Pokemon Mask by Igor Canova | Review

Hi Everyone! Happy September!! It's now one step closer to my favourite season, and I am so excited! I've said this every month of 2020 so far, but I am seriously gonna give it my all to get my blog back to normal this month. Definitely quote me on that :D. Well, things will be back to normal with some changes thrown in; I've now decided to get myself back into a routine, since this year has been a bit of an unorganised shambles (which I'm sure most of us can agree with!). I need some structure... not even kidding, my brain fog just had me like ?? structure ?? how's that word go again? So it's safe to say, I am in dire need of some in my life, haha! I'm going to be aiming to post every Tuesday and Saturday. We'll see how that goes! It's awesome that this month is kick-starting on a Tuesday because there's just something so satisfying about blogging on the first day of the month. I don't know why. Can any of my fellow bloggers relate? 

Today's post is going to be all about the super cute reusable mask I picked up a couple of months ago because I can't not blog about it! I hope you all enjoy reading this review :) 

So, I got this mask quite a while ago now but that's allowed me to get a good impression of what it's actually like to wear, etc. It arrived during the first week of August, after I purchased it back in mid-July. So it got to me really quick! I came across these wonderful masks over on twitter and discovered that there had been so many gorgeous Pokemon designs created by the artist! Igor Canova is based in Brazil and can be found at twitter, instagram and tumblr. Be sure to go check out their social media (give them a follow, too), since it's even more important than ever during these hard times to show your support for small businesses and independent artists. And you should totally get yourself a mask! I mean, how could you not want one of these Pokemon designs? 

Look how brilliant that design is though!! I opted for a water type design because it represents Vaporeon who's my all-time favourite Pokemon (I so wish my little water baby was included in the design!!), and also because I felt like this colour would match well with most of my outfits, and also my eye colour, which would be cool since that is all people would be seeing of my face whilst I'm wearing it :D It was seriously tough though to chose only one design... they're all fantastic! I very nearly opted for a purple ghost type mask instead, but it was the little Wooper and Panpour that sold me the one I bought in the end. How sweet are their happy little faces!?

The masks cost $16.99, but I only paid $11.89 at the time since I googled around for a discount code before making my purchase. I always do this now when I shop online! Igor's shop is on Society6, which actually has the masks at a reduced price right now, so you can get one for the same price that I paid without having to go search for a discount code yourself :) The P&P cost me $5.00 (around £3.70) which is reasonable for worldwide shipping and handling costs. All in all, I paid £13.97 for this super adorable mask & I'm happy with that! Here's what I love about my 'new' mask... 

The reason I chose this mask, apart from the lovely design, was because I saw it was machine washable. A lot of masks I've seen around are for hand-wash only, but as a chronically ill person it is much more suitable for me if I can just throw it in the washer. I'm assuming that all of the masks of this particular style available on Society6 are washing-machine safe, too. Another thing I love about this mask is how soft the material inside is! I have sensitive skin and have even found my face getting irritated by those disposable paper masks, so it was a lovely relief to find that my new mask was perfectly fine in this regard :) 

A feature that I was also looking for when trying to find a mask was the structured type- I don't know how to explain it; hopefully you all get what I'm trying to say! I wanted a mask that has folded horizontal seams that expand to cover your face. I have come across many cutely designed masks that I was put off buying simply because I'm not a fan of the kind with vertical seams down the middle. It sounds fussy, but I was quite concerned that my piercings (I have snakebite piercings, with very long, pointy studs in them) would catch on a mask, so that's why I wanted one shaped this way. 

As you can see, the mask has a very nice fit. I really like how it looks on, as it's shaped very well and is super comfortable The scraps are elasticated and sit great on my ears, so they don't annoy me. Obviously, I would have endured any annoyance to be safe and keep others safe, but it's a bonus to feel snug and secure at the same time. I have always had an aversion (if that's the right word?) when it comes to certain textures rubbing on my skin, such as labels in clothing and sunglasses behind my ears, so it's a big deal for me that I find wearing this mask okay :D 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there's a gap in the front of the mask for you to slide in one of those filters that I've seen people mention online, but I'm happy with mine as is. I don't leave the house much, even before the pandemic, because a n x i e t y, but when I do occasionally, I feel protected just fine in my new mask. 

