Christmas Gift Ideas: Maddox Matches

Christmas is fast approaching so it's time to start thinking about presents and if you're anything like me you haven't even started Christmas shopping yet! I've decided to put together a few posts full of gift suggestions that aren't just your average Boots beauty box but are instead something a little more thoughtful and unique.

The first company I want to talk about is Maddox Matches, an English run business out of the Berkshire countryside created by the delightful Hattie MacAndrews. Maddox Matches is a new business and specialises in bespoke, handmade giant matchboxes. These matchboxes are perfect for keeping by the fireplace, candle shelf or even the garden door (you hear me smokers?) and once the supply of matches has run out you can either replace them with more or use the box for something else like storing jewellery. The matchboxes are 12cm x 8cm x 3cm so really are giant and come in an array of beautifully created prints, pictures and patterns plus you can even have them personalised with your own photo or design. Hattie can pretty much accommodate your every request so you are safe in the knowledge that your beautifully crafted matchbox will be 100% unique. The matchbox at the top of the page is my own and if you know me you will know my endless love for my home town Putney so I was thrilled Hattie was able to create this adorable picture. At the minute it's sitting by the gas fire in the living room looking absolutely gorgeous, these matchboxes are exquisitely made and extremely durable so they should last a very long time. They are hand-crafted, treated and painted in Berkshire which for me is ideal as I love to buy British! The matchboxes take 10 days to arrive in your letterbox (mine took less) but you can also find Hattie selling them at Spitalfields Market on a Thursday and Friday and Portobello Market on a Sunday. I think these really do make a lovely unique gift and are suitable for men and women of all ages due to the large range on sale plus the ability to request a bespoke design. The matchboxes are £20 each or £25 for a bespoke design and are definitely worth it as you won't find anything else quite like them. You can find Maddox Matches on twitter, facebook and you can send Hattie an email to hattie@madebymaddox.com where you can discuss orders, bespoke designs or just ask some questions.

Have you started Christmas shopping yet x

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Cambridge Satchel Company

Bag from Cambridge Satchel Company
Shirt from Topshop
Skirt from Topshop
Boots from ASOS
Gold collar from ASOS

I've wanted a Cambridge Satchel Company bag for a long time now but it wasn't until earlier last month when I made a pretty sum on eBay that I finally placed an order. The satchel is a classic bag in terms of style and if made well it will last for a very long time (my mum still has her leather satchel school bag!) plus they have a knack of 'completing' an outfit. The Cambridge Satchel Company has gained a lot of press over the last few years, especially amongst fashion bloggers so with all the great reviews I knew the bag would be top quality. When it came to ordering my satchel I knew I wanted a bigger bag, something that would fit my MacBook so I went for the 15'' option (the biggest size). I had been debating with the colours for a long time, either red or navy but in the end I went for red as a. I wear a lot of black and b. red is a classic colour that I won't get bored with plus it does wonders for perking up a dark outfit. To make my bag extra special I had it embossed with my initials HEH and boom order complete. I was told it would take 30 days to arrive but it was more like 14 so you can imagine my delight when receiving it 2 weeks earlier then expected. I have used it everyday since receiving it and my obsessive use will not be waning any time soon.

The Cambridge Satchel Company bags are handmade in the UK from the finest quality British leather and are an absolute delight to own. My bag wasn't cheap, including the embossing the total cost was £119 but it was completely worth it for the quality, design and joy I feel from carrying this stunning creation around with me everyday. I have received so many compliments about it and a colleague has even gone and bought her own one now thanks to me! They sell lots of different designs (mine is a 'classic') and the colour choice is impressive, it ranges from pastels to neons to metallics and of course the normal shades like mine. If you're thinking about splashing out on a top quality, classic leather bag I couldn't recommend the Cambridge Satchel Company enough and best of all is that it's a UK brand! I will definitely be purchasing more in the future...

Do you have a satchel bag x

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Burger Breakout

1. Burger Breakout menu 2. The O.C. burger and a BBQ battered onion ring 3.burger slaw and burger mess

4. Pig in a box 5. deep fried pickles 6. a bloody food mess

Do I even need to mention how obsessed I am with burgers? I'm sure you're all getting sick of my terrible instagram food pictures but I'm not ridiculous enough to get my SLR out yet to snap my meal, in time maybe... Anyway, a few weeks ago I pooped into Burger Breakout, a new(ish) London burger pop up in the Old Crown Pub on New Oxford Street after visiting the British Museum (it's just around the corner). I had read a few reviews but what interested me the most about this place was the different meat options on the menu. However, that being said I ended up going for a beef burger. I went for the O.C. burger which is a spin on a classic cheese burger i.e. 8oz patty with smoked onion jam, 3 cheese sauce (emmental, Monterey Jack and lyburn gold), hot pickle, lettuce, tomato & house made 1000 island dressing. I really enjoyed this burger, none of the flavours were too overpowering and all the toppings tasted well together, however my main criticism would be that the bun did not hold together very well making for a messy eating. Two of my friends had the Whiskey Beast (dry ages Orkney beed patty, treacle cured bacon, strathdon blue and whiskey mustard) which I'm told was extremely enjoyable and my other friend had the lamb burger which she also enjoyed.

