure in this case - a black cashmere jumper (a classic) + dark-wash jeans (I’m just loving the shape of these right now) + leopard print shoes (my favourites) + cream coat (I felt great in this earlier in the week) + Loewe Puzzle (all my bags bits live in here so it’s quick and easy).
On Saturday night, Mark and I realised that we had done next to no Christmas shopping and somehow managed to POWER through our list. That guy works well under pressure! Here are some I feel like we’ve (hopefully!) nailed:
For the friend who has EVERYTHING (and likes colour more than you!) - I always forget about La Gent*, but it’s a great website to gift from (I want this lighter*!), but &KLEVERING* do some fun home bits, like this Red Ribbon Candle Holders*.
For Dads who like fishing - My Dad is such a tough person to buy for. He expressed interest in my camo L.L.Bean Hunters Tote* as a fishing bag back in the summer, so I took note and made an order.
For the friend who likes to cook - I’m trying to convince my Sister’s boyfriend to write a cookbook (he backpacked across Canada with a Tupperware box FULL of spices!), and this Papier Personalised Recipe Journal* feels like the first step.
For people who like to bathe - If you know your gift recipient likes a bath, then you can’t go wrong with this Aromatherapy Associates Set* - I buy it for my Grandparents every year, and they make it last the full 12 months.
For the bookworm - Pandora recommended this Laurie Colwin set of books* that just look so darn aesthetically pleasing that I had to buy all three for my mate.
For the person who *doesn’t* have a Glossier Hoodie - I’ve (very kindly!) been gifted so many Glossier Hoodies over the years that if I see a friend in their chill clothes, then there’s a high chance they are wearing one I’ve given them. My sister and I love ours, so I got my Mum the matching one too*.
A few more last-minute ideas:
A secondhand or vintage vase with some fresh flowers in it.
Head to your local farm shop or farmers market and find the nicest bottle of olive oil. I always love that!
Same for wine. We have a local wine place we go to, and we always grab a few bottles to have on hand for gifting over the holidays.
Or a biscuit box - see below!
SUNDAY
The face of someone who hasn’t slept through the night for a while! Ha! We had a big birthday bash around ours planned for my Grandma this weekend, but with Ralph still on the mend, I ventured around to my parents to celebrate instead. It was just a casual gathering, and seeing as it was day one of my cycle (and I desperately needed to wash my hair but didn’t have the energy), I went for soft clothing masqueraded into something more, thanks to a luxe bag and a little more jewellery than usual.
We have a lot of friends that we don’t exactly buy gifts for, but that we don’t want to leave empty-handed either, so my big plan this Christmas is to put together biscuit boxes. After all, I love to bake (this is non-scarcastic!!). I’ve already purchased these boxes*, and then this morning, I put together a masterplan. Here’s what I’m going to make:
Orange, Pistachio & Chocolate Shortbread (can prep and put in freezer)
Lemon-Turmeric Crinkle Cookies (can prep and put in freezer)
Matcha Black Sesame Shortbreads (can prep and put in freezer)
Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies (can prep and put in freezer)
It’s A LOT of cookies, but I tried to make sure there was a mix of flavours and plenty of recipes I could prep in advance and store in the freezer. I highly recommend using ChatGPT to plug in all your recipes and spit you out with a master shopping list.
How will my big cookie box plan unfold? Tune in next week to find out—a temporary ‘The Cookie Edit’ takeover. Thank you so much for being here! Your support is so appreciated, and I have A LOT of posts coming your way next week just for paid subs, so keep an eye out for me in your inbox. Until then,
Anna x
These cookies all look so so good! I have a small recommendation as someone who also likes to make cookie boxes! (You may already do this): wrap the cookies with peppermint in a separate container so the other cookies don’t absorb the mint flavor. 😊 Happy Holidays Anna!! 🎄
I am definitely getting on these cookie recipes.
Do you think you could do a post on what you make for breakfast/ lunch on the go? Always looking for inspiration