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.

Erstwilder South American Socialites Brooches

It was only last week that I was raving about Erstwilder's Australiana brooch collection, and now I have another new jewellery collection to show you that is so good it almost puts the last one to shame- The South American Socialites collection!

Designed for Erstwilder by graphic designer Lorri McPherson, the South American Socialites collection features twelve stunning handmade resin pieces including ten brooches, one mini brooch duo, and a necklace, in the design of some of South America's most iconic animals. There are macaws, capybaras, alpacas, sloths, and even my favourite animal- the tapir! The collection is amazing, and showcases so many cute and unusual animals you don't often see made in to jewellery, with plenty of bold, bright colours, heaps of pink, and so much glitter! It has to be my favourite Erstwilder collection yet.

Being a brooch addict and a huge animal lover, I instantly fell in love with the entire collection, and may have gotten a little carried away and treated myself to six of the brooches. Yep, half of the range... That's what happens when you let yourself shop at 7am, minutes after waking, with a rebate burning a hole in your pocket. There were so many fantastic designs that I was powerless to resist them and I knew I had to have these six in my brooch collection. It was impossible to say "no" to brooches of some of my favourite animals that you rarely, if ever, come across in jewellery form,

If you're a novelty brooch lover, you'll understand by the time this post is through.

Keep reading for close up photos and reviews of each of the six brooches I bought...

First up is Chaz the Chinchilla; one of my favourites from the collection, and undeniably one of the cutest. Chaz is a matte purple chinchilla with pale pink ears, hands and feet, and a glittery pink tail. He's a cheerful looking chinny and eager to get the party started with a little green star-print party hat crowning his head. He's absolutely adorable, and also one of the largest in the Socialites collection at 7.5cm tall, so he's a really great statement piece. He'll be particularly perfect for wearing on birthdays and other special occasions. I'll definitely be pinning him to my outfit on my birthday in July.

Next we have Rita the Anteater, who's just dying to meet ya. Rita is a glittery pink anteater (and one of my favourite animals!), and she has to be the prettiest, glitteriest anteater I've ever seen. In fact, the only parts of her that don't glitter are her tongue and inner ears, which are matte. She has a glittery salmon-pink body, salmon and hot-pink legs, and a coral-pink head with her cute purple tongue poking out. She's also fashionably accessorized with aquamarine cat-eye glasses over her closed long-lashed eyes, so she's an anteater after my own heart. I love the choice of colours, and the way the glitter glistens like a diamond mine in the sunlight; she's so beautiful, and definitely one of my favourites. I think she'll look amazing worn with pastels for Spring and brights for Summer.

If you love Rita, you might also like Sara the Capybara, the world's largest (and pinkest!) semi-aquatic rodent. Sara is a matte, pale pink capybara with a hint of lilac, with long black eye lashes, and a happy pink smile on her little face. She's dressed for a cold, rainy day with a cosy pink scarf around her neck, and glittery yellow and turquoise rain boots on her feet so she can splash in some puddles without getting her feet wet. I personally would have preferred her without the wellies, or at least with pink or purple ones instead of yellow, as I think they're a little bright for her pastel-colouring, but she's so darn cute her choice of footwear isn't important. I adore capybaras so I just couldn't resist her, rain boots or no rain boots.

Another of my favourite South American animals has to be the colourful blue and yellow macaw, so I was thrilled to discover Erstwilder had included one in the collection. (I've always loved macaws, and when I was seventeen, I got to do work experience with some in the bird gardens at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park for a week. I even got to hold a couple, which was an amazing experience, and it's one of the reasons I chose this brooch). Let me introduce you to Corey the Macaw! Corey is a stunning, vibrantly-coloured little dude, with a glittery bright yellow body, and a bold turquoise head and wings. He has matte navy tail feathers, a little white face and a black beak, just like a real macaw, which help to make those bright colours pop even more. With his navy, red, and white high-top sneakers, and matching baseball cap, Corey is the coolest parrot in the Amazon- and he knows it. Who's a pretty boy then? Corey is! He's another of the larger pieces in the collection at 7.5cm tall (about the height of my ring finger), so he's definitely designed to be seen, and will make a statement pinned to any outfit. 

