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...

Suck UK - It Most Certainly Does Not

I am an absolute SUCKER (see what I did there?!) for novelty houseware and gifts, and Suck UK have a great collection that really tickles my fancy.

These wind up robot salt & pepper pots are the first items on my wish list. I have visions of eating with friends and, upon request, being able to send the salty robot off on his merry way to the other end of the table. I simply adore them. £12.00 for the pair.

Do you remember when giving someone a mixtape was the height of romance? Maybe that's why they now say romance is dead - we lost the cassette. Fret no more young lovers - this USB Mix Tape allows you to bring back those butterflies through the medium of music. I am considering creating an 'Independant Woman' style playlist to give to a friend when I can't be there to say the same thing in person. For £20.00 you can get this kit that includes a 1GB USB Flash Drive, and there are 6 available cassette designs.

I am a self confessed hoarder. Everything seems to hold some sort of sentimental value, and I proudly display my 'Corkboard of Fun' to show off my adventures. Festival passes, gig tickets, boarding passes, maps, photos - you name it, it is on the corkboard. These fun pushpins are the only thing that are missing and look to me like a £7.50 well spent.

If you are looking for a fun gift for a friend then you should certainly take an internet stroll over to Suck UK.

Lord of Wellingtons

Seeing a sky void of clouds for the first time in a while, has prompted me to think about the summer. One of my favourite things about the summer is the festival season, and this then led me to think of welly boots and which pair would be my trusted companions in months to come. Whilst looking up a firm favourite as a child, I discovered that it is possible to purchase adult frog wellies online for only £24.99. This excited me so much that I started this blog to share other things that excite me.

I also thought that if we are able to afford to camp away for a weekend with the current prices of tickets, and also the food and beer, then we may be able to give a little something to charity. These inexpensive daffodil wellies are available directly from Marie Curie online at £9.99.

For those of us fond a more luxurious boot, these beautiful bowed boots from Joules are perfect and cost £79.95. They are available in red or navy, though the nautical suggestion of the navy boots with red bows really appeal to me and they would certainly be adorning my feet all year round as soon as the puddles appear.