What I Got For My Birthday

It was my birthday at the beginning of the month- not that I celebrated it this year. I spent the day in bed sick with Covid, self-isolating from my family, and feeling too upset to celebrate after missing a trip to Brighton and a concert I'd been dying to see the day before.

It barely even registered that it was my birthday, except for the birthday cake, and presents from my family that got left outside my bedroom door, which did actually help to cheer me up a little. How can cake and presents not make you smile?!

I might do something fun to make up for my ruined birthday plans once we've all fully recovered from Covid, but for now I thought I'd keep with tradition, and give you a peek at the lovely presents I was gifted this year.

My parents gave me a couple of pairs of earrings and a set of cardi clips from Erstwilder. The cardi clips are a pair of gorgeous pink and white cockatoos (galahs?) called Pinky Promise from last year's Erstwilder x Jocelyn Proust collection. They're made from the prettiest pearlescent, bubble, and textured resins, and the best part is they're so versatile. They can be worn as cardi or collar clips, but also pinned closer together as a double brooch. I love them! I think the glittery cream opalescent flower earrings were from the same collection, but I can't remember which the plain black bubble resin cat earrings belonged to. Maybe one of the Halloween ranges? Doesn't really matter; they're cute, and will be perfect for spooky season.

I also got some money from my parents so I could choose something I wanted, so I pooled my birthday money, and put it towards this beautiful Bumblebee and Small Polka Dot Monty radio from Emma Bridgewater. I've been looking for a new bluetooth speaker for a while, as I've had nothing to play music on- except for straight off my phone or laptop- since my last speaker broke a couple of years ago. I've been tempted by the heart print Emma Bridgewater radio for ages, but just as I was thinking about buying it with my birthday money, I stumbled across this one and fell in love with it there and then. It's so unique, and I love the colourful bee and polka dot print so much. I've never seen a gadget quite like it. I haven't set up the radio or alarm clock features yet, but it's so easy to connect your phone or iPod to it to play music, and the bass on it is impressive. The sound quality is amazing. It even has a USB port at the back so you can charge your phone from it! It isn't cheap at £100, but if you sign up to the newsletter on the Emma Bridgewater website, you get 15% off your order, making it a much more reasonable £85. Trust me, it's worth every penny.

My younger sister bought me the Robin Hood Loungefly Wallet that I've been lusting over for the best part of a year, and it is amazing. It's blue and green with silhouettes of trees and bushes in the background, and a pattern of characters from the film in the foreground. There's Robin Hood and Little John (not running through the forest), Maid Marian and Clucky, her lady-in-waiting, Prince John and Sir Hiss, and even the little bunnies and turtle. It's so cute! The inside is petrol-blue with a pale blue lining printed with items associated with the film, like Robin Hood's hat, quivers, gems, and arrows and targets. It has space for notes and several cards, but annoyingly doesn't have a place for coins. You can kind of make a pocket out of the space behind the cards, but it's not ideal. Luckily, I don't often have much cash on me, so I'm sure I can make it work.

Along with the wallet, my sister gave me the coolest pair of Truffle Shuffle socks with the worm from Labyrinth on them. They're bright blue and red, and lovely and thick. I've always loved the worm from Labyrinth, so they're the best socks ever!

On my birthday, my other sister dropped a gift bag of presents off on the doorstep for me, not wanting to risk coming in and getting infected. She and my brother-in-law gifted me four books, and a lovely selection of treats from Marks and Spencer's. I sense she was trying to cheer me up after I got sick and our plans fell apart. The sugar definitely helped. I was given Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (which I've wanted to try after enjoying the Shadow and Bone books), The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Jade City by Fonda Lee, and Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. I've only read Every Heart a Doorway so far, and it was a weirdly good but morbid little read. I can't wait to read all the others. As for the sweet treats, I was given some cookie dough bites, a couple of bags of chocolate peanuts (my fave M&S treats), some chocolate covered popcorn, and a couple of cakes in a jar. The Trillionaire one was particularly delicious. Would definitely recommend.

And one of my lovely friends sent me a gorgeous parcel of goodies wrapped in peach-coloured polka dot tissue paper. She sent me the sweetest selection of items, including a llama keyring, a set of cute wooden animal photo pegs, a bookish pin, a mint-green scrunchie featuring black and white dogs with patches that remind me of Rosie, a birthday candle and flower seeds in a little matchbox, some flower stickers, and a map-print pill box, that will be so handy for carrying my painkillers in my bag.

I'm really grateful for all I was given this year, so thank you to everyone who gave me a present. You're the best!

What's the best birthday present you've ever been given?

What I Got For My Birthday

It's been three months since my birthday, so I thought it was about time I documented some of the lovely presents my family and friends gave me this year. 

I would've done it sooner, but hey, taking blog photos when you need them is an abled-bodied person's game. Three months late. That's my jam.

