Monday 16 May 2011

Radley Lintott Wheeled Holdall

radley lintott weekender

This is such a great holdall. It isn't too big or too small, and it has the option of wheeling it or carrying it. It was £129 RRP, however I got it for £66! It's hard to get any weekender for that price, never mind a Radley! . It has 2 big pockets on the front and a big zip pocket on the back. It has a zip up pocket on the size which hides the handle which can be extended to make it into a wheely case. I love that the handle can be retracted and hidden. This is in my 2nd picture, the zipped up bit is where the handle is. And it has both silent wheels, and little feet to stop the fabric getting dirty. This is in my third photo. . I love the colours, the flowers, the polka dots and the little scotty dogs on this design! It is so cute and feminine! I have been looking for weekenders for over a year now and nothing has fit the bill, it's been too big or too small, not had a wheely option or it has just been a horrible design or quality. So I am glad to have found this which ticks all the boxes.

radley lintott weekender 3

Radley Green/Teal Aviator Sunglasses

radley green/teal aviator sunglasses

As soon as I saw these I had to have them! They were supposed to be £60 but I got them on sale for £19, so then there was no excuse not to get them! . These are green and teal, they have no frame so they look less imposing on the face, and they have little purple and orange flowers holding the legs to the glass, which is really cute and unusual. They are UV 400 so they absorb 100% of the suns harmful rays, however they surprisingly don't make every thing look teal, it just looks less bright. . These come with the usual bronze and polka dotty oversized case (which is probably too oversized as it takes up so much room), which is very hard and protective of the glasses. . They are really good quality for £19, but I don't think they would have been worth £60 looking at the finish, as there are flaws such as a gap between the first half of the leg and the second half of the leg, and one leg has more of a gap then the other. They also had a little (very little) scratch on them, but for the price I got them for I can't complain, and it isn't too visible and doesn't affect vision, but when you look closely it is still there!

The New iPod Nano; The Pros & Bugs!

iPods have pretty much revolutionised the way we listen to music! I mean having all your music collection in your pocket is, when you think about it, such an amazing thing, especially since now it is expanded to photos and movies, and music videos... I mean where will it end? Soon we won't need earphones as it will be beaming the music straight into your head... watch this space!

Today I am focussing on the new iPod Nano, which is a very clever piece of technology for it's size! It is the convenient size of a shuffle however you have so many more functions at your disposal! You can do playlists, it has the genius function, you can play by artist and you just have so much more control over what you listen to then you do with a shuffle, even though you can shuffle with the Nano as well. Of course there is a huge price difference, over £100 price difference!

Now, this new Nano comes in many colours, so there is one to suit everyone, it has a pedometer so while running and listening to your running playlist you can also count your steps (genius idea or what!?), it even has an inbuilt radio. It has everything but your kitchen sink in this thing!

You are probably thinking "Wow this thing is perfect!!" however, unfortunately it is not. It has a bug, a pretty big bug, and that is that you can't switch it off. So, they thought they would put a pedometer in this thing, yet didn't think to put an OFF button on it. Unfortunately, my Dad learnt this the hard way. He has a graphite 16gb Nano that he got for Christmas. He thought pressing the "sleep/wake" button switched it off, however no, when asleep the Nano will still be using battery power and you need to charge it up loads, as while asleep the battery runs out. I thought this to be really silly and thought there must be a way to switch it off and so googled it to try and find the answer! However, the only way to switch it off is to hold all 3 top buttons down until a black screen with yellow writing comes up, and that screen gives the option to turn the Nano off. However this is probably the equivalent of crashing your computer (switching the off button without properly shutting it down). But what else is there to do? You can't leave it running all the time, or when you need it most it will need charging...again! So this is a massive set back for the Nano!

The second drawback to this otherwise fabulous piece of equipment, is that the battery life (even when you figure out how to switch it off) is pretty poor, but I have noticed this on all Apple products (laptops, iPods, iPhones, though I don't know about the iPad, please fill me in). So the battery isn't going to last you a long time if you use it a lot on a daily basis, you will probably need to charge it on a daily basis. . Charging on a daily basis wouldn't be so bad if you have a charger, however this doesn't come with a charger. And this brings us onto my 3rd complaint! After spending that amount of money on a product, it sucks that the only way to charge it is to switch on your computer and charge it through your computer, so you have to leave your computer on for ages, just to charge it up, which probably uses more electricity then if you had a charger. Would it kill them to put the plug in there with it instead of having to buy it separately, so you are forking out yet more money to Apple?? .

