Erstwilder Out Of Africa Brooches

In August, Erstwilder, my favourite Australian jewellery brand, released their highly anticipated Out of Africa collection, which has to be one of my favourite Erstwilder collections to date.

This twenty-piece collection, designed by artist Sally Land, features designs of some of Africa's most iconic animals such as elephants, rhinos, lions, hippos, giraffes, and so many others, and even some of Africa's more unusual creatures like the okapi and the bat-eared fox. As a huge animal lover and Erstwilder fan, I'm naturally obsessed with this collection, and if money grew on trees, I would have happily bought every single piece the morning they went on sale. They are that perfect. Alas, I'm poor, and have only been able to stretch to two pieces so far, but I'm hoping to collect more as time goes on.

There are fourteen brooches to collect, plus one brooch trio, two necklaces, one necklace and brooch set, and two pairs of earrings. I bet you can guess what I went for! Yep, you've got it- brooches again! I'm so predictable!

On the day the collection was released, I had to narrow down my favourites to just one (no easy task, I can tell you!), and chose to buy Finnicky Fennec, the fennec fox brooch. If you're not familiar with the fennec fox, it's a small, sandy-coloured fox with a cute little face and huge bat-like ears from the deserts of Africa and the Middle East, and it's ca-uuuute! Seriously, Google it- you'll love it. Just be prepared to die of cuteness!

I've always loved foxes, even pre-dating the days of my The Animals of Farthing Wood obsession, so I was excited to see a fennec fox brooch in the collection, and couldn't resist him. They've captured the fennec fox perfectly. He's so beautiful with his peachy coloured head, pink inner ears, and stunning pearlescent face, muzzle, and (huge!) ears that shimmer pink, blue, and green in the light. He's finished off with big black and white eyes, a little black nose, and a pair of orange whiskers on each cheek, and the result is one seriously cute fox brooch that I just can't stop wearing. With his decent size, Finnicky makes a great statement piece, and I think he's perfect for pairing with autumn colours, neutrals, and pastels in the spring. He's been getting so much wear already.

Last month, I also treated myself to Short-Sighted Sophie, a bespectacled pink gorilla brooch with more character than King Kong, Curious George, and Terk rolled together. I fell in love with her the moment I first saw a preview photo of her on Instagram, and knew I had to have her. I couldn't afford her on release day, but I was so desperate to get my hands on her, I put her on lay away and paid in instalments. (Erstwilder and some of their stockists offer this service, but you have to pay a deposit straight away). I'm so glad I did because she's become one of my favourite pieces of jewellery of all time. Look how adorable she is!

This pretty gorilla has a bubble gum pink head and legs with just a hint of lilac, while her body is a complimenting dark lilac. She also has a white heart-shaped chest, and a fair little face with delicate black features, on which sit a pair of glittery red cat-eye glasses, not unlike my own. Mine are a little less cat-eyed, but she's basically my glasses twin! It was one of the reasons I had to have her in my life. Another was because she's a bright pink gorilla, and how often do you see such a thing? She's utterly adorable, has character in spades, and sure makes a statement out of any outfit. I adore her, and I'm so glad I managed to add her to my collection. It was the best decision I've made in ages. I couldn't recommend her more.

Most of the Out of Africa collection is still available from Erstwilder and their stockists around the world, and it's well worth a browse if you're in to fun resin jewellery like these. The brooches will set you back £24.99 each. I'm still hoping to get my hands on more of the collection, particularly the rhino, okapi, and elephant brooches. I'll definitely be adding them to my Christmas list this year, so I guess I'd better start behaving to get on Santa's 'nice' list, huh?

Have you bough any pieces from Erstwilder's Out of Africa collection? Which pieces are your favourites?

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My Quirky Brooch Collection 2016
My Brooch Collection 2014

Wednesday Wish List

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

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Glitter Punk have an amazing selection of enamel pins at the moment. I'm particularly loving their Halloween collection; the designs are the perfect mix of cute and creepy.

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I'm swooning over Irregular Choice's new Carousel collection, which features the most incredible wedges with carousel horse snow-globe heels. They have to be some of the most beautiful shoes I've ever seen! Sadly, I can't wear heels anymore due to my chronic pain, and I couldn't afford these shoes even if I could, but it doesn't hurt to dream.

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I love this anatomical heart necklace and brooch from Tatty Devine. With my heart still being a pain in the ass, I think these would be perfect for me. 

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Collectif have so many beautiful dresses this season, and I seem to be particularly drawn to their red and navy check designs, and anything black with a pattern right now. I usually am at this time of year. I'd happily wear all four of these dresses to death right through 'til spring. (FYI, one and two are from the standard range, and three and four are part of the Collectif x Modcloth collaboration which cater to sizes 18-30UK).

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Lindy Bop are also killing it at the moment with their seemingly constant stream of amazing dresses. This week, I've been attracted to lots of purple and mustard pieces, particularly these four beauties, which feature prints of carousel horses, embroidery hoops, floral skulls, and hedgehogs. Get in my wardrobe now!

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And I'm loving Kitschy Kittens' amazing new collection of acrylic Halloween brooches, especially the fruit bat and the Russian doll. They would all be the perfect finishing touch for almost any Autumn outfit this October, and a fun way to embrace the Halloween spirit without dressing up.

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.

Any favourites this week?

The Jane Austen Collection From Arcturus Books

As a big old book worm, beautiful book covers are one of my biggest weaknesses in life, and I love collecting pretty editions that are a treat for the eyes as well as the imagination. 

