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Welcome to 25 Days of Sparkle!
I have decided to reinvent my #25DaysofSparkle from Instagram and incorporate it onto my Youtube channel, as a Christmas Countdown Vlogmas style series! Days 1-4 are officially up on my YouTube channel! 🎄✨ I’ll be sharing a look at my day (not just the highlights), as well as my Christmas adventures and activities.
This is my first time vlogging, 🤣 so we shall see how it goes. A special thank you to @pandorahuntingwithscubadude for inspiring me to do Vlogmas!!! 🎄✨
Here are the videos, so far: - Disney Magic, Disney x Pandora, Disney x Pandora, Jewellery, My Favourite Jewellery Brands, Pandora, Pandora, Pandora Bracelets, Pandora Style, Uncategorized
Christmas in July | Disney Christmas themed Pandora Bracelet | Christmas Memories themed Pandora Bracelet
Merry Christmas in July! A new video is up on my YouTube channel! I am sharing a look at my Christmas Disney themed Pandora bracelet, as well as an updated look at my Christmas Memories themed Pandora Bracelet! You can watch the video HERE or down below:
Here is a look at the two Pandora bracelets:
*this post contains affiliate links/commission links
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Christmas in July | DAVIDsTEA Tea Tasting Club Unboxing | Tea Time Tuesday
Merry Christmas in July!!! For today’s #TeaTimeTuesday, I have a new DAVIDsTEA video up on my Youtube channel featuring some delicious Christmas and Holiday themed teas.
This content was filmed back in 2021 and while I started editing it back then, I didn’t have a chance to finish it. Overall, 2021 was a very challenging year for me and at the end of the year…it all really caught up with me! I decided to save this content for “Christmas in July” (stay tuned for 1-2 more Christmas in July themed videos).
In this video, I will be sharing the teas (and glass mug) inside my last box of my 2021 DAVIDsTEA Tea Tasting Club subscription box! I LOVED signing up for this tea subscription box, last year. It was so much fun and reminds me that I would love to sign up again.
As for my Youtube video, you can watch it HERE or down below:
If you are interested in signing up or learning more about the Tea Tasting Club, here are the links:
Sign up for DAVIDsTEA Tea Tasting Club US
Sign up for DAVIDsTEA Tea Tasting Club CAD
For the “Tea of the Video”, I enjoyed some Santa’s Secret with Oat Milk! So delicious!!! Here is a video on how I like to make it:
*this post contains affiliate links/commission links
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What Ella Got For Christmas
Little Ella full of Christmas Excitement! Today’s blog post is about Ella, my mini poodle puppy and what she got for Christmas! This was our first Christmas with her and it honestly ended up being the best Christmas EVER! She just adds such warmth and fun into our days, and Christmas was no exception.
While we did go to Toronto, right before Christmas (to see our family and friends), I really wanted to be back home to celebrate Christmas in our new home with our Guineas and Ella! I am really happy we made this decision because it ended up being the most peaceful, relaxing and joyful Christmas morning I’ve ever experienced.
After sleeping in (we usually go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve), I got up and made some morning teas (Santa’s Secret* from DAVIDsTEA, of course) and got Snowman (my husband) and Ella out of bed. I was SO excited for Ella to open up her stocking filled with toys! “Santa Paws” had arrived late that night and filled up her fluffy stocking (Nicole Miller), with lots of surprises! I brought my tripod out, so I could film the moment, but be present and not distracted, as it recorded! It was soo fun to see Ella’s excitement as she stuck her head in and pulled out different presents! One of her favourites was a cute mini Santa I got from Petsmart, as well as a “Sniffany and Co.” blue bone complete with ribbon (by Dog Diggin Designs). She also liked the organic pink candy cane too (by Simply Fido)!
*affiliate link for DAVIDsTEA
These are a few of Ella’s favourite things! After that, my husband and I opened our gifts. Ella was curious and full of wonder, as we unwrapped and opened each one. And to her excitement, the last gift, under the tree was for her! We got her a “Miss Dogior – Barking Bouquet” perfume stuffy (by Haute Diggity Dog) and three delicious treats (Unicorn “poop”, Christmas “brownie” and Reindeer “cookie”). It was so fun seeing her unwrap her gift. I asked her which treat she’d like to enjoy and I must say, she takes after her mom! She chose the unicorn “poop” rainbow themed treat! I did take videos of this too. I think I will save these videos for my Pawfectella Vlogs (still debating if I should do one big long video or a few mini ones!).
