Obeo- Tick One Thing Off Your Resolution List Right Now!!

I don't know about you but top of my New Years resolution list every year is "sort your life out". This usually entails a massive Spring clean. This year for instance, I've bought those vacuum pack storage yokes with the intention of sorting out the clothes in the spare room. I also do several charity drops to Enable Ireland throughout the year and last January, I bought Marie Kondo's The Joy Of Tidying Up, of which I read one chapter, that suggested I give away most of my books. Obviously that was the end of Marie. 

Once I've the Christmas tree put away though, I get really into overhauling the house. The kitchen and bathroom are transformed, the laundry basket gets noticeably less full and I hoover the bejaysus out of the place. If you're anything like me, you'll be in a similar revolutionise-the-house mode right now and so, I bring you Irish brand, Obeo that'll sort out your food waste while leaving your kitchen prettier, smelling better and overall, a bit tidier.

I'm all about making life easier but unfortunately, we don't have a brown bin in the part of Dublin where we live (the brown bin is the one specifically for food waste) and nor do we make compost out of our rubbish as we also don't have a back garden (the joys of post Celtic Tiger Ireland, am I right?)  so for the purposes of trying out Obeo, I turned to my sister who has both a brown bin and a penchant for spending less time sorting out her bins, as I guess, we all do. 

Obeo is a non-leakable, sturdy brown box that you can keep on your kitchen counter and add all of your vegetable peels, plate-scrapings and general food leftovers into without having to go to and from your brown bin outside the house. Why not just use a plastic bin bag as you normally would and then put it out before bin day you may ask? Well, this fella is biodegradable- it's 100% compostable so if you care about the environment as much as you do not having a manky, open plastic bag of rotting food in your kitchen, then this is a win-win. 

The Obeo box closes over, hiding away any smells, while it stays completely strong and sturdy- no leaks, so no rotten bin juices (truly, there is no combination of words worse than "bin juices") and when you're ready for bin days, out it goes; no muss, no fuss.

Back to my sister though. When I asked her to review the Obeo box for me, she said "I've heard of them but I think they're too pricey". In fairness, household waste is probably not something any of us want to spend our hard-earned shekels on but after that one free use, she's now hooked and has been buying her own for almost a year.  Bottom line here- this is a good product that works well, makes your life a bit easier and helps the environment at the same time. I'm giving this two enthusiastic thumbs up (my sisters thumbs, but thumbs nonetheless).
If you have a brown bin, you need to try Obeo.

This'll give you a better idea of how it works, in case my flu-addled head has failed to explain it properly:

I've seen these in most Irish supermarkets (Dunnes and Super Valu included) but you can look for your nearest stockists HERE or get a subscription online HERE. My sister buys a subscription of 30 Obeo boxes every 3 months for €22 (free p&p), which sounds good to me considering how much I spend (a lot) on the recycling bags for our part of Dublin. Each box is designed to last about 2-3 days, longer depending on your amount of waste. I wasn't paid to write this but I like to support Irish brands that have something new and innovative to offer and anything that can help the environment is a major plus in my eyes. Especially now Donald "the Chinese invented Climate Change" Trump is president of America. 

Have you tried Obeo?

Is there a worse combination of words than "bin juices"?* 

To the comments!

XX

*Moist crevice is worse, maybe.

Bath & Body Works Candles

It had been high on my list to get to a Bath & Body Works while we were in the States. Mostly I wanted some of their famed Hand Hygiene gels (once a nurse, always a nurse) and of course, their Autumnal candles. As it turned out, I wasn't overawed by Sweater Weather or Autumn Leaves, the two I had planned on getting and instead I let my overriding love of sugar draw me to these:

(shout-out to the advent calendar in the background)

Warm Apple Pie 100% smells like I am actively baking an apple pie. I'm not really sure what wizardry went into this but it makes my mouth water every time I sniff it (which is on the regular). If you can imagine a delightfully buttery crust with the sweet scent of caramelised apples, this is what you get. Plus, it's calorie-free! 

