cute | vogueandmacarons

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HER

With Christmas only a few weeks away, it’s this lovely time of the year again where we buy gifts for our loved ones, and share the holiday spirit! I love getting gifts for all my family and friends more than getting stuff for myself. Although many of you like to get your gifts quite early and have a stress-free countdown to Christmas, I am quite naughty and I always end up getting my gifts on the very last-minute, which completely stresses me out. Therefore, this year I decided not only to get my presents earlier than usual but also to suggest some pretty cool gifts for your favorite ones! I am so excited since this is my very first Christmas gift guide post and I really can’t wait to share with you guys some lovely things I have picked out.

Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge/?lang=2&menuid=14&id=114&page=2 — Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge

A perfume set is always a lovely idea for a present. I absolutely love perfumes! Who doesn’t right? Valentino’s Valentina Eau de Parfum set is perfect! I am quite picky when it comes to perfumes but I am in love with Valentina. It is such a sexy and feminine yet fresh scent, that you can’t go wrong with. This set is great as it also contains the body lotion. Layering the perfume on top of the body lotion will make the scent last longer and be more intense. And how cute is that box right?

Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com/new-arrivals/sweet-temptations-ambre-vanille-luxe-body-collection-12615222.html#start=2 — Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com

In the whole spirit of layering and smelling amazing, another great gift and personal favorite is Laura Mercier’s Sweet Temptations Ambre Vanille Luxe Body Collection. I actually got this set for myself and it is amazing! The set has a body wash, body lotion (or soufflé), perfume and honey bath, all with the Ambre Vanille scent. Everything is so pretty. You can use the body wash for a quick shower or the honey bath, which is a best-selling product, for a more relaxing bath. Then layer the body soufflé (which is brilliant!) and the perfume. The scent is quite sweet but not in a sickening way. Such an amazing gift!

Photo credit: http://www.net-a-porter.com

Since we all know how important skin care is to girls – and it should be to guys as well – I find that a luxurious skin care set would be a great gift to your special someone! There are so many out there that I can’t wait to get my hands on, but Sarah Chapman’s Facial In a Box set has really stand out to me. It is a lovely set of 5 products, including a 3-D mask and 2 professional cleansing mitts. It is such a lovely introduction to the brand and such a luxurious set. Using these products will make you feel like you are being pampered in a spa.

Photo credit: http://shop.lomography.com

In an era where we capture every moment on our phones and cameras, what a better gift than a lovely camera that ties the old with the new. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is a wonderful present for everyone; boy or girl. I have the bigger one and I absolutely love it. However, it is quite heavy and big which makes it really hard to fit it in my purse and carry it around all the time. The Mini 8 is a cute camera that immediately develops the pictures taken. It has a vintage vibe combined with modern design. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors. I personally love the powdery blue one! Don’t forget to get a pack of film!

Photo credit: http://www.diptyqueparis.com

As a proper candle-addict, I believe that Diptyque’s Seasonal Candle Set is another amazing gift. Diptyque’s candles are just wonderful. They smell amazing and last forever, plus they are perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere. This seasonal set includes 5 mini candles with different scents which is amazing. It is a perfect introduction to the world of luxurious candles. I have a review of my favorite Diptyque scent, that you guys should check out!

Photo credit left to right: www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.amazon.com, www.anthropologie.com

