Wednesday Wish List

Here are a few things I've been lusting after this week...

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I'm loving Cath Kidston's new watermelon and lemon print collections, especially these four beautiful bags. My favourite has to be the breton stripe watermelon tote (#1), which would make the perfect Summer beach bag.

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Lady Vintage have released another new batch of Hepburn swing dresses, and I've fallen in love with these two beauties. The prints are both so gorgeous.

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These floral embroidered midi dresses from Joanie Clothing are so beautiful. I think the yellow is probably my favourite.

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My Lindy Bop wish list is growing by the day, and there are some seriously stunning pieces in their latest drop that have extended it by a mile this week. I'm currently obsessed with the two Corinna embroidered gingham swing dresses which are both soooo pretty, and are my idea of the perfect summer sun dresses. I need them both in my life. I also love the two Myrtle fruit print halterneck dresses which are so fun and summery. I don't think I'll ever get bored of gingham or fruit prints.

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I'd love to get my hands on this beautiful polka dot jumpsuit, and brush stroke mini dress from ASOS Curve. Especially the jumpsuit; it looks so stylish.

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I discovered The Mindful Crafter's Etsy shop this week, and they have the most adorable collection of wooden brooches. Naturally, the fox is my favourite. I may need to adopt him.

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Another brand I stumbled up on on Etsy this week was Oh So Flamingo, who have the cutest laser-cut acrylic jewellery. I'm dying to get my hands on the Fifi the Fox and the white Beatrice Bunny brooches.

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And last but not least, I also have my eye on these two charming laser-cut wooden fox brooches from Rabbit Heart Jewellery. 

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

Which pieces do you like best this week?

Wednesday Wish List

Here are a few things I've been drooling over this week...

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Erstwilder have just released a Rocky Horror Show jewellery collection, and OMG, it's amazing! I want it all!

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I love these new pastel jelly cross body bags from Sun Jellies. If pink and yellow aren't your thing, it also comes in baby blue.

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I'm obsessed with these swing dresses from Collectif, especially the ice cream and watermelon designs. Could they be any more perfect?!

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I also love these two Collectif summer cardigans, which would both go perfectly with the dresses.

Betsey Johnson Gypsy Rose Backpack

It's a bit OTT, but I love this statement gypsy rose backpack from Betsey Johnson.

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I adore all of these shirt and A-line dresses from Modcloth, particularly that gorgeous green cat print A-line frock. The best part is they cater to sizes XXS to 4X!

Modcloth Any Day Meow Pinafore Dress

This Modcloth cat-face pinafore dress has got to be the cutest pinafore dress I've ever seen!

Paul & Joe Colour Contrast Cross Body Bag

And speaking of cat faces, I'm totally smitten with this cat-face colour contrast cross body bag from Paul & Joe. It's so pretty.

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

Which pieces are your favourites this week?

75 Things To Do This Easter

Happy Easter, guys!

What are your plans for the weekend? Providing we don't wake up to deep snow, I'll be taking a rare trip away overnight for some concert adventures, returning home for our annual Easter meal tomorrow afternoon, and no doubt spending Easter Monday (and the rest of the week) in bed trying to recover. I'm really looking forward to it all, having some fun for a change, and eating lots of delicious food, and can't wait for it to get started. It's going to be a great weekend!

If you haven't made plans yet and are looking for things to do this Easter weekend, never fear; I've put together a list of 75 things to do this Easter to give you a little inspiration. I hope you find it helpful.