I'm a bit obsessed with cinnamon of late and have found myself adding it to everything- coffee, porridge, my usually cinnamon-free Banana Bread recipe. So it was probably unsurprising that Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut would be coming home with me too. Yes, it does indeed smell like a warm doughnut with that sugary, cinnamon-y hit. 

Anyone else absolutely STARVING right now??

*drools*

And, three wicks each for a more even burn!

I got these (and my all important hand gels) in an outlet version of B&BW so they were a lot cheaper than usual but I think they're normally around the $22 mark each. I was lucky that we also had enough of a weight allowance on the way home that these weren't a problem in their glass jars and I was even luckier still that Himself masterfully rolled these up carefully in his jeans, so no breakages!

I think these can be shipped from the states but probably at an extortionate price.

These are definitely one to add to your shopping list if you're planning a trip stateside any time soon!

Have you tried any of the Bath & Body Works candles?

Any favourites?

XX

Unique Christmas Present Ideas With PhotoBox.ie!

For the last couple of years my sister-in-law has made us a calendar from Photobox.ie for the year ahead using some of our favourite photos. It's a really lovely, personal gift that we always appreciate- it's something you can actually use and be reminded of happy times simultaneously!
I was delighted then when I was asked if I'd like to try out the website for the blog and immediately took up the offer to pick out some things myself! I'm not gonna lie, there's a lot of options to choose from and I got a bit flustered trying to decide but I had himself on hand and together we came up with these:

I'm an Instagram addict so it's really no surprise that the Retro Prints were high on my want-list and they did not disappoint. Your photo is printed onto textured paper with a varnish gloss added over the top and a black photo negative on the back of the print for that Polaroid feeling! Speaking of Polaroid, look at the case they come in! Love it! You can choose between 12, 24 or 36 prints.

I went for 12 but I can easily see myself getting more. We decided to go for photos strictly from our recent trip to the states and although I haven't displayed them very well here, once I find the perfect twine and mini close pegs, they'll be livening up a very boring wall in our bedroom. 

I think it's going to be so lovely to wake up every day to some of our most treasured holiday memories and the fact that they're printed like this makes them that bit more special.

Another thing that I love about these is the option to add your own text to your print, as you would with a real polaroid too (except that you can choose your own font here)! 

If you can't decide what you want to write at the time of ordering (if it's a gift for someone else for instance) then you can add your message later on at home too. Clever eh?

Also great is that the retro prints are eco-friendly. They're non-toxic, recyclable and the production process contains no volatile compounds like traditional photo printing systems do. Bonus!

I really love these. I have fond memories of my family having a Polaroid camera when I was a little'un and this is like that but much cheaper. 

12 prints set me back €12.99 only. For that, I have a lovely decoration and I think something like this would make a fantastic birthday, Christmas or anniversary present.

And speaking of presents, I thought a personalised mug would be a fun gift for my Mum for Christmas this year. That's me there in New Hampshire, loving life, surrounded by all the gorgeous scenery. The photo came out crystal clear and is printed on one side only with an option for a personalised message on the other:

You could really do anything you wanted with this. I'd also suggest it as a Secret Santa gift as it's fun and would make the recipient smile every time they had their cup of tea in the morning! At only €7 too, it's not going to break the bank. 

Lastly then is this photo himself took on our New England road trip. This was one of my favourite photos from that holiday and we thought it'd look spectacular on a larger scale. I can't even tell you how mesmerised I was by the Autumn leaves over there; the colours are just outstanding and I love the contrast of that red/pink/orange against the blue sky. Again, the clarity in the print is perfect too. 

We went for a wrap canvas which means the edges are part of the print, which looks great. This is a Canvas Lite, 61cm x 40.6 cm. I'd say it's an average size; it's big enough to make an impression but not so big that it takes over a wall entirely if that makes sense! 

There's loads of sizes and shapes available though so you'll be spoilt for choice. I do really like the idea of creating a wall of these with different canvas sizes, it's very Pinteresty but always looks so cool!

We love this canvas, like its retro print friends it'll be going up in our bedroom and will add a nice flash of colour to an otherwise bland cream wall. This is your ideal gift for a loved one I think; pick out their favourite family, wedding or celebratory photo, a shot of their kids or pets and get it masterfully recreated onto a canvas print. Perfect! 