One of the smallest and most unusual creatures in the collection has to be Alex the Axolotl. If you're not familiar with axolotls, they're an adorable species of salamander that, unlike most amphibians, don't go through metamorphosis so remain fully aquatic in to adulthood. They also have the ability to regenerate limbs, so they're pretty awesome little guys. When I was studying animal care at college, we had a couple of them to care for in our animal units, and I've found them fascinating ever since, so I had to have this adorable brooch in my life. He is the cutest amphibian on four legs. Alex is made from ruby red resin, with a matte face and dorsal fin, and a glittery body and legs that sparkle like Dorothy's slippers. I'm impressed by how precisely his tiny little feet have been cut in to shape; that must have taken some skill. The cutest thing about Alex is he is rocking a pair of chunky navy glasses over his sweet little eyes, with a little smile on his face. He's so precious I can't take it!

And finally, we have my favourite from the collection, Tabitha the Tapir. Tapirs are one of my most favourite animals, so I could not believe my eyes when I laid eyes on this brooch in the collection. I actually squealed out loud with excitement! I've wanted a tapir brooch for as long as I can remember, and now, thanks to Erstwilder, all my brooch dreams have come true. I could not check out fast enough. Tabitha is a beautiful black, grey, and white tapir, and I fell in love with her instantly. She has a marbled black and grey body with a subtle glitter, two matte light grey legs at the back, and a stunning white pearlescent saddle that shimmers blue, green, and pink in the light. (Sadly, my photos haven't picked that up well). If this tapir brooch wasn't pretty enough already, she's also stylishly accessorised with a string of pearls around her neck, and a matching bow beside her ear. She even has her toe nails painted! Could she be any more glamorous?! She's absolutely perfect, although, there is one teeny mistake I think Erstwilder failed to recognise- she's been modelled on the black and white Malayan tapir which are only found in Asia. The three species of tapir that are native to South America are all solid brown in colour and don't have the white saddle markings of their larger Asian cousins. I'm not sure if it was an innocent mistake or whether they just preferred the markings of the Malayan tapir from a design point of view. Maybe Tabitha was born and raised in South American by migrant parents, or became a South American socialite by marriage? Who knows? Even if Tabitha is an impostor masquerading as a South American socialite, who cares? I won't tell if you won't! The important thing is she's so beautiful, and I finally have the tapir brooch of my dreams. Thank you, Erstwilder!

I'm completely smitten with all six brooches and I'm so happy to have added such weird and wonderful animals to my brooch zoo. The designs are all amazing, and the quality and attention to detail to each piece is incredible. They're so perfectly made it's almost hard to believe each one has been made by hand, but just like all Erstwilder jewellery, they sure have.

Erstwilder have designed some fantastic collections over the years, but The South American Socialites collection has got to be my favourite one yet. I love the designs so much, I'm tempted to go back for more. I'd love to get my hands on Alan the Alpaca and Francie the Flamingo! 

I purchased all but one of these brooches from UK stockist Glitterally, and then tracked down Alex the Axolotl from Lottie and Lu, which was sold out from Glitterally at the time. You can also find available pieces from the range from Erstwilder, and other UK stockists Daisy Park, Kitty Kat Accessories, and The Midget Gem. Most of the pieces are still available, so snap your favourites up while you can!

I can't wait to see what Erstwilder come up with next! I'm already looking forward to the Africa collection they're promising later in the year, although, I doubt anything will ever beat this amazing South American Socialite collection!

Which brooch is your favourite? Have you purchased anything from The South American Socialites collection?

You Might Also Like
Erstwilder Australiana Brooches
Wild & Wolf Folklore Bear and Deer Necklaces
Cath Kidston Little Flower Buds Owl Brooch
My Quirky Brooch Collection 2016
My Brooch Collection 2014

Wednesday Wish List

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

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 / 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20

Spanish jewellery brand La Vidriola have launched a limited edition Harry Potter collection, and each piece of the laser-cut acrylic jewellery range is absolutely amazing. I think my favourites have to be the Luna and Howler brooches, along with all of the statement battle necklaces.