I also added Ella’s “Chewy Vuiton” (by Haute Diggity Dog) to this photo because she loves this toy! She loves to carry it around by the handle, which is so adorable to watch.
Can you spot the Chewy Vuiton? I got most of Ella’s presents at a store called, Barking Babies. I love going there to find special and unique things for my little pup! This was the first ever store we took Ella too, right after we picked her up, to get her a harness. At 8 weeks, she was super small and the associate was so sweet and welcoming to us! I was really impressed with the level of service and it keeps me coming back time and time again!
Before Christmas, I also picked up a few adorable Christmas themed toys for Ella. I really love going to Marshalls/Winners/Homesense because they have a great pet section for Dog and Cat owners. I find great deals on such cute themed toys! One of Ella’s favourites is by Zippy Paws. It is an interactive toy that provides so much fun for Ella and I! The stuffed toy is a big red mug of “hot chocolate” with two large holes and “marshmallows” that can be pulled out from the holes. She loves finding and pulling out the squeaky marshmallows and we have fun tossing and throwing them around. I have some cute videos of Ella playing with this toy on her Instagram, if you’d like to see. This toy is Ella’s favourite and because of that, I ended up getting her a similar “Pumpkin Spice” toy from Petsmart too (not pictured). She loves this one too!
I also got one Eggnog “puppuccino” (by Fuzzyard) and one Gingerbread “puppuccino” (by Bow Wow Pet Products) for Ella from Marshalls/Winners/Homesense too! Her Daddy’s favourite holiday drink are Eggnog Lattes, while I am a huge fan of the Gingerbread Lattes! Oh, and I got her a cute red stuffy bone that says, “Puppy’s First Christmas”. I had gotten a similar one at Halloween and they are great for photos!
Look at all those puppuccinos!!! During the Black Friday Sales, one of my favourite online dog accessories stores, had a great deal and I stocked up on some pieces I had been wanting to get Ella! They are called, Pink Tail Co. and I absolutely LOOOOVE their designs, quality and service. I got her two adorable harnesses. One is the, “Aurora” to match Ella’s leash, bow and collar I purchased back in July. And the other was, “Disney in Pink“. I also got her an adorable gingerbread themed collar and bow!!! Too cute to resist! I regret not getting a matching leash.
Ella also got spoiled by our loved ones! She got a very Christmassy chew rope from her Aunt Angie (DailyCharmAddict) and an adorable Mickey Waffle from Aunt Nichol (MyPandoraCharmedLife). Aunt Jessica got her a unicorn coloured squeaky toy and two cute balls and she also got an hilarious gingerbread man from Aunt Tiara (TeaforTiara).
And there you have it!!! That is what we (and Santa Paws), spoiled our little Ella Bella with for Christmas. And don’t worry! Zooey and Georgina also got spoiled lots too. hehe!!! They just gobble their presents up so fast, so I didn’t get a chance to take photos.We spent the remainder of Christmas Day relaxing, watching Christmas movies and enjoyed a delicious holiday meal together. I hope you had magical holiday with your loved ones too!
Also, Do you have any pets? If so, what did you get for them?
Ella looking pretty darn pawfect in her Pink Tail Co. Collar and Bow. - Beadmas | #BeadmasStories, Guinea Pigs, Jewellery, Lifestyle, Ohm Beads, Pandora, Pandora Friends, Pandora Style, Pawfectella, Pawfectella Everything!, Uncategorized
My Pandora Christmas Bracelets | Pandora Open Bangle + Ohm Beads Bracelet
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! In this video, I share my Pandora Moments Christmas Charm Bracelet and my Pandora Open Bangle Disney Christmas themed Pandora Bracelet. I also share my Chrismas themed Pandora Floating Locket necklace and my Ohm Beads Lucky Red Whip Bracelet with some Beadmas themed beads! I hope you enjoy this video and a very blessed and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greeting to each and every one of you! I hope it’s a magical one! XOXO
Zooey, Georgina, Ella and I 
Decorating the Christmas tree. 
Ohm Beads and Pandora Christmas themed bracelets -
Holiday Afternoon Tea | Langdon Hall Country House at Christmas Time
My Grandma and I waiting to be seated for afternoon tea On December 20th, 2019 my Grandma, Husband, Mother and I went to Langdon Hall Country House for a Christmas Afternoon tea together. This was my husband and I’s second time going to Langdon Hall and we really wanted to take my Grandma and Mother, ever since our first visit! It is such a special place and I knew my Grandma had always wanted to go.