Overall I thought our order was pretty cost effective. I was given credit by the company to try some of the products for myself but I ended up spending my own money too, purely because I wanted more! The original cost of delivery was pricey because the canvas was coming from outside of the EU but there was also a pretty generous discount on the site the same day (30% off orders over €40-that's over tomorrow!) so we saved a lot. I'd say to keep an eye out on the site for discounts as they do seem to be quite generous. There's Black Friday offers on at the moment too that finish tomorrow so definitely a good idea to check it out now if you're interested! 

If you're eager for more gift ideas like this, you should really check out the site, HERE. You can personalise cards, diaries, cushions, snow globes, key rings, Christmas tree baubles, coasters, mouse mats, placemats, fridge magnets, teddy bears, iPhone and iPad cases and even create your own jigsaw!

Amazing!

This post was just to give you an idea of what they do but have you tried anything from Photobox yourself? 

Anything here catching your eye?

XX

*this is not a sponsored post but some items were provided for the purpose of reviewing the website. All opinions my own, as always!

New Household Additions!

I've procured a nice little collection of new bits and pieces for the house lately so I thought I'd gather them all and pop them up here in case anyone's looking for some decorating ideas. All of these bar one were presents- very grateful for my lovely family and friends!

First up is this rather cool lithograph print from Borders. 

While it may look like a cute print of silhouetted shoes, it's actually comprised of words from a segment of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, but in compact form, framing those famous Ruby slippers:

Clever, eh? This is the ideal piece of art for a book lover- I have a plan to create a full wall of mismatching prints and paintings when we have our own house (I'm currently hindered by not being able to put any hooks into the walls, hence why this doesn't have a frame..for the time being!) and this will look great with those. A few of those books underneath it are new too by the way but that'll be a separate post!

Next up are new candles from two different Irish brands. This is A Soft Day; Sweet Rain & Long Grass from Soilse:

Unsurprisingly, this smells a bit like someone's back garden after a light rain shower in Spring. It's very delicate and fresh and has that unique quality of reminding you of home but you're not quite sure why. All of Soilse's candles are handmade using natural soy wax. You can find out more HERE. I'll be picking up "An Irish Christmas" for, well, Christmas (sorry for mentioning the 'C' word in June). 

I've been a big fan of Max Benjamin candles and scent diffusers for a while now so I was very excited by the range of tea scented candles they brought out last year. You may have received one of these from me as a present if you know me actually because the aroma of tea mixed with a candle seems like a match made in heaven. Earl Grey is one of my favourite teas so this was ideal for me. It has a wonderful smoky, almost masculine scent at times so it's a great alternative to the super sweet Yankee candles (that I also like but need a break from sometimes!). 

Here's the one thing that I bought myself. This little jewellery stand was practically calling (chirping?) out to me in Avoca and so it had to come home with me. I think it was around €12. It's great for me as I take off my rings to use hand cream, remove nail polish, put on fake tan etc and I used to often find myself in the unfortunate position of scrambling around looking for said rings as I'd put them down somewhere stupid. Not anymore! I leave them on this and the bird minds them for me. As he does the odd necklace too. 

My husband brought back this hipstery looking owl from a trip to Germany after seeing it and thinking "Chloe's always knocking her glasses off her bedside table! AND she likes cute forrest animals!". I am LITERALLY the easiest person ever to buy for, in spite of, or possibly because of my oddly specific tastes. Anyway, this is the greatest invention of all time. I recently upgraded to these super fancy Dior glasses and they obviously require their own personal holder so Owly* here arrived just in time. 

Lastly but certainly not least is this tea towel of the legend that is Morrissey. Look at him there, all quiffed up. You can find it HERE from Homebird.ie with the frankly wonderful description of "Some towels are bigger than others". YESSSSS. 

Bold & Noble have a whole range of famous tea towel faces, including Bowie, Prince ("I only want to see you *drying* in the purple rain"...I mean, come on!!!) and Madonna. I may have to get those too. Can you imagine the epic sing-offs the four of them would have in the kitchen while I slept? It is literally the stuff of dreams. 

