Old English Company Stationery Haul and Reviews

A couple of weeks ago, I earned a voucher to spend with the stationery brand Old English Company for promoting their recent competition, and being somewhat of a stationery addict, I wasted no time in filling my online shopping cart with goodies. It took a while to narrow down my choices as I fell in love with everything (literally everything), but I excitedly placed my order, and a few days later, a parcel arrived on my doorstep. I sure wasn't disappointed.

Today, I thought I'd give you a peek at all the wonderful stationery goodies that were in my parcel. I wasn't asked to promote my haul in exchange for the voucher, so this isn't a sponsored post; I just wanted to tell you about them (while being honest about how I earned them) because I genuinely love the stationery I chose, and all you stationery addicts in the house need to know about this company! 

So, with my voucher, I bought a planner, two notebooks, two notepads, an art print, and a greetings card.

First up, is the 'Consider This Day Conquered' A5 planner (£11.95), which is made from thick pastel pink card, and pressed with pretty copper foil. It has 380 lined A5 pages with three quarters of each page bullet-pointed for 'today's tasks', and a quarter designated for 'notes', so it's the perfect planner for organising your to do list for work, school, blogging, or home life. I think I'll mostly be using mine for blogging. The great thing about this planner is that the pages aren't dated; you can just use the next page as and when you need to, so there'll be no wasted pages on those days without plans. It's the ideal planner if you want to get organised, but don't always have a busy schedule to tackle every consecutive day of the week- and it's also perfect if you do.

My next choice was the 'Buy Me Pizza' A5 notebook (£5.95), a simple grey notebook made from grey kraft paper, with 'buy me pizza and tell me I'm pretty' hand-lettered on the front cover. What girl doesn't want those things in her life?! It has 100 white ruled pages on reasonably thick paper, and it's nice and light, so it's ideal for carrying around in your bag if you like to write on the go.

I also selected an A4 notebook, the 'Amazing Things Will Happen' A4 notebook (£6.95), because a girl can never have too many notebooks. I have dozens of the things but I can never resist adding more to the collection. This notebook has been made from brown card stock, and has 'amazing things will happen' illustrated on the cover in modern, hand-lettered script, pressed with gold foil. It has 100 lined pages, complete, with margins, and is perfect for all kinds of writing needs. I think it will come in handy for planning and writing blog posts before I type them up.

Two little notepads also fell in to my basket, the 'Things in My Head' A6 notepad (£4.25), and the 'Brilliant Ideas' A6 notepad (£4.25). These notepads each feature 50 sheets of lined 100gsm paper, with a grey boarded back, with the modern hand-lettered fonts printed on every page. They're ideal for scribbling down notes in the office or by the phone, and could be fun to use for journaling or posting light-hearted lists of social media.

My favourite purchase from Old English Company has to be the 'Ice Cream Darkness and Chaos print' 8x10" (£13.95), which I just could not resist. This awesome print comes in the design of an ice cream cone silhouette with the words 'without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos' printed inside it in modern white hand-lettered script, on a plain white background. There was a choice of three different sizes (8x10", A4, and A3), and seventeen different colours, and I chose to get it in 8x10" baby pink to compliment the pastel blue walls of my bedroom. (One day, when I have my own place, it will hang in the kitchen). I definitely made the right choice; it's perfect! The design is so simple, but it's so fun and eye-catching! It's also fantastic quality, and has being printed on 220gsm archival matte paper with high-quality inks to prevent fading over time and to help provide a long-lasting print. I can't wait to get a frame for it, and hang it up on the wall! 

And finally, I added in this 'you are my sunshine' card (£0.50, originally £2.50), mostly because I had under a pound left of my voucher, and it was one of the few things I could afford without paying extra. I also thought the design was lovely and cheerful, though, and that it would make a great photo prop or inspirational piece to pin on the wall. It's a gorgeous summery yellow A6 card with a modern white hand lettered font, printed on 240gsm card using high quality inks, with a brown kraft envelope. The inside of the card is blank so it can be used for whatever occasion you like. It would be a lovely card to give to someone special to show you care.



