I must admit, I haven’t been feeling the spirit of the impending holidays over the last few weeks. I love Christmas, but I think the pressures of the last few months have taken over and the whole season has snuck up on me, tapped me on the shoulder and screamed in my face when I least expected it.
This all changed today, however, when The Bloke and I decided to go into town and stay there until we had finished getting everything we need. It was quite a dull and miserable day, but we got there early enough to appreciate the German Market before the rest of Birmingham decided to join us and it was actually possible to see what was on offer at the various stalls.
The most popular stall at the market
Stuff they never knew they needed… until now!
We were also able to move around successfully in Selfridges, which at this time of the year is virtually impossible. They’ve done an absolutely stunning job with the decorations inside…
I love the lights…
More stuff I didn’t know I needed…
I had a great time – I’ve bought all my presents and finished wrapping them when I got home. I was also able to treat myself a little by spending some of my Waterstones book vouchers that I received for my birthday. I bought Tom Cox’s ‘The Good, The Bad and The Furry,’ as I’ve been an avid follower of Tom and The Bear, his ‘Sad Cat’ on Twitter for a while now (@MYSADCAT). It appears to be customary to post a picture of your purchase with your cat and tweet it to Tom, so I did just that with Wobbly, my 19 year old tortie. She was clearly ecstatic by the early Christmas present…
Absolutely delighted…
What a brilliant day! I may even go out again tomorrow to try and get a few last minute surprises for The Bloke – he was with me for most of today and therefore it was quite difficult to get anything for him.
Hope you’re enjoying the last part of your weekend!!
Suzie Speaks 
Glad you were able to get your shopping done. I did all of my shopping on Amazon.com. I hate having to deal with crowds and it’s bad enough that I have to do grocery shopping at this time of the year. Those decorations were beautiful!
They’re stunning aren’t they! I love the process of buying gifts and then wrapping them and I might be a bit naughty in saying I don’t totally trust the postal service which is why I don’t often buy online…
I agree about the postal service, but that’s what I love about Amazon.com. If there is a problem with the shipping, they simply send out another shipment. I only had this problem once and ended up receiving the original shipment like a month later or something. What was even nicer about it was that Amazon allowed me to keep both shipments without charging me extra. Their customer service is phenomenal!
ooh I might give it a go – I’ve got some Amazon vouchers that I was given for my birthday. Thanks!
I was sucked in to read the rest of the post by your first picture. Crepes and nutella! How can you go wrong when your day starts with that?
And banana!!! Yum!
I know, right??? That sucked me in, too! If Nutella doesn’t produce at least a little Christmas spirit (or at least a good mood), I don’t even know what to say.
Your photos are always so much fun to see. We on the other side of the pond get a visual taste of Britain. All the posts are such fun to read.
I’ve purchased quite a few gifts from ETSY and have been so pleased. I think it’s required that everything be handmade. What I love, aside from the beauty and craftsmanship of the items, are the personal notes from every business owner. They want you to love their products and they go out of their way to ask if they can do anything special, like include a note, or change a color or size. Then they write again as a follow up. Fabulous experience. Don’t know about British post, but in US, it is excellent.
Happy Holidays, Suzie and Bloke.
That sounds a beautiful idea! The problem with the British postal service is that I’ve sent four or five things in the last few years, only to have them not arrive. It’s not too bad, but I refrain from posting expensive items.
Sorry for the postal problems. Sounds like a service to be improved. Are you able to track your packages as they travel?
Yes, that’s certainly improved of late. I’m still not trusting it though…
And thank you, you too!
The Selfridge’s pictures were pretty!
Thank you!
I always enjoy your photo, great pictures and I especially love the one of your cat. I hope you continue to enjoy the holidays… 🙂
Thank you very much for such a lovely comment!
“Stuff they never knew they needed” indeed! Just a side rant on Nutella: they try to make it sound healthy but the top two ingredients are palm oil and sugar! Your city looks very festive, enjoy the season.
It always makes me laugh when Nutella is advertised as a ‘healthy’ breakfast. I just love the fact that it tastes fabulous on crepes!!! Thanks for your comment!
If that’s Wobbly’s ecstatic look, I’d hate to see the mad look. Merry Christmas!
I love your photos!
They made me miss the streets in Manchester and its Christmas market.
Have a great celebration, Suzie 🙂
Love the photos! Thank you for sharing. Sizi