That's my lot for the moment! Would any of these make the cut in your own home? Or have you found any other lovely new home stuffs I should be picking up too? To the comments!

XX

 *Yes, he's called Owly. Not exactly the most imaginative but sure it was either that or Jim the Owl, so...

Anniversary Treats & Mini Book Haul!

If you follow my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc then you'll have spotted it was our two year wedding anniversary last weekend and as it's the "cotton" anniversary we've picked out some rather gorgeous 100% cotton sheets. Meanwhile himself treated me to a bottle of my wedding day perfume, a brilliant new book (Donna Tartt, yay!) and a big old plate of homemade pancakes and tea. He's a marital legend. 

All of that aside, we also have lovely family who gave us this rather amazing anniversary hamper. This may seem super smug and showy-offy but I actually think this is a lovely idea for a gift and thought I'd share it with you all as potential wedding/anniversary/Christmas/birthday/engagement presents for friends and family of your own.

Inside, there was a selection of things we both love; pink champagne for me, pale beer and diet coke for him, chocolates, muffins, mini oreos, flapjacks, rocky roads, even little freddos (beloved childhood chocolate bars..remember when they were 10p y'all? Oh those were the days). All very yum.

Then there was hand wash and matching hand cream, chocolate scented candles and some new rather brilliant looking books:

The chocolate scented candles to the left and right smell AMAZING!! In the middle is the "library" version of the Irish Country House Collection candles, which I love. I reviewed the "Entrance Hall Candle" last year- it's the perfect Autumn scent so I'm hoping for similar with this. You can read that review HERE. Trust me, you need to smell these guys!!

I've somehow never read any Ross O' Carroll-Kelly (shameful as I've lived in Dublin now for about five years), Purple Hibiscus is written by the same author as Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun so I have high hopes for that, I'm a big Sebastian Barry fan and lastly, I've heard great things about The Farm so I'm really excited about all of these. Plus, little known fact about me (it's not at all, I rave about it on here ALL the time) but I love getting presents of books that other people have picked out for me. It makes me bizarrely happy. I'm weird like that.

And lastly, this little beauty, which I LOVE:

I just need to find a good spot for it.

Perfect idea for a gift, no?

XX

These Are A few Of My Favourite Things..

Got that song stuck in your head now, don't you? I know, I'm cruel like that. Anyway, I thought I'd show you a few things I've been loving lately. Let's not kid ourselves either, I love lots of things, that's why I have this blog but these three in particular have been making me super happy for the last month.

Neom Luxury Organics Candle

I love candles and was thrilled to receive this as a gift- I'd never tried anything from Neom before but had heard great things. Each candle is hand made in the UK, made with a special blend of 100% natural vegetable wax and pure aromatherapy oils- nothing else. Because of that, they burn cleanly and don't leave soot on your walls or on the glass container- a huge bonus. That aside, this also smells incredible, containing floral top notes of French Lavender with sandalwood, juniper and geranium, this is designed to help you relax, so it's ideal for use as a pre-bedtime sleep aid or as the brand suggests, to treat Winter blues. I do find it relaxing but I also really just love the scent, it lingers on long after the flame has been extinguished and lends a pleasantly warm, homely feeling to any room. 

This is their mini version, you can also get a larger 3- wick candle and in other aromas. Neom is stocked in Brown Thomas.

Mr Burns Pyjamas

This one was a birthday present to myself, having seen these in an Essiebutton video. I couldn't resist- look how cute they are! Mr Burns and his sleeping cap! And Bobo!! These are made from cotton and are really comfortable, in particular the t-shirt. I'm less enamoured with the style of the shorts but that might just be me being persnickety. I got mine online from Topshop although they appear to be sold out now but you may want to check in store just in case!

Miss Dior Eau De Parfum

My rather amazing husband bought me a bottle of this much-longed for perfume as part of my birthday present and I am in love with it! I've been covertly (not covertly at all) coating myself with this every time I passed the Dior counter in Brown Thomas/House of Fraser for the last six months or so so I'm thrilled to have my very own bottle! I love Dior perfumes, they make the best ones in my opinion.