When you walk up the steps and through the front entrance, you walk into an elegant atmosphere, surrounded by history and seasonal Christmas florals and greens, picked from the gardens and woodland outside the hall.
After taking our coats, we headed into the waiting area that had a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with old fashioned charm and wrapped presents below it!
Langdon Hall Christmas Tree Soon, they called our name and we were seated at a round table with their afternoon tea menus and beautiful seasonal decor. Afternoon tea is a seasonal, set menu, but if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, it is recommended to call ahead, when you book your reservation. Langdon Hall is fantastic at accommodating dietary restrictions and allergies, and we had called ahead about both my husband and I’s. The server let us know that my meal (and my husbands) were being served as gluten and dairy free and I loved that I didn’t even need to double check!
Langdon Hall Tea Menu The server also explained their tea menu and also asked if we would like any champagne, mimosas, etc! My Grandma and I decided to go for mimosas. I rarely drink (just on special occasions) and this felt like a perfect occasion and a mimosa sounded so good! My Grandma agreed!
There were so many delicious tea options on the menu. I had quite a few I was debating between. I settled on the, Blood Orange Oolong. Oolong tea is one of my favourites and I was intrigued by the hibiscus and citrus peel notes.
A look at the Langdon Hall Tea Selection The server took our tea orders and brought our mimosas. As we were waiting for our tea and treats, we laughed and chatted away and enjoyed the understated music and outdoor views through the large windows.
My Grandma also admired her tea cup and inquired about the little infuser inside her cup! I let her know it catches the fallen tea leaves from the tea pot! I hardly ever see this method being used and I absolutely love it!!!!!
Langdon Hall Teacup and Saucer Our pots of tea arrived and they looked so charming! Every one enjoyed their tea selections! My mother actually got the same tea, as me! My Grandmother ordered a delicious ginger blend and my Husband got a peach tea.
Such a beautiful table setting! And can you spot the blueberry jam, butter and clotted cream? 
My Grandmother enjoying the atmosphere and beautiful view outside! After all our first pours of tea were nearly finished, our delicious sandwiches, scones and treats arrived! Langdon Hall recommends eating their scones first, as they are fresh from the oven!
Gingerbread and traditional scones. Mine were both gluten and dairy free!
Such a treat.The sandwiches and treats were so delicious! Below is a photo of my husband’s selection of goodies.
Overall, we had such a wonderful time together and Langdon Hall exceeded all our expectations for a lovely Christmas treat together. After leaving Langdon Hall, we drove to see some beautiful Christmas lights…such a lovely way to end the day!
Which one would you try first? -
My Favourite Christmas Tea | Beadmas2019 Day 12 of #BeadmasStories
St. Nick is checking his list…twice! As the Christmas season rolls in, it is time for my favourite Christmas tea: Santa’s Secret from DAVIDsTEA*! Have you ever wondered how Santa is able to deliver all those toys, presents and cheer in one night? Well, here’s his secret (besides Christmas magic, of course)! A delicious Chinese black tea with peppermint, vanilla and magical candy cane sprinkles!
Santa’s best kept Secret!!! This tea is so delicious! I love having it black, but it also makes a delicious tea latte! There’s two ways I love to make it as a latte:
Latte Recipe One:
1. 3-4 perfect spoonfuls of Santa’s Secret
2. Fill your Steeper with about 235ml of water (roughly right above the DAVIDsTEA logo)
3. Feel free to add your choice of sweetener to the steeper (honey, agave, etc.) as the tea steeps. Roughly, 1tbs. Lightly stir in.
4. Steep for 4-6 minutes, depending on taste level.
5. Dispense tea into your favourite Christmas mug.
6. Froth about 235ml of your choice of: Almond Milk, Soy Milk or Milk. I have a video about how I froth my almond milk, HERE.
7. Pour your frothed milk over your Santa’s Secret Tea..and VOILA! Your Santa’s Secret Latte is ready to be enjoyed!
Latte Recipe Two:
1. 3-4 perfect spoonfuls of Santa’s Secret
2. Fill your Steeper with about 235ml of water (roughly right above the DAVIDsTEA logo)
3. Feel free to add your choice of sweetener to the steeper (honey, agave, etc.) as the tea steeps. Roughly, 1tbs. Lightly stir in.
