Sunday 31 March 2019

Sunday Favourites #370


It's Sunday and that can only mean one thing around these parts: it's time for another batch of my Sunday Favourites! Enjoy!


Oh Joy show you how to brighten up clear storage boxes using decals with their colourful storage decal DIY.


Aww Sam's hidden design flower cake looks so pretty. It would be perfect for a Mother's Day treat.


Don't you dare make me feel ashamed of my body.



This buttercream sandwich cookie recipe from The Sugar Coated Cottage looks almost too good to eat!


I love this rainbow crochet wreath from Sewing The Seeds of Love. I need to learn how to crochet so I can attempt this!


Handmade Charlotte's DIY strawberry cupcake toppers are so cute. They'd be perfect for summer parties and gatherings.


These DIY confetti coupe cocktail glasses by A Kailo Chic Life are a fun alternative to plain glass glasses.


These huggable strawberry heating pads from Urban Outfitters are the cutest.



This cheerful rainbow pot collection from Hi There The Shop. Everything is better with rainbows. Fact.



Mother and food artist Laleh Mohmedi makes healthy food fun for her son by turning his meals in to cartoon characters, and her creations are amazing.




Paper cut artists N V Illustration create these amazing miniature birds out of paint and paper. The detail is incredible.


And this rainbow striped dress from Collectif is a colour addict's dream.

If you'd like to see more like this, check out my Pinterest and Tumblr which are both packed full with similar images. You can also find all previous Sunday Favourites posts here.

Thanks for reading!

Any favourites this week?
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Wednesday 27 March 2019

Wednesday Wish List


This week, I've been coveting...


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Oh So Flamingo have released the cutest collection of baby farm animal brooches for spring, and I'm completely smitten with these four designs. They're so adorable! My favourite has to be Rosie the Calf, and I don't know how much longer I can resist her...



I definitely don't need any more colourful eye make up in my life, but this eyeshadow palette from MAC looks amazing. Look at those gorgeous colours! If colour isn't your thing, there are neutral versions in the collection to shop from, too.


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I'm loving the new Cath Kidston Fearne Cotton collection that was released last week. The new prints are to die for, and I particularly love the look of these bags, cases, and purses.


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These gingham and striped dresses from Lindy Bop are my idea of dress perfection. 



This dachshund skirt from Lindy Bop is the cutest skirt I've ever seen! I hope they bring back the dachshund dress because I missed out on it last year and would love it in my life.



This acrylic daffodil necklace from I Am Acrylic is so lovely. It would be perfect for pairing with spring and Easter outfits.


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And I'm loving so many of Lady Vintage's new Lady Voluptuous dresses which have just dropped for spring in sizes 14- 30/32. There are some fantastic prints and styles available this season. The only problem is, I can't decide which one I love best.

If you'd like to see more of the fashion and beauty products on my wish list, check out my style and beauty wish list boards on Pinterest. You can also find all previous Wednesday Wish List posts here.

Has anything caught your eye this week?
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Sunday 24 March 2019

Sunday Favourites #369


It's that time of the week again...







These cat photos by photographer Andrius Burba!






Can't stop laughing at these Strange Planet comic strips!


Studio DIY's doughnut clutch is so cute.



Ignore the begrudgers and the doubts in your head, you're fine just the way you are! Art by Tyler Feder.


I love these hoops from Marigold and Mars.


Club Crafted's DIY floral wall art looks so pretty.


I kinda want to make this fun DIY yarn hanging pendant light by A Kailo Chic Life.


I also want to have a go at this rainbow weaving DIY from We Are Scout. I'd love to make a pastel version.


How cool is this rainbow candy floss cake?!


This flourless chocolate torte from Oh Joy looks delicious.


Sugar and Cloth's layered brownie parfaits need to get in my belly now! OMG!


And these DIY rainbow earrings from The House That Lars Built are so darn cute.

If you'd like to see more like this, check out my Pinterest and Tumblr. You can also find all previous Sunday Favourites posts here.

Thanks for reading!

Any favourites this week?
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Thursday 21 March 2019

Vendula London Le Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag Review*


*AD- This post features a bag I was sent in exchange for a review. As always, all words, thoughts and opinions are my own and have been written 100% honestly.

When it comes to fashion, I've always had a weakness for handbags. Some women adore shoes, others love diamonds, but for me, it's always been about the bags. I love all kinds of different styles, but, as I'm sure most of you will know by now, I have a particular fondness for novelty designs and anything colourful. The quirkier the better.

One brand I have long admired for their quirky bags and purses is Vendula London, the British brand known for their iconic shopfront bags, so when they recently got in touch and invited me to review a bag from their new season collections, I couldn't have been more excited. Of course I said 'yes!'

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream

Vendula London sent me the beautiful La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag* from my short list of favourites, and when the bag arrived on my doorstep a couple of days later, I was instantly blown away by how stunning it was. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined it would be, and it unsurprisingly attracted much jealousy from my Mum and sister who both keep trying to steal it! I can't say I blame them, but they won't be prising this bag from my hands any time soon- I love it too much to let go!

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream

The La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag is a beautiful sky blue and cream vegan-leather bag featuring one of Vendula London's brand new shopfront designs for 2019- a charming bicycle service and repair shop! I thought there couldn't possibly be any shops left for Vendula London to immortalise in to handbags, but they've gone and proved me wrong with this wonderfully unique design. A bicycle service and repair shop bag?! I really have seen everything now!

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream

Like Vendula London's other iconic shopfront bags, whose handbag establishments include everything from post offices to pubs and chocolateries to toy shops, the bag has, obviously, been designed to look just like the front of a shop. The top of the bag has been made in to the shop's awning in scalloped stripes of blue and cream, but the pièce de résistance is the shop's window display which is filled with amazing detail that has to be seen to be believed. I notice something new every time I look at it.

