I'M A HAPPY SHOPPER

bargains, bargains, bargains......that's what i got!

like i said yesterday, the past week has been pretty rubbish here in the little special household. so, like any girl worth her salt, i indulged in a bit of retail therapy. nothing huge, nothing expensive, but a few nice bits + bobs all the same.


lookie lookie, i will show you my haul (albeit with dull, rainy-day photographs) -


first off, we have some goodies from primark - yes, the shops are like jumble-sales but i persevered + managed to find a couple of things i liked which were also in my size - result!

a charcoal smocky vest top with burn-out flower detail (£6)

+ a chocolate brown smocky, long-line top (£6)

on to faithful old topshop, where i picked up......

......this cute little necklace with beads, mother-of-pearl discs + sweet little embroidered felt flowers. so delicate + pretty, i couldn't resist!

+ a green empire ruched tee

i also bought these gladiator sandals which i really need your combined opinion on. you know when you like something but you're not sure if it's just you, well that's how i feel about these shoes. are they really ugly + tacky or are they pretty fabulous? please help + let me know what you honestly think!

finally, to demonstrate that it's not ALL about me, there's the best little outfit ever that we bought for my husband's cousin's baby boy. prepare yourselves because it's unbelievably cute......

......look at that shirt + the shoes! i told you didn't i? cute. cute. cute.

i absolutely love this fabric + wish i could buy it by the metre. congratulations baby gap, you've done it again!

anyway, that's surely enough showing off for one day, so i'll be off.

xx

A QUICKIE

hi team!

just a short one today. i've had a bit going on the last couple of days so i've been struggling for time to check in - it amazes me how desperate i am to find out what everyone's been up to though!

some things i'm loving:

• the glorious sunshine
• this mark ronson track - can't get enough! set me free why don't you babe.........la la la
• all of the lovely comments on my last post - my head is now far too big! thanks guys, i really appreciate you taking the time to say nice things......or anything at all for that matter. xx
• these funky shopping bags - oh unicorn, please decide to start selling them online, i don't live anywhere near manchester + i really, really want one some.
• this pretty bike basket. which might just convince me to make more use of mine. find it at design house stockholm
  
  
  

• this post from ali, which really made me smile - not sure if i'm ready to join in with the confessions just yet......maybe in a little while, but don't hold your breaths!

xx

THE WEEKEND

a great weekend!

the highlights:

• dinner, drinks + laughs with my friend L
  


• watching my husband + her boyfriend A falling drunkenly into a bush while clinging to each other in the hope of staying upright - it's not big, it's not clever......but it really was very funny!
  


• snuggling all day sunday with a sleepy + hungover husband
  


• watching stranger than fiction on dvd. this was such a sweet film + in it, maggie gyllenhaal's character has my dream job - running a little bakery, serving homemade cookies + cupcakes. wow, lucky girl.
  
  
  

• finding out that bernadette at sugarloop has put another batch of spring tree prints up for sale + managing to snap one up! this design is a little different to the first (linked to last week) but equally beautiful.
  

• the relief that my sent swap packages made it to their recipients safely + delight at their response. both nikole + donna seem to be happy with what was sent......thanks girls! here they are before being shipped off to canada + scotland respectively (the packages, not the girls!)
  

......my red, white + blue, british-themed vintage button swap package

+ the tuquoise hued, mellow + yellow swap one.

i'm off to dream about the cookies i'll serve in my imaginery bakery......

hope you all had a lovely weekend too!

xx

EGG PRESS

i've just discovered the egg press website + i think i'm in love!

my favourites -

• let's stitch frank - a dog called frank that you stitch yourself, what could be better than that!?! first of all, i love that he's called frank (it's totally in keeping with my belief that boy dogs should be called real names - i.e. steve, barry, ian, derek....you get the idea!) + secondly, he's really, really cute. check out the hoots + scoots kits too, they're fab.
• this beautiful letterpress 'love tree' card, which comes with a fantastic woodgrain patterned envelope. i think i'll have to buy one to frame-up - it's so pretty + i can imagine it hanging in my hallway making me smile every time i pass!
• the sweet collection of cards - the cupcake + sunshine designs in particular tickle my fancy!
  

the best thing about egg press is......they have 2 stockists in london! Yippee! addresses have been noted + a visit is definitely on the cards sometime soon.

another great print-themed find for me today was sugarloop. bernadette is an illustrator from aukland, nz + you can buy her beautiful prints here + here. i'm really taken with the style of her work + this design in particular - i absolutely love it, but unfortunately the last one was sold a couple of days ago. not to worry, there are plenty more lovelies to choose from!

happy browsing!

xx.

CUTE + FUNKY

just discovered sandra isaksson (via tania's blog), who is a uk-based graphic designer/illustrator.

her work is right up my street and the best thing is......she has an online shop!

these are a few of my favourite things:

:this counting poster:

the beautiful illustrations in this book

:these daisy prints:

this funky custom wallpaper

these retro style cups

the observant among you will notice that most of these things are for kids......i don't have any kids......says a lot about my maturity doesn't it. I don't care, i unashamedly want them all!