Some of the birthday cards I received this year.

My parents got me the amazing Vendula London Seaside Souvenirs Backpack (and I chipped in a bit, as well), which had been high on my wish list ever since the range was launched a year or two ago. We got it during the flash sale in June and found a discount code, too, so got it for £60-something instead of £98, which was a real bargain, and worth every penny. The bag is so beautiful, fantastic quality, surprisingly roomy, and the attention to detail is incredible. I love all the little seaside-themed details! The cool thing about this bag is that's it's not just a backpack, but can be converted in to a cross body bag or shoulder bag as well! I sadly find it too short to comfortably use as a cross body, but as a backpack, it's perfect. The straps are long and adjustable, and it's comfortable on the shoulders. I used it on my recent holiday to Cornwall, and I couldn't have asked for a better day bag. Or a more perfect bag for by the sea. (I actually chose it with trips to Cornwall and the seaside in mind). I love it! I can't wait to use it again next summer.

It feels too late in the year to do a review of a seaside-themed bag, but if anyone wants me to do a full review of it, just let me know.

My younger sister, Sarah, gave me the Too Faced Born This Way: The Natural Nudes eyeshadow palette, after seeing it on my birthday wish list, so I was really excited to unwrap this on my birthday. I wanted some more nude eyeshadows to try as most of my eyeshadow collection is colourful, and this has to be one of the loveliest nude eyeshadow palettes I've ever seen. The shades are dreamy- especially the metallics. I've only used the palette a few times so far, but I'm already really impressed with these shadows. They have great colour pay-off, blend really well, feel super soft on the skin, and stay put all day- even on blazing hot days in the sun. 

I was given a lovely assortment of presents from my older sister and brother-in-law, starting with this gorgeous embroidered red fox brooch by Vikki Lafford Garside. She brought it from a shop in Oxford's Covered Market that sells quirky jewellery from brands like Little Moose and Layla Amber. After choosing the fox brooch for me, and hearing it was made by a local artist, my sister realised it was made by someone she knew in passing, who used to take the same bus as her to school. How weird is that? I love that it was made locally by someone she can put a face to. It's such a cute brooch, and will be the perfect finishing touch for autumn outfits.

Marie also got me another brooch from the same shop, this time a colourful wooden heart upcycled by Zinc White from recycled Derwent pencils. It's so cute! I really need a book or art-themed dress to wear it with.

Earlier this year, I mentioned wanting to reread The Tommyknockers by Stephen King, as it had been a while since I'd read it, so naturally, my sister got me a copy. (Which was lovely, as until then, I'd only had a copy on my Kindle). I read it in August, which took the whole month as the book is super long (about 1400 pages), and some of the chapters are really tedious and drawn-out. I'd forgotten how many seemingly pointless chapters there were in between the exciting ones of Bobbi and Gard digging up the space ship, and the townsfolk transforming in to aliens. I almost gave up a few times, but it was worth persevering to get to the good bits.

The sister also got me the Alice in Wonderland Caterpillar 70th anniversary Funko Pop, and it's one of the cutest Funko Pops ever! Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my favourite Disney films, and I'm loving the new 70th anniversary Funkos that have recently been released. This grumpy chain-smoking caterpillar is definitely one of my favourites.

And she also treated me to some delicious Hotel Chocolat chocolates. The Dizzy Praline truffles are one of my favourites- they're so yummy!- but I had never tried the Peanut Butter & Jelly ones before. Turns out, they're amazing! I enjoyed sampling them over the summer.

One of my lovely friends sent me some amazing chocolate bars and lollies from Bloc-o-Choc. The chocolate is to die for! The milk chocolate is so creamy, and they're layered with different branded chocolates which makes them an incredible treat. I'm loving orange milk chocolate at the moment, so I particularly loved the Terry's Chocolate Orange bar. 10/10 would recommend.

I was also gifted a gorgeous pair of pink strawberry drop earrings from a friend, which are lovely for spring and summer. I haven't really worn this style of earring before, so it's been fun branching out and trying something new. I love them! They're from EarBlush on Etsy.

Another lovely friend sent me a letterbox parcel of pick 'n' mix sweets from All You Can Sweet, which was the best treat to get in the post. I naturally ate all the good ones before I was able to take a photo of them because I just couldn't wait to enjoy them, but it also had pink chocolate pigs and white chocolate stars in the mix, and a lot more sweets. They were so good!

And last but not least, my Nana sent me some money for my birthday, and I couldn't resist putting it towards the Erstwilder Halloween Care Bears 'Trick or Sweet Bear' brooch. And now it's autumn, I can finally start wearing it! Yay!

And those are some of the things I got for my 36th birthday.

A big 'thank you!' to everyone who bought me presents this year. I love them and I appreciate it! You're the best!

What did you get for your last birthday?

