It’s currently National Stationery week in the UK (22nd-28th April). Lord knows I LOVE stationery. It’s an ongoing joke in my office that I love ordering new supplies. When I have spurts of saving the pennies personally, our stationery orders somehow increase!
To celebrate the occasion I’ve treated myself to some lovely new bits from Ryman’s.
This week also coincides with joining PostCircle. PostCircle is a cool idea thought up and ran by Miss Beatrix. It aims to keep alive the art of post and the beautiful stationary, postcards and other pretty bits that go with it. What a lovely thing it is to receive something in the mail that isn’t a bill! I received the details for my Group of six mail buddies on Monday.
The first note I send will be written on one of these gorgeous Madeleine Floyd notecards.
When was the last time you put something nice in the post? Why not surpise someone special by wishing them a Happy Birthday with a card, instead of using facebook?
The last couple of days in the UK it’s been properly lovely and sunny (with actual warmth!) for the first time all year. It’s been a long time coming and boy am I glad.
Yesterday I wore a lovely navy and white polka-dot dress and today I found myself wearing last years black and white polka-dot flip flops from Kate Kuba.
They even have bows! Three things I love; polka-dots, bows and flip flops, all in one cute little package!
What do you start wearing when it hots up?
For my birthday earlier this month my lovely Sister-in-law gave me a bonus present of PaperCrafter Magazine (issue 60) which came with some lovely papers and other bits for projects (she knows me well!).
In the magazine these Photo Booth props really caught my eye. My wedding was last June and we had a Photo Booth with a selection of fun pink props that we put together, and these DIY paper ones would have been a great addition! In fact they’re a fun idea for any party so I’ve pinned them to my ‘entertaining’ board on the marvellous Pinterest.
The templates can be downloaded for free here and the magazine shows how to make them (but you could use your imagination). Issue 60 should be on sale for a bit longer and it’s a great read.
I’ve just seen the new Lulu Guinness range for UNIQLO and it”s even better than the last one. All t-shirts are at the bargain price of £12.90 and they’re super cute.
Being Dotty Belle I obviously love this spotty number:
I also love this one and think it would look very chic at the airport with my Lulu red lips carry on case:
You can see the full range here.
If like me, you are finding that the long winter (and supposed spring) has made your hands drier than the Sahara then you need to know about these two products.
Crabtree and Evelyn’s Hand Recovery scrub will exfoliate away dead skin leaving your hands smooth and soft. It contains shea butter and lavender oil to leave hands moisturised too.
E45 cream is not glamorous but gets the job done better than most hand creams, even those ten times the price. And it’s not perfumed so won’t sting sore and delicate hands like others. It’s non greasy and sinks in quickly.
And if you haven’t already, get yourself some cotton gloves. Just slather on E45 or your normal hand cream and pop the gloves on top. Ideally leave on overnight, or just for a few hours, and feel the results! Here’s some that look good.
Aaah, relief!
I’m not big into fashion but I do love clothes. I like classic pieces in quality fabrics that flatter. My latest purchase made me feel a whole dress size smaller, so that’s a winner!
This black shift in soft stretch fabric is uber flattering and the perfect LBD for work which can easily be dressed up for night. It’s so comfortable to wear and I’ve had lots of compliments on it.
And if you love your accessories it’s an absolute blank canvas dream!
You can pick it up here.
I fell in love with these retro striped straws as soon as I saw them and decided to have a bit of fun with them. My aim when planning my wedding was to entertain our guests as much as possible, and everyone seemed to think these straws were a nice touch. They certainly made a cheeky conversation starter!
The straws are available in a few different colours and I found Pipii to have them at the best price, with a few colours being available in a bulk pack of 144 at £7.45.
I purchased mini luggage tags cheaply on eBay and aged them with watered down brown ink. I then used my trusty individual alphabet stamps to make the words ‘SUCK ME’ for the girls, and ‘DRINK ME’ for the boys. To keep with the aged look I used a cocoa brown ink. To make the ribbon go further, I (and my helpful sister in-law) tied the ribbon whilst still attached to the spool and cut after the knot was tied.
Tips
-Cut the ribbon diaogonally so you have a point to thread through the label.
-The straws can get soggy if left in a drink for a long time.
– They look gorgeous in a container ready for your guests to help themselves. I love the idea of these being served next to a homemade lemonade dispenser.
– You’ll need a fair bit of ribbon, probably more than you think. And if you find a colour you love get lots of it. When I spotted my ideal colour at John Lewis it was early on in the wedding planning process and I only got one spool, when I went to get more it had been discontinued and I couldn’t find my wedding colour anywhere!
Generally I buy premium skincare products for my body that I make last a long time. L’occitane, Clarins, etc. But last year I was taking a weekend break in Mallorca and not checking any luggage in, so it was off to Boots to buy anything over 100mls that I hadn’t been able to pack (and was too lazy to distil!). That’s when I came across Boots own brand Cocoa Butter and Mallow body moisturiser (£2.03). This stuff smells divine, sinks in well and moisturises brilliantly without any greasy residue.
The gorgeous scent lingers and I am the ultimate lazy girl so the pump dispenser is perfect for me.
I was sad to leave it behind when returning from my trip, but bought a new bottle as soon as I got home. It’s now one of my staple body care products. And at a snip .
If you’re getting married and are yet to find bridesmaid dresses, check out the collection available for hire at Girl Meets Dress.
You could even spend less than budgeted, whilst fitting your girls out in designer princess gowns. What’s not to love?!
It’s ideal if you’re letting your girls pick something that suits them as long as it’s in the same hue. Which by the way, I think is a gorgeous look.
My favourites are:
Maids to Measure Caroline Gown in Grape (sizes 6 – 16)
RRP £215
Hire £59
Lacey Pink Maids to Measure Dress (sizes 6 – 16)
RRP £215
Hire £59
It’s valentines day and I’m feeling loved up. I’ve literally had love songs running through my head all day. And I feel very excited, which is weird as I usually only get this excited when presents are involved. And after almost 6 years with my Husband I know what to expect, and what not to expect on valentines day (no present)!
Love is obviously more important than any card, flowers or diamond earrings (but that’s our little secret!). I feel very blessed to be surrounded by my Husband, family and friends.
Sending you all some extra love and hoping those of you who are waiting for Cupid are graced by him soon.
Ps: A pug would make the perfect valentine present!
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