Merry Christmas! (and ooh, look, Christmas presents)

by Maria

Merry Christmas, my darling kittens! I hope you’ve all had a lovely, lovely time so far? I certainly have, with lots of chocolate, Buffy and general merrymaking here in Harstad, my home town. I’ve also received absolutely wonderful Christmas presents. Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?

First, the perfect everyday leather bag from my mother, and the perfect vintage no-Maria-you-don’t-need-to-bring-everything-you-own-today-bag from Maja (thank you, gorgeous!). I’m extremely picky when it comes to bags, and usually can only find one I really love about once a year, so I’m supremely impressed. Honestly, I couldn’t have found better ones if I’d designed them myself. I’m sure you’ll see them in pretty much all my outfit pictures in 2012 – and the one from Maja shall get a second post to share it’s somewhat secretive history.

This was the most surprising, and most touching, gift this year. Mother had knitted dolls to all us sisters, and as you can see, they even look like us. I cannot imagine how many hours she spent making these, but they impressed the diamonds out of me, I tell ya. I think Maria-doll deserves a closer look.

Look, we even have the same eye colour. Also, I couldn’t resist using my sparkly bracelet as a belt. I know I’m repeating myself, but I cannot imagine how much effort went into these. An heirloom in the making, that’s for sure.

And to complete the perfection, we have extra clothes and accessories in an adorable little suitcase. You may expect many Tim Burtonesque outfit pictures with Maria-doll on my lap from now on. Thank you so, so much, mamma!

Mother wasn’t the only one who made me things this year. Ingvild crocheted some gorgeous raspberry slippers, complete with pearl buttons, and also made me my very own sewing jar, which was brilliant. You see, I use my sewing things at least once a week (sewing a button, fixing a hem or a hole, you know), and my tools have been hiding in an ugly old bag that really belongs to my printer cables. Ingvild, you’re a peach!

Here’s a bizarre story. My friend Cindy called me sometime in September, giggling like mad and asking me my shoe size. I told her, and she replied with some more giggles and a thank you, then hung up on me. Turns out she’d found these fantastic brogues – a kind of shoe I’ve been lusting for since the past spring. The creepy illustration in the beautiful frame is a made by Cindy one, and the contrast between the frame and the drawing is exactly the kind of thing I love. Merci beaucoup, chérie!

Thanks to these new drawing things, I hope to do some more illustrating of my own. We have these kinds of markers at Imageakademiet for the students, and they’re quite magical. After a bit of practice, I’ll show you.

These cards will probably inspire everything I draw in 2012, as I’m rather obsessed with how pretty they are. Here we have that combination of lovely and creepy again – Cookie, I think we watch too many Tim Burton movies. She’s the sneaky little thing who found these (ILU!), and they’re going up on the wall above my desk the minute I get back to Oslo.

The book about Marilyn Monroe and her stylist, William Travilla, is also from Cookie. I fully intend to bury myself in this as soon as I finish this blog post.

Finally, what would a Christmas be without some sparkly things? Susanne and Lillian know me so well. That’s actually one of the best things about my presents this year; even though the things themselves are wonderful, I’m so thankful that the people I love seem to know and understand me so well. Also, they’re all very brave, as I’m sure it must be slightly intimidating to buy presents for such a picky fashion consultant as myself. Top grades and gold stars and hugs for everyone!

Now it’s your turn – did you get anything special this Christmas?