Even Hello Kitty suits it, don't you think guys?

I'd show you the inside, but I've managed to stain it a little already with concealer. Oops! In hindsight, I should have scrubbed it before putting it in the wash... nevermind! The lovely, soft inside fabric is white in colour, which gives it that surgical feel almost. And that helps to relieve worries for many people, or so I've heard. It's always nice when medical-related things look blank and sterile, it makes them seem that much more hygienic or whatever. 

The only negative thought I initially had about the mask was that the print didn't look perfect quality because it had been enlarged to fit the mask. It's still adorable though, so I can't really complain! Also, the colour did fade a little in brightness after just one wash, which was a shame, but I guess that could just be because of something I specifically did? Either way, I think my mask still looks awesome! 

How do you think my water type Pokemon mask looks on me? I like that there's a range of colours incorporated into the print, so I can coordinate my make-up whilst still being able to do something different with my eye look each time I wear my mask. I know this isn't important, however it always helps you face the day when you feel like you are rockin' your mask! 

Well, that's all I have to say about my Pokemon mask by Igor Canova. Don't forget to give them a follow! Wishing you all an excellent month, filled with sunshine and all of the wonderful things that come with the lead up to Autumn. Let me know what you're most looking forward to this month :) And remember guys, no matter what the government advises, it's still really important that you keep wearing a mask when you go out in public. Wear the correct PPE & help save lives! 

Thankyou for reading!

♥

What's your mask(s) look like? 

Keep up to date with my life by following me on social media:

| Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr |

Stina Glaas Jewellery

Hey lovelies! Can you believe it's August now!?! It's one of those years that feels like it's going by too fast, but super slow at the same time! How is that even possible?? I'd be happy if this year continued to speed by, or at least this pandemic anyway! I wanted to do so many things in 2020 and hope I get a chance to do if only a couple of them. But obviously, I'm more concerned with following the advice of the scientists and doctors and not the UK government, which has been so confusing with their guidelines... but the subject of this post isn't politics, so let's not get into that! Stay safe, my lovely readers! 

Today, I actually wanted to share something with you guys that has been one of the highlights of my year. Something that made me feel loved and I'm very thankful for that :) I've needed it! So, I hope you guys enjoy reading all about the gorgeous jewellery that my wonderful friend made for me ♥

As many of you know if you follow me over on instagram or if you've been reading my blog for a while now, one of my hobbies is toy photography. I've been collecting figures and toys for most of my life, and so you can imagine how delighted I was to discover that there's such a huge community of like-minded people over on IG. It's been amazing to share my passion for both photography and toys with people from all over the world, and I have made a lot of friends through the toy community. Friends that have really helped me get through the first year without my mother, and they provided me a place to escape from my sadness as my mother's health declined. I'm not sure where I'd be without the kindness of my online friends! 

One of those friends is a beautiful person, inside and out, by the name of Stina. We become fast friends once we got talking, because we have so much in common. Honestly, Stina has been a rock for me; she often helps me get distracted from my struggles, and to focus on the things that make me happy and keep me going. She's a ray of sunshine and colours, and also the perfect person to rant to about all the shitty things in life, which is equally important. It's cathartic and I need it... because I hate people XD (I'm only kidding, a little at least). So Thankyou Stina for being a brilliant friend!

Not only is Stina a fantastic person, but she's also a talented artist! And along with painting the loveliest colour-filled artwork, she makes jewellery as well! And as you know, that's the main reason for today's post. I wanted to show off my friend's handiwork, since I love what she made for me, but also because it's even more important than ever right now to show your support for independent businesses/artists. 