The brand says: "Citrus topnotes of Italian mandarin essence, followed by a green note of galbanam (nope, no idea either), blending into a floral heart of Eygyptian Jasmine Absolute before sensually concluding with essence of Indonesian Patchouli".

So there you go, sensually concluding. Ooh-er, etc.

For me , I get a hit of citrus, then a lovely warm floral, followed by a gentle musk that lasts on my skin. I just love it, it's a truly beautiful perfume and perfect for Summer.

What have been your go-to creature comforts of late?

XX

Beautiful New Books! (Plus a Bonus Mug)

Although I bought two of these myself, this is actually a birthday book post for the most part. There's nothing I love more than a stack of new, lovely books to flick through so I'm very pleased with myself right now.

*smug face*

Himself always buys me a selection of books for birthdays/Christmas/Anniversaries etc because it's my favourite type of gift to get and I always love what he chooses. This time he gave me "The Intelligent Woman's Guide To Socialism, Capitalism, Societism and Fascism" by Bernard Shaw (being a big mad feminist I'm greatly looking forward to this one), "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood (I'm a huge Atwood fan and this is a stunning edition of this book) and this beautiful copy of Romeo and Juliet (I'm obsessed with Shakespeare and this play and squealed a little when I opened this). He also got me this amazing Penguin mug (I've wanted one forever), featuring one of my all time favourite Agatha Christie novels! SWOON.

My friend Sarah gave me the Gizzi Erskine "Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts" as I've been trying to eat a bit more healthily recently. I LOVE Gizzi and cookbooks in general and this fella is packed with beautiful photos, cool illustrations and of course, yummy recipes; I'm already planning on making the spaghetti with pork and chorizo meatballs, the pumpkin and cashew nut curry and the raspberry and passionfruit puddings. There's also a whole section called "lazy brunches" that has my name written all over it. Nom nom nom.

I bought myself "I quit sugar" by Sarah Wilson as I've been on a no-sugar kick of late (until my holiday last week..eep) and had heard a lot about this. She covers tips for giving up sugar, how to cope with cravings and plenty of recipes, including some nice looking desserts. In particular, her Raspberry ripple looks rather delish. 

While away on holidays last week, we visited a fashion museum (more to come on that in a later post!) and I couldn't leave without this book; "Fifty Dresses That Changed the World". It's a small enough book but presents lovely photos with an in-depth description as to why each one has made the impact it has. It's actually a really interesting read and is great for someone like me, that appreciates fashion but isn't as aware of the history behind it as I would like to be. 

And lastly, there's a closer look at my new mug. Yay!

Have you read any of these? Any of them catching your eye?

XX

This Works Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle & Pillow Spray

A while back I was suffering pretty badly with insomnia. As in wide awake for most of the night, usually finally falling asleep once it was actually the start of a new day. It was absolutely exhausting and stressful. I was stressed anyway (part of the reason why I couldn't sleep) and the added stress of not being able to sleep properly just made it all a big vicious circle. Fast forward a few months to improving health and generally just being exhausted from being back at work which means that I'm now getting around six hours sleep a night; a huge improvement for me. I'm not quite there yet obviously so I decided to try out a couple of sleep aids from This Works. It's important to note that prior to this I also tried meditation, exercise and those creepy sleep sounds, none of which worked. 

First off, the deep sleep heavenly candle. This is designed to help you "relax, unwind and slow down" through a strong blend of lavender and Roman chamomile essential oils. I find this has quite a masculine scent. It's not something I would gravitate towards and actually buy if I'd picked it up and smelt it in a shop first (I got it online). That said, I quite like it now. Also, himself is delighted- this is definitely more man orientated than some of the sweeter candles I would often favour. I also really like the packaging- a heavy matte white glass container with the 'This Works' logo across it; minimalist and clean. Very nice. But does it work, I hear you cry?! Well, yes actually. I usually light this for about a half an hour while I read a couple of chapters of my book and sip my chamomile tea. A few minutes after I blow it out I find myself getting drowsy and my head getting heavy on the pillow. Again, the fact that I am more tired these days definitely helps but this really does get me over that initial hurdle of drifting off, which I found so difficult before. In conjunction with this fella I use the deep sleep pillow spray:

This again contains lavender but also wild chamomile and vetivert designed to promote rest and relaxation. I unsurprisingly spray this on my pillow about ten minutes before I turn off the lights and take a few nice deep breaths. Between this and the candle, I find I can get to sleep a lot more easily. 

