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?

You Might Also Like

Kimchi and Coconut Galaxy Whale Brooch 

Erstwilder Art Nouveau Brooches

Erstwilder Endangered Animal Brooches

Erstwilder Brooch Haul

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer 4.0: Wildlife Collection

Cornish Adventures 2021: Padstow

Every time we holiday in Cornwall, we always fit in a visit to Padstow, and on last year's holiday, we actually went twice. The second time was just on a whim to get fish and chips from our favourite chippy in the harbour, but hey, sometimes you just have to drive fifty miles to satisfy a craving.

On the first full day of our holiday, we drove the twenty-five miles east along the coast from Perranporth to do some sight-seeing around Padstow harbour. As it was a scorching hot day, we left early to try to avoid the worst of the heat, and had a gorgeous drive along the coastal roads, cruising the tight hair-pin bends past beautiful beaches like Porth, Watergate Bay, and Mawgan Porth (above).

It was already thirty degrees by the time we got to Padstow, and with barely a cloud in the endless blue sky and the sunlight shimmering on the water, the harbour looked so serene. It's a very picturesque port town, with a working harbour in the centre, edged by pretty little gift shops, bakeries, and ice cream shops, and while it's quintessentially Cornish, when the sun is shining, it doesn't even feel like you're in England. 

We parked in the harbour, and headed across to take in the views of the boats on the water, before dawdling at a snail's pace around the shops and eateries in the town. We wandered in and out of gift shops, browsed a great little book shop, and bought treats from a sweet shop to bring home. We revisited a gorgeous teddy bear shop called Abbey Bears that we always return to whenever we're in town, and I came away with a Jelly Cat Amuseables pumpkin for myself and the cutest sad-looking hard-boiled egg plushie for my younger sister. I don't know why the Amuseables amuse me so much, but I love them. Afterwards, we went in search of Rick Stein's patisserie, hoping to get some of their delicious pasties we'd loved for over a decade, but to our disappointment, we discovered it had been demoted to a Rick Stein coffee shop since our last visit four years earlier. We had to buy chocolate orange cookies, and a custard tartlet to share to try to console ourselves at the loss of one of our holiday favourites. Seriously, Rick Stein pasties were amazing and probably the best in Cornwall, so my tastebuds were sad.

Our sweet treats were enjoyed back at the caravan that evening, and they were delicious. 

After strolling around the town in the sweltering sunshine and visiting all of the places that caught our eye, we stopped for a rest with some cold drinks alongside the harbour, and just sat in the sunshine enjoying the gorgeous landscape for a while. It looked so pretty and tranquil, I could've sat there all day. We would have liked to have gone out on a boat excursion to try to spot some sea life, like we often do on Cornish holidays, but we realised neither of us was in a fit state to manoeuvre down a flight of stone steps on to a boat, so we went and got ice cream, and fish and chips instead. 

We got delicious 99's from a Kelly's ice cream van on the harbour, which is a go-to every time we're in Padstow. Trust me, their soft-serve ice cream is some of the best you'll ever try. We then parked a little closer to the Lobster Hatchery, and treated ourselves to fish and chips from Rick Stein's Fish and Chips. It's a place we discovered about fifteen years ago, and the food is so good, we've been returning to it on every holiday to Cornwall since. It's a little more expensive than your average chippy- they actually sell lobster and champagne, if you really want to treat yourself- but the food is incredible, so it's completely worth it. The fish is fresh and often locally-caught, the batter is the perfect mix of salty and crispy, and the chips are so fluffy. They're the best fish and chips I've ever tried, to the point I'd been daydreaming about returning since my last holiday there four years earlier, and am already looking forward to going back again later this month. We enjoyed last year's meal so much, we actually drove all the way back- twenty-five miles each way- later in the week just to get fish and chips from them again! It was totally worth it. Will we be tempted to do the same again this year? Probably. And I'm not even sorry.