Before I show you all the creation from my friend, I just wanted to show how cutely she packaged it! She included a Pusheen badge!! Awww, it put a big smile on my face :) I love her little 'business card', too. The combination of all those colours, patterns and shapes makes my heart happy. She actually created a big painting and cut it up into small pieces to make her cards, and I think that's an awesome idea! It feels a lot nicer from a customer point of view to receive a note card like this VS a printed one (not that they can't also be lovely). 

Stina very kindly offered to make me one of her bracelets as a gift, because she is just that fabulous of a friend ♥ So let's talk all about the bracelets that she makes...

HOW PRETTY IS THIS!? As you can see, Stina creates leather bracelets that have a beautiful simplicity to them. You can choose from various colours/shades of leather, but darker shades will lighten over time. Stina can add any caption you like and I've also seen her add a little star or two along with the words! She offers the bracelets for 250 Swedish Krona, which is around £21, and for that you can have any one line of text added.  

So what do the words that I chose mean?

'Var nyfiken' means stay curious in Swedish :) I wanted my bracelet's caption to be in Swedish because I think different languages are beautiful, but also because I have always loved the Nordic countries, especially Sweden. Not only is the history fascinating and the natural landscapes breathtaking, but I'm a big fan of the Eurovision Song Content and Sweden always put on such a great show with their Melodifestivalen shows, to select the musician(s) who will represent the country each year. So yeah, I couldn't not get the wording I wanted in Swedish! 

But why 'stay curious'? For me, this statement has an important meaning. I have always been full of curiosity, since being a little kid. I have had an avid thirst for knowledge for as long as I can remember. Getting lost between the pages of factual books filled up so much of my childhood, and without getting too deep for a Saturday afternoon, I used to hate a lot of aspects about myself growing up... except my curiosity and need to discover all that I could about the world around me. And so this attribute of my personality has always been my favourite thing about me, and therefore I hold it dear to my heart. 

Furthermore, I love to encourage other people to keep learning and exploring and trying to soak up all the knowledge they can about everything around them. It is never too late to be taught something new and it's good for your brain to keep those cogs turning! I'm getting rambly, so back to my bracelet :D 

I opted for a dark shade of brown, because most of the clothing I wear is black so I thought this would bring a little colour to my overall look, but wouldn't be so bright that it clashed with any of the dresses I have that also have a splash of colour to them. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but myself XD 

I'm also a lover of earthy tones, and the brown shade of my bracelet from Stina makes me think of trees. Gosh, do I love trees! Because of this, it's like wearing a happiness reminder on my wrist. 

Here's a photo of the bracelet on. It's so comfortable to wear! The lining is very soft and doesn't rub/irritate my skin after wearing it for an entire day, which is brilliant :) I've had lots of problems like this with bracelets in the past, probably due to a mix of sensitive skin and crappy material choices. But you don't have to worry about that with Stina's bracelets!

They fasten via a press stud (also called a snap fastener), so they are easy to get on & off, but still very sturdy. My little niece tried to open my bracelet and couldn't, so looks like they are small child proof but don't quote me on that, haha! 

Something that I love about the bracelets that my fabulous friend makes is how they are very gender neutral/unisex. This very much appeals to me. I grew up as a 'tomboy' and although I am very happy embracing my feminine side as an adult, I still find that a lot of my tastes reflect my childhood personality(?). I don't think that those tendencies were un-girl like even if society does, to the point where they have to single out a girl who likes 'boy-typical' activities (whatever they are?) as a tomboy. However, that's a whole other discussion for another post! 

I love the outdoors and mud and moss and getting on my hands and knees in the overgrowth, and the colour of this bracelet appeals to my inner goblin child :D (I think I spend too much time on tumblr...).

Stina's bracelets are custom-made so you can get the right size for yours to fit snugly or loosely, whatever your personal preference is. I decided to get mine at a size that would mean it would sit a bit further down from my wrist. This is due to the fact that bracelets can annoy me when I'm writing or typing if they are on my wrist. I've had no such issues so far doing these things whilst wearing the bracelet crafted by Stina! 

