This year was the first year in quite a while where I felt like it was a really, really good year. I've had so many opportunities, met so many amazing people, and had so much fun! Here's a little bit of what I got up to...

♥ I got a job at Pigeonhole!
I'm not totally sure my boss remembers but I applied for a position at Pigeonhole about two and a half years ago, fumbled my way through the interview, and didn't get the job. Well, this year I got a casual job, which then turned into a full time job, which THEN turned into a manager position! I love my little store so much and I have met so many awesome people through my job. It really is like working with a big family.

♥ ...and celebrated their fifth birthday!
This was such a ridiculously fun night! Even vomiting the second I got out of my taxi home was totally worth it.

♥ I had my year anniversary with Aidan (and we moved in together!)
It is so nice to be able to spend every day with such a lovely, hilarious person.

♥ I took part in the Perth Fashion Festival's Restyle project...
This was definitely a highlight of the year. How many times do you get to partake in a photoshoot where you wear this amazing chillies and flowers headpiece and a beautiful vintage dress? Let's not mention the impossibly high heels that I literally could not walk in. Thanks so much to Renee for allowing me to take part in this!

♥ ...and walked on the runway!
Again, something I was incredibly lucky to get to do. I do kind of wish I hadn't scared myself into this way too relaxed, chilled out state where I put my outfits together at 11pm the night before, and actually managed to look up while I was strutting my stuff, but it was still a lot of fun.

♥ AND I got to go to some more amazing PFF shows.
I went to the Student Runway and the Designer Capsule shows and they were incredible! I was really so thankful for the opportunity.
♥ I turned 23!
I really wish I'd done more for my birthday this year. I went for a lovely dinner with my family but I didn't really celebrate it otherwise. So now I'm ALWAYS going to have at least one day where I demand everyone's attention and accept free drinks and gifts. TREAT YO SELF. But on the bright side, I did get this pretty sweet bike from Aidan.

♥ I dyed my hair purple.
I really wanted to write some kind of "How to care for your coloured hair" post but... I GOT NUTHIN'. My hair was so dry and brittle after I'd dyed it a couple of times and while I'd really like to dye my hair again in the future, I'll definitely take better care of it! CONDITION YO TRESSES, GURL!

♥ I went to Blues & Roots, Regina Spektor, Elton John, Ben Folds Five, Sigur Ros, Groovin' the Moo... phew!

♥ Ate some delicious food and actually started to cook stuff! 
And was pretty good at it (most of the time. Last week I tried to make a pasta salad and it turned out to be feta with a teeny bit of pepperoni, pasta and basil and... well... I don't really want to talk about it).
♥ Oh, and I bought a burger jumper. Obviously one of life's important events, you know how it is.

So thanks for reading Gin in a Teacup this year and see you in 2013!

I mostly listen to 1950s and 60s girl groups and so this song is a perfect Christmas song to me. Christmas? Heartbreak? Girl group harmonies? Sold. And can we please just talk about that red coat Darlene is wearing above? DIVA.



YOU KNOW I had to include this song. What else is there to say about it? It's not Christmas until I hear a bit of Mimi wailing on the radio. I refuse to believe anyone can not dance around when they hear this song.


Last time I went to the record fair I bought an Elvis Presley Christmas album and it is basically the raddest thing ever. I downloaded this song from a random '100 Greatest Christmas Songs' album last year and then DELETED IT by accident and have been trying to remember what it was for the past year. I only found it by googling 'Elvis Presley Christmas Cadillac' and SUCCESS!

I can't remember if Bob Dylan put out a whole Christmas album or just this song but it's so creepy and amazing at the same time. A gravel-voiced Bobby D trying to get in the holiday spirit? It's hilarious. But be warned, the first time I listened to it I looked like this: O_______O, which incidentally my reaction when searching for a Bob Dylan Christmas photo. So many photos of Bob with Santa hats photoshopped on. Is this a thing now?


One of my favourite Christmas songs ever. I have heard covers from Kylie Minogue (AWFUL, it tries so hard to be sexy that I just get embarrassed) and Michael Buble (I do have a soft spot for Boobs so he gets a pass) but nothing can measure up to this original. Let's not forget about the real meaning of Christmas - expensive presents (I kid).


So this is a fairly untraditional Christmas song but it gets thrashed by me for the month of December (except by December I mean all year round). It feels like such a traditional Irish song but features a couple calling each other "cheap slut on junk" and scumbags and maggots and even with all that, it's just so lovely. It also features one of my favourite lines in a song ever:


Well, there's my Christmas 2012 playlist! What songs did I miss out? Don't say 'Silver Bells' or 'The Christmas Song' as they are two of my most hated Christmas songs.