1 // 2

I love these summery vehicle print swing dresses from Collectif. They'd both be perfect for holidays in the sun by the coast. Something I sadly won't be getting this year. Sob!

Cath Kidston Alice Hearts Minilite Umbrella

I placed a big Cath Kidston Alice in Wonderland order on Thursday night when the collection launched, and spent far more than I should have, but I'd still like to get my hands on this awesome Alice Hearts Minilite Umbrella. I love the red heart handle, and the Alice heart print fabric, but it is a little steep at £30, so I'm holding off for now. It might be a little too frivolous considering I rarely get to leave the house...

1 // 2

These tropical palm leaf statement necklaces from Tatty Devine are so gorgeous. I love the little hummingbirds that are hanging out amongst the flowers.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Lady Vintage's summer Lyra dresses are all rather pretty, especially the Summer Blue. (#1). These dresses cater to sizes 14-30/32.

Glitter Bomb UK Fox Brooch

I still haven't got a fox brooch in my collection, but I'm quite taken with this sweet acrylic one from Glitter Bomb UK. Isn't it lovely?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

I'd love to get my hands on this gorgeous macaw print dress and playsuit, and seahorse and blue swimmers print skirts from Lindy Bop for my summer wardrobe. All of those prints are so perfect.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 

OT Sisters Design have so many beautiful laser-cut acrylic brooches to choose from in their Etsy shop. I think the lobster has to be my favourite, although, the tiger is pretty wonderful, too.

1 // 2

I doubt these gorgeous Miss L Fire rainbow shoes would fit my wide feet, but I can't help lusting after them, anyway. Just look at how pretty they are!

Oh So Flamingo Squeaks The Squirrel Brooch

And last but not least, this laser-cut acrylic squirrel brooch from Oh So Flamingo is adorable. I need him in my brooch zoo.

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?

Cath Kidston X Disney Alice in Wonderland Complete Collection Preview

The wait is almost over for the highly anticipated Cath Kidston Disney Alice in Wonderland collection, and I'm so nervous and excited, you'd think I was waiting for gig tickets to go on sale! I've been sat here with butterflies in my stomach all afternoon impatiently waiting for the presale to begin, worrying I won't get my hands on the pieces I have my heart set on. Apparently that's what happens when two of your favourite brands join forces, and you haven't got a life! 

A couple of weeks ago I featured preview photos of the Alice in Wonderland collection on the blog (here), and today I've got images of the entire sixty-eight piece collection to show you in better detail before the collection goes live. The collection includes fashion, bags and accessories, homeware, and children's ware, and if you love Cath Kidston and Alice in Wonderland, trust me, you're going to want to see these. They're sure to send your hearts all aflutter.

Below the images, I've also included the advertised prices of each item to help you plan ahead if you're hoping to shop the new collection tonight / tomorrow, because you won't have long to decide once it goes live; the best pieces from the Cath Kidston Disney collections always sell out in minutes, and products in your basket won't be reserved. You'll have to move fast if you want to get your hands on your favourite pieces, so planning ahead is recommended.

You can check out the full collection in all its glory below.

Fashion

1. Alice's Meadow Cotton Sateen Dress £90 // 2. Alice's Meadow Skirt £65 // 3. Alice's Words Cotton Shirt Dress £80 // 4. Painting the Roses Embroidered Jacket £75

1. Disappearing Cheshire Cat T-Shirt £38 // 2. Disappearing Cheshire Cat Disney Jumper £55 // 3. Painting the Roses Disney Print Jumper £55. // 4. Falling Alice Square Shawl £45

Bags and Accessories

1. Alice Meadow Applique Tote £65 // 2. Falling Alice Reversible Backpack £45 // 3. Alice and Friends Leather Lozenge Cross Body Bag £115 // 4. Falling Alice Reversible Cross Body Bag £45 // 5. Painting The Roses Disney Tab Saddle Bag £45 // 6. Painting The Roses Disney Shoulder Tote £48 // 7. Alice Words Buckle Backpack £60 // 8. Cheshire Cat Perforated Cross Body Bag £100.

