December 2012 ~ TWINKLE STYLE & TRAVEL

Very Last Minute Gift Guide

It's Christmas Eve and the shops are shut...or they're not, but you're stuck in the middle of nowhere playing Snap with your Gran. Either way, you've forgotten a gift for someone and need to magic one out of thin air. Well, all you need is some paper and a printer...

1. A Gourmet Popcorn Tasting Subscription, Corn Again, £40.50 for 6 Months
Yes, you read right; get a bag of popcorn in a creative gourmet flavour delivered every month. Previous flavours include Brazil Nut Fudge, and Chocolate Orange. Just sign your loved one up, and print out the evidence of the treat in store for them!

2. Tickets For Charlie & The Chocolate Factory The Musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Ticketmaster, from £19
Why not surprise a chocoholic with a trip to London next May 2013 to see this brand-spanking and highly-anticipated musical. Tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster. All you have to do is print out the confirmation, and voila!

3. Design Your Own Shoes Gift Certificate, Shoes Of Prey, any value from £100
What woman does not want to be able to design her own shoes?! You can buy them that gift, and select it to come as a nice fancy email gift certificate.

4. A Moo.com Origami-style Gift Card, Moo.com, any value from £10
This isn't just any gift card; this is a gift card that can be printed out and has it's own origami pattern to fold it up into.

5. Shopping Gift Vouchers, giftvouchers.co.uk, any value from £10
Just order a gift voucher for a variety of high street, online and experience retailers, and chose the 'print' delivery option. It couldn't be simpler.

Candles For Christmas

When you're wrapping the presents...

Yankee Candle Christmas Cookie, £16.99, www.yankeecandle.co.uk
This candle completely evokes the holiday spirit, and creates a heavenly buttery sweet baking scent to spur you on through the wrapping of gifts with hope of a reward at the end.

When you're trying to sleep on Christmas Eve...

Spitalfields Candles Lavender & Chamomile, £25 (Large) & £9.99 (Small), www.spitalfieldscandles.co.uk
This 100% natural, and handmade candle contains two of the most calming aromas around- Lavender and Chamomile. It will calm you and help you drift off to sleep whilst reading your favourite novel. However, make sure there is someone awake in the room to put out the candle flame, or that you do it yourself before putting down your book!

When the kids have you up at 5am...

Espa Energising Candle, £21, www.espaonline.com
This candle from luxury spa brand Espa will stimulate your senses into action, and invigorate you for the morning ahead with its refreshing peppermint, revitalising eucalyptus and the buzz of lime. You'll be able to cope with anything!

When you're opening your presents...

Paddywax Woodland Candle, £10.99, www.theholliesfarmshop.co.uk
Everyone loves opening presents by the tree, and if you don't have a real one this year, you'll want this candle. It gives off the exact aroma of Christmas trees with it's fir, mistletoe and fresh mint oils; and will put the whole family in a festive mood.

When the Dalek you thought was a good idea is giving you a headache...

NV Lavender & Sage Silk Candle, £8.95, www.nvcandles.co.uk
This is the perfect antedote- sage contains headache-relieving chemical compounds and encourages blood flow; whilst lavender calms and relieves tension. You'll start to find the noise quite pleasant in no time.

When sitting down to Christmas dinner...

Penhaligons Malabah Classic Candle, £32, www.penhaligons.com
Reminiscent of a rich and decadent feast, Penhaligon's Malabah candle contains delicious aromas of citrus, spices and rose. The perfect candle for entertaining guests.

When you're preparing dessert...

Heyland & Whittle
Vanilla, Coconut & Black Pepper, £22, www.heylandandwhittle.co.uk
This lightly fragranced candle is perfect for the kitchen. It's relaxing and has the pleasant culinary aromas of vanilla, coconut and black pepper.

When you've had too much after-dinner conversation with your Mother-In-Law...

The White Company, Seychelle Signature Candle, £20, www.thewhitecompany.com
This candle from The White Company will help your imagination drift off to far-away shores with its exotic coconut, citrus and amber scent.

To reflect on the day...

Aroma Works Soulful Candle, £30, www.aroma-works.com
This candle is perfect to unwind at the end of a hard day. It has a spiritual aroma of Juniper berry and Frankincense, that will encourage you to reflect, wind down and relax.