As for sides we went a little bit crazy. All the burgers come with lovely horseradish salted chips but we still decided to order the BBQ battered onion rings which were delicious even though they looked really dark, the burger slaw which was tangy and super tasty and the courgette fries which were thick, crunchy and as refreshing as deep fried vegetables can be. We were also lucky enough to be sent a portion of deep fried pickles and the 'pig in a box' on the house which was a lovely surprise (thanks Chef)! Now, unfortunately I am not a fan of pickles/gherkins etc and always end up picking them out of my burger but I did try these; they were super hot! The others however do like pickles and even though they said they were seriously hot they did enjoy them. The 'pig in a box' is a new addition to the menu and is basically slow cooked pork with beans, burger slaw and chips. The pork was definitely one of the stand out parts of the meal, it was incredibly tender and tasted divine, accompanied with the rest of the box I probably enjoyed this more then the burger itself! This box meal is exactly the thing you want on a cold winter night to keep you warm and your belly full!

I really enjoyed my meal at Burger Breakout and would definitely go back to try some of the other burgers, especially the Bambi Bought It venison burger. The pub is really nice and wasn't too busy when we went at 3.30pm on a Sunday, the staff are lovely and helpful and the menu is large enough to satisfy everyone's fancy including the vegetarians amongst you. If you're in the area I would definitely recommend you check it out for a burger that's a little on the unusual side.

What's your favourite burger side dish x

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Monki Clutch

Coat from Topshop

Dress from Topshop

Clutch from Monki

Boots from ASOS

I'm not really a clutch person, I like my bags big so I can carry around copious amounts of stuff that I have no use for but when I saw this little black number in Monki a few weeks ago I knew it would be perfect for nights out when a handbag gets in the way of dancing. What I particularly like about this bag is the strap design, the clutch if firmly held in place at your wrist making it less cumbersome (something I hate about clutches normally) and more practical. It's also fairly big for a clutch so can still fit a good amount of my junk in it. I also like a shiny faux croc-style vibe going on, perfect for all those Christmas parties I have coming up (yeah right)!

Another note on this outfit, the tights are actually inside out. They have this pretty loud red and black tartan pattern going on that I'm not mega keen on but inside out and it's a lot more subtle. I also bought another black peter pan collar dress, this one is so similar to my old ASOS version but I really like the short sleeves and less flippy skirt, I might sell the old one on eBay, maybe...

This morning I did a 10K race in Wimbledon which was nice if not a little muddy, I'm off to Iceland on Thursday and have a pretty busy week before so probably should start packing tonight. I still haven't done a post on my latest trip to Marrakesh and Paris, oops!

Are you a clutch person x

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Zara Biker Jacket

Biker jacket from Zara

Faux fur gillet from Topshop

Skater skirt from Topshop

Top from ASOS
Boots from ASOS
Snood from Primark

A good quality biker jacket is something I've been hunting down for a very long time and I think I may have finally found it. When I saw this beauty in Zara it was love at first sight, the mix of fabrics and chunky gold hardware won me over instantly and I knew I had to purchase it right there.When I was been thinking about my perfect biker I did imagine it would be leather and alas this isn't but the shape and style are still perfection. I'll probably buy a leather alternative at some stage but this will do me happily until then. I've been wearing it over dresses and tops galore and have even paired it with my faux fur gillet for an extra layer of warmth. How cute is this top as well, the swan wraps all they way around the neck and it sort of remind me of that crazy swan dress Bjork wore once upon a time. I do like myself an animal print!

Today I took part in the MoRunning 5K race in Battersea Park and was super thrilled to get a new PB. I've been chasing a sub 30mins 5K ever since I started running last year but because I'm rubbish and slow it took ages. Now I feel I'm actually getting somewhere and can see improvements so all is good on that front. I also went to the British Museum to check out the Shakespeare exhibition which was OK, nothing amazing.  I went to Burger Breakout for dinner which was fantastic but I'll do a proper review on that this week. I'm starting to get really excited for Christmas now and have enjoyed seeing the Oxford Streets lights and all the adverts on the TV, I love this time of year!

Are you feeling festive yet x

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Rose Print Dress

Dress from Topshop

Top from New Look

Cardigan from Topshop

Boots from ASOS

Glasses from Paul Smith

I picked up this dress the other day from Topshop and I really love it. It's one of their simple flippy jersey style dresses so it was fairly cheap but I think the print is really pretty, I love the clash between the stripes and roses. Too add even more craziness to the prints I wore a vertical striped top underneath but that was more to do with the lack of heat this weekend! The dress also has this interesting cut out thing going on in the back but it's far too cold to be exposing back flesh at the minute in my opinion. My cardigan is another new acquisition this autumn, it has some studs on the shoulders and is that lovely oversized style which makes it perfect for layering over most outfits. I did absolutely nothing of note this weekend except seeing Skyfall this evening which was amazing!

Have you seen Skyfall yet x

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