I actually got this months ago and when I originally started using it I got frustrated and gave up. It wasn't curing my insomnia, you see. Then of course, like a big eejit I realised that it isn't designed to do that. It helps you sleep more deeply (hence the name) and for longer, so my nights of finally drifting off at 5 or 6am and waking up on the hour every hour (like Sky News but somehow with more journalistic integrity) are now over. Now, when I fall asleep that's that. Until the alarm goes off and I snooze on for far longer than I should, naturally.

I bought both of these from Asos. The candle you can find HERE for €35.12. The spray is currently sold out but they do have this limited edition one HERE for €42.14. Both of mine were on sale when I bought them but they're now unfortunately back to full price, as you can see. 

I also try and implement other tips for getting a better nights sleep; no caffeine at night time, nothing stimulating in the bedroom (mind out of the gutter, dirtbirds! I'm talking about TV, computers, phones etc), a nice relaxing bath before bed and chamomile tea. 

What are your tips for a proper snooze? Have you tried anything from This Works?

XX

Ikea Haul!

We recently moved to a very cute little house and so my interest has been piqued regarding home decor. It's a rented house so we can't do anything permanent; painting or knocking walls etc but that doesn't mean I can't lust after pretty things. And lust I do. There also happened to be a few things the house didn't have that we needed. Hence, Ikea. While the house has book shelves, there was nowhere near enough shelving for the stupid amount of books we own, so we picked up a bookshelf similar to the one below and a narrower matching version also. Otherwise, the rest were completely unnecessary purchases but helped add our own touch to a new home.

Those green boxes are actually more of a pale pistachio colour in real life. They're really handy for storage of random bits and pieces and look really pretty. 

I am a bit in love with the Sophia Loren print, which was only about €11, if I remember correctly. We have it in the kitchen, appropriately enough. God, do I love spaghetti though.

The cushion is to match a similar one that we have already, also from Ikea. 

Those candles in glass jars are less than €2 each. I got a few for the bathrooms, kitchen etc in a fresh floral scent which is really delicate and not at all overpowering. Bargain!

The paper light shade, we actually got on a previous trip to Ikea but didn't have anywhere to put it in our last place so it's now found a new home, along with ourselves. 

Lastly, we got two of the gold frames for hanging smaller black and white prints on the wall. These were about 5 or 6 euro. 

Although I hate the actual trek around Ikea (seriously, there has to be an easier way), I do love the end result and this lovely little lot looks perfect in our new abode.

Are you an Ikea fan or do you prefer a bit of an antique scavenge for your home decor?

To the comments!

XX

Wall Stickers

I've previously mentioned my love for a good wall sticker with this Oscar Wilde quote (actually a stencil but you get the idea) HERE and since I'm always on the lookout for the perfect ones for when we own our own house some day, I thought I'd share a few that have caught my eye lately:

"Hello Beautiful" HERE. I think this would be a fun addition to a plain mirror, especially for a dressing table.

Dumbledore Quote Light Switch sticker "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" HERE. I can't even explain how much I want this but I can't find it in the exact way that I want it! An option may be to hand paint it myself but either way, how cool would this be just randomly on a light switch! Yes, I know, Nerd.

"The Greatest Thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return" HERE. Bit of a smushy one but I think this would be beautiful as it is here, above a bed. I'd gladly take the rest of the decor too, obviously.

Bird cages HERE. I have a bit of a thing for bird cages so this really appeals to me, although it could get a bit tiring after a while.

Family Tree HERE. I love this! What a fantastic way to display all your old family photos!

Wallpaper sticker HERE. This one is slightly different as it's a panel of wallpaper but in sticker format. I love the chevron pattern and I think it'd make for a really interesting feature wall.