Our trips to Padstow were short and sweet, but we had a lovely time visiting the iconic town again. It's a great place to visit if you want to shop for treats and gifts to bring home, or grab a bite to eat while enjoying beautiful Cornish scenery and a busy but relaxing atmosphere. Padstow's said to have some beautiful beaches, too, but in all our years of holidaying in Cornwall, I don't think we've ever visited them. One of these days, I'm going to have to change that. If they're as pretty as the harbour, they'll be well worth a visit.

Have you ever visited Padstow?

You Might Also Like

Cornish Adventures 2021: Exploring North Cornwall by Tour Bus

Holidaying in Cornwall During the Pandemic 2021

My First Holiday With Chronic Pain (to Cornwall)

Cornish Adventures 2017: St. Ives and Seal Island

Cornish Adventures 2017: Newquay Zoo

Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm

Cornish Adventures 2017: Perranporth Beach

Cornish Adventures 2017: St. Michael's Mount

Autumn Goals

I can't believe that we're already a week in to September! Where have the last eight months of the year gone?! I feel like I blinked and missed them- but that's probably because I've only left the house a handful of times all year, and haven't been out living life to the full. I honestly feel like I've missed the whole summer, and it makes me a little sad to think of all the things I've not done this year. 

But, hey; it's September and we're heading in to autumn, so it's time for fresh starts and second chances. I'm so excited for the last third of the year, and hopeful that I'm able to enjoy the next few months a little more, and make up for lost time. I'm already thinking about all the fun autumn things I want to do over the next couple of months, as well as some other less-seasonal tasks, and I thought I'd talk about some of them today to try to encourage myself to start doing them, and make myself accountable. Maybe it'll work this year.

These are some of my autumn goals:

Take a Holiday to Cornwall

Okay, it's not autumnal, but my first goal for the month is to make it through a week's holiday to Cornwall. We're going away soon, and I can't wait to be back by the sea in one of my favourite places, taking in all the familiar sights, sounds, and smells, doing some sight-seeing, and eating lots of yummy food. Some of the things I hope to do while I'm there include:

♥ Visit Perranporth Beach

♥ Explore Portreath.

♥ Go to Padstow.

♥ Spend a day at St. Ives

♥ Get Rick Stein Fish 'n' Chips

♥ Take a walk on the beach.

♥ Paddle in the sea.

♥ Sight see by tour bus.

♥ Go on a boat trip to try to spot some sea life.

♥ Dine at some cool restaurants,

♥ Find some good independent book shops to bankrupt myself in.

Take a Walk in the Woods When the Leaves Fall

I'd really like to take a walk in the woods when the leaves fall to take in all of the beautiful colours, enjoy the fresh air, and hear the leaves crunch beneath my boots. 

Crunch Through Fallen Leaves

Maybe I'm just a big child, but there's something so satisfying about the sound of dead leaves crunching underfoot, and getting buried in leaves up to your shins. I want lots of that this year, please. It reminds me of being little.

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

I've still never visited a pumpkin patch, and would love to go to one to pick out a pumpkin or two, and take a few photos for the 'gram.

Carve a Pumpkin

I wasn't well enough to carve a pumpkin last Halloween, so fingers crossed I'll be able to carve one this fright night. It's tradition.

Bake an Apple Pie

I haven't baked in ages because it hurts my back too much these days, but I miss baking something tasty from scratch, and want to try to make an apple pie this autumn. I mean, seriously- is there anything better than warming up with a freshly-baked slice of apple pie and custard straight from the oven on a chilly autumn evening? It's the best autumn comfort food ever.

Read Lots

Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year for reading. I don't know why, but there's something extra cosy about curling up under a blanket in bed and burying your nose in a good book when there's a crisp chill in the air, and an explosion of autumn colour to inspire the imagination. I want to find plenty of time to read this autumn, and work on completing my Goodreads reading goal before the busy Christmas season slows me down. I'm currently on book 32 of the year, and only have another 8 to go to hit my goal, so it should be doable if I keep up my current pace.