Photograph Copyright: The Townhouse Hotel

We headed to Newcastle recently for a fabulously stylish weekend. Our home for one of the nights was The Townhouse Hotel; a small boutique hotel in the upmarket suburb of Gosforth. Just a couple of minutes by car from the city centre; the smart terraced building sits on a quiet tree-lined street.

We felt completely relaxed when we arrived and received the warm personal welcome that boutique hotels allow. The lobby is small and inviting, and has a small selection of local designer jewellery and accessories available for purchase. The decor is unique, and when we were told that the owners had designed each of the hotel's ten luxury rooms individually, we couldn't wait to see ours.

We were at the top of this historic building, and with no lift, it would be a problem for anyone with mobility problems; but the climb was more than worth the wait when we had a peek at our little haven for the night.

Our eyes were drawn immediately to the feature of the room- the gigantic under-window bath in the bedroom. High enough up from street level to protect from prying eyes, we enjoyed a relaxing bath in front of the TV after dinner.

Our room had a purple opulent design, and an extremely comfortable bed that we didn't want to get out of when breakfast time arrived.

We had a Full English breakfast, made fresh to order with locally-sourced ingredients. It was delicious, and set us up for the long drive home back to Glasgow.

Rooms at The Townhouse Hotel start at £95 per night, and more information can be found at www.thetownhousehotel.co.uk.

During our stay in Newcastle, we enjoyed dinner at the quayside at upmarket, yet relaxed, Italian restaurant Gusto.

An array of twinkling fairy lights deck out the venue both inside and out, and its waterside location (with lit-up bridges) make it a spectacular place to eat at night.

The menu at Gusto is so vast and varied that we spent a long time choosing. We finally settled on their Honey Baked Goat's Cheese Tart with Walnuts, Red Onion & Beetroot (£5.95).

The flavours complimented each other wonderfully, and it was just the right size of portion to leave room for our chosen main course- the Rigatoni Primavera with Vegetables, Grand Padana, Pine Nuts, Cream and Mozzarella (£8.75).

You can always tell how good a restaurant is by how they cook the most simplest of dishes, and this pasta dish was made to perfection with fresh al-dente vegetables and a light cream sauce.

We'd heard all about the dessert we chose long before we even arrived at the restaurant. It has a bit of a following, and we were anticipating the treat since we arrived.

Gusto's Nutella and Mascarpone Calzone (£5.95) is THE dessert to order. It is, in effect, a calzone pizza filled with copious amounts of chocolate hazelnut cream cheese, and it's to die for. The most perfect creation!

To view Gusto's menu online and to make reservations, visit www.gustorestaurants.uk.com.

All photography by Malcolm Smith unless otherwise stated.

Comfortable Christmas Day Style

Christmas Day, for us, is about being both comfortable and stylish. We want to feel we look good; but can lounge about at the same time. This is our perfect Christmas Day ensemble...

Anna Lou of London Black Heart Acrylic Stud Earrings, £15, www.annalouoflondon.com

Monica Vinader Gold Plated Coral Rio Bracelet, £130, www.rox.co.uk

Anya Hindmarch Faithful Cross Body in Holly, £495, www.anyahindmarch.com

Markus Lupfer Sequin Kiss Sweater, £185.27, www.shopbop.com

Topshop Showgirl Sequin Leggings By Goldie, £44, www.topshop.com

Russell & Bromley Smokin Studded Slipper Flats, £145, www.russellandbromley.co.uk

Emporio Armani At Specsavers

We spotted the new Emporio Armani range of spectacles (2 pairs for £125) at Specsavers this morning, and have been feeling rather disappointed that we don't need glasses. Maybe we could just pop a pair on our heads...

Dress Up Your Gadgets

Tablets, smartphones and laptops are all popular gifts at Christmas. Treat yours to something fashionable to wear.

We adore Smythson's new iPad Mini cases. If you get the miniature version of Apple's iPad next week, it's going to need one of these gorgeous soft goatskin sleeves from Smythson (£195). It really does need one, trust us!

Aspinal of London's Mount Street Business Bag has a padded section to store your laptop. It's the perfect stylish and functional city bag, and we love it in the tan ostrich print leather (£450).

The crystal-embellished skull detail on this leather iPhone4 case from Alexander McQueen at Harvey Nichols (£140) is fabulous and, we think, super cool. Your phone will love its new home.