Blowing Tree HERE. I'm big into the tree stickers, obviously! This isn't specifically the one I had in mind but I couldn't find that one and this is a similar idea. Again, I like a feature wall behind a bed and something like this is a bit quirky and quite pretty too.

What's your opinion on these? Stylish or just an excuse to relive your childhood days of collecting stickers?! Let me know in the comments!

XX

Pretty Home Stuff from Avoca

A recent days window shopping in Avoca led to my lusting after several items, which pretty much happens every time I step into that place, it's like my own personal Crystal Meth. Instead of buying anything though (I'm being sensible..boo), I did take note of these few bits that my home would gladly benefit from:

Multi coloured woolen blankets: Every time I go into Avoca, I end up stroking these and thinking about cold winter nights, snuggled up on the couch with a big mug of tea and a book, with one of these lovelies draped across me. My personal favourite is that pink/orange/yellow/red one on the left. Lovely.

My love for a good mug is well documented at this stage and I'm very fond of these Fifi Lapin ones. I feel like these particular bunnies are WAY more stylish than I am though so it could just be a bit disheartening using these on a daily basis. Very cute though.

Yeah so I actually have a baby pink KitchenAid already and I love it greatly but every time I see a new one in a different colour it leads to a secret desire to buy several of them in varying shades and put one on all of my kitchen counter tops, a la "The Great British Bake Off". Which would obviously be insane, if nothing else, given the size of my kitchen but one can dream.

Is there anything greater than a table full of stationery goods? The answer is of course, no. Thank you cards, address books, diaries etc. So many pretty options.

Oh Avoca, you've done it again. I want all of your wares. 

XX

August Wishlist

• Kawaii Black Cat Mock Knee High Tights, HERE, from Etsy. I've recently become a bit addicted to Etsy- so many lovely and unusual things for great prices. These are my latest find, I probably won't be wearing a skirt short enough to show these off this Autumn/Winter but I think I'd enjoy just wearing these anyway, for the cute factor, if nothing else.
• Sonal Talgeri Bhaskaran 'Starlet Aurora' Cocktail Ring, HERE from Coldlilies. I spotted this little beauty on Instagram (can't remember now who had the picture up, sorry!) and I fell for it straight away, making mental note of the designer. This is a really beautiful statement piece that I think will have have long term appeal.
• Red Midi Skirt, HERE, from Coast. I love a 50's style skirt and this high waisted, midi length from Coast is no exception. A gloriously rich red hue, this will be perfect for those crisp Autumn evenings, right through to Christmas parties!

• Ted Baker Green Peplum Jacket, HERE, ASOS. I am a huge Ted Baker fan and happily we can expect beautifully cut, feminine styles in stunning jewel tones from the new season range. I have my eye on this standout green jacket- I've tried this on in real life so I can confirm that it's stylish, warm and very flattering. Lovely.
• Mr & Mrs Cushions, HERE from SoVintageChic, Etsy. Alright so this one is just a little bit kitsch, but I love these Mr & Mrs cushions. Penney's were selling similar ones a few months back apparently but I missed out on them and have been on the hunt for them elsewhere since. We recently celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and I think these would be a lovely way to mark that (aside from taking a break in the country and getting lovely gifts, as we've already done, obviously. Spoilt rotten). 
• Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Rich Chocolate Eye Palette, HERE. I've seen this popping up on a few blogs now and I swoon a little bit every time I do. Bobbi Brown always make really beautiful palettes and this looks like it'll be another winner. I've been loving browns, taupes and golds lately so I'm very excited to see this when it comes out. 

C'est ça. Let me know in the comments what you're lusting after at the moment- let's all enable each other! 

XX

The 31 Day Snap #30

Behold, my very cool new 50's style Robot print from Clumsy Pickle. I actually originally saw this little guy on Gail's blog, GailyGumDrops and had to get one for myself, especially considering the bargainous price!

What I particularly love about this is that he's hand drawn onto a vintage book page, and god knows I love an auld vintage book. I also love robots, so it all works out pretty well. He's now framed and lives in my hallway so everyone who walks into the house can see him.