I'm so pleased with every piece of stationery I chose; they're all fantastic quality, as well as functional and stylish, and I know I'm going to get lots of use out of all the notebooks, notepads, and planners. I've been admiring Old English Company's stationery for a couple of years without making a purchase, and I'm kicking myself for not trying their products sooner. I'll definitely be going back for more.

All of the stationery in this post come in lots of other designs, so if you're interested in the item but the design isn't for you, go check out the other designs on their website. I'm sure you'll find another design you'll love. They also stock a wide variety of other great products from enamel pins to pillow cases, which I'd recommend checking out if you like the style of the stationery in today's post. I want to go back for this ice cream cone enamel pin!

Which piece is your favourite? Have you ever bought anything from Old English Company?

P.S. Apologies for the quality of today's photos. I swear, if I live to be a hundred, I will never get the knack of editing photos of books and paper.

Silly Old Sea Dog Christmas Dresses

When it comes to dressing for Christmas, forget the novelty Christmas jumpers; there's an even better way to embrace the festive spirit with clothes- by wearing Christmas dresses!

Now I'm not talking about your average Christmas party dresses featuring velvet, sequins, or lace, oh no; I'm talking about beautiful dresses with fun holiday prints and a sleigh load of personality, guaranteed to make you the centre of attention this Christmas.

Introducing Silly Old Sea Dog's stunning collection of Christmas dresses and skirts...

Nutcracker Christmas Dress  //  Vintage Ladies Christmas Dress

Candy Cane Circular Skirt  //  Christmas Puppies Pencil Skirt

All I Want For Christmas Dress  //  Sleeved Ski Holiday Dress

Father Christmas Dress  //  Reindeer Christmas Pencil Dress

Santa's Holiday Pencil Christmas Dress  //  All I Want For Christmas Dress Cream

Halter Surfin Santa Christmas Dress

The dresses and skirts are all designed and made in the UK by a small team, and the best part is that Silly Old Sea Dog cater to UK sizes 6-28! The selection of sizes varies from piece to piece, but it's fantastic to see another brand producing plus size clothing!

I've been admiring every single one of these dresses and skirts for the last couple of weeks; I think they're all so beautiful, and so much fun. Who needs a Christmas jumper when you can wear a Christmas dress?? The Nutcracker and Vintage Ladies dresses are my favourites from the eleven, but they're all fabulous. I wish I could afford to treat myself to a dress or two for Christmas; I would wear them constantly throughout December! 

These dresses and skirts would set your outfit apart from all the rest at the Christmas party or any other festive social occasion, and I'm pretty sure anybody wearing a Silly Old Sea Dog dress or skirt would feel fabulous and super festive! I certainly would!

You can find these pieces and a whole lot more over on Silly Old Sea Dog's website, via the link.

Would you wear one of these SOSD dresses or skirts for Christmas? 

Which one is your favourite?

It Sounds So Sweet Coming From the Lips of an Angel

Hello there!

Last week I finally got around to taking some photos of myself wearing the lip print skater dress from F&F at Tesco. (I know; don't all faint at once!) The dress is the second of two I purchased from Tesco using the F&F voucher I won in Naomi's giveaway a month or two ago, and, I'm glad I chose it.

The lip print skater dress was an obvious choice for me because I love quirky prints, and I was lured in by the funky red lips on this navy frock. Prints are one of my main weaknesses and I doubt I'll ever grow tired of them. There's something really satisfying about discovering a new print and adding it to my wardrobe of weird and wonderful oddities. Is it sad that I get excited about stuff like that? Probably!

