My Sealife Brooch Collection

I'm away on holiday in (hopefully) sunny Cornwall this week, and I thought it would be fun to show you which accessories I packed for my trip.

So, what does a girl pack for a week by the sea in Cornwall? Why, all the sea life brooches, of course!

I've built up a great little collection of sea animal themed brooches over the last few years (plus a Kraken and a palm tree), so when I was deciding which accessories to pack for my holiday to Cornwall. I knew these brooches would be coming with me.

I love theming my outfits based on the destination or occasion, and trips to Cornwall are always a good excuse to break out anything seaside, sea life or nautical themed. I'll be wearing at least one of these brooches every day, along with my awesome Vendula London Seaside Souvenirs backpack and purse, and a pair of Havaianas. Well, when in Cornwall...

Most of these brooches are old designs from Erstwilder, except for the lobster and palm tree, which were part of a set from Cath Kidston several years ago, and the galaxy-effect whale brooch, which I bought from Kimchi and Coconut last summer. If I had to choose favourites, I think I would pick the beautiful sea turtle brooch, Michelle Sea Turtle; the amazing Kraken brooch, From the Deep, as the design is epic and it's made from the prettiest resins; and the crab brooch, Huggable Decapod, because the marbled red resin is so striking. They're all pretty cool, though, and I'm looking forward to adding them to my outfits this week for trips to the seaside, cruising along the coast, exploring harbour towns, and whatever else we may get up to. Though, if we take a trip to Newquay zoo, I'll be mixing things up and breaking out my new Pete Cromer lemur brooch for the occasion. I mean, what's the point in having a lemur brooch if I can't wear it to the zoo?

Of course, I'll also be keeping my eyes open for anything new to add to the collection while we're drifting in and out of seaside gift shops, so I could come home with more than I arrived with.

It's a risk I'm happy to take.

Someone please stop me.

Which brooch is your favourite?

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Kimchi and Coconut Galaxy Whale Brooch

Back in July, I took a birthday trip to Whipsnade Zoo, and stumbled up on a display of Kimchi and Coconut jewellery in their gift shop.

They had a great selection of sea life-themed designs, and there was one brooch in particular that caught my eye. Their galaxy whale brooch. In the end, I just couldn't leave without it, so I made a cheeky birthday purchase, and left a happy little camper.

Three months on, the whale brooch is still one of my current favourite brooches to accessorize with, so I felt it deserved a quick review on the blog.

The brooch I have to show you is a beautiful humpback whale brooch, with all the charm of a real whale compacted in to a wearable little brooch. I love whales and have always wanted to see one of those gentle giants in real life, so getting to accessorize with a whale brooch is the next best thing until that day (hopefully) comes.

This beautiful creature has been handmade in England from two layers of the dreamiest galaxy-effect acrylic, and the result is mesmerising. The bottom layer is plain black, and the top is a stunning mix of purples and stormy sea blues and greens, topped with flecks of silver glitter, and finished off with some etching. I think it might just be the prettiest whale brooch I've ever seen. I'm a sucker for a galaxy effect. (NB. There was a second whale brooch on display at the zoo, and the colours were much lighter, so be aware that the acrylic will vary from piece to piece due to the unique cut in the acrylic. The lighter one was gorgeous, too, but I personally preferred the darker, stormier look of this one). 

As for size... it's about the length and width of my ring finger, so it's a good sized piece; not too large or too small, but still big enough to make a small statement. It's perfect for wearing at the seaside or on trips to the aquarium... or with just about any outfit, really. It's so lovely, you'll want to wear it with everything. I know I do. 

The whale brooch retails for just £20, which I think is really reasonable for such a beautiful handmade piece- especially brought from a zoo gift shop, where prices are often inflated. I'm so pleased I added it to my brooch zoo, and think it was worth every penny. Having this little guy in my collection makes me happy.

If brooches aren't your thing, there's also a whale necklace, and Kimchi and Coconut have plenty of other brooches, necklaces, and earrings to choose from, too. Aside from their sea animal designs, I particularly love their Australian animal pieces; I have a platypus and a tiger quoll in my brooch collection, and they're amazing. If you like the style of this brooch, I'm sure you'll love their other designs, too, so be sure to check them out!