4. I also add a tiny bit of vanilla extract, just a drop!
5. Steep for 4-6 minutes, depending on taste level.
6. Dispense tea into your favourite Christmas mug.
7. Froth about 235ml of Peppermint Chocolate Almond Milk. I have a video about how I froth my almond milk, HERE.
8. Pour your frothed Peppermint Chocolate Almond milk over your Santa’s Secret Tea. Please note, the chocolate almond milk will not froth as much as normal almond milk…but this tastes like a peppermint hot chocolate and is sooo sooo delicious!
HO HO HO! Now, as you know, today is the last day of Beadmas 2019 | #BeadmasStories. As for today’s giveaway, Ohm Beads and I are teaming away to give one lucky winner the Ohm St. Nick bead! This is a very special bead to me because he represents my chosen Saint Name. As a Catholic, I got confirmed into my faith when I was in grade 8. I remembering researching so many different saints, but the one that stood out to me the most, was my hero since I was a little girl: Saint Nicholas. He was so inspiring to me…and the fact that his memory lives on through one of the most magical and holy seasons was very special to me! Now, pretty much every single person made “fun of me” for picking a “boy’s name” as my Saint. But I didn’t care…it wasn’t about what people thought of me! And…my Confirmation Sponsor (unknown to me, at the time) had chosen St. Valentine as her saint!
To find out how to win this bead, head over to my Instagram, @fashionstoryteller and look for one of those photos used in this blog post!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! xx
Emily D.
*P.S: some of the links, in this blog post are affiliate links.
St. Nick by Ohm Beads -
#BeadmasStories Day 9
A sky of wonder… Known as the brightest star in the night’s sky (visible from Earth), Sirius can be seen as one of the best wishing stars! And that is why I chose A SIRIUS WISH | OHM BEADS as today’s Beadmas2019 | BeadmasStories Day 9 giveaway bead!
Have you ever gazed up at the winter’s night sky and admired the mystery, the beauty…the snow falling, the stars twinkling…the moon glowing? As a Christian, I often think of, The Three Kings (AKA, the Magi or the Three Wise Men) and ponder how amazing it must have been to see, The Star of Bethlehem, as I gaze up at that dark sky. There are many theories on what this star actually was: multiple stars, a comet, exploding star, “dancing planets”, conjunction of multiple planets, etc!
While Sirius is not in these theories, it still makes me think of a winter’s night sky…and that wonder and awe that must have been experienced by every one who saw the Star of Bethlehem!
Ohm Beads’ A Sirius Wish is a stunning bead…full of mystery and wonder! It’s a wonderful bead to add to any bracelet design and a lovely reminder to make your wishes a reality!!!
A Sirius Wish – Ohm Beads To enter into today’s giveaway, for this bead…please answer the following questions correctly:
1. What do I think of, when I gaze up at a winter’s night sky?
2. If you wished on a star, what would you wish for?
3. What was one of the theories about the “Star of Bethlehem”?
4. What is your Instagram username (if you win this bead, I will be contacting you through instagram)?
Giveaway ends on December 10th, 2019 at 2:30 PM EASTERN. Winner will be announced on my Instagram stories. Thank you, Ohm Beads for letting me host some of your Beadmas Giveaways!!! xx -
A Christmas Tradition: DAVIDsTEA | 24DaysofTea | Why this calendar is so special to me.
DAVIDsTEA #24daysoftea is back!!! Back in 2012, my fiancé (now husband) and I started a new Christmas tradition with DAVIDsTEA #24daysoftea. Every evening, we would enjoy a tea of day, along with our baby guinea pig, Harlow (she liked to take little licks from our fingertips). We looked forward to discover what tea awaited us: black, green, oolong, herbal…what would it be?
Photo of the DAVIDsTEA Advent Calendar back in 2012 
The calendars have come along way! A tea advent calendar was the most perfect invention for me! And I was instantly obsessed and just knew I had to get my family and friends involved in the fun too.
In 2012, I had just moved across the country in July…and I knew this would be a special way to still feel close to them, at such a special time of the year. It soon became my tradition to stock up on calendars (as soon as the store opened) to make sure my family and friends could all get one! DAVIDsTEA would sell out DAY OF…if not, MORNING OF! Luckily, last year…they seemed to finally have better stock!
A photo of DAVIDsTEA 2013 #24daysoftea Advent Calendar…and all the calendars I bought for family and friends. I would line up to the store, first thing in the morning! 
Baby Georgina investigating!!! Each year and onwards, it became a time to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle of the holidays…and became a time of day we treasured. It warmed out hearts and souls…and we loved that our loved ones, though far away, were sharing in this wonderful experience with us.