Go to a Fireworks Display

I'd really like to make it to a fireworks display on Bonfire Night. I haven't gone to one in over a decade now, and I miss it. I used to go every year since childhood to the one on my local RAF base, and I hear this year could be the last year they have one, as they're set to build on the playing field where it's always been held. It'll be the end of an era, so I have to go one last time.

Make my Animal Crossing Island Look All Autumnal

In case you were wondering (of course you weren't), I'm still addicted to Animal Crossing New Horizons, and I can't wait to start enjoying the autumn season in game. I've just started a new island, and I'm looking forward to making it look super autumnal with pumpkins and spooky stuff everywhere. I'm currently working on building a farm area so I can make a cute little pumpkin patch.

Make a Halloween Cross Stitch

I've never made a Halloween cross stitch before, and I think 2022 is the year to change that. I just need to find a cool pattern I like.

Watch Lots of Autumn Movies

I love a good movie marathon during the autumn months, and I'm already itching to watch all the cosy autumn movies and creepy classics. Actually, screw horror movies, I'm most looking forward to rewatching Practical Magic, You've Got Mail, Hocus Pocus, and War of the Worlds.

Visit The Cotswold Wildlife Park

I haven't paid a visit to my local zoo yet this year, which is just wrong, so I'm hoping to find time to go in the next month or so. It would be weird to go a year without making the pilgrimage, and they've just had some Pallas cat kittens that I'd love to go see. 

Take an Autumn Drive Through The Cotswolds

I live on the edge of The Cotswolds, and it's particularly beautiful during the fall, when there's a backdrop of fiery colours everywhere you turn. Sometimes we go on autumn drives through the countryside and pretty little villages just to take it all in, and it's something I'd like to do again this year. You never know what you're going to find. 

Revamp My Bookshelves

There's one thing I must do this season, and that's finally finding the spoons to reorganise my bookshelves. I've been needing to  declutter and revamp them for a couple of years, and with piles of books getting closer and closer to the ceiling, I really can't leave it much longer. I began moving my DVDs out of their cases in to a couple of folders in August, so I just need to get some boxes so I can store the empty cases, and then I'll have more rooms for books, and be able to start organising them. I need to be ruthless and get rid of anything I no longer love or can't see myself rereading, and by the time I'm done, I should have lovely, tidy bookshelves with room left over for lots of new ones.

Have a Clear Out

I also want to try to start decluttering the rest of my bedroom. I'm so over all the mess. I've got too many things that I no longer use and a lot that I've just out grown over the years, as my tastes have changed, and I've got older. I want to go through everything and sell or donate anything I no longer want or need- even if I know realistically I'll probably not get enough 'good' pain days to do it all before the New Year. What would take me an afternoon pre-chronic-pain now takes me years. I at least hope to make a start on having a clear out, even if I only manage to get through one area, like my wardrobe or under my bed.

Buy a New Pair of Ankle Boots

I desperately need a new pair of black wear-with-everything ankle boots as I wore out my last pair, so I need to buy a pair this season. Hopefully I'll actually find some I like this year, as last year's selection of wide-fit boots was crap.

Start My Christmas Shopping

I can't believe I'm saying this because I'd swear it was Christmas two minutes ago, but it's the time of year when I like to actively start Christmas shopping. It might seem early, but starting early is the only way I can afford to get my family and friends gifts, and it's the best way to spread the cost and find the best presents before all the good things sell out. Time to get on it. I want to be organised early this year.

There are more goals on my autumn bucket list, but I've waffled on enough already, so I'll stop here. Plus, this is more than enough to keep me busy for a while. I don't know if I'll be able to achieve them all, but I hope I can, and I'm going to give them all my best shot. Wish me luck!

What's on your to-do-list this autumn?