1. Alice Meadow Continental Wallet £40 // 2. Painting the Roses Disney Small Continental Wallet £30 // 3. Disappearing Cheshire Cat Leather Wallet £65. // 4. Set of Two Alice and Friends Pouches £15 // 5. Painting the Roses Disney Washbag £24 // 6. Painting the Roses Disney Cosmetic Bag £18

Cheshire Cat Coin Purse With Wrist Strap £18

1. Alice Words Mini I.D. Tag £8 // 2. Falling Alice Lanyard £4.50 // 3. Alice Hearts Minilite Umbrella £30 // 4. Falling Alice Moving iPhone 6/7 Case £22

Homeware

1. Alice Hearts Double Oven Gloves £16 // 2. Falling Alice Apron £24 // 3. Set of Two Falling Alice Tea Towels £15 // 4. Alice Hearts Foldaway Shopper £10

1. Alice Words Bedding Set From £65 // 2. Set of Two Alice Words Pillow Cases £30

Alice Meadow 40 x 40cm Cushion £25

1. Alice Meadow A5 Hard Back Notebook £10 // 2. Alice Meadow Chunky Pen £7

1. Falling Alice Lanyard Drinking Bottle £15 // 2. Alice Meadow Boxed Gift Mug £12

1. Alice Words Cake Stand £30 // 2. Alice Words Tea For Two £35 // 3. Alice Words Jug Vase £14 // 4. Playing Cards Salt and Pepper Shakers £20

1. Set of Two Alice Words Tumblers £22 // 2. Alice and Friends Set of Four Coasters £24 // 3. Alice and Friends Bowl £10 // 4. Alice and Friends Plate £10 // 5. Alice and Friends Mug £10 // 6. Alice and Friends Cheshire Cat Mug £10 // 7. Alice and Friends Mad Hatter Mug £10 // 8. Alice and Friends Rabbit Mug £10 // 9. Alice and Friends Tea Cup and Saucer £18 // 10. Alice and Friends Teapot £38

Babies and Kids

1. Alice and Friends Beaker £6.50 // 2. Alice and Friends Beaker £6.50 // 3. Alice Heart Drinking Bottle £8 // 4. Late For Tea Drinking Bottle £8

1. Alice Heart Medium Kids Backpack £30 // 2. Alice Heart Shaped Handbag £18 // 3. Alice Hearts Double Zip Pencil Case £11

1. Late For Tea Mini Backpack £22 // 2. Late For Tea Kids Backpack £36 // 3. Disney Novelty Medium Backpack £30 // 4. Disney Novelty Medium Backpack £30

Alice Words Tote Changing Bag £90

1. Alice Kids T-Shirt £18 // 2. Disney Novelty Cheshire Cat Kids T-Shirt £18 // 3. Alice Words Mini Sleeveless Dress £30 // 4. Alice Words Mini Baby Eleanor Heart Dress £26

I'm particularly hoping to get my hands on the duvet set, salt and pepper shakers, jug vase, Alice Daisy tote, the matching wallet, and the White Rabbit mug, but I could happily buy one of everything; they're all gorgeous!

The collection launches with a pre-sale online and in 19 selected stores at 7pm tonight, ahead of its general release nationwide tomorrow morning. If you haven't already signed up for the presale, you won't be able to access it online, but you can find a list of all the stores taking part in the pre-sale tonight here. You can find all the other information you need to know over on the website, including tips for shopping the pre-sale with the best chance of success.

If you'd like to learn more about the collection, you can do so here.

Are you hoping to shop the Cath Kidston Disney Alice in Wonderland collection? Which pieces have you got your eye on?

You Might Also Like

Cath Kidston x Disney Alice in Wonderland Collection Preview

My Huge Cath Kidston Collection 2015
My Cath Kidston Collection 2013
My Cath Kidston Heart Print Collection
Cath Kidston Little Flower Buds Owl Brooch Review