What I Got For My 35th Birthday

It's been three months since my birthday, but in true Louise style, I've only just managed to take the photos I needed to document the lovely presents I was given for turning another year older.

 I'm beyond useless at documenting my life on time these days. My Chronic pain is so unpredictable it makes it hard to keep up. I still wanted to make a record of what I was given, so three months late it is. Better late than never, though, right?

My older sister and brother-in-law sent me a parcel of goodies wrapped in My Little Pony paper and a sparrow-print scarf all the way from Germany.

They gave me some really lovely presents, including a couple of Erstwilder brooches- Jemima Puddle Duck and Ruby The Booby; a sky blue sparrow and anchor-print hair scarf from Erstwilder; a Funko Pop of Timon from The Lion King dressed in drag to do the luau; a gorgeous Clothbound Classics edition of Dracula by Bram Stoker; some Godiva chocolates; and a bag of Reese's chocolate peanut-butter-dipped pretzels. I love everything, but naturally, the Erstwilder pieces are my favourites.

Jemima had been on my brooch wish list for ages as I adored Beatrix Potter books growing up, and my sister chose Ruby the Booby for me because it's called a booby, and she thought it was hilarious. Yep, my older sister is really twelve. I've wanted Ruby for years, so I'm really pleased to finally have her in my collection. She'll be perfect for future holidays to Cornwall when life is safe again.

I treated myself to the Erstwilder Raven Mad brooch for my birthday because it had been high on my wish list since last autumn, and I came across it on sale via Lottie & Lu. (Sadly sold out now, but still available from Glitterally here). It would've been rude not to since it was my birthday, right? It's made from the most gorgeous black and orange resins, and is easily one of my favourite brooches ever. Ravens are for life and not just for Halloween!

My younger sister, Sarah, gave me this amazing Robin Hood wallet from Loungefly, and it's basically the best wallet ever. I. Love. It! Robin Hood has always been one of my all time favourite Disney movies, but you rarely ever see merchandise from it, so I can't tell you how excited I was to get this. There really should be more Robin Hood memorabilia. It's such an underrated Disney movie, but definitely one of the best.

My parents gave me some money towards the Cath Kidston Sweet Strawberry tote bag which I'd been coveting all summer, and I made up the difference. I only have one other tote bag in my wardrobe, so I thought it would be good to try a different style to what I usually go for. I'm glad I did as I love it. It's a gorgeous medium sized tote made from white faux leather with a red and pink strawberry print on the outside, and a plain red faux leather on the inside. It's so pretty, and has plenty of room for the essentials- and then some. I haven't actually used it yet as I've only left the house once since I got it, but it'll be great for next spring and summer. It's still available to buy here, and it's currently on sale for just £46- a steal at almost half price! 

I was also given a blush-coloured wallet from Fossil, and a set of earrings from the parents, but I forgot to take a photo of them.

I also received a little money for my birthday from my relatives, which I pooled together and put towards the Erstwilder Care Bear brooches I blogged about recently.

A lovely friend of mine sent me the Puffin Classics edition of Dracula by Bram Stoker, which I'd been coveting since it was released late last year. It's so beautiful and looks amazing on my bookshelf. I have a few books from this collection now, and they're some of the prettiest books I've ever owned. I can't wait to finally read Dracula this Halloween.

Another wonderful friend of mine sent me a gorgeous stationery box filled with the cutest stationery you ever did see. Inside was a notebook, box of pencils, and set of highlighters in a retro poppy print; a mini mandala colouring book; two star shaped paper clips; a scrabble tile heart tag with my initial on it; and a felt watermelon brooch. It was really thoughtful, and as a bit of a stationery addict, I naturally love it all! I can't remember the name of the company it came from as I threw out the box because of Covid paranoia (yep, I'm one of those people), but if anyone wants to know, leave me a message, and I'll try to find out for you.

And those are the lovely presents I was gifted for my 35th birthday from my family and friends. 

I felt so spoiled, and they sure helped brighten up my birthday on lockdown. Thanks for the presents, family and friends!

What did you get for your last birthday?

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Turning Thirty-Four and What I Got For My Birthday

I know you wouldn't think it by looking at my youthful, wrinkle-free face 😉, but back in July, I turned thirty-four. 

How the hell did that happen?! I'd swear I was eighteen two minutes ago. Can someone slow time down a bit, please?

I thought turning thirty-four and easing from my early-thirties to my mid-thirties with very little to show for my life was going to feel horrible, but for the first time in my adult life, I found I didn't care about becoming a year older. It didn't linger on my mind nor did I lose any sleep over it, like I have done over birthdays in the past. I actually felt okay with it. I guess I've finally learned to accept the passing of time, and the fact that my life is probably never going to be like everyone elses or the one I hoped for myself before I got sick. I'm just doing my best to accept my life for what it is, and trying to live it one day at a time without focusing on achieving certain things by certain times, and making myself feel like shit when I don't. I have to say, it's liberating to take the pressure off yourself and go with the flow. 