I wanted to let you guys know that my friend makes other jewellery pieces as well, including necklaces and bracelets with different thicknesses and designs. All at very affordable prices :) You can find out more over on Stina's instagram and have a look through the photos she has of her pieces (plus lots of flowers and other pretty things!). Go give her a follow here. 

I thought I'd show off the adorable way that Stina packaged my bracelet. I absolutely love when artists present their work in such a lovely way, in which you can tell that a lot of thought and care has gone into it. As a customer, you feel that they really appreciate your order and it's just a sweet touch. I mean, who doesn't enjoy opening pretty mail!? 

Check out how fancy Stina's signature looks! Mine is like a child attempting to write cursive for the first time :D I'm not even joking... I seriously need to up my signature game. Anyhow, I am really impressed with the bracelet that my wonderful friend very kindly made me as a gift. It's aesthetically pleasing, goes well with every outfit I have worn it with, I've even gotten in soaking wet whilst gardening and it came out unscathed! These bracelets, and the other creations by Stina, would make such awesome presents for your friends and family; you should totally make an order now that Christmas is going to be with us in a few months time! 

I hope you guys enjoyed reading all about my stay curious bracelet by the fantastic Stina Glaas, and checking out my photography of it. Isn't it super beautiful!? Today is actually Stina's birthday and her artwork deserves your love!! I've been meaning to write this post for a while but I recently decided what better day to share it on than her birthday. I wanted to champion my friend and her talents! Wishing you the most marvellous day filled with cake and sunshine and relaxation and all things pretty, Stina! Thankyou for being an amazing friend to me!! Have a lovely rest of the weekend, people :) 

Thankyou for reading! 

♥

What would you get written on your own personalised bracelet? 

Keep up to date with my life via social media

| Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest | Bloglovin' | 

Christmas in July

Hello guys! So yeah, I've remembered that I have a blog!! :D … I'm just kidding, but what can I say!? Life has majorly gotten in the way of me and my motivation to write. Covid hasn't helped and I've had something going on in my life that's wonderful but has also kept me rather busy ♥ And I apologise that this little blog of mine has taken a back-burner. Thankyou for all of you guys' continued support!! I haven't blogged in over two months, and yet you're all still interested in following my little corners of the internet! It's all very heartwarming because I often think I'm boring, haha! But for some reason you've all decided to stick around, and it really means the world to me :)

To those of my lovely readers who follow me on twitter or instagram (where I am most active nowadays), you'll probably remember when I asked if I should still share about what I got for Christmas despite it having been months and months since the big day. In many communities on the world wide web, especially within the crafter community from what I've seen, there's a trend of celebrating 'Christmas in July'. So I thought what the heck? I might as well jump on the bandwagon in my own way, since most of those who responded to my polls on social media said I should still blog about the prezzies I received. I am finally delivering my 'What I got for Christmas' post, on the last day of July (better late than never they say!). I hope you all enjoy reading and checking out some of my favourite gifts! 

As many of you will know, Christmas 2019 for me was a very tough time! It was a challenge to get fully immersed in the festivities and joy of the holiday season, and I had a lot of mixed feelings. I won't go into details because I want this post to be positive and to be honest, I don't want to risk bringing up the emotions and thoughts I was experiencing throughout the latter half of last year. But all in all, my head space kept jumping between YAY ITS CHRISTMAS and dread that a whole new year was edging closer... fun times! However, something that was wonderful about Christmastime was that my sister & I tried to make it as lovely for one another as we could, and spoilt each other with presents!! Most of this post will include gifts that my sister got for me, and also some from my awesome friends :) I'll try not to ramble, but I'm going to get excited all over again writing about everything! 

I've decided to separate the post into themed sections and this one is all about stationery! I am a huge fan of all things stationery-related, and my loved ones were so thoughtful with the marvellous presents they chose for me! I got a lot of adorable sticky notes and page tab thingies, that are perfect for using in planners but also for using in crafting, scrapbooking and for decorating the mail I send. JUST LOOK AT THOSE CAT TOE BEANS... and the birbs, oh my gosh!! 

