[And New Year's came at rapid speed]

new year's eve! a wonderfully glamorous and fun holiday. i would love to write a huge long post talking of all the wonderful things that happened personally with us, and also with the world. but, i don't have the time as of right now because i must get dressed and done-up for our party at my house tonight! 

 i love the fact that everyone, everywhere will be partying tonight! we've got a playlist ready to dance until all hours to, friends coming over, and of course delicious hors d'oeuvres. so much has happened this year that i am so thankful for! God definitely, as He always does, poured blessing upon blessing on us this year. in retrospect, this year was incredible. we enjoyed the most blissful summer we'd ever been apart of-full of amazing memories and christopher nolan's inception! and don't even get me (rachel) started on this past autumn, not only did we share wonderful memories together and enjoy gorgeous weather but i actually went to hogwarts!

it was complete and utter bliss at the wizarding world of harry potter, words can't even describe how happy it makes me. 

and then winter came, and we've enjoyed it so far! Christmas was lovely and we can't wait to share pictures and also pictures from tonight. 

and, of course, you cannot forget our long and highly anticipated release of the first part of the end of an era, worldwide phenomenon, and our love, harry potter and the deathly hallows. it was absolutely mind-blowingly incredible. we adored it. we shall have pictures up at the start of the year from the harry potter theme park and the midnight showing of deathly hallows. :) 

so, here's to you my loves, for being so amazing and always leaving the sweetest comments that truly keep this blog going! we hope your night is glamorous, fun, and brings you good cheer♥ 

erika has arrived and we're off to get ready for the party!

Happiest of New Year's wishes to you, darlings! ♥ How was your year?

xoxoxoxo,

Erika&Rachel

The Nutcracker Suite

Christmas has come. Today is magical Christmas Eve! We're all snug in our homes with fires ablaze and ourselves adorned in holiday attire. Christmas is such a blessed holiday, celebrating the Birth of our Saviour. It's a time of love and joy and peace. Some very talented authors and poets have described this season beautifully so I'd like to share their quotes with you. 

"Christmas...that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."

Augusta E. Rundel  

"Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."

Washington Irving

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."

Burton Hillis

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year--and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority."

W.J. Cameron

"Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete."

Charles Dickens

"Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given, when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."

John Winmill Brown

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols. But the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift--the Christ."

Frank McKibben

We hope you have a wonderfully magical Christmas! Warmest wishes of the happiest Christmas to you and yours. ♥

Merry Christmas!

xoxo-

Erika&Rachel♥

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.' "

~Luke 2:8-14~

feeling a bit under the weather

Hello dears,

Christmas is nearly here!.  I have done nearly all of my Christmas shopping, I've baked my cookies, wrapped a few gifts, strung the lights on the tree, yet it seems like this season has come far to fast and to be honest I still feel like it's July.  I hope you are all feeling well, Rachel and I have been under the weather the past couple of days.  So, to boost our spirits, and yours in case you aren't feeling well, I have made a small list of cosy things to do to help you feel better.

Put on your cosiest socks or slippers and drink a nice big cup of hot chocolate.

Snuggle up in a chair and read your favourite book.

Watch your favourite movie.

And well, if that can't lift our spirits, I just don't know what will. 

Love you all,

Happy Christmas!

Erika Xx

"and my friends, i've returned to wish you a happy Christmas!"

i adore this time of year. and i've never fully realised how glamorous and beautiful winter is. beautiful because of the snow, glamorous because of the things you wear. i guess the holiday styles this year are what made me want to do this post. i'd never really realised until this year how glamorous winter clothing is! and this year's styles are wonderful. my style scope has expanded a bit i think. 

i will just state that this outfit is screaming me! i love everything about it oh so much. the purple tights (i have some almost exactly like that which i'm wearing!), the beautiful silk skirt with dainty pleats, and the lovely silkish top with a dainty collar and cut to reveal the collar bone (which adds so much daintyness and lovelieness to an outfit, i think!) and just the right amount of sparkles and gems at the peter pan collar. 

for clothes i'm in love with silver, nude, and a very pale pink right now, especially for this season. but you must add it with beautiful textures like silk, chiffon, shimmer, and sparkles. when we went shopping on black friday i picked out clothes to try on at forever 21 and when we looked at everything hanging on my hand before try-ons, we laughed because everything was a pale pink or grey, and all silks!