I've also been needing to add some more casual pieces in to my wardrobe, because my wardrobe is lacking in casual clothes. Most of my clothes are quite dressy because I just love to dress up every day instead of saving fabulous clothes for special occasions- life's too short!- but sometimes those clothes just aren't appropriate and I'm left feeling a tad over-dressed and out of place. So, I've been keeping an eye open for casual dresses that I can wear for mundane tasks like supermarket shopping and trips to the doctors, and this dress won me over.

It's a cute casual dress and for £16 I personally think it was a bargain. It's made from light-weight jersey which is perfect for wearing throughout the year. It has short sleeves so it can be worn on it's own with sandals in the summer, and layered up with knitwear and / or a leather biker jacket and ankle boots in the winter. The length of the sleeves make me feel quite broad, so I've broken up the pattern with a cropped cardigan which pacifies my insecurities. 

It has a lot of stretch so there's no need to size up. I originally purchased a size up because I thought the waist was fitted, but it wasn't and the dress swamped me. I reordered my usual size, and to be honest it's still quite loose on me, and I would probably have been better with the size down. As it's a little too big, the waist sits lower than my waist, and the extra material around my boobs settles in to a crease, but it's rare that I get a good fit around them because I'm not very busty. I don't mind the relaxed fit, though, and it's easy enough to cinch in at the waist when I want it to look more fitted.

I dressed mine very simply with a navy cropped cardigan, black opaque tights (navy would look better, but I don't own a pair), black studded slippers, a strawberry pendant necklace, and some black beaded bracelets.

The strawberry necklace is several years old. I think I purchased it from a vintage shop in Camden called Berty and Gerty, or from their stall in the Lock Market.

The black bracelets were part of a set I bought from Dorothy Perkins four or five years ago. The black and silver were both gifts from my best friend a couple of years ago.

And the studded slippers came from New Look's wide-fit selection not quite two years ago.

Outfit Details

♥ Dress- F&F at Tesco 

♥ Cardigan- New Look (similar) 

♥ Slippers- New Look (similar) 

♥ Tights- Evans 

♥ Necklace- Berty and Gerty 

♥ Black Bracelets- Dorothy Perkins 

♥ Black and Silver Bracelets- Gifts From the Bestie

The dress is now on sale for just £8, but is only available in sizes 6-16 online now (here). I think it went up to a size 22, so it would be worth checking your nearest Tesco to see if they have any of the other sizes left. It's well worth a purchase.

Have you bought anything from F&F lately?

P.S. Apologies for the ugly recycling bins in my photos. Our garden is a mess because we've been having asbestos removed and guttering replaced, and the rest of the garden (including my usual spot) gets too much sunshine for photos on very sunny days. You'd think a hundred foot long garden would have some shade, but it gets none!

Panda-monium! (Next Panda Print Ballerina Slippers Review)

Slippers. I don't often buy slippers for myself. They're something I usually receive for Christmas from my family or best friend. For that very reason, I own at least four pairs (that I can think of), all in various states of wear; well loved but well looked after. It's fair to say I'm well prepared for keeping my feet warm and cosy during the bracing Winter cold.

So, there really was no need for me to buy myself another pair this week... 

Apart from the fact I needed these slippers because they are covered in sweater-wearing pandas! That's right, pandas! I mean, who doesn't need slippers with adorable pandas all over them?? 

I'd popped in to our small local Next with my sister, who wanted to check out the home ware, and on our way through, these slippers caught my eye. The panda print stopped us both in our tracks. I was so taken with them, I would have treated myself to them there and then, but my size was out of stock. Of course, I didn't let that stop me, and I ordered them online a few days later. 

And, well, you can see them for yourselves! Introducing my Next panda ballerina slippers...

I'm sure those of you who are as smitten with animal motifs as I am will agree that these slippers really are adorable. The pandas really make these slippers a winner in my eyes; their proud little faces are impossible to resist. It's also refreshing to find a pair of girlie printed slippers that aren't bright pink and emblazoned with cartoon characters... There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but that's just not my style.