You Might Also Like

101 Autumn Blog Post Ideas

The Autumn Reading Tag

50 Things To Do This Autumn

Cornish Adventures 2021: Exploring North Cornwall by Tour Bus

I've always thought that Cornwall, with it's beautiful coastlines and pretty harbour villages, would be an amazing area to see by tour bus, but in all my years of holidaying there, I'd never seen or heard of any in the area.

That all changed on our first night in Perranporth last September, when an Atlantic-Coaster open-top double decker bus came cruising past us, promoting tours to St. Ives and Padstow. We both turned our heads, and I think we knew there and then what we'd be doing that weekend. We looked the tour operator up back at the caravan, and decided it would be the perfect way to ease ourselves in to our holiday. It just so happened that the tour bus came right in to our holiday park, Perran Sands, which was clearly a sign we had to go.

Two days later, on our second full day in Cornwall, the morning sea haze parted and transformed in to blue skies and blistering sunshine, blessing us with the perfect weather for sight-seeing. We stocked up on cold drinks, and drove along to the touring reception, where the tour buses pick up at Perran Sands, having decided we'd get on the first bus that arrived and see where we ended up. We didn't have to wait long for a bus to come rumbling along, and I was pleased to discover it was the route that would take us west along the North coast of Cornwall from Perranporth to St. Ives. (I bloody love St. Ives).

We bought our tickets from the (very grumpy) driver, which came to just £18 for the two of us, and made ourselves comfortable on the upper deck. It was already half full with other sight-seers, but everyone was spaced out enough that I didn't feel too concerned about catching Covid.

We left Perran Sands around 11:30am, and headed in to Perranporth. Its first stop was at one of my favourite places- Perranporth Beach. The tide was out past Chapel Rock, and the beautiful golden sandy beach was already filling up with people and their dogs enjoying the late summer sunshine. It looked so idyllic, I was tempted to get off the bus to do the same, but alas, the beach would have to wait. I settled for a few photos while passengers came and went, and then we were on our way again.

From Perranporth, the Atlantic Coaster took us along the North coast of Cornwall, through beautiful countryside, pretty Cornish towns, and stunning coastlines including stops in St. Agnes, Portreath, Porth Towan, Hayle, and St. Ives- and others in between. Apart from Perranporth and St. Ives, I had never visited any of the other places before, despite three and a half decades of holidays in the area. It was great to see lots of places I'd never seen before, and to view Cornwall through new eyes. We passed so many beautiful beaches and estuaries, rugged coastlines with azure seas, working harbours with boats beached at low tide and the scent of seaweed heavy in the air, and peaceful seaside villages sheltered by hills laden with orange and purple heathers. In between, we'd pass miles of crop and dairy farms backing on to the sea, and moors of heather and scrub, drifting from scorching sunshine in to chilly pockets of sea haze that felt like we were cruising through the clouds. 

St. Agnes was a sleepy little village strung with colourful bunting that looked like a good place to stop for a quiet drink in one of its pubs or cafes.

I instantly fell in love with Portreath, a pretty seaside village on the North Coast surrounded by green hills blooming with heather on three sides, and edged by a beautiful sandy beach on the fourth. It looked so picturesque, and I'm still dying to go back and visit it properly on foot. Hopefully we will this September.

There was so much to see in the bustling port town of Hayle, from the harbour to a beautiful estuary. The tide was out when we drove along it, but the scenery was still gorgeous.

Like most city tour buses, you could get on and off the buses at the designated stops to explore places as many times as you wanted, but as we were both still recovering from the pain of the journey down, we just rode the bus in a loop, which took a little under four hours. We did have to disembark in St. Ives for ten minutes while the driver had a break- which was no hardship as we had a gorgeous view of the harbour and sea to enjoy. It was so beautiful in the hazy sunshine, and the water looked turquoise and crystal clear under the blue sky. It was lovely to take it all in, and watch the boats and paddle-boarders on the water. I will never tire of seeing St. Ives; it's one of my favourite places, and easily one of the most beautiful places in England. 