Off we go to lust after these...

Chalet Chic

Whether hitting the slopes or staying at home, protect yourself from the ice and snow this Winter...

Barbour Nation Down Quilted Gilet, £189.95, Barbour

Barbour Fairisle Wool Gloves, £24.95, Barbour

Avro Avian Faux Fur Snood, £59.00, Sweaty Betty

Moncler Erebus Quilted Jacket, £959.00, Harrods

Helly Hansen Vega Pants, £110.00, Snow + Rock

Bogner Alpe D'Huez Moon Boots, £279.00, Harrods

Clutch-Size Cosmetics

It's party season, and no-one wants to be carrying a bag as big as a Birkin with them on their night out. It's all about the clutch bag, and so it's all about make-up in miniature...

Mavala Mini Nail Varnish in Bordeaux, £3.87, Debenhams
Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glace Set, £31, Space NK
Dior Mini Brush Set, £49.50, House of Fraser
Benefit Realness of Concealness Mini 'Fake It' Kit, £23.50, Feelunique.com
Eyeko ASOS Exclusive Skinny Mini Mascara & Eyeliner Set, £18, ASOS

Hotly anticipated glamour-fest 'The Great Gatsby', starring Carey Mulligan, hits cinemas next May 2013; but if you can't wait that long for some 1920s fashion action, we've picked out the best pieces for getting Carey's style...

Biba Pleated Cape, £27.50, www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Coast Freya Hairband, £25, www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Monsoon Lavinia Flapper Dress, £109, uk.monsoon.co.uk

Scarf Lariat, £1,005, www.babette-wasserman.com

Abstract Eden Crystal Collar Necklace, £17, uk.accessorize.com

River Island Box Clutch Bag, £30, www.asos.com

Coast Clarissa Faux Fur Collar, £28, www.debenhams.com

Office Stitch Up Navy Suede Shoes, £30, www.office.co.uk

It's a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, and the location she spent her last night of freedom before her marriage to Prince William. The dining room is designed by the Queen's nephew David Linley; and the bottled water is straight from Blenheim Palace. With all it's royal connections, one would expect this historic London landmark hotel to be the epitome of luxury; and it is.

If you haven't spent a night being looked after by The Goring, you haven't experienced true luxury. This is as good as it gets, and boy is it good!

We arrived in the small ornate lobby to a warm welcome from the concierge and front of house team. It was rightly formal and polite; but not overly so, and we were made to feel right at home in the hotel's bar with a drink and snacks, while our check-in was processed.

The bar is the ideal place for people-watching, and after spending time watching the staff interact with guests, you quickly realise the number of returning patrons who have frequented on numerous occasions.

We were escorted to our room where our luggage was waiting. It was what The Goring calls 'The Most Splendid Silk Room' (£945 per night including breakfast).

The decor was opulent and immaculate, and the room was full of antiques; including padded historic Royal Gainsborough silk 'wallpaper' designed for Buckingham Palace. It really is a room fit for a princess.

The bathroom in 'The Most Splendid Silk Room' is grand and marbled; with a set of three rubber ducks reminding you that whilst this hotel does luxurious excess to perfection, it is still down-to-earth and all about meeting guest's needs.

The deep bath, Molton Brown toiletries and a four-stage light switch that goes from 'Bright' to 'Oooh!', a soak here is ecstasy.

Copyright: The Goring

We had our dinner in the hotel's dining room from the two-course Pre-Theatre menu (£33). It has a formal atmosphere; but the waiting staff help guest's feel at ease by treating them like the most important person in the room. Our meal was delicious and intricately prepared. Dinner was an experience rather than just a simple opportunity to eat food.

Suitably stuffed, we returned to our room, and fell peacefully to sleep in the incredibly comfortable bed; wondering what Kate Middleton was thinking on the floor above just one year before.

Like dinner, breakfast was served in the dining room. There is something wonderful about eating the first meal of the day with a stiff white tablecloth and solid silverware. Our smoked salmon and scrambled egg was plentiful and cooked to perfection, and was the perfect way to round off the most relaxing and pampering stay we have ever had.

For more information on The Goring, and their current special offers, visit www.thegoring.com Rooms cost from £360 to £6,300 per night.

Photographs are copyright of Twinkle Style & Travel Magazine