My treat lunch at Ed's Diner: a chickpea and quinoa burger, with sweet potato fries and a Root Beer Float - I still tried to make healthier choices, but enjoyed a lovely treat too.
If you haven't discovered it before, Not On The High Street is the UK's largest online curated marketplace which champions small creative businesses. Every handpicked item on their site is sold and sent directly by their entrepreneurial Partners. They really do stock everything the discerning gift-giver and home-decker-outer needs. Add the odd chocolate teapot (literally!).
Both Rhia and I are complete Christmas nuts! So, naturally we were majorly over-excited about what NOTHS had to offer us for this coming Christmas. Never mind that it was a baking hot 27 degrees and we were in summer dresses and flip flops! Ha!
Of course, Not On The High Street didn't disappoint. They had decked out three floors of a beautiful London property in Greek Street full to bursting with Christmas goodies. We spent a glorious few hours browsing the rooms and deciding on our top picks for gifts and decorations this coming Christmas - we seriously wanted all of it - with trends such as copper/rose gold (YES! My favourite!) and Mexican Fiesta - there were so many prettys to admire, and I was brimming with future gift-buying inspiration, as well as compiling a rather massive personal wish list, of course!
The super-stunning Christmas in July event in London
I can't show you everything we saw, as I'd literally be here all day - but I've compiled a collection of my favourite items - I wanted to try and fit in as many beauties as possible, so get ready to be bombarded...
My Xmas Gift Top Picks from NOTHS
FOR HER
GIN AND TONIC SOAP £9.85 - SET OF 3 COPPER CONCRETE POTS £19.50 - I DON'T DO MORNINGS COTTON TSHIRT £24.95 - PERSONALISED PENGUIN LOVE LINEN CUSHION £35 - CHUNKY KNIT THROW £200 - STAG PLATE SET £35 - RICHMOND LEATHER STRAP OWL WATCH £100 - COPPER, SILVER & GOLD FLAT BANGLES BY SACHA JACOBSEN - PERSONALISED YOUR CHILD'S DRAWING NECKLACE £45 - CHOCOLATE TEAPOT £19.95 - SMOKING WOODEN LOG CABIN £25 - PERSONALISED HERRINGBONE THROW £80 - WOODLAND CREATURE BISCUITS BY HONEYWELL BAKES.
FOR HIM
PERSONALISED WOODEN MIX TAPE - CHOCOLATE CHEESE BOARD £30 - BACON SARNIE CUFFLINKS £25 - ASSORTED HIP FLASKS - ASSORTED MENS JEWELLERY - WHISKY STONES £15 - CHOCOLATE BRUSSELS SPROUTS PACK OF 8 £9.95 - DINOSAUR PLANTER WITH PLANT £19.50 - MEXICAN CACTUS MARGARITA COCKTAIL GLASS £11.50 - BIG KID LITTLE KID TSHIRT TWINSET £34 - MUGLEXIA MUG £15 - YOU SIR WASH BAG £24
FOR THE KIDS
MAKE YOUR OWN CASTLE £138 - PERSONALISED DINOSAUR SHELFIE £78 - PERSONALISED LEGO BAUBLE - WOODLAND PUPPET ADVENT CALDENDAR £85 - MAKE YOUR OWN FAUX FOX KNITTING KIT £39.99 - PRETEND PLAY FOOD FOR SANTA SET £8 - KNITTED BUNNY JUMPER - RAWR (I'M A DINOSAUR) T SHIRT £14.95 - LEATHER BABY MOCCASINS £29 - DRAW ON ME BALANCE BIKE £64.99 - REMEMBER WHEN WOODEN BAUBLE - FELT ROAST DINNER £25.
FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY
PINKSTER RASPBERRY GIN £30 - GIN HOT WATER BOTTLE COVER - DRINK MORE GIN PRINT £14 - BOX OF 12 CHRISTMAS BISCUITS £23 - PERSONALISED CHRISTMAS BISCUIT - CHUNKY KNIT BEANBAG - ROSE GOLD LOVE LETTER NECKLACE - PERSONALISED WOODEN WREATH DECORATION - HIMALAYAN SALT PESTLE/MORTAR £16.99 & HIMALAYAN SALT BLOCK £24.99 - POLAR BEAR GINGERBREAD BISCUIT SET £9.50 - CHRISTMAS DINNER WRAPPING PAPER - REMEMBER WHEN BAUBLE.
While wandering round I spotted these gorgeous biscuits and knew straight away they were by local Bedfordshire business-woman, and I'm happy to say, my lovely new friend Nila Holden. I did a little squeal at seeing her biscuits in this stunning setting (much like I did when I saw then in Fortnum & Mason for Mother's Day!)...if you haven't discovered Nila's delicious and jaw droopingly stunning decorated biscuits before, then you must! Her individual personalised cookies would make the most perfect Christmas Day table place settings...
PERSONALISED CHRISTMAS COOKIE BY NILA HOLDEN £6
At the top of my wish list is one of these incredible personalised embossed wooden rolling pins...think of the fun I could have with one of these!
PERSONALISED EMBOSSED WOODEN ROLLING PIN £26
My absolute hands down favourite item of all was this stunning advent calendar. Each little numbered pouch is just big enough to fit in a small daily treat for you little one as they head through advent. Then, each day you can turn the pouches inside out and it becomes a stunning woodland creature puppet! By Christmas Day you're left with the most adorable collection of 24 woodland creature puppets to play with - how adorable!
WOODLAND PUPPET ADVENT CALDENDAR BY LITTLE BABY COMPANY £85
We even came away with a gorgeous little press goodie bag each containing these wonderful Cocktail Pastilles from Smith and Sinclair, and one of the crazy-awesome air plant Dinosaur Planters!
What fabulous gifts... thank you NOTHS!
In our goodie bags: a SMITH AND SINCLAIR COCKTAIL PASTILLES (BOX OF 12) £16.95
In our goodie bags: a DINOSAUR PLANTER WITH AIR PLANT £19.50
(These amazing little metallic dinosaurs come with an 'air plant' which has not roots and needs no soil - you just keep it in a bright place, away from direct sunlight, and spritz it with water every 1-2 days to keep it alive! Amazing! Ours now sits proudly next to my laptop on my desk!)
After our lovely little Christmassey jaunt in London, Rhi and I headed to the best (and oldest) Espresso Bar in London, Bar Italia, for a much need caffeine hit & natter. It was lovely to catch up with my gorgeous friend, and have such a fun day together. Thanks Rhi!
After saying bye bye to Rhi, I decided to have a good old stroll across London (to burn off some of my Ed's Diner lunch!) and headed to Camden to seek out the Cereal Killer Cafe...a cafe that sells, you guessed it... every single type of cereal you could ever imagine!!
As a big cereal fan, I'd been meaning to head over to Camden for a peek at this cereal-cafe-wonder ... annoyingly the battery on my phone was almost dead when I arrived (from all that Christmas-happy-snapping at NOTHS) but I did manage to get a couple of shots of the exterior and counter. I ordered a small bowl of an American cereal called Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and it was HEAVENLY!
Cereal Killer Cafe, Camden
Cereal Killer Cafe, Camden.
After 3.5 hours worth of walking over the whole day, I arrived home at 8pm absolutely shattered - but oh what an awesome day!
Now I'm all excited and fired up about starting my Christmas shopping - is July too early to start?
Mrs B
xxx