My Butterfly

I have a very short but very sweet post today. I was having a good browse on the ThinkGeek website (more on that later) and found myself entranced by their electronic 'butterfly in a jar'.

They are also available at £19.99 from My Butterfly UK - and I can't wait to get my own Monarch butterfly in a jar to keep on the mantelpiece!

x

Etsy Favourites

Etsy is one of my favourite virtual shopping markets. I could peruse the stalls for hours looking at all the bespoke and homemade goodies and adding to my wish list. I thought I would occasionally share some of my favourite items with you, and today I am going to indulge the retro geek side of my personality...

ShokXoneStudios

The Labyrinth is one of my favourite films of all time, and these arcade game inspired posters are just perfect at £24.89 for the pair though can be purchased separately at £15.56 each.

ArtNinja101

There are some really fun nintendo inspired trinkets to be found here - not enough though! I am hopelessly in love with these Bobomb earrings

Lord of the Earrings

Talking about earrings - what could be more exciting than wearing the lovely Zack Morris (from Saved by the Bell) on your ears for the world to see!

FilmMemorabilia

So a lot of the films mentioned on here aren't quite retro, but LOOK! Just LOOK AT THIS! Little me would have made up an elaborate lie to tell the other kids in the playground about how this was a personal gift from Jim Henson. This film cell keyring is one of many, but obviously is my favourite

xx

My Four Legged Friend

So I thought I would talk about one of my MOST favourite things today, and that is my puppy, Prince.

Prince joined the family only 5 months ago, and instantly won my heart and turned me into one of 'those dog people'. I am surprised I haven't lost all but a few Facebook friends due to me finding his face even more adorable than it was 5 minutes ago and sharing a picture online to prove it. 

I set up an Instagram page just for Prince, so that I could maybe spare myself the virtual rolled eyes every time I post something new. Prince already as 83 followers (most of whom are other dogs) so he is well on his way to being globally adored.

This is my boy:

Isn't he just adorable? Of course I am biased but do take a look at Prince's Instagram - iamprincethepup if you would like to inject a little more 'aaaw' into your general internet surfing.

xx

Sweets for my Sweet

Recently, I was lucky enough for my lovely boyfriend to have been in a generous mood as he was travelling through Waterloo station. He came home with some brownies from Konditor & Cook as a surprise gift. 

Holy Moly! I had just been lucky enough to eat the tastiest brownie that had ever passed my lips. Slightly crunchy on the outside and oozing with chocolaty goodness on the inside. I am very excited to see that they are offering a delivery service as I need these in my life again.

 
This brownie sharing gift box (containing Curly Whirly, Chocolate Chip and Boston cranberry brownies) are a little on the pricey side at £24.00 but my gosh are they worth it. Indulge yourself!

If you are after a little more affordable sweet treat, then I would highly recommend taking a look at what Montezumas have to offer - especially their 'Take Away' range. 

My personal favourite is the Dark Chocolate Honeycomb 2 Go at £4.99. You can buy these direct from Montezumas and also John Lewis online. I regularly buy these but find myself so excited to introduce people to them that I end up giving away more than I eat. Try them yourself, or ask for some as an Easter gift.

x

What Would You Do For a Fiverr?

Historically, on someone's birthday, the most they would get from me is the pleasure of my company when out for a few drinks. I decided that I would change this, and not only actually give people a birthday present, but it would be an incredibly thoughtful one.

Luckily, thoughtful, fun and amusing can go together very well indeed. This is where Fiverr.com comes in.

The concept of this site, is that various members across the globe offer a particular service (a gig) for the grand total of $5. These gigs vary from offering to create a logo for your website, or even hanging a padlock hung with your name on below the balcony of Juliet in Verona

I have been itching to share this website, but I have been waiting for some specific 'gigs' to arrive for a friend's birthday.

Firstly I had WelshBloke record a Happy Birthday video wearing nothing but a thong and a woolly hat:

And secondly, I sent justbadge a picture of my friend, which she used to create a watercolour animé image just for him:

So 2 original and personal gifts for the grand total of $10 (about £6.50).

The only problem is that now I have set a particular expectation when it comes to my birthday gestures in the future!

Just For Fun

As well as scouring the internet for beautiful things that I want to buy but simply can't, I also just enjoy finding the odd fun site to pass the time when I'm avoiding work and/or conversation.

Jim'll Paint It is a BRILLIANT idea. One man armed with nothing but Microsoft Paint, bringing the strange and absurd ideas of readers to this fantastic Tumblr site.

I am going to try and think of something creative enough to get Jim's attention, and will keep you posted. By what I can see, there are only posts over the last 7 days which suggests this is a new venture for 'Jim'. In the mean time, here are a couple to look at

Lloyd Grossman on holiday in a filthy Spanish villa, where he is apoplectic after being served a dinner of tinned ravioli and a flat glass of fizzy pop.

The original Power Rangers MegaZord struggling to find space on a commuter train whilst watching ‘the Thick of it’ on his iPad.

Maybe request something fun from 'Jim' yourself...

Candy Says "Buy Me"

I have this wonderful image of baking beautiful cakes, having people over for tea parties, serving delicious pastries and basically being a 1950s housewife. The reality is, that after a long day at work, convenience food is definitely my friend. I have decided that maybe if I invest in a few twee accessories then I will be more inspired to live this wholesome lifestyle. Today I stumbled upon Candy Says, in particular some of the vintage aprons they have to offer. This 1960s apron caught my eye as being a lot of fun.

Always a fan of having a theme, I could treat myself to some alcoholic delights from these motoring shot glasses if the prospect of spending a lot of time in the kitchen becomes too much.

Although the pieces are only available as 'one offs' it is definitely a website to keep an eye on for a great find. I particularly like the idea of donning some pearls and greeting my guests whilst wearing this dress

Now I need to find some cake tins to make this dream a reality...