i just love the sparkle of winter--whether in a trimming of a dress or the warmth of Christmas lights. Christmas is truly a wonderful time of year. i love Christmas present shopping and having to rush into the warm stores to get out of the cold. and i love just being at home spending time with my family in our cosy home. and of course there's all the family Christmas gatherings which are always a joy that i'm looking forward to. 

fresh blankets of snow are surrounding my family's cosy cottage. it's so sparkly and wonderful. and i love the feeling of being all warm in your house with the fire blazing, a cup of cocoa in one hand, and a Christmas magazine in the other.

i also love velvets in any clothing item-and pairing it with another piece that sparkles or shines is perfect. i'm so excited to pick my holiday outfits to wear to Christmas gatherings!

i was telling my mum a couple weeks ago how i lately have felt that i just don't want to wear a shirt and jeans--especially this glamorous and beautiful time of year-because i feel that you need to always be dressed up. erika and i have a little phrase, "always be dressed like you're ready for a photo shoot!" and i think it's very applicable. for instance, i'll just be about the house wearing a tulle skirt, tights, and a lovely holiday top and sweater!

my house is so cosy now that it's all decorated! we always go all out with Christmas decorations. garlands everywhere full of twinkling lights, and of course our big tree entwined with Christmas lights and adorned with beautiful ornaments my mum has collected over the years. 

so now i close this post in hopes that you've been enjoying this Holy season as much as i have! :) erika and i have been having some snow photo shoots so we'll have to share some photos with you. 

tonight my girl cousins (including of course erika!) and my grandma are coming over for our annual cookie bake and decorating. tonight we'll bake the sweet sugar cookies, watch white christmas (it's a tradition!), and tomorrow decorate the cookies all day! :) 

have a wonderful weekend, loves! ♥ 

xoxo-

Rachel 

{all photos via weheartit}

the cold air turned our cheeks rosy!♥

thanksgiving! oh sweet thankgiving. :) i'll try to briefly sum it up: 

wonderfully delicious dinner and sleepover at erika' house with my sister as well♥

singing Christmas carols to kick off the Christmas season (our favourite time of year!)

cosily gathering about the living room, lights off, projector up, watching mr. bean and ELF!! oh how we love elf with it's Christmas beauty and hilarity!

fantastic hobby lobby shopping, admiring the Christmas decorations!

our favourite ever, most fantastic store because it's european--H&M. wearing dresses we dreamt of wearing to some awards show for our acting, or perhaps new york fashion week:) 

 

buying hats that make us reminisce faintly of the brilliant ronald weasley and visiting the awesome forever 21, that's so beautiful with all the fantastic winter clothes (rachel bought two wonderful holiday shirts!) and playing christmas music. 

visiting a wonderful outdoor mall, all decked out for Christmas and playing Christmas music! oh the huge tree was mesmerizing!

then it was off to the lovely williams-sonoma. a wonderful cooking store full of lovely things!

like copper pots and british-looking cow creamers:)  

visiting the department-store-ish von maur that makes us think of gimble's in new york city! i suppose this will have to do until our lifelong visit to the wonderful city of new york. 

we loved looking at the elegant jewelery in the jewelery department. thinking of going to tiffany&co. in new york city!♥ oh how elegant and sophisticated would that be? i'd have to get dressed up to go in there!

admiring the enchanting tree as the cold air turned our cheeks rosy!

eating my first ever chocolate from this wonderful locally owned chocolate shop! best.chocolate.ever! but for 3 bucks a truffle it's a once in a while thing. ;) 

but oh gracious was it worth it. i got a dark chocolate truffle and oh my lands it was the best chocolate i had ever had! 

falling in love with the new secret wonderland scent at bath and body works♥ added to our Christmas lists most definitely!

and lastly the classic barnes and noble trip to end the day! we read magazines round tables about the lovely emma watson! oh how we love her♥♥

and to finish the day, STARBUCKS! :) what a wonderful thanksgiving and black friday♥

i come back to my home, welcomed by a waft of warm air, and find that my sweet mummy put up the tree and had the lights, beads, and ribbon on it! all ready to be decorated with beautiful ornaments♥ oh how lovely. i adore this time of year!

xoxo-

erika&rachel

p.s.-we have our deathly hallows midnight showing post coming up AND what do you think of our new christmasy layout??