1. Make an Easter hamper for a friend or a loved one.

2. Create an Easter egg hunt for your kids, friends, or partner.

3. Take your kids to an Easter egg hunt in your community.

4. Sit down to an Easter meal with your family and friends.

5. Make Easter crackers to enjoy during your Easter meal.

6. Make Easter table favours for your loved ones to enjoy.

7. Decorate your home for Easter.

8. Go shopping for new Easter decorations.

9. Make your own Easter tree using branches and white spray paint.

10. Try some Easter nail art.

11. Make Easter birds nest Cornflake / Rice Krispies cakes.

12. Bake your own hot cross buns.

13. Learn about the Easter story.

14. Treat yourself to a bunch of daffodils or tulips.

15. Watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

16. Read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

17. Make an Easter wreath.

18. Make some Easter hoop art.

19. Go out for an Easter meal.

20. Throw an Easter party.

21. Watch Steel Magnolias- the best Easter movie ever. Fact!

22. Indulge in a chocolate Easter egg or two.

23. Watch The Vicar of Dibley's Easter Bunny episode.

24. Have an Easter carpet picnic with all your favourite Easter snacks.

25. Have an Easter movie marathon.

26. Read an Easter themed book.

27. Do some Easter colouring-in.

28. Dress in an Easter-themed outfit.

29. Visit a farm to see some cute baby farm animals.

30. Go for an Easter walk, and enjoy the fresh air, blossom, Spring flowers, and longer hours of daylight.

31. Create Easter blog content.

32. Blog about what you get / got up to over Easter.

33. Make and decorate Easter cupcakes.

34. Create an Easter make up look.

35. Sew an Easter cross stitch.

36. Make a pom pom garland in pastel colours.

37. Throw an Easter craft party for your crafty friends.

38. Host an Easter afternoon tea party.

39. Go out for Easter afternoon tea.

40. Take an Easter holiday or mini break.

41. Visit family and friends.

42. Go for a walk in a woods carpeted with bluebells.

43. If it's warm, go on a picnic.

44. Go to the zoo.

45. Take lots of photos of all your Easter adventures.

46. Plant spring flowers in your garden.

47. Make your own Easter cards.

48. Dye Easter eggs to make colourful Easter decorations and to use for egg hunts.

49. Make your own Easter bunting.

50. Set up an Easter photo booth, with a fun Easter backdrop and a camera on a tripod, and take photos with silly Easter props.

51. Make an Easter bonnet.

52. Go to Easter mass.

53. Bake Creme Egg brownies.

54. Take photos in a field of flowers.

55. Make an Easter table centre-piece.

56. Light some Easter Yankee Candles.

57. Paint Easter eggs in all kinds of weird and wonderful designs.

58. Enjoy your favourite eggs for breakfast. 

59. Give Easter eggs to your loved ones.

60. Donate some Easter treats to a food bank.

61. Do some Easter art journaling.

62. Bake and decorate Easter cookies.

63. Watch The Sound of Music.

64. Go to an Easter fair or market.

65. If it snows, build a snow bunny.

66. If it's warm, have a barbecue.

67. Donate food and bedding for rabbits to an animal rescue centre- too many bunnies are abandoned at this time of year after being bought as Easter presents on impulse.

68. Have a Spring clean, and donate anything you can't sell to a charity shop.

69. Make an Easter milkshake or hot chocolate using your favourite Easter treats.

70. Make your own Easter eggs.

71. Create a pretty Easter tablescape for your Easter meal.

72. Fold napkins in to Easter bunnies.

73. Make an Easter bandana or bowtie for your dog or cat.

74. Do some Easter flower arranging.

75. Rest, relax, and enjoy your Easter weekend!

Have a lovely Easter!

What are your plans for the Easter weekend?

Colourful Easter Crackers

I've been having another crafting binge over the last few weeks. I've made some polka dot hoop art, been working on some spring wreaths, made some bandannas for my dog, and a couple of days ago, I put together some Easter crackers for our Easter meal on Sunday. I'm really pleased with how they turned out, so I'm here to give you a peek at them today.

My family and I always sit down to an Easter meal together on Easter Sunday, and this year I decided I wanted to make some Easter crackers for us to enjoy during our meal for the very first time to make Easter lunch that little bit lovelier. It's something I've wanted to do for years, so I knew I had to finally give it a go.

When I began thinking about making Easter crackers, I originally thought about making Easter crackers entirely from scratch, but knowing that would probably end in disaster, I began looking in to Easter cracker kits online instead. I soon discovered an online shop called Little Crafty Bugs, who stock a wide variety of craft supplies and an extensive selection of cracker kits for every occasion imaginable, and found exactly what I was looking for. 

While they do offer a range of Easter cracker kits, I actually found myself drawn to their plain coloured crackers, and decided to buy six of their single standard-sized crackers in six different colours- rose pink, sea blue, yellow, emerald green, lime green, and pastel yellow- to make our Easter table as colourful as possible. Well, you guys know how much I love colour!

My order arrived within a week, and I'm pleased to say, I wasn't disappointed. They were perfect for what I had in mind.

