We launched the Christmas mini issue of Snippets this week with the adorable Twinkie Chan on the cover. She also shared a how-to for crocheting a super cute lollipop brooch.

It’s been another busy week, mostly filled with xmas shopping, movies, eating in diners and pub quizzes. We’ve been going to a pub quiz at Gordon Ramsay’s pub in Chiswick with Ben and Dave. It costs £2 to enter but they give you lots of little snacks from the kitchen – we had pumpkin soup, scrambled egg with truffle on toast, pork pies (not me) and really tasty mince pies. Our name this week was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Fire Hydrant, which we felt was nice and topical. We’ve been spending a lot of time over West recently, on the previous Sunday, we were at a mini Christmas for Mel at Ben & Dave’s with mulled wine, yummy food and generic presents to open.

I’ve fallen in love with Forever 21 - they make such nice clothes and our first order arrived this week. I got a couple of dresses, skirts, belts, a pair of boots and Tom got lots of cool t-shirts. I can’t wait to go on a spending spree in the shop when I get to New York.

On Wednesday we went for a feast at The Diner, complete with hard shakes and Tennessee Toffee Pie for dessert. Afterwards we went to see a midnight movie and Tom lost his wallet but I found it again, after a steward let me back in and we hunted for it in the dark. Speaking of diners, we have our American rail trip all booked for February. We start off in New York for a week, take the train down the east coast (we get beds and our meals on the train) to New Orleans, where we meet up with Emma and Raven for Mardis Gras. It’s going to be so much fun!

At the start of the year, Tom set himself the mission of going to the end of every tube line on the underground map and he only has a couple left to do, so I’ve been keeping him company. Lynz has lent me her Twilight book, so I’ve been reading that.

I’ve also spent a lot of the week wrapping presents, writing cards and doing some Christmas crafting. I can’t post most of the things I’ve made until after xmas, but I did make some geeky Gameboy keyrings, which I think are safe to show off now.

On Friday, we signed up to the DVD store at Maida Vale (the same one Kate Moss goes to, I’ll have you know) and had a girly movie night in with Emma. We watched St. Trinian’s, which is an odd film, and Josie & The Pussycats – I’d forgotten how awesome that film is!

When we got Tom’s pick of film home, we noticed someone had scribbled “worst film ever” on the DVD. We’ve still to watch it to find out.

On Saturday, we ran in to a Santa convention at Trafalgar Square, where there must have been a thousand people in Santa Claus outfits – apparently they were trying to raise awareness of Christmas. They all seemed quite drunk and were handing out chocolates and sweets to everyone.

Tiffany are sponsoring the ice skating at Somerset House, so they have a huge Christmas tree covered in Tiffany charms.

They also had a tuck shop inside a Tiffany box, where you could buy sweets and jewellery.

Tom bought me a cupcake, though I would have settled for a key necklace or this ring.

We had dinner at the Eagle Bar Diner and then went to see Law Abiding Citizen at the big Odeon in Leicester Square. We had went to see a movie a month ago, which had really bad sound, so we were given complementary tickets. Our seats would normally have cost £20 each, because we were in the Royal Circle, which is where all the stars sit during premiers and they had awesome leopard skin seats. That reminds me, Tom’s boss Malcolm had his moustache shaved off by Hugh Grant last week.

This morning we had breakfast at Fifteen. I highly recommend scrambled eggs & mushroom on toast with a side of baked beans and a tasty smoothie.

Afterwards I had a haircut at Taylor Taylor. This time I was at their Commercial Street shop, which is so pretty. Upstairs is all fairytale with chandeliers and stuffed animals for Christmas and downstairs is like a dungeon. They give you special Christmas cocktails, tasty coffee and a head massage before your chop.

I’m going to have to get use to having much shorter hair, but I think I’ll treat myself to some ear muffs to keep warm.

That was a super long post, I’ll update more regularly from now on.

We’d been looking forward to December so that we could open our Lego advent calendar.

It’s pirate themed and each day you get something to build, I’m looking forward to getting the little Lego mermaid.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an advent calendar though, we’ve put together a crafty one for CO+K with a how-to for everyday until Christmas.

On Wednesday night we went to see Twilight. I still can’t make my mind up about the film, so Lynz has lent me her book of it to read. (This lipstick covered tube poster still makes me giggle).

It was an 11.30pm screening, so we had the whole cinema to ourselves, which was the advantage of going so late, but we had to walk home from Finchley Road because we had missed the last bus. It had stopped raining and it was a nice walk, so we didn’t mind.

On Thursday we picked up this year’s Christmas tree from Clifton Nurseries. We thought we had picked a similar size to last year but it turned out to be 2 foot taller and much heavier. Luckily a nice bus driver let us take it home on the bus and dropped us off round the corner next to the Mews. We had to buy a bigger stand to fit it though.

On Friday, Emma moved flat – back in the direction of the Mews and we headed in to town to meet Tom from work. It was Beer O’Clock at the Leap offices, so we were invited in for drinks, organic chocolate and played a game of Jenga, while Malcolm (the boss) was outside with a film crew trying to get passers by to shave off his moustache (which he had grown for Movember) and ended up cycling off in a pedicab while holding up a sign. We didn’t see him again, so we don’t know if he succeeded.

There are two very cute fish who live in the office and now I really want to get some. We met up with Alex and went for dinner afterwards.

Yesterday, we started decorating our tree. We’re going to have a December party and have all our friends come over to help decorate, drink mulled wine, eat mince pies and listen to the Bright Eye’s Christmas album.

New decorations this year include a jumping reindeer and a glass lollipop. In the evening, we headed over to Ealing to hang out with Lynz, Claire and friends.

In other news, I did a nice little interview for Amelia’s magazine and you can read it here.

There was a nice little piece on Cut Out + Keep in the Daily Mirror newspaper on Monday. They called me on Friday asking for photos to use. Tom said, you were in the newspaper yesterday, will be on fish and chip wrappers today and will be in the recycling tomorrow.

I’d been wanting a Vivienne Westwood horn tiara ever since I first saw one in Paris, but at £250 it wasn’t very realistic. Tom found a blogger in America, who was clearing out and selling hers off, so he got them as my Christmas present.

They arrived this morning and they are so sparkly and pretty. They’re replicas of the ones Vivienne wore to meet the queen.

Tom let me have a peak at them. All I need to do now is save up for “the dream dress“.

My Mum and Nana have come down to visit, so we picked them up from the train station at midnight last night. Beforehand, Tom and I went on an impromptu very late night dinner date at Carluccios in St. Pancras station – delicious pasta followed up by Tiramisu.

While Tom was at work today (playing on the 3-floor office helter-skelter slide and ping pong table), we all went for pancakes at Plan 9 followed up with a wander around Spittalfields. I took Nana for a drink in the Ten Bells, because she’s a fan of Jack The Ripper.

This door always makes me smile when I walk past.

We got tasty cakes from the Indian bakery on Brick Lane.

I went for a florescent green pistachio cube. I’d love to know what these are called.

This Twilight movie poster in the tube made me giggle on the way home.