These slippers are a different style to any I've owned in my memory, but they're everything I look for in a slipper: warm, cosy, comfortable, cute, and well fitting. I have wide feet, but they fit like a glove. I think the sizing is quite generous, and your regular size should fit you well. If you're between sizes, you'll probably want the smaller size. I'm a 6 and a half, but the 7 was huge, and the 6 was perfect. 

The toes of the shoes are decorated with a bow in a golden colour.

Here's a closer look at the panda print.

The fabric of the shoe is cream and flecked with grey with the print all over, and then trimmed with gold piping.

The insole is just about the cosiest fleece my feet have ever touched, and that includes my expensive Ugg boots! If you're looking to give your feet some TLC this winter, then I recommend you consider checking these out- your feet will thank you!

And, if you needed any more detail in a pair of slippers, the soles are also decorated with hearts and a well-used Christmas / Winter quote.

So, would you believe me if I told you that they only cost a purse-friendly £10? Believe me or not, it's true! The slippers will only set you back a tenner! That's nothing for a cute pair of fuzzy warm slippers that will keep your feet warm throughout the winter chill.

The slippers can be found here and they stock UK sizes 3-8; get them before they go!

Oh, and I must quickly mention, before I go, how fantastic Next's customer service is. I ordered these slippers late one evening, and they arrived by noon the next morning! I'm so impressed with how efficient their delivery service is. You really can't ask for better than that with a standard delivery option for £3.99!

Tonight The Foxes Hunt The Hounds

I was intending to save this dress until the beginning of Autumn for it's blog debut, so I could do it justice and dress it appropriately in gorgeous Autumn hues, but... I love this dress so much I felt I had to introduce it now while it's still in stock. I thought it would be cruel of me to tease you with a beautiful dress, only to find out it had sold out weeks earlier. Y'know, for a change.

When I saw this dress modelled by the lovely Vicky of The Curved Opinion on her blog last weekend, I actually squealed out loud and almost choked on my tongue with excitement. I was in such instantaneous love, I was missing laptop keys in my eagerness to scramble over to Very to buy one. I don't remember ever being so much in love with an item of clothing before, and this is me- the crazy dress lady!

This dress has already earned a place amongst my favourite dresses. Firstly, it is printed with lovely little red foxes with great attention to detail. Fox print! When I was a little girl, I was besotted with red foxes. Most little girls love ponies and dolphins; but I, always a little different, adored foxes. I think that was partly a result of The Animals of Farthing Wood cartoons, which I was also obsessed with.  So, to find a beautiful dress with those little critters on was like Christmas had come early. True love.

I adore the beautiful colour of the fabric. It's the deepest, dreamiest shade of cerise; a colour I can't wait to wear in Autumn and Winter to brighten up dull barren days. It's impossible to feel miserable wearing this colour. The fabric is polyester, but it's lined, and doesn't cling or seem to go static every two seconds. It has a fitted waist, and a sweetheart neckline with a lace panel to finish the dress off above it.

(Apologies for the bra straps; I know they ruin the look of the dress. I just don't own a good strapless bra. Also, in the chest shots, the dress looks too big on me, but it's not- it's actually a great fit!)

The lace part of the dress has a beautiful floral pattern, and it's also present at the back of the dress as well as at the front. I love the little capped sleeves which this dress also features; there's just something so pretty about those little finishing touches.

The dress is by a brand called South, and it's available to buy from Very in sizes 8-24 for £25 here. If print isn't your thing, they also have this dress is plain aubergine.

I'm head over heels in love with this dress, and can't wait to dress it up for Autumn. I think it'll look great with opaque tights in black, brown, or purple, with ankle boots, a boyfriend cardigan, and a good winter coat or biker jacket.

The main accessory I just had to dress this frock with was my daschund shaped bag from Mantaray. As soon as I first saw the dress, I knew I would have to pair them together. Not just because foxes and hounds go together, but also due to the Fall Out Boy lyrics I used for the title which I've barely stopped singing since April.