So, are the bugs worth dealing with for the pros? Could you live with these drawbacks? And do you think all you need should be included in the set, rather then having to buy important parts of it separately?

Pandora; Queen Bee Charm

Pandora queen bee 1

This is my 3rd charm. I just couldn't wait to get this one!! In my last post on my "I Love You" charm, I love mentioned that I love two tone charms, silver with a bit of gold detail, so this bee charm for me was a must! . This is a smiley little bee with a 14ct gold crown (which I think is such a cute idea), and she has little legs, arms and antenae which I think make her so cute, and of course her stripes which is detailed by oxidising, and she has a shaped pointed (but a rounded point) bum to make it look like she has a sting. . She looks so sweet and happy with her little crown on! I guess there isn't really any deep or significant meaning as to why I bought this charm, however she just makes me smile when I look at her and her cheery little face, and she is just so cute!! If only real bees were that cute, I probably wouldn't dislike them as much!!

Pandora queen bee 2

Momiji Dolls

momiji kokeshi doll

I never knew about Momiji dolls until my uni housemate bought me one for my birthday (it's pictured above), and I really love it. Her name is called Giggles 2. Momiji dolls have a little hole in the base where you can store a personal message to the person you are giving the doll to, so Momiji call them "message dolls". . These figures are quite dear considering their size (£9.95 each) and the fact they are just little plastic kokeshi dolls (I think they are plastic), however the designs are so cute. I'm also not impressed that they add £1 if you put a message in the doll, since it is a message doll I think it should be included, and also sometimes the message is difficult to get out and you need a pin to ease the paper out. However, they have a regular line and they have special edition collections such as Hello Kitty along who couldn't love that?? . I could have a million of these in my room, it is so hard which one to pick to buy first! Definitely take a look at Momiji dolls if you haven't already! :D

Pandora; I Love You Charm

Pandora I Love You Charm

This is the second charm I got. I got this off my boyfriend for Valentine's Day! . This is a silver charm with a 14ct gold cute little heart on one side, and on the other 3 sides it has I, Love & You. This is a really cute charm, and I love the two-tone charms. . More than anything this means a lot to me as it reminds me of my boyfriend and how sweet he is, and it reminds me I'm loved andthat he is a special person to me. It always makes me feel better to look at it while he is away, as it feels like I have something of him with me always! . Best Valentine's present ever! It will be with me forever :] . This retails at £60, so it is a little dearer but it has both gold and silver. He is naughty and spent too much on me just for valentines!! But it is a beautiful charm, and I really love it!

Pandora I Love You Charm

Pandora; Buddha Charm

Pandora Buddha Charm

I am a Pandora collector. I have only really started since Christmas! Anyway I thought I would do posts on my individual charms. . Pandora Charms are so cute, unique and really individual, I love them! . This one is my little Buddha, it was my first charm and he is really special to me. I am a firm believer in karma, and living a good life to be a good person, and I am not necessarily Buddhist, however I like what the Buddhas stand for and the peaceful nature of the religion. . Therefore, to me this charm is a way of carrying that way of thinking around with me, so if I ever get angry or have a negative way of thinking, and I see my little Buddha smiling back at me, it helps be to step back and to not be so rash with my actions. I know it's just a little silver charm, but it's what it symbolizes! . In terms of the charm, it is a really cute and has a lot of detail on him from his little toes, his clothes, his smiley little face, and also his moobs and big belly! it has oxidized detail on the charm as a form of shading! . I bought this for £23 before the price went up to £30... so don't tell me this little guy isn't lucky! :D

Pandora Buddha Charm

Chanel Sunglasses; Worth The Money?

So, I have one of those faces that just doesn't suit that many styles of sunglasses! And I have kind of fallen out with my Radley pair as I'm now paranoid that they just don't suit me! So, I decided to go on the hunt for sunglasses, and I saw so many I loved, a lot of them were mens ones (why do men have so many more cool pairs of sunglasses at their disposal!?!),and ones that especially stood out to me (for females, lol) are the Chanel, but damn are they expensive, not as expensive as they could have been I suppose, but either way they aren't cheap! . Now it says the pair pictured are made of ebony, and the Chanel logo is set in mother of pearl, now that to me sounds like good quality material. But I think I would be too scared to wear them incase I did them any damage! But more then the quality and price, they are such a cult fashion item to own, but is that in itself a good reason to buy them? . The styles, for the most part, are timeless and up to the minute with good workmanship and quality materials.... but do I want to spend £200-£300 on sunglasses that my clutsy self might ruin, or that I may go off? Or are they an investment, and an item I will treasure for years to come? Do I find a cheaper alternative, or do I go all out and get the high end? Fashion shouldn't be this difficult! . So what do you think is best, the good quality and cult fashion Chanel, or the highstreet cheaper alternative?

Sunday 15 May 2011

Solar Powered Panda!

solar panda

How cute is this little guy!? My mum got me this for me as she knew I'd love it! It is a little panda sitting on a grass verge with a solar panel on the front. When the solar panel is exposed to light it rocks it's head side to side as well as his little arms, it's the cutest sight ever. I find the sunnier it is the faster he goes! Sometimes you hear a clicking sound where the plastic is hitting something, which can be a little annoying (rather like a ticking clock), but it isn't all that bad and it isn't all the time. As soon as it goes dark, little panda stops dancing! I love this, what do you think?

solar panda

Sanrio 50th Anniversary "Friends" Design iPhone Cover

Sanrio 50th Anniversary Hello Kitty & Friends iphone cover

How cute is this? I found it on eBay and so I bought it straight away!! I am a massive Sanrio fan, my favourites being Hello Kitty, Pochacco, Choco Cat & Cinnamoroll. What better way for Sanrio to celebrate the 50th anniversary then to have a design that incorporates a load of the Sanrio gang, rather then just being about Hello Kitty, as sometimes the other characters get forgotten and end up in the background. I love that this has a load of the gang, Badtz maru, Pochacco, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, Pom Pom Purin, Choco Cat, & Tuxedo Sam on it rather then just Hello Kitty. I mean these are not all the characters Sanrio has as there are loads (see the source to see them all) but it is a range of characters that Sanrio have introduced throughout the years. This is a lovely glossy cover, with cream background colour, and green stars and pink hearts in the background, and in the left hand bottom corner it has a ribbon shaped into a heart with a bow on the top with "Sanrio 50th" with little stars inside the heart. In terms of the iPhone Case, this is very good quality. It is sturdy silicone, but has all the relevant holes for buttons etc (unlike my last stupid Hello Kitty one where you had to press the plastic as there wasn't holes for the buttons!) As already mentioned it is lovely and glossy, and it has done a very good job of protecting my iPhone and looking darn cute! It also comes with a screen protector, which is just a plastic sticker, however it is really quite thick and protective compared to my last one, so I was pleasantly surprised, and the touchscreen is not affected by it at all. Overall, this is a really cute and practical item that celebrates a monumental time for Sanrio & Sanrio fans, so it's nice to have a lovely item you will see every day to celebrate it! This design also comes in a tote!

EA Games Littlest Pet Shop Wii Game

Wii Littlest Pet Shop Game

This game is adorable! Yes, I am 23, yes it is a little sad I like this, but I am who I am! :] . This has some cute little animals that you need to earn money "kibbles" to get them a train ticket to your park. Games to get kibbles include tests of speed, memory, balance, timing etc. . You get lots of pets, and after you get a pet you name them, and then complete tasks to earn them points andto unlock a new pet. The difficulty level rises as you unlock more animals. You can also dress up and accessorize the animals, and buy new games and facilities for the pet shop. The pet shop is essentially a series of worlds, so the main pet shop, garden world, snow world and a couple of others, so it isn't an actual shop, it's more like a little pet world! You can travel between worlds, as can the pets, but particular pets tend to stay in certain worlds, and you need to save up and buy items for each world. . This game is rated 3+ however there is not a cat in hells chance a tot would be able to do it, and less likely anyone under 6 would either. I wouldn't consider getting it for your child younger then 6 unless they are keen gamers and would get the controls down fine. . On the downside, you end up with so many animals that it becomes a little difficult to keep track of them all, look after them all and name them all! It would be nicer if you could choose what animals you wanted, rather then having to have them all by default. . This game is addictive, however I find it gets a little repetitive and same old same old. However it is a nice game if you just want a cute but simple chill out game.