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream

If you peek in the shop's window, you'll be transported to the sweetest bicycle repair shop you ever did see. On the left, there are shelves filled with storage boxes, cans of oil, and a blue bicycle helmet hanging above a red applique air machine. To the right, is a work station with tools hung on the wall above a table with a pink bike helmet sitting on top, and a couple of stools and storage boxes sitting neatly underneath it. Best of all, hanging from the shop's ceiling in the centre is a cheerful yellow bicycle and a sky-blue penny farthing, both with black trim, complimenting the pink applique vegan-leather bicycle with a wicker basket full of greenery parked on the pavement in front of the shop. The colourful bikes are easily my favourite parts of the design- they're so darn cute!

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream With Applique and Embroidery Details

The detail doesn't stop there; look closer still, and you'll see a sign for 'service & repairs' in the window, and find the shop walls are painted cream with a sea of cogs outlined in sky blue faintly embossing the lower half of the shop. If that wasn't enough, the arch of the window is framed with a garland of colourful flowers sewn on to the leather, and beside the bicycle on the cobbled-grey pavement is an embroidered pot plant with an applique pot.

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream with Applique and Embroidery Details

To the right of the window, the black and cream door is filled with colourful signs advertising 'REPAIRS DONE WHILE YOU WAIT!', 'SAME DAY REPAIRS', 'BICYCLES FOR RENT', and 'FREE AIR & OIL.' And hanging from the wall above the door by two little black plastic chains, is a crimped circular sign proudly advertising the shop's name, La Bicyclette De Vendula, in black, white, and pink so you know where to go for all your bicycle maintenance needs. The amount of detail that has gone in to this bag is just incredible.  

If you thought the attention to detail was reserved for the front and outside of the bag, think again; Vendula London have given the back and inside of the bag just as much care and attention.

On the back of the bag, you'll find a bright yellow and black tandem bike parked in a bike rack, just waiting to be taken out for a spin, and there's also a small zipped pocket large enough to store your phone or keys safely away from pick-pocketers against your body.

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream with Tandem Bike Design
Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream with Tandem Bike Design

The inside of the bag, in both the main compartment and the back pocket, has been lined with a fun London print, which is made up of iconic British paraphernalia like red telephone boxes, the Queen's guards, black cabs, post boxes, double decker buses, London Underground signs, penny farthings, and more on a cream cotton background. The print compliments the outer design perfectly, and if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself admiring it each time you reach in to the bag to grab something. It's almost as pretty as the outside!

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream With London Print Lining

You'll also find a zipped pocket for keeping valuables secure, and a generously-sized mobile phone pocket that should fit even the largest of today's smartphones sewn in to the lining in the main section of the bag. 

The bag itself has been handcrafted from high-quality vegan-leather which looks and feels just like thick, good-quality leather, but with one simple difference- no animals were harmed to make it, which is fantastic! I admit I do buy leather products from time to time, but as a big animal lover, I prefer buying cruelty-free alternatives as much as possible because I hate the thought of animals suffering for fashion. It's so unnecessary when there are amazing cruelty-free options to shop from, like this one, and it's just one reason why Vendula London's products appeal to me. 

Aside from the design and the quality, what I love about this bag is that it is the perfect size for every day use. It's neither too big or to small, and has more than enough room for the essentials. I can fit everything I need in it for a day on the go- including my chunky bridge camera and a book- with room to spare! I judge a good day bag on whether there's room for a paperback and my camera along with my other essentials, and the box bag definitely passes the test! It's the ideal size for everything from shopping trips to work, and sight-seeing to just doing the food shop in style.

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream With London Print Lining

Another detail which attracted me to the box bag is that it has an adjustable shoulder strap which can be worn on the shoulder and across the body, depending on your mood, outfit, and needs. I love having the option to sling a bag over my shoulder when my arms are tired, or I just need my hands free for other things.  The best part is the vegan-leather strap can be adjusted to seven different lengths, and it's long enough to wear comfortably. I'm 5'6" and if I wear it on the shortest notch on my shoulder and the longest notch across my body, the bag sits comfortably on my hip and top of my thigh respectively. Whether you're short or tall, slim or plus size, this bag should fit almost everybody comfortably, which is fantastic. There's are few things I hate more than finding a beautiful bag and then discovering the strap isn't long enough to be comfortable or practical. Well done, Vendula!

Now, it's unlikely that I will put this bag down long enough for it to gather dust, but if I do, I won't have to worry about it getting dusty because like all Vendula London bags, it comes with its own bright pink dust bag to keep it looking its best when its not in use. They really have thought of everything.

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Pink Vendula London Dust Bag

The Le Bicyclette de Vendula box bag retails for £78, which I personally think is really reasonable for a handcrafted bag of such high quality, especially with all that applique and embroidery detail which takes time and skill to create. I couldn't be more impressed with it; it's stunning, it's quirky, and fantastic quality, and I know I'm going to be using it for many years to come. You can find it on their website here or if you're in London, why not check it out in person in their Covent Garden store?

Vendula London La Bicyclette De Vendula Box Bag in Blue and Cream

If the box bag isn't your style, the Le Bicyclette de Vendula design comes in a wide range of different styles, with another six bags and seven wallets and purses to choose from, all featuring this beautiful blue and cream bicycle repair shop. The collection includes Vendula London's coveted grab bag, an interchangeable backpack, and the loveliest little coin purse, with prices starting at just £19. You can shop the full collection here and of course, browse the rest of their fabulous designs on their website now. I promise you won't be disappointed.

What do you think of the design? Will you be buying anything from the collection this spring?

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*AD- This post features a bag I was sent in exchange for a review. As always, all words, thoughts and opinions are my own and have been written 100% honestly.
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