My sister bought me the loveliest sloth notebook that is so great to use as a list pad, and I write a lot of lists so I am always delighted with new list pads! Do you guys ever find that you are that little bit more productive when you get to write up your daily to-do-lists on pretty paper? Because I know I do! She also got me so many pens!! Some of which feel so soft and comfortable to hold (the panda, the bear and the piggie). Also, how cute is that festive dinosaur pen!? The pom-pom is super nice quality and the colour is one of my favourites. I love mint! And you can't really see on my photo but the actual pen part is decorated with polkadots, which is the pattern I most like! The pom-pom even has spiky spines and it's a rawrsome detail, don't you think!?!

My sister picked up a lot of these gorgeous bits and pieces from Ali Express, which I know gets a lot of stick but you can find some lovely bargains on the website & she loves shopping on it! The little box you can see above is filled with 45 bunny stickers and it was under £1! They are so adorable and I can't wait to use them in my snailmail and planner (when I eventually get back to using it, oops!). She got me another pack of bunny stickers because she's just that awesome, and I'm very glad that they are the loose kind of sticker seals(?), at least that's what I think they are called! I love being able to drop a couple in my mail and they are easier to store than stickers on sheets. 

It can be tricky to photograph washi tape; in hindsight, I should have stuck a little on some paper so you guys could get a proper look at the design, but oh well! You'll just have to believe me when I tell you how sweet it is! If you didn't already know, I collect postcards and I used to be really into arranging swaps via instagram... I got so many rabbit postcards!! I must have 100 now, and many of the designs I was looking to receive where from a Korean collection called Afternoon Garden. Well, the washi tape has several bunnies from that collection on it!! So naturally, I adore it & i'm probably going to hoard it a.k.a. never use it. 

Which is your favourite of the stationery I got for Christmas? 

More bunnies!! These PJ pants that my sister picked for me are so pretty, and I'm looking forward to wearing them during the cooler seasons... I miss autumn T_T. Of course, my sister got me some Harry Potter goodies because everyone knows how much of a potterhead I am. The Hagrid keyring is one of the official Warner Bros. 'Backpack Buddies', which come as a blind bag. I was happy to get Hagrid because who doesn't love this big cuddly dude? But obviously, I was crossing my fingers and toes for Severus Snape (fangirl much). The sock set is superb!! They have little Lucius Malfoy's (hello Mr Isaacs ;p) on them and the other members of the dark arts gang. I always appreciate getting socks as they are useful (kid me would be shocked), especially for someone like me who often forgets that I'm wearing socks and wanders outside to get them covered in mud, haha! 

I'd never heard of the plushies that my sister found for me, which isn't usually the case considering how plushie obsessed I am. The cat plushie above is one of them; my sister says she just had to get me another since she found them for a brilliant price! I couldn't fit them both into the frame, so I'll show off the second cutie later in my post. But let me tell you all more about 'my sugar friends'! They are essentially scented plushies with a clip on so you can attach from to your backpack or whatever. The red smiley thing that my new cat sugar friend is sitting in is actually a coffee cup, so as you can probably guess, she's coffee-scented. I actually love the smell of coffee, so this plush is right up my street. Her name is Latte Latte! Plush no.2 is a waffle puppy and his name is Wooffle... how cute is that!? He's honey-scented which I'm not much of a fan of, but I'll let him off because of his cuteness factor! 

My sister knows my password on Pop in a Box (because she used to help my mom buy Funko figures off my wishlist for me!), and so she went through my wants, choosing two Pop! vinyl that I'd been after for ages!! And a horror figure from the Funko 5 Star range. I only own of these so far and I really wanted to add a horror characters to my collection. She got me Chucky, and he comes with a mini voodoo doll and knife. I love props like these that I can use in my toy photography (if that sort of thing is your cup of tea, why not check out my dedicated instagram account?), and he's just such a groovy little figure. Does anyone but me still use the word groovy? XD

Look at these badass girlies! I was very delighted to get these two, and now that I've finally blogged all about them, I can get shots of them for my toy photography account! I have only myself to blame for taking this long to share my christmassy post, however Christmas in July has quite a ring to it, and its nice to revisit the excitement I felt on Christmas morning when I was opening up these gorgeous presents for the first time!! 