I also wore a Cath Kidston rose bracelet, and a jewel-coloured ring, keeping everything else simple to focus the attention on the dress.

Outfit Details

Dress- South for Very // Bag- Mantaray for Debenhams // Bracelet- Cath Kidston // 

Ring- Evans //

This kitten has a lion's roar

Morning guys,

I've got a rare outfit post to share with you today!

I've been dying to share this dress with you all since it came through the letter box a week ago, but I've not been feeling brilliant lately. I've barely been able to get out of bed in ten days, and have mostly been living in pyjamas. I can hear those little violins serenading my sob story now...

I forced myself to get dressed on Saturday for the sake of my sanity, and quickly snapped a few photos of the outfit before crawling back in to bed in it.

I give you my new cat print dress...

This gorgeous coral-coloured, cat-printed dress came from AX Paris' Curve range, and I had been admiring it from a far ever since it landed on their website last summer. For what ever reason, I never managed to purchase it sooner, even when it went on sale, and even when it was eventually sliced down to the ridiculously pocket-friendly price of £7.99! Financially, it was never a good time.

I was disappointed I'd missed out when it eventually disappeared from the website, but last week I noticed it had returned in several sizes, and was still listed for £7.99! Thankfully, I'd just sold a few things on eBay, so I treated myself to it. Although, not before I'd created a new account to get the 20% off my first order, which brought the frock down to just £6.39, instead of £40.00! Now that is what I call a bargain! Get in there, ladies!

On AX Paris' website, the dress was shown as quite a short frock. I'm not confident with showing much thigh, but I ordered it anyway and hoped it would be a little longer- thankfully, it was! The dress sits just below my knees, which is the perfect length for me. (I'm 5'6'' FYI). It's also a lined dress, and good quality for a polyester number.

I sized up, as I always do with dresses with fitted waists, and the fit is perfect everywhere. It's almost like this dress was made for me. There's only a little fabric spare at the arms, the waist is fitted without being restrictive, and there's plenty of room for the girls with room to spare. If you're busty, you shouldn't have a problem fitting in to this dress. I'd advise you all to size up once, though, if possible.

I'm a sucker for prints, especially ones with quirky animal designs, as I'm sure you can tell, but until now I didn't have any cat motifs in my collection. This dress has a lovely cat print of elegant white kitties, some accessorised with complementing black bows around their necks. I think the print is really cute, without being tacky or too child like, and I'm pleased I got to add it to my collection.

So, all in all, I adore this dress! I'm in love with the fit, I'm in love with the shape. I'm in love with the cheerful coral colour, and the sweet kitty cat print. And I am most definitely in love with the price. It was such a brilliant bargain buy, and I only wish it came in other colours so I could buy them, too. I wonder if this dress would dye well?

I have so many different outfit ideas for this dress; mostly involving pastel colours and white, but I thought it was perhaps a little early in the year to dress it in such a way. Here I was being a bit lazy and boring, and just wore it with comfortable black New Look leggings, and my coral Lovedrobe shrug.

I accessorized with my Cath Kidston rose bracelet and heart friendship bracelet again, and dug out an old brooch to wear on the shrug. I bought the brooch in Camden Lock Market several years ago, from a stall selling hundreds of beautiful vintage brooches. I have no idea if this one really is vintage, but I don't mind. I think it's really pretty old or new. Sadly it's lost a gem, though, and I really should try to repair it.

I was also wearing purple eyeshadow and lilac nail polish to compliment the coral.

Outfit Details

Dress- AX Paris // Leggings- New Look // Shrug- Lovedrobe via New Look Inspire // 
Rose bracelet- Cath Kidston // Heart bracelet- A gift from a friend // Brooch- Camden Lock Market

The dress is currently available in UK sizes 16, 18, 20 and 22, and you can find it here. If dresses and quirky patterns are your thing, this is probably the dress for you! Trust me, you won't regret the purchase!

Thanks for reading,