Make things better...Please write me a letter!

It's been a lonely few months in my mailbox because I've been away. So now that I'm back with time on my hands- here's a big shout-out for anyone who's interested in making a new pen friend! I'm your girl! I have a huge stationery collection and creative ideas galore so you're always going to receive great mail! I think my latest few posts give a good idea as to my interests and what's going on for me at the moment. Please take a looksy!

I'll ask (beg) Pete to make me a mail box like this! I love pink and flamingos!

Here's a picture of today's outgoing mail for Bree (hope your first day back at Uni is going well!)  Kendra and Becky. I hope they reach their destinations soon! If you'd like to write to me please leave me a message with your email and I'll get back to you about swapping addresses. Also, feel free to share this post on your blog too - I need all the help I can get. In other news, as it's the 1st October I'm excited to receive my instructions from Kitty and Buck about the lovely letters project!

Bree, Kendra and Becky's mail

Much love

xoxo



Baby prep and thrifty finds

As you may already know I am a serious bargain hunter. I do not buy things full price unless it really is necessary or for a special occasion. I love to have nice things around me and like things to coordinate, match and be organised. However I will always wait to buy things in the sales (mainly online - less stressful!) from my favourite high street stores such as Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Next and Marks and Spencers. I also love thrifty purchases, rooting in charity shops and attending table top sales - although I am a cold/wet weather-wimp so I prefer indoor things at the moment! Do you have regular shops that you buy from in the sales or does sales shopping make you run a mile?!

The packed lunch I prepared for us

 I had heard about a nearly new / second hand baby sale happening today and thought it would be good for Pete and I to go. I'm 28 weeks pregnant today and there's still a few bits to buy on my 'essentials list!'. Well actually they're 'essential posters' - two rather large sheets of card with everything listed down the left hand side of the sheets. Then when I have bought something I print out a picture and stick it next to the item with the cost and where I got it from. It's really helped to keep things in check so as to not buy too much or forget what we have and also to keep an eye on our budget. Does anyone else have any money saving tips to share to do with, well, anything?!

Yeay! We got the cot mobile!

We had our packed lunch as we were sat outside the baby sale waiting for it to open! Then we went in and wow there really was so much stuff everywhere. Clothes rails with lots of baby clothes, boxes under the tables stuffed with items selling for 50p and table tops covered in practically everything a baby / child could need. People were carrying huge carriers to take away their many purchases and it was really busy. Pete and I had already decided that what we would do was a) set a budget of £20 and b) focus on getting things from the 'essentials list' and a select *other few items* we would like to get as well. It worked a treat! We looked at all the stalls and everything there but focused on finding 'the' items. We were really happy to find the Fisher Price Precious Planets Projection Mobile, for £10 the Fisher Price Laugh Learn Cookie Surprise for £3 and the Leap Frog Spin and Sing Alphabet Ball for £4. They're all in fantastic condition and if we had bought these items new and full price it would have cost nearly £100! I am also collecting a second hand Fisher Price Rainforest Gym this week which I won on Ebay for £10. Does anyone else have any baby stuff/buying advice for me?!



The purchases!

 I thought people might like to see this too! It's a sheet of wrapping paper that I bought which I thought would be nice framed in the nursery. After an Ikea frame trip, I'm really impressed with how it's turned out. I always look at wrapping paper especially in posh shops like Liberty and Selfridges to see what designs they have and what I could 'craft' with them. I have a couple of other designed sheets that I am going to cut the pictures from and stick on cards. Has anyone else any 'alternative' uses for wrapping paper? Do you have crafts you'd like to try but not done so yet? Do you like following on line tutorials or are you a give-it-a-go type of person?

Wrapping paper picture

 Last but not least! I got this new 12x12 scrap book kit in a charity shop this week. I was dubious as to what the quality might be like as it was in a mucky and sealed box but for £1.50 I thought it was worth the risk! Luckily, it was and it's really lovely quality. I have completed 3 scrap books previously and one is still ongoing. One has pictures from my childhood, another has my friends in, the third is a USA holiday one which includes photos and memorabilia like entrance tickets and leaflets from places we visited and I've not yet finished an Australian holiday one. I was just thinking the other day that I'd like to do another one in the near future so I shall put this safely away until then. Have you tried scrap booking? Did you use a theme and what types of things have you included inside?

Bargain scrapbook find

A bit of everything today!



Today's been busy. I didn't sleep much last night because I had lots of creative Christmas craft ideas! They always seem to strike later in the evening! So I got up this morning and over (decaf) coffee I looked through my crafts and decided what I need to do to make some items to sell on my Etsy page! Has anyone else got an Etsy page? Please let me know if you do I'll pop by for a look!

I then finished the letter / package to Shannah that I started yesterday. Hope it reaches you soon!

 I then went to a nearby town and got some new furry lined and cosy ankle boots for a bargain price. There's been lots of rain recently and some bad flooding in certain areas. My brogue shoes just weren't doing the trick anymore! I also visited the local library and then came home and continued with house decluttering, cleaning and organising.

 Of course, after all that hard work I deserved a tea break and a Percy Pig biscuit! Marks and Spencer is one of my favourite stores for food, housewares and clothes/accessories - especially so in the sales!

Outgoing mail

I've been busy writing away today...it was really nice to be able to do this again. It's been over 3 lonely months in my mail box. I like arts and crafts that are creative and therapeutic. Letter writing has such a special added bonus because I get chance to speak to like minded people from across the globe.  



A few weeks ago a huge crate of Japanese craft items were disposed of at a charity shop near me. The man who took charge of clearing it all said my friend and I could take anything we wanted because there was far too much for them! Needless to say, we thought all our Christmases had come at once!

 It was quite funny making these desk top tidies because all the instructions were in Japanese but I got there in the end by trail and error! I've never been any good at following instructions in English haha.

 I love the cute designs on everything!

 I yelped in excitement when I saw all these tapes! I love tape so much! Don't be surprised when you get mail wrapped in these...90% are ok although the spelling on the odd roll leaves something to be desired but that adds to the fun.

 Lots of mini pegs, post its, stickers, Hello Kitty items...

 The complete stationery collection all arranged neatly, just like I like it. If I were to go to Japan these would be exactly the kind of things I'd fill my suitcases with! Luckily for me and my pen pals I was in the right place at the right time which is rare because I never win anything hehee.

So, here's the items of mail that's been sent today. Watch out for your taped up packages full of treats Rusty, Claire, Maria and Rin. There's more for me to finish and then send tomorrow - stay tuned everyone! Please do let me know when you receive them...that would make me super dooper happy!

Take care in the meantime.

Much love

xoxo