I love the Hermione in Herbology Class Pop mainly because of the mandrake!! I think these little mythological plants are fascinating and awesome, and I love that this little mandrake has such a grumpy face. It's too adorable!! I also love Hermione getting her magic meets biology nerd on, as it reminds me of myself! This Pop of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones is one of the designs of her I like most from Funko; they've made a lot! Because it represents the time period from both the book & TV show storyline that I enjoyed the most! The dragons' birth was amazing!! And this pop makes me think of it, as well as the iconic 'dracarys' scene. Dothraki Dany is such an epic warrior! The only problem I have with this Pop is the baby dragon's colour. Fellow GoT/ASOIAF fans will know that it's wrong and it just bugs me, but if I'm not being picky, I really like it! 

Before I talk about the overload of cuteness that I've just shoved in all of your faces, how cool is the mug that one of my friends got for me!? I love cats and I love swear words, so it's the purrrrfect (I couldn't help myself!) combination of some of my favourite things *instantly gets the Sound of Music song in my head*, on a mug so I can use it for drinking caramel lattes and that makes me and my taste-buds happy :D He also got me the sweet little Japanese doll nail-scissors that you can see in the first photo I included. My friends truly are the best!! 

So, the absolutely stunning animal illustrations above are actually postcards and they came inside the pink box with the bunny couple on the front. They are another of the presents from my sister and I think they might be the absolute best thing that I got!! I FLIPPIN' LOVE THEM!! They are so beautiful and I want to plaster every surface of my room with them once my decorating is all done!

The adorableness never ends! You get 30 postcards, each with a different design featuring a mix of frogs, otters, rabbits, foxes, birds and sea otters. Honestly, I can't find the words for how over the moon I am with them!! Not only are the designs done in the most gorgeous watercolour style, with super cute animals surrounded by food and flowers (three of the greatest things ever), but they also feature the Japanese word for the animal, along with the characters so I can learn how to write the name myself!! 

From of the selection I picked out for my photos, which is the nicest in your opinion? Let me know in the comments! 

My sister has the loveliest penpal from the US called Lindsey and she is seriously so kind and sweet! I was so surprised and delighted when I found out that she'd sent a box of goodies for me, along with her mail for my sister, to pop under the Christmas Tree. When I opened it on 25th December, I couldn't believe what I found inside!! Lindsey had only gone and got me some of the Hello Kitty McDonald's toys that they'd released in the US and that I was desperate to get my hands on!! I might have cried ;') Not only did she send me three of these spectacular toys, but Gudetama socks, too!! Eeeee! What a star she is!! 

I can't get over how sweet and wonderful my loved ones are!! They made me so happy and helped to make Christmastime special for me, when I thought that it wasn't going to happen. Guys!! My best friend actually got me these beauties from the Warner Bros. Harry Potter makeup range that was released last year (if I remember correctly). And even though the movies annoyingly made the crest animal wrong >.< this one actually looks closer to an eagle than the raven on the typical Ravenclaw merch I've seen from Warner Bros. so let's just pretend that the design team have got their act together! She got me the makeup bag and the eye-shadow palette, which I've been planning to give a post all to itself. So, you guys will have to wait until then to get a peek inside! 