After our quick break in St. Ives, we were back on board, and enjoying the journey in reverse, noticing things on the other side of the road that we'd missed on the way down, like cute little graveyards hidden behind thickets of trees. It wasn't as interesting on the way back, but I still enjoyed the views and being out in the sunshine, as well as getting a second look at the places that had caught my eye on the way in.

The only issue we had with the Atlantic Coaster was that its returning drop off point at Perran Sands wasn't the same place it picked up. The bus stop was across the road from the holiday park, and quite a walk from the touring reception, where we'd left the car, which really isn't practical for people with disabilities or chronic pain. And probably not for people with young kids or the elderly, either. Even if you're abled-bodied, it will leave you with a trek back to your accommodation because Perran Sands is huge. Neither of us could comfortably walk it, so we had little choice but to get off the bus at the stop before in Perranporth, and grab a taxi back to the site instead. Luckily, it was only a mile down the road, so it only cost us a fiver, but still... 

We had a forty-five minute wait for a taxi, so we treated ourselves to gelato from a great little ice cream shop just behind Perranporth Beach car park called Pavilion Ice, and ate them on the sea front with a gorgeous view of the beach. The Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno gelatos I had were so delicious, and just what I needed in that heat. I'd highly recommend them. I'm definitely going back to try some other flavours this September.

Despite the slight inconvenience, neither of us minded sitting on the sea front in the scorching sunshine for almost an hour. Perranporth Beach is another of my favourite places, and really, who can be unhappy sitting under cornflower-blue skies, looking out at a golden sandy beach and aquamarine sea, and watching the waves roll on to the shore?? Not me, that's for sure. It was a beautiful day, and nice just to relax, take in the view, people-watch, and see all the cute dogs having so much fun on the beach. I could've sat there all day. 

It was nearing five P.M. by the time we got back to our caravan to put our feet up with a cold drink after an enjoyable day of sight seeing. Our trip filled the day nicely, without taking the whole day, but if you used the Atlantic Coaster to get off and explore some of the destinations on foot, you could easily spend the entire day sight-seeing and making memories, and really get your money's worth. 

We had a great time exploring the Cornish coast in the late summer sunshine, and it was a great way to see more of Cornwall- and scope out places to go back and explore on our future travels- without over-exerting ourselves. Chronic pain limits how far I can go on foot, but taking the Atlantic Coaster allowed me to take in all of those beautiful places and even spot new things in places I knew well, while saving energy sitting reasonably comfortably on my backside. And all for the bargain price of £9! Not bad for over three and a half hours of sight-seeing.

We enjoyed the Atlantic coaster so much, we're already planning to take one again on our next trip to Cornwall. There are other tours I'd love to take, including one that goes down to The Lizard peninsular, on the south coast, and another that travels west along to Land's End. The Padstow tour sounds great, too, but being more familiar with the places on its route, I'd rather explore other areas first.   

If you're ever in Cornwall and want to do some inexpensive sight-seeing, give the Atlantic Coaster a try. I couldn't recommend it to you more.     

What's the best place you've ever explored by tour bus? 

                                                                                                                

You Might Also Like

Holidaying in Cornwall During the Pandemic 2021

My First Holiday With Chronic Pain (to Cornwall)

Cornish Adventures 2017: St. Ives and Seal Island

Cornish Adventures 2017: Newquay Zoo

Cornish Adventures 2017: Padstow and Berryfield's Farm

Cornish Adventures 2017: Perranporth Beach

Cornish Adventures 2017: St. Michael's Mount

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer 4.0: Wildlife Jewellery Collection

Waiting to find out what Erstwilder's next collecton will be is part of the fun of collecting their awesome jewellery, and I could not have been more surprised when a new Pete Cromer collection dropped last month.

After three fantastic collaborations, I never expected we'd get a fourth from them, but the best surprises are the ones we don't see coming. The Pete Cromer collections, which see the Australian artist's colourful contemporary artwork reimagined as resin jewellery, have been some of my favourite ranges to date, and the latest collection has been no exception.

The new Wildlife collection has, unsurprisingly, been inspired by Cromer's Wildlife series, which is made up of beautiful paintings of wild animals from around the world. There are lions and tigers, toucans and macaws, crocodiles and pandas, and so much more, with the designs reproduced as brooches, necklaces, rings, earrings, and even scarves. 

The collection was split in to two parts, with a smaller first release in late June, and a larger second drop in mid-July. There were soooo many pieces I would've loved to have collected, but I had to limit myself to one piece from the first release, and bought three from the second. Narrowing down my favourites took forever- especially with the second release- as I fell in love with everything.

Who'd like to see what I got?

So, even though I could only afford one piece from part one of the collection, there was no doubt in my mind which brooch it was going to be. I needed the toucan brooch in my life. I've always loved toucans, and The Tactful Toucan brooch is a little work of art, bringing Cromer's toucan painting to life with startling accuracy. It's amazing how Erstwilder are able to translate his art in to resin, including all of the little details and pops of colour that make Cromer's work so distinctive, but on a much smaller scale. Some of the detailing is tiny, but they've recreated it all flawlessly. The end result is a striking toucan brooch with a body made from textured black and silver resin, and an impressive beak crafted from plain orange and glittery raspberry. It's been embellished with colourful shapes in a mix of different plain and textured resins, including little pops of blue, green, yellow, pink, silver, and more. It's an amazing piece, and I love it so much. I can't help thinking it would make a great tattoo.

My favourite piece from the second part of the collection has to be The Cautious Camel brooch. I don't know what it is about it exactly, but I think it has so much character, and it's cute face just makes me smile. It's body is made up of buff, camel, grey and taupe bubble and pearlescent resins, but as you'd expect from Pete Cromer, it's anything but plain and boring. It's decorated with a bridle of colourful dots and scallops in a variety of jewel colours, as if it's dressed up for a fun parade instead of leading a caravan through the desert, and the colours make it such a fun piece to pin to a summer outfit. It's so pretty.

Another piece I found myself instantly drawn to was The Learned Lemur, which I partly chose because I have a dress with lemurs on it that it will go perfectly with, and also because it reminded me of the time I did work experience with ruffed lemurs when I was at college. The Learned Lemur is a fantastic ringtailed lemur brooch, crafted from the most amazing galaxy-effect resin that appears grey from a distance, but is actually a beautiful mix of grey, green, blue, and purple. It's tail has the characteristic ringtailed stripes in pops of black, white, green, blue, and grey, and it has gorgeous light grey pearlescent markings on its face and chest. And as you'd expect, it's finished with a scattering of colourful little shapes in true Pete Cromer style. 

It took me a while to narrow down my short list of favourites- which also included the tiger, macaw, and giraffe- to pick my final piece, but in the end, I just couldn't resist the meerkat brooch, The Masterful Meerkat. Whether they're comparing meerkats or singing Hakuna Matata with a warthog, everyone loves a meerkat, right? I think this little guy is adorable, and its cute little feet, layered on top of the body, won me over. He's made from a mesmerising pearlescent taupe resin, with plain buff, black, tan, and taupe markings on his face and chest, and decorated with a variety of shapes in shades of blue, white, yellow, and black, all inlaid in to the resin. I'm not often drawn to neutral-coloured accessories as I prefer things a little more colourful, but Master meerkat doesn't blend in to the background. It's a great statement piece, sure to be a great conversation starter, and will be perfect for trips to the zoo. Now I just need Pete Cromer and Erstwilder to make a warthog brooch for the ultimate brooch pairing.

There are still quite a few pieces available from the collection, so if you've fallen in love with these designs as much as I have, be sure to check out the selection from Erstwilder and their stockists.

Did you buy anything from  the Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Wildlife collection? Which piece is your favourite?

You Might Also Like

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Collection One 

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Collection Two- Christmas

Erstwilder x Pete Cromer Collection Three