As I discovered, the crackers are all made from reasonably thick, good-quality card, and the colours are lovely and vibrant. Like traditional Christmas crackers, each cracker kit comes with a paper crown and a joke, as well as a cracker snap to give each cracker that satisfying pop when you pull them over the dinner table. I was surprised to find that they didn't come with ribbon or string to tie the ends of the crackers with, but as I was already planning to use colourful ribbons from my stash, it wasn't a problem for me. Just be aware that you'll need to source your own ribbon, twine, or raffia in order to make these crackers.

I was finally able to make my crackers this week, and it really couldn't have been easier. I had all six crackers made within fifteen minutes. I had originally hoped to blog a tutorial in advance with step-by-step photos, but I've been so under-the-weather lately, it's been left to the last minute again, and a tutorial won't be much use to you now. I only managed to snap photos of before and after, because my pain levels were too high, and I had to rush through it to get back to bed, but they were super easy to make, and I'll try to talk you through the process instead. Of course, it's probably too late to order these cracker kits in time for Easter now, but you could still make your own crackers from scratch by downloading a cracker template from the net and using some colourful card.

How To Make These Crackers

What You'll Need

1 cracker kit per person.

2 lengths of ribbon per cracker. (I used satin ribbons from Hobbycraft).

Scissors.

Mini Easter eggs, or whatever contents you desire. (I used a selection of mini Lindt eggs).

Confetti (optional).

What To Do

1. First, take your flat-packed cracker, and stick a cracker snap in place with Selotape length-ways down the centre of the cracker.

2. Push out all of the diamond card pieces from the diamond cut-outs.

3. Roll the card in to a cylinder shape, and slot the three tabs in to the three slots.

4. Take a length of ribbon, and positioning it under the diamond cut outs, cinch it in and tightly tie it in place. This will pull in the end of the cracker and create the traditional cracker shape. Cut the ends of the ribbon diagonally to prevent it from fraying.

5. Place a paper crown and a joke in to the cracker, and drop in your confetti and contents. I used a selection of mini Lindt eggs for mine, but you could add in whatever small treats you like.

6. Tie up the other end of the cracker by repeating step 3, and voila, you're done!

You could also decorate your crackers any way you desire. I was originally intending to embellish mine with some Easter fabric, pom poms, ribbons, and silk flowers, but once I made them, I decided I liked the bold colours with the contrasting coloured ribbons I used as they were, and chose to keep them simple. I think the colours make a great statement on their own, and they'll go perfectly with our colourful new Easter placemats and napkins we recently picked up from John Lewis. (I'm still hoping to source the matching table runner, but it's currently out of stock online).

If you like the look of these crackers but not the colours I chose, don't worry; the Little Crafty Bugs crackers come in lots of other colours and sizes, too, and you can also buy them in multi-packs of up to 1000! With so many different options, you should have no problem finding exactly what you need to match your table decor, and cater to your guests / family no matter the occasion. You can find Little Crafty Bugs' selection of cracker kits here.

I couldn't recommend them more. I love how great my crackers turned out, and I'm looking forward to surprising my family with them on Sunday. Here's hoping they go down well with everyone.

Will you be making your own crackers for your Easter meal or party this Easter?

P.S. Apologies for how atrocious today's photos are. I took them in low light, and just cannot make them look good. I'm hoping I'll be able to replace them with better ones over the weekend.

Wednesday Wish List

Here are a few things I've been lusting after this week...

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I'm loving these new novelty bags from Betsey Johnson, especially the cherry and the pineapple.

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I'd love to get my hands on all of these embroidered and applique motif cardigans from Collectif for pairing with dresses, and swing skirts.

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I'm head over heels for this gorgeous pink gingham Strawberry Shortcake dress and skirt from Hell Bunny. They'd be so perfect for summer picnics, and afternoon tea in English country gardens. The links will lead you to the plus size versions, but you can find separate listings for the straight sizes on their website.

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Hell Bunny's cactus print and motif pieces are also drop dead gorgeous.

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I'm obsessed with Kate Spade's amazing 'Shore Thing' collection of crab and lobster shaped bags and purses, especially the lobster cross body bag. Seriously, how incredible are these?! 

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I've just discovered a fantastic collection of acrylic jewellery in the shape of carousel animals from an Australian brand called Curious Carousel, and I've fallen pretty hard for them. I think my favourite is the white and gold carousel rabbit brooch, although all of the designs, which come in a range of colours, are amazing. Shipping from their Etsy shop is expensive to the UK, but a selection of their designs is also available from a UK stockist called Lottie & Lu here.

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

Which pieces do you like best this week?