Thirty-four hasn't been any different to thirty-three so far. It's been mostly boring and uneventful, but my birthday was lovely. Quiet, but lovely. I know it was ages ago now, but I'm behind with my blog posts (again) and I wanted to document a few photos from it, and also show you what my family gave me for my birthday.

On my birthday, I awoke to presents from my parents, and spent late morning to mid-afternoon wandering around The Cotswold Wildlife Park with my Mum. It's only a few miles down the road from where I live, so I've spent so many birthdays there over the years. It's sort of become a tradition. Since I've been ill and housebound, I've found myself craving the outdoors and appreciating nature more and more, and since I hadn't left the house in almost a month by this point, a birthday trip to the zoo was exactly what I needed. As an introvert, I'm not really one for parties or wild nights out, but a few hours surrounded by animals is right up my street.

I'm not going to go in to the visit as I've blogged about my trips to The Cotswold Wildlife Park so many times over the years (here, here, here and here), but we had a lovely few hours at the wildlife park enjoying the animals and plants, and these are some of the best photos I took.

'
The rest of my birthday was spent quietly at home recovering and resting because I was worn out from wandering around the zoo. My Mum put together a buffet birthday tea for me with plenty of tasty snacks from M&S and a Patisserie Valerie chocolate cake, which we ate while watching Mamma Mia on Netflix. 

My parents had a Patisserie Valerie celebration cake custom made for me, and it was one of the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten. I can only remember having one other birthday cake that wasn't homemade or from a supermarket in my life, so it was a real treat. It was a chocolate sponge with layers of Chantilly cream and chocolate cream mixed with fresh raspberries and strawberries, with chocolate cream icing, strawberries and red currants on top, and chocolate curls around the sides. It was amazing! The celebration cakes are expensive, but they're so good I think they're totally worth it for a special treat.

Along with cake, I was also spoiled with presents from my family.

My parents gave me some money which I naturally spent on a couple of Erstwilder Endangered Animals brooches, which conveniently went on sale on my birthday. I also pooled my birthday money from my Nana and Aunties together, so I bought six brooches altogether from the collection. I just couldn't help myself... I bought the kakapo parrot, blue whales, bilby, tarsier, pangolin, and red panda brooches, which I recently blogged about, and you can read my full review of them here.

I also received a big box of Lindor chocolates from the parents, and a set of Sophie Conran Port Meirion Colour Pop pasta bowls to add to my collection (not pictured as I can't get down to the kitchen to get them to photograph, but these ones. Mum found them in the outlet village in Swindon for half the price). I've been slowly collecting the range piece by piece over the last year and a half as it's expensive, but I love the pretty pastel designs and the quality is fantastic, so I think it's worth the investment. I'm already planning a lifetime of colourful tablescapes for special occasions in my head! 

My younger sister, Sarah, gave me two awesome novelty bags from Truffle Shuffle- a Harry Potter Hogwarts letter clutch, and a Moomin house cross body bag. The Moomins was one of my favourite programmes growing up so it's basically the best bag ever. I will try to do a separate post to review and give you a closer look of them both soon.

A week or two after my birthday, I received a parcel of presents wrapped in Care Bear wrapping paper and colourful tissue paper in the post from my other sister, Marie, and brother-in-law, Steve They gave me the most random assortment of presents I think I've ever gotten.

I got a gorgeous Drop Caps edition of Five Children and It by E. Nesbit. It has a beautiful teal cover with teal edged pages and it's even illustrated. It's definitely my favourite gift they gave me this year. When we were kids in the early nineties, we loved watching a BBC Sunday teatime drama of the same name, but I never realised it was based on a book until I received it (or if I did, I've forgotten). I can't wait to read it.



They also gave me a flamingo cross stitch kit from Riverdrift House, a couple of cute magnetic needle minders (one is a flamingo design, the other is layered with cakes), and a pink polka dot Q Snap needlework frame. I've never tried one of these square plastic frames before, but it holds tension so much better than the wooden embroidery hoops I've always favoured, and it's actually kinder to my arthritic hands, too, as it's bigger and holding it scrunches up my hands less. If you embroider or cross stitch, I would 100% recommend you get your hands on one. You'll never want to use an embroidery hoop again.

My other presents included a couple of bags of fudge-flavoured chocolates, an adult colouring book, and some Crayola crayons and coloured pencils. Yes, you read that correctly; my 40 year old sister gave me a box of crayons for my 34th birthday... You'd better believe I thought this was hilarious and amazing, and that I've totally began using them to colour like a five year old! I regret nothing.

Thanks again to my family for the lovely presents! I love them, and they're very much appreciated.

Well, that was my birthday this year...

How did you celebrate your last birthday?