The last gift I would recommend is a little bit more complicated. Personally, whenever I get gifts for my people I always like to get a couple of gifts instead of just one. I don’t know why but I just love the moment when the present is unwrapped and there are more presents in it. Like the babushka dolls! Therefore, I believe a big stocking filled with many small gifts would be a great gift itself. You could fill the stocking with a book, like Madeline Shaw’s Get the Glow book for the healthy eater, or Jemma Kidd’s Jemma’s Makeup Secrets for the makeup addict one! Great stocking filler could also be a cute little journal like Urban Outfitter’s Oh Snap leather journal, along with some cute stationary. This Gold Monogram Mug from Anthropologie would also make a lovely stocking filler. You can add any bits and bobs you like and personalize the present which makes it even more perfect! Don’t forget the Christmas candy!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year! The holiday spirit is just everywhere and everyone is happy and cheerful. I love that is a gift giving period, because buying presents for my loved ones is ony of my favorite things and it makes me very happy. On my Christmas gift guide for her, I am sharing some ideas of presents for your favorite girls; mom, aunt, sister, bff or loved one!! I personally love all those things; I even have some of them and the ones I don’t have, I really want to get! Following this post, there will be a Christmas gift guide for Him, with some nice gift ideas for the special guys in your life, so stay tuned! Are any of those gifts on your wish list or do you even have any of these and if so what do you think of them? Also don’t forget to pop over Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and Instagram (@blueberrylover) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

DIY CUTE PRINTS-HOME DÉCOR

A few of my favorite things :) — *A few of my favorite things 🙂*

I don’t know where I have been living these past years, but it must have been under a rock, as I just recently discovered the magic called Pinterest! Or should I say I “re-discovered” it. Although I have a Pinterest profile for years, I never really understood it, until recently. One day I decided to look for some home inspiration and that was it: I got hooked. One thing that caught my eye in many amazing home décor pictures, it was the beautiful paintings and prints which were hanging in bedrooms, offices and living rooms. Prints of makeup, clothes, cute pastel items as well as inspirational quotes. I did some research and found out many of these prints on Etsy for sale. However, there was one problem: I wanted them all! But I couldn’t or didn’t’ want to buy all of them, which really made my sad. So an idea came to me: why not make my own lovely printed wall art!

You may think that it is a complicated idea but trust me – it’s not; all you need is a good printer (or at least a descent one), some paper and lots of frames! The first step is to search online and find free printables of your choice. There are so many sites where you can find amazing free prints that are very similar to those sold on Etsy. Once you find and save your prints, there are two ways to create lovely wall art:

1^st way

A4 regular paper

Thick carton paper

Glue

Scissors

Frame

Print the design of your choice on a plain A4 paper (cheap option). Get your paper and measure it based on the size of your frame. Cut what’s exessive. Put the new sized print on the thick carton paper and mark it down. Cut the carton paper in the size of the print and then glue them together. Let it sit for a few minutes with something heavy on top (like a heavy book). Then your print is ready; all you need to do is to place it in your frame and hang it on your wall. Easy peasy and at a very low-cost. Just remember that a light-colored print (like pastel), once printed on a plain A4 paper it will appear much paler, therefore, before printing it out you must enhance the color a little bit and make it about 2 tones darker. All you need is a Photoshop software. I use Photoscape which is a free one and very user-friendly. How cute are those two prints right? (pictured below)

2^nd way

Glossy photo paper or inject paper

Frame

Here, all you need – except the frame – is better quality paper. You can use some inject paper, which is thicker than A4, or some photo glossy paper. You don’t need the premium glossy one, just a little glossy. With that paper you will get the quality and result of the prints sold on Etsy. Just print your design on your glossy paper, after changing the settings to accommodate the new paper. Just change the paper option to photographic paper. Once your print is ready just place it in the frame and hang it on your wall.

Here there are some links to site with amazing free printables. I am sure you will love them like I do 🙂

I love everything about this site: http://chicfetti.com/decorate/download-printables/page/8/
This site has 50 amazing prints: http://www.fabnfree.com/2014/01/29/50-gorgeous-free-wall-art-printables/
This one has some lovely printable quotes: http://www.the36thavenue.com/free-printables-2/

I know that this is not the typical crafty handy DIY, but if you love those pretty prints you see on bloggers’ and youtubers’ channels, but you can’t afford or don’t want to buy them, then these free printables are a great way to get your hands on them. They may not be the same but I have found some similar enough. And the best thing is that they don’t really cost much. So get some paper, turn on your printer and let’s do this! I would love to see the prints you hung on your walls and how you decorated your space, so please upload a picture and hashtag #myframedprint!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky