BLOGMAS - ROAK 4/12 & Secret Santa

Hi!
These two topics for this blogpost coincide with one another; I actually did the act of kindness whilst I was Secret Santa shopping. It was a spur of the moment thing during a browse at WHSmith for pens and other sorts of stationery as my friend and I tried out various pens on the small notepads.
I started to draw cats because I'm secretly a granny in a girl's body, as well as adding cute Christmassy messages with a 'from Olivia' at the top. I then proceeded to hide those pictures on cashier desks, shelves, etcetera. I didn't stay to see people read them - I can only hope they made someone smile!

There are some pictures shown as some of my drawings and messages, one saying 'I am the Scrooge Cat. Do not stroke me. From Olivia :)' and another 'Merry Christmas! Have a good day, from Olivia :)' (by the way in the photograph the 'have a good day' is cut off). I left these both on opposite cashier desks whilst the employees were quite coincidentally ducking to rummage for gift cards, and then jogged away as my friend and I giggled. It was like being some sort of secret agent, as weird as that sounds, sneaking around the shop and tucking in pictures. It's so nice to think that somebody might've picked it up and smiled, or tucked it into their pocket, or even acknowledged it.

Secret Santa is a small series of anonymous gift giving that usually takes place before Christmas in the early December. I was buying for a friend  and managed to cross from the top to the bottom
end of town repeatedly looking for the best bargains
and cutest things I could buy. Sadly, I cannot reveal
my gifts as I am keeping them cloaked in mystery
so my friend won't have any idea. Again, this secret
agent vibe is reoccurring...
The sky turned black pretty quickly due to the wintry weather, but the city was kept light due to the dazzling gold and silver lights hung between each row of buildings, shimmery and beautiful, casting the streets in a hazy orange glow. The air was crisp and cold, sucking the breath out of me, and steaming food stalls coaxed out my temptations but sadly I was too stingy to reach for any pennies jangling in my pocket.
But the smells still hit me like cannonballs. Every single scent that brought me right back to the past Christmas day - roasted almonds, mulled wine, rosemary, honeyed spices, chocolate - and I had to hurry past through the crowd to not draw to the food like a moth to a flame.
I am definitely settling into the mood for Christmas, what about you?
- olivia