Loungefly x Hello Kitty Donut Wallet

Hello Kitty x Loungefly Donut wallet front

I adore this wallet! It is smaller then my usual ones, it has 6 credit card slots and an ID slot, 2 bill slots and a zipped pocket on the back of the purse for change. However I still fit all my stuff in it. It has PVC Applique detail on the donuts and Hello Kitties face, hands & bow, I love the metallic pink detail and the shine of the white PVC. It also has a pink metallic zip pull on the back and a magnetic press stud closure on the front section. There is also embroidery such as the multi-coloured sprinkles. This is a canvas material, with PVC and brown faux leather. It also has pink & cream cotton lining. This is so pretty and a really lovely design and is really well made. I will be using this for a fair while! I saw this on eBay for £19 with delivery so couldn't pass it up!

Hello Kitty x Loungefly Donut wallet inside

ello Kitty x Loungefly Donut wallet back

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Melie Bianco Angelica Satchel

Melie Bianco Angelica Satchel in Rose

I love Melie Bianco! I hadn't heard of it until I stumbled across it on Baghaus one time and I saw this satchel and fell in love. They do multiple colours, however I was heartbroken to have fallen in love with it in rose only to find it was out of stock and they wouldn't get anymore in since it was last season!! However luckily I found it on sale on another website and the international shipping was cheaper! So I snapped it up quickly "bagging" the last one ;] Check out the source link to go to the website, she is a really lovely lady and she shipped my bag the same day. (I am not affiliated with her, am not on her pay roll, I am just a very happy customer who received a really good service). I was after a Mulberry Ruby Bayswater, however this is better value and I think the style is so much prettier! The big bow, the dusty rose colour, the champagne polka dot lining, the 2 sections of the bag, and the chunky gold-like hardware. It is vegan friendly since it is good quality faux leather instead of real leather. I normally like leather bags, however this is really study and thick material. This is now my favourite bag, and it was pretty good value for the design and quality! My Mum has already tried to "borrow" this bag! Any other Melie Bianco fans? :]

Loungefly x Hello Kitty Earth Coin Purse

Loungefly Hello Kitty Earth Coin Purse

This is Loungefly's eco friendly coin purse, complete with peace signs, and an applique squirrel and Hello Kitty saying "Peace Man!" This has a green lining with peace signs, Hello Kitties and squirrels printed on it. The material is recycled hessian and even the tag is cotton instead of paper. It has a big green peace sign on the back, and it is a single zip closure. For the price this ispretty big in size, and I love not just the design, but the ethos behind it. It is also available in a wallet and a tote. I love this pouch, however I am having problems in deciding how to use it. I find it is too small for a cosmetics case, but it is too big for a coin purse. I guess if make-up brushes weren't involved I could use it as a cosmetic pouch, since it isn't long enough for brushes. I don't know, I need to use it for something, I want to take it out for a spin! :D Suggestions for usage welcome!

Loungefly x Hello Kitty Pink Vinyl Embossed Wallet

Loungefly hello kitty purse

The features of this purse are; A Hello Kitty press stud closure, A zip around coin section with 2 sections and a zip pouch in the middle, 6 card slots, 3 bill slots, 1 ID slot. I love & hate this purse, and here's why; I love it because it reminded me a little of a Louis Vuitton Vernis wallet, with the added cute of Hello Kitty. It is a bright and girly "in your face" colour. It is also bigger then the usual Loungefly purse as it has a zip around section rather then just the zip pocket for change at the back, so if you tend to have a lot of change then this purse would suit you better! My hates of this purse are that there aren't many card slots, the material is a little cheap and very plastic-y, and the press stud tab that clips the purse closed gets in the way of the zip around section. However, my main hate is that some of the Hello Kitties aren't embossed properly, so part of Hello Kitties faces aren't stamped as deep as they should be (i'm not sure if it shows up on the picture?) however some parts are stamped too deeply so a bit of excess plastic sticks up around the design (I have this issue with one of the bows on the design), which I think is a little poor considering the price.