Do you have any Kimchi and Coconut jewellery in your collection?

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Kimchi and Coconut Australian Animal Brooches

Kimchi and Coconut Australian Animal Brooches

A few months ago, I finally added two new brooches to my ever-growing brooch collection that had both been on my wish list for well over a year. No, I didn't snap up more brooches from Erstwilder (alright, I did, but I'm not referring to them today), I treated myself to brooches from another fantastic jewellery brand called Kimchi and Coconut.

Kimchi and Coconut is a young British brand, based in Birmingham, who make beautiful laser-cut acrylic jewellery heavily inspired by nature and art. They most recently launched a collection influenced by Van Gogh's most famous works of art, and also offer a wide range of quirky animal designs, including plenty of pieces inspired by sea life and Australian animals.

Naturally, the animal designs are my favourites, and since I discovered the brand about a year and a half ago, I'd been particularly drawn to the Australian animal brooches. What can I say? I've always been fascinated by Australia's weird and wonderful wildlife, and seeing some of my favourite Aussie animals in brooch form proved too irresistible for this animal-loving brooch addict. In June, I finally ordered two of the brooches I'd been admiring for many moons- a platypus and a tiger quoll.

Many of you may be wondering what the hell a tiger quoll is. A tiger quoll is basically a brown-spotted, long-tailed, carnivorous marsupial- the largest in mainland Australia- that looks like a cross between a Tasmanian devil and a possum, I've never actually seen one in person, but I've always thought they were adorable, and when I saw Kimchi and Coconut had made a quoll brooch, I instantly fell in love with it. As it turns out, it's even cuter in person.



The little freckled marsupial is curled up asleep in the foetal position with his long tail curled around him, and his little paws tucked under his chin. He has a taupe-brown coat with a shiny finish, and has been finished with textured cream spots, and simple black etching to add detail. He is so damn cute! He sort of looks like a sleepy freckled squirrel, which I think most people outside Australia will likely think he is since the quoll is not exactly a widely known animal. My family guessed a squirrel or a mouse. I doubt anyone will ever guess right!

Unfortunately, the quoll brooch is currently sold out, but he may get restocked, so it could be worth keeping an eye on the website or messaging the brand if you want to get your hands on one. He retails for a purse-friendly £15, and was worth every penny. It's easily one of the most adorable brooches in my collection.

The platypus needs no introduction; it's one of the most recognisable of all Australian animals, and without a doubt one of the world's most unusual animals. In fact, this duck-billed, beaver-tailed critter is so odd, that the first scientists who examined one thought they were victims of a hoax! Personally, I like to think this little guy and his friends escaped from the magical world and have been hanging out down under ever since. Seriously, don't they look like they belong in Fantastic Beasts?

Kimchi and Coconut have crafted their charming platypus brooch out of the most beautiful mahogany wood-effect layered acrylic. His body is a gorgeous red-brown, streaked with dark brown for that wood-effect, and cut to give his body and tail a fluffy appearance. He's been finished off with a dark grey bill. eye, and feet, and little etched details which only add to his character. This brooch is about the length of my index finger from bill to tail, so he's a good statement piece, neither too big or too small. It's a stunning brooch, and just as adorable as the real living, breathing, duck-billed monotremes that grace Australasia. Obviously, I couldn't resist him, and I'm so glad I decided to buy him.because he's become one of the cutest and most unusual brooches in my collection- always a great combination in my eyes! The platypus brooch is currently still available to buy, and like the quoll, also retails for just £15. Snap him up before he's gone!

Both brooches came presented in their own small rectangular plain cardboard boxes, nestled in colourful tissue paper on a bed of felt, which was a lovely touch, and ideal for storing them safely, or for gifting them to a friend or loved one. 

I'm really impressed with both of the brooches I bought; they're beautiful, well made, and fantastic quality. I'm so pleased with them I know that I'll be going back for other designs in the future.

If you want to see more of what Kimchi and Coconut have to offer, you can view the whole selection of acrylic jewellery available on their website here. I couldn't recommend their brooches more.

Do you own any Kimchi and Coconut jewellery?

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