Lately, I've been on a bit of a beautiful-book buying binge, and have treated myself to a couple of gorgeous clothbound sets and an armful of novels over the last month or so alone. I just couldn't help myself; I have no restraint when it comes to books!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a sneak peek of some of my new reads on my Insta stories, bur if you missed them, don't worry; I'm going to start reviewing some of them here, too, starting with The Jane Austen Collection from Arcturus books today.

The Jane Austen Collection from Arcturus books features six of Jane Austen's most beloved novels including Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey, and they're without a doubt some of the most beautiful books I've ever seen. I fell in love with the collection after stumbling up on the prettiest photos of them on Bluestocking Bookshelf a couple of months ago. and I knew I had to have them in my life. I couldn't stop thinking about them until I was finally able to treat myself to the set last month, and let me tell you, they were worth the wait! They're even more perfect in person than they appear on screen. My photos do not do them justice.

Each book in this beautiful set of colourful clothbounds is a different colour in a range of pastels and muted-brights from dusky pink to light-teal, and each copy has a different patterned cover in a complimenting shade, with a pretty wreath design around the book title and author's name. 

I think my favourite designs are Northanger Abbey and Emma, although Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility look rather lovely, too. They're all absolutely stunning.

The titles on the covers are printed in a handwritten-like script in both upper and lowercase letters, with Austen's name printed slightly smaller in all caps. I think the font looks attractive on the front covers, but looks a little tacky and childish on the spines- probably since it's printed in such a large font. It doesn't put me off the books, but if I could change anything, I would make the font much smaller.

Like all of Arcturus' books I've seen, the books in the Jane Austen collection are smaller than the average paperback, which I love because I find them easier to hold in my arthritic hands for extended periods than larger, heavier books. They're not too heavy, either, as the novels are printed in a small font, which keeps the thickness down. Their unique size and colourful covers also ensure that they stand out on your bookshelves and add a pop of colour to your home, which is something I love my books to do.

I adore these gorgeous little books, and can't wait to start working my way through them. I've only read Pride and Prejudice before, so I'm looking forward to reading the other five for the first time. I  just don't know which novel to begin reading first! Any recommendations?

The Jane Austen collection is available to purchase separately and together as a set, and should be available from all good book stores. I stumbled up on the whole set for just £19.99 (RRP £49.99!) from Books2Door here, which works out at just £3.33 a book! Six pretty clothbounds for under £20 is an amazing bargain, and trust me, they were worth every penny! 

The set would make the perfect gift for any Jane Austen fan this Christmas, and an even better gift for yourself!

Will you be buying any books from the collection? 

Are you a fan of pretty books?

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Wednesday Wish List

Here are a few things on my wish list this week...

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I Love Crafty have collaborated with Pony People for their Halloween collection this year, and the result is the most adorable collection of perspex Halloween jewellery I think I've ever seen. My favourite piece has got to be the ghost cat necklace- it's so cute!

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Cath Kidston have released their highly anticipated Disney Snow White collection, and I'm lusting after so many of the bags, purses, and cases. It's surprising, as while I'm a huge Cath Kidston fan, Snow White has never been one of my favourite Disney movies, and I wasn't expecting to be interested in the collection at all. It turns out that I love most of the collection, particularly the apple,  Singing Birds, Little Scattered Blossom, and Snow White Scene designs. I can't afford to buy any of it this time, but my little sister bought a few of the grey Scattered Blossom and Singing Birds pieces and they're all gorgeous. Snap them up while you can! 

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Erstwilder have surprised us with a second Halloween collection for 2018, this time featuring skeleton animals including a cat, dog, rabbit, bird, and a unicorn. Aren't they amazing? They remind me of Funny Bones! I particularly love Doggo Darkness and Bunny Bones brooches. The Bone Brigade has proved to be extremely popular and has sold out completely on Erstwilder's website and through many of the UK stockists since its release on Monday. The cat is sold out everywhere online, but  Daisy Park still have the dog, bunny, and bird available, Lottie and Lu has the bunny, and Thunder Egg still has the bird and bunny. Apparently Glitterally will be restocking everything but the cat at the end of the week. If you're outside the UK, you can find all other Erstwilder stockists around the world here.

Kat Von D 10th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette

I definitely do not need any more eyeshadow palettes in my life, but this 10th Anniversary eyeshadow palette from Kat Von D is seriously dreamy.

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It wouldn't be a wish list without a generous dose of Lindy Bop dresses. These are just some of the new releases I'm lusting over this week. My favourites are easily the Claudine Pumpkin Patch (#2) and Bunny Hop (#8) shirt dresses. I just love the prints, contrasting colours, and style of the dresses.

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Kimchi and Coconut's new collection of Autumnal acrylic jewellery is available to preorder, and the designs will be perfect for accessorising all of those Autumn outfits. I need those pumpkin brooches in my life!

The Bronte Deluxe Book Collection

And I'm also lusting after this beautiful Bronte sisters book collection from Arcturus books. I have a real weakness for pretty books, especially clothbound ones, and these are some of the prettiest book covers I've ever seen. I've just bought the set for my Mum for Christmas, as Wuthering Heights is one of her favourite books, but I think I'm going to be needing a set for myself. It's only £15.99 for the whole collection from Lowplex at the moment (it usually retails around the £50 mark), which is amazing value for a set of six pretty clothbounds, so it would be stupid not to treat myself, wouldn't it? I know what I'll be spending my next survey earnings on! If you like the look of these, I think you'll also appreciate the Anne of Green Gables and Jane Austen collections. I recently treated myself to both, and they're stunning. I'll be blogging photos and reviews of them really soon so you can see for yourselves.

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

Any favourites this week?

Kimchi and Coconut Australian Animal Brooches

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you own any Kimchi and Coconut jewellery?

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Cath Kidston Little Flower Buds Owl Brooch
My Quirky Brooch Collection 2016
My Brooch Collection 2014