2015 Advent Calendar #24daysoftea 
In 2015, Glitter and Gold was one of the #24daysoftea…and it was our featured wedding day tea!!! So crazy cool! The #24daysoftea calendar also became a heartwarming tradition with a very special guinea pig; my beloved Harlow. Harlow passed away this year…and it will be the first year I do not get my tea taster/tea assistant to help #HarlowApprove the tea of the day. It’ll be different, but I know she will be there in spirit, in her own way. Here are some of my favourite photos of Harlow during the #24daysoftea countdown!
#HarlowApproved #24daysoftea DAVIDsTEA 
I’m not sure about this one, Mom! #24daysoftea 
I like the smells of this one, Mom! #24daysoftea 
What day are we on now, Mom? 
We miss you, Harlow! I also enjoy the Christmas countdown with…ALL OF YOU!!! On my Instagram, it has become my tradition to also share the tea of the day with you all…through fun photos of the day!!! I love hearing your thoughts on the teas and seeing your photos too!
Pandora Santa And now…for some truly exciting news to share with all of you:
I am now part of DAVIDsTEA Affiliates Program. It honestly feels like a dream come true because besides jewellery, #tea (and especially, #Davidstea) is my biggest obsession. What this means, is if you order through my affiliate links (featured in my blog posts, on my Linktree, instagram stories and youtube channel), I’ll receive a small commission, much like a sales associate would, at a retail store. It’s pretty cool and I’m so thankful. ?? I would not have these amazing opportunities without each and every one of you…so a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU!!! ?☕️ And an additional thank you to any one who wants to shop with these links. That’s super kind and generous of you! ??? .
If you would like to shop the #24daysoftea Advent Calendar, here are my affiliate links:
Shop DAVIDsTEA USA.
Shop DAVIDsTEA Canada.
I’m looking forward to counting down to Christmas with all of you!!!! -
Pandora Jewellery Christmas Swap with FierceZhai, MyPandoraCharmedLife and My.Xpressions!
Tomorrow, I will be premiering my last video in this wonderful Christmas Swap series that Elizabeth, Nichol, Jahndra and I all participated in! The creative idea to do a Pandora Christmas gift exchange was Elizabeth’s idea and she passed it along to us girls! I had never done a swap before and I was so excited! In this post, I’ll share a little more detail about the swap experience.
How We Planned It All Out!
Elizabeth and Jahndra had done a swap together before, so they shared all their tips with Nichol and I! We all decided to create wish lists of Pandora items we would love to own (retired, new, hard to find, etc). This way, we could get one another something truly special! We also created separate chat groups (excluding one of us), so we could discuss ideas on what to get and avoid gifting the same item!
Once we settled on who was getting what for who, we went shopping for those special Pandora items!!! And all of us cheated by including some fun, non-pandora gifts too!!! It was too hard not to want to spoil these wonderful ladies!Shipping All Over the World!
Once we had gathered up our items, it was time to wrap them and ship them off! What I loved most about Elizabeth, Nichol and Jahndra’s gift was how creative they wrapped their gifts. They had so many cute notes and hints on what to open first, etc. If I ever get to do a swap again, I am totally going to do this idea! I loved it and it made the gift opening experience very special and thoughtful.
Shipping was pretty interesting for all of us! Since we all live in different countries, it was quite an experience…especially, at Christmas time! One of the busiest seasons for mail services. For me, I had a few issues:
- Canada Post was on strike, but luckily it didn’t take too much longer for Elizabeth’s gift to arrive…and it did make it before Christmas, thank goodness. I had wanted to ship with Fedex, but it ended up being crazy expensive, so I decided to try it with Canada Post after they assured me it would make it there before Christmas.
- Fedex’s systems were down when I went to mail off Jahndra and Nichol’s gifts. They ended up loosing the handwritten paper work I filled out on both shipments. I had to make a few phone calls, but luckily…everything was sorted out, in a timely manner.
- If there’s one thing I would do differently with shipment, I would have sent my items out earlier!!! But that being said, everything arrived before Christmas.
And What Did We Surprise Each Other With?
Linked below are all three of my swap unboxing videos, with links to each friend’s unboxing video of the gifts I sent her!
I will say this as a tip: make sure your external microphone is fully charged before filming. While I was filming Nichol’s gifts, my external mic ended up dying and it caused some issues with the sound/audio quality. Luckily, I was able to edit the sound to be slightly better…but still not to my normal standards. I was so frustrated, but you cannot re-film a swap/unboxing video!My Pandora Swap with Jahndra My Pandora Swap with Nichol My Pandora Swap with Elizabeth