Pandora- Fabulous or a Rip Off

Pandora haul

The photo is my own, so naturally as you can guess, I love my Pandora! I got a bracelet off my friend and so I was very excited to get started! She bought the bracelet from Florida, and it cost her £25/$40, while here in the UK they were £55/$88!! UK Pandora is over double the price it is in the USA! And for the UK fans it just got a whole lot worse, as tax has been risen by 2.5% which seems to have given them an excuse to raise their prices by silly amounts that exceed the 2.5% inflation! The £23 charms are now £30, the safety chain I wanted was £75 and it is now £100. I feel like they are taking advantage of the tax situation, that and their growing popularity. So with all these high end prices you can expect a high end service, right? Well no! My bracelet broke, and I was truly heartbroken. The screw that you put the charms over, and put a clip on to separate the charms, came away from the bracelet and was just sliding around. So I went to Pandora, and because it was a gift I didn't have a receipt, so I was prepared to pay for them to fix it, however they didn't even offer me that. They pretty much said that even though it was a Pandora bracelet, if I didn't buy it from that particular store then they wouldn't do anything. Very nice customer service. So I went to a jewelers that have resized a few rings for me and have done it very well, they also sell Pandora, so I thought they would be able to fix it for me, and they wouldn't charge me a huge amount. They did better then that, they exchanged my bracelet because Pandora does free repairs so they could take my bracelet and get it fixed and then sell it, and that would replace the bracelet they gave me. So I not only got a new bracelet then and there, I didn't pay a penny! Now that is high end customer service that I should have received from Pandora. It's like when they have your money they no longer care whether the product lasts or not! So why do people like Pandora, when they whop the prices up but don't have customer service to match? I think their charms are beautiful, the detail is fabulous, and the metal is good quality. They have a lovely range of charms, and it really could be classed as an investment. It is also nice to get an expensive piece of jewelery that is personal to you, but also one that family and friends can add to, so it is very sentimental. So is the sentimental nature, and quality of their jewelery worth the huge price hikes? My personal thoughts are that although I received bad customer service, and their price hikes are ridiculous, my bracelet means a lot to me, it is very sentimental and personal to me, so I will grudgingly carry on buying the charms, however not nearly as many as I would have with the previous prices! Leave a comment with your thoughts :]

Saturday 7 May 2011

Buckingham Pink, Lilac & Purple Bracelet

buckingham bracelet

I have problems with getting bracelets as my wrists are very small but I don't have the joints to contort my hand to get the bracelet over my hand, so it is rare I can wear bracelets. However this bracelet has a secure hinged/spring opening and so I can open it and place it around my wrist, rather the having to attempt to get it over my hand. It also doesn't have a fiddly fastening to battle with. I wear a lot of pinks and purples so this is is worn a lot. The enamel is metallic and shimmery and the colour shades are lovely. I also don't have to worry about it unclipping and falling off or anything as it is very secure. It was £8 on sale from debenhams.

Radley Black Buttons Umbrella

Radley "buttons" umbrella

This umbrella has the cutest design! It has all little button designs on it including floral and scotty dog buttons. The umbrella itself is big, and it has an automatic open button on the handle. It has a cover which also has the button design on, and a leather scotty dog charm that comes on all Radley products. This is a really cute accessory for winter, however it is too big to fit in a smaller handbag, but fear not as they do a smaller version in this design and many others :]

Umbrella handle and charm

Radley umbrella open

Radley Black Bubbles Pencil Case

radley pencil case

This is a really cute little pencil case. It is fully leather with leather bubbles and scotty dog. It is lined with hot pink fabric. This pencil case has lasted me for years, and it beats any of your plastic ones! It isn't huge, so can only really fit the essentials, but it is easy just to throw into any size bag and it is very light. The leather is super soft and good quality, and I will have it for years to come :]

Radley Pink Bubbles Card Holder

radley card holder

This is a really cute and girly card holder. It is pink leather, with leather bubbles and scotty dog. I use this to store the cards I don't keep in my purse. The plastic inserts are getting a bit dog eared now, however the leather is holding up fine! This is a really cute card holder, there need to be more girl ones out there!