The last bunch of goodies that I want to show you all are these lovely wintery things! A pretty candle in a snowflake-patterned frosted glass, as well as some thick and snuggly socks. One pair has the cutest bear design with mini pom-poms for ears! I can't wait to get out these lovely gifts this year during Christmas, especially the candle! I love a good candle :D 

You can't really see because of the sunshine that was glaring into my sauna of a bedroom this afternoon (it.was.too.hot!!), but the heart keyring says my name on it :) It's so nice! Are you a fan of trinkets with your name on? Do you find it tough to find your name in shops because it's so popular, or unique/has a unusual spelling? Everyone and their cousin is called Sarah, so a lot of the time all of the items featuring my name are sold out. It used to get so sad as a kid when I was on holiday at Haven or Pontins because the gift shops there, and those along the seafront of the towns where we would go, always had a massive selection of cool name themed gifts and I was barely able to get something with Sarah written on, when my siblings could always find their names! Anyway... I'm going off on a tangent!

Peekaboo! It's Wooffle!! Isn't he lovely? I really like that he's bright yellow! But why couldn't he be maple syrup scented or something *cry cry*. Are you team Latte Latte or Wooffle? I'm very interested to know! 

So that's most of the presents that I got for Christmas 2019. I was incredibly lucky to receive such brilliant gifts! I hope that this post doesn't come off as braggy in any way, because my intention is only to share my joy with others and to hopefully brighten the days of my fellow lovers of all things kawaii :) I hope it was a good read, anyhow! I wanted to give a huge thanks to my sister (you're the best, Nicole!), and to my epic friends, Aaron, Jess (you should totally go and give her blog a read here) & Emma for forever putting a smile on my face and warmth in my heart. Well, that was cheesy af :D But all that you do means so very much to me!

Hopefully, you all enjoyed a dose of Christmas in July! What a random thing, but I guess it's a nice reminder that we are half way through the year and so Christmas will soon be on its way. But I'm much more of a Halloween girl, so I can't wait for the world to get its spook on! Maybe someone should start a Halloween in May? Just sayin'. 

Thankyou for reading!

♥

What was your favourite thing that you got last Christmas?

I'm also very curious to know when everyone else starts preparing for Christmas/

begins their gift shopping? 

If today's post has got you in the Christmas spirit, why not check out these other posts of mine? 

| What I got for Christmas '18 | My Tree Decorations | Christmas Markets | 

I Didn't Complete the Readathon and That's Okay

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had an excellent bank holiday weekend :) It's just been the same old weekend as always for me, but I know many of you are very glad to have a break from work. I'd love to hear all about how you spent your bank holiday (despite lockdown making our days pretty uneventful, or mine at least!). 

So as you guys can tell from the title, today I'm writing a follow up to the last few bookish posts I shared on my blog. They were all about a readathon I was taking part in, and well... I didn't end up completing it! Oops :D But instead of beating myself up about it, I thought I'd share my thoughts about how I am looking at this positively. Enjoy reading! 

In case you haven't read my previous posts about the reading challenge, let me tell you all about it. It's a readathon that you can join in all year round, so if you're feeling inspired or looking for something to keep you busy during the current quarantine situation (don't listen to the government, you should still be staying indoors, if you can help it!), then definitely do the EstellosaurusReads 3 week, 4 book readathon! The reading challenge was set up by my amazing friend Estelle, over on her booktube, aka. book-themed YouTube channel. Go give EstellosaurusReads a follow! The rules of the challenge, as the name suggests, involve reading four books over a three week period, one from each of the following categories: a historical fiction, a non-fiction, a re-read & a book about the apocalypse (which is very fitting right now!). If you have read a book from one of these categories before and decide to give it another read, then you could tick off both for example, the non-fiction and the re-read books together, if that makes sense :) I however wanted to challenge myself to read more, because I was so behind on the Good Reads challenge I set myself for 2020!

So, what happened? 