Radley Ivory Medium Frame Purse "Flower Power"

Radley Ivory Medium Frame Purse

I'm a sucker for kisslocks, and this purse has 2! It has the main kisslock, and when you open that, on the inside it has a mini coin purse in the middle! It has a cute flower and scottie dog design, and the lining fabric has daisies printed on it. It is the good Radley leather, even the petals of the flowers and doggy are leather. It is very unusual and I got it at the Cheshire Oaks Radley outlet for £29. RRP I think £40?

radley1

Radley Beige 50's Sunglasses

Radley Beige Sunglasses

50's chic? Yes please! I had been looking for thick rimmed cream sunnies for a while, however most of them are very big in the frame, and because I have a smallish face they just don't look right as they pretty much drown my face. These however are a bit smaller in size and so they are much better in scale for my face. The glasses have a cute print on the legs on the inside (just cream on the outside, and have a little metal and enamel Scottie dog logo on them). They are quite small and so if you have a wide face you definitely won't be able to get these on, well not comfortably. The case it comes with is a huge bronze polka dot case, it isn't very light to take on your holidays and it takes up far too much room, but it is very secure and protective. it also comes with a brown polka dot cloth. I got these for £25 from Bicester Village Radley. RRP £70.

Radley Bletchley Park Ivory Crossbody

Radley Ivory Bletchley Park Crossbody bag

This is one of my favourite crossbody bags. For times when you don't need so much stuff but want to be hands free. It has the lovely good quality leather, and the cute signature Radley Scottie dog that has it's own floral pocket on the front of the bag. It has lovely green piping and the lining is the same floral pattern that is on the Scottie dog's pocket on the front of the bag. The bag is cream and pretty unoffensive, so I find it goes with most outfits. The strap isn't adjustable which is a drawback, and there are a few too many pockets inside so I always lose stuff. Many may think this may be just too small as you can only really fit keys, phone, purse and a few smaller items in it. I bought this for £46 from Bicester Village Radley, RRP £70. I love Radley and find the price is good for the quality, especially when you see faux leather bags go for much more from other designers.

Radley Ivory Bletchley Park Crossbody bag inside

Primark Flower Ring

Primark Peach Flower Ring

This ring comes in many colours, however this one is a peachy pink. I love this ring, and although it is very chunky it is still very cute and I think it looks great. It goes with most outfits and is really cute for spring and summer. It has little faux gems on the stamen/stigma (I forgot which is which -__-) and a faux yellow gold band. Do you like floral rings? Shame it isn't summer anymore :[

Primark Owl Brooch

Primark Owl Brooch

This is a cute brooch, I love owls and so I had to get this. It is a blackened silver colour with faux gems and two big faux gem eyes. I still need to decide what to put this on! This was £1.50, so it wasn't exactly breaking the bank! Do you like animal jewellery and cheap costume jewellery?

Primark Snake Ring

Primark Snake Ring

I am not the biggest fan of snakes, however this chunky and rounded snake ring is so cute. It is a bronzey colour and has faux gems all over it, including 2 little gem eyes. Noone could be scared of this cute reptile. The only problem I have with this ring is that it is really chunky and so needs to go on your forefinger as otherwise you can't close your fingers together! This was only £2.50 :] Do you like animal jewellery?

Primark Bow Ring

Primark Bow Ring

I love costume jewellery, and this is one of my favourites! It is a black and white polka dot ring, with a faux yellow gold band. I think it looks really cute, and it goes with pretty much everything! For £1.50 it is a bargain! :D Does anyone else like Primark costume Jewellery?

Red Or Dead Buccaneer boots



I love these boots, however they aren't my favourites. They are unique in style, I love all the buckles. I am used to rounded toed boots, so this having pointed toes took me a bit of getting used to. They are flat and so they aren't uncomfortable, however because I have fallen arches and they are so flat they aren't the most comfortable shoes for my feet, but they are more comfy then heeled boots (it takes a lot to beat my Rocket Dog Tracker boots though). The leather is so soft and brilliant quality, however there is no zip, so you have to pull them on, which may shorten the life of the boot. They are quite expensive, but are unique in style and they are good quality. They come up high on the leg so they are perfect for winter, you can wear them with skinny jeans or leggings. Overall a good shoe, but a couple of drawbacks.