Like with most of these kinds of things I decide to partake in, I always begin really determined and motivated. I get off to a great start and am very hyped about the challenge, but then eventually, life gets in the way and my enthusiasm ends up dwindling. It doesn't matter how much I love whatever I am trying to do, it's a struggle for me to keep it up. And this is most attributed to the fact that I live with several chronic illnesses, which mean my daily experience changes and whereas one day I can feel energised and ready to throw all my attention at something, the next day I can wake up feeling dejected, riddled with pain and it's a struggle to pull myself through the day. Who can relate? When it comes to my love for reading, don't get me wrong, it is a passion of mine; I love books! I adore getting lost between the pages, and many a difficult day throughout my life has been spent ignoring the outside world and getting drawn into a captivating story. Unfortunately, sometimes this just isn't possible. I just can't muster the mental strength it takes to pick up a book I'm supposed to be reading, and even if I do manage it, my concentration will often be almost non-existent and the intrusive thoughts I suffer from can mean that I can't detach myself from the negativity, and therefore I cannot get engrossed in the words on the page. 

Right now, so many of us are feeling crappy. And to be honest, I didn't expect to feel the way I do, considering I'm introverted and I have social anxiety, so staying at home is usually my happy place. Even when I'm looking forward to something, it's a challenge for me to fight the urge to cancel plans last-minute. But, I have started to feel trapped. I guess that it's different when you are forced to stay home VS getting to make that decision yourself (even if it can feel like your anxious wreck of a brain is usually the one making the decisions for you). It's tough enough being drained of energy due to my chronic illnesses, but then there's all this piled on top of that. Basically, it's tough af to get things done at the moment, and I'm sure lots of you will be in the same boat! 

Thus, I have been really up and down with my reading, and this all began practically as soon as I started the readathon. I re-read a favourite children's classic of mine, A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. You can check my review here, if you're interested. Everything was going well. Then I started the non-fiction, and had opted for a topic that I don't usually read because I wanted to really challenge myself and learn something new in the process, however in hindsight, I shouldn't have done that whilst taking part in a challenge because I know my ways! I really couldn't get into it, and although there were some interesting parts, I was finding that I didn't want to pick up the book and it became a chore. 

I started to get irritated at myself and this didn't help either. I was irritated that I wasn't compelled to finish the book, and then the annoyance was making it even more difficult for me to do it. Living with mental illness really is like walking around with a storm cloud hoovering above your head sometimes! I found that I would get negative feelings about myself every time I thought about the book. By the time I finally convinced myself that I wasn't giving up and could come back to the non-fiction book, I didn't have much time left... 

I started reading Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, for the historical fiction category, and I loved it! It was exactly what I wanted to be reading. It consumed my mind in the way that you want a book to, or I do anyway! I want to be thinking about the book after I put it down, find myself throughout the day puzzling over questions and theories I have developed, and struggle to put the book down to get boring adulting stuff done. But this novel is a good size and so it got to the end of my three weeks and I hadn't completed the challenge. With this came more negative thoughts, and that ruined my reading experience for a while. Oh, the joys of an overcritical mind! 

Last week, after giving myself a much needed rest, I picked up the book where I'd left off and all was great again! I've finished it now, and I very much enjoyed it :) Although I have my opinions, both positive and not, but this isn't a review post, haha. Since then, I have felt very motivated to read. I am almost finished with another book, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, and oh my gosh, I'm obsessed!! Next, I will be FINALLY be reading Christina Dalcher's Vox :D So, in my opinion, the challenge has had a positive outcome. And even though I didn't complete it, as a result of taking part, I have been able to make additions to my Good Reads challenge and have had new stories brought into my life. Now, I don't want to stop reading! I am even now looking over at The Neverending Story with hungry eyes :D 

Something that I really like about Estelle's readathon is that I can have another go at any time! And so, I am planning on trying again later in the year, maybe when things are much improved with regards to the pandemic, or when I've gotten used to things! With the way the people in charge of running my country are going, I feel like it's only going to get worse, but let's not get into that... And this time around, I'm going to stick to a non-fiction topic that I know I will enjoy, like nature or psychology. I might try to go back to the book that initiated a case of readers-block in me at some point, now that there's no time constraint looming in the back of my mind. Even if I only read a page a day! It's not THAT boring, but I have discovered that a close look into the ins and outs of life as a barrister in the UK is not my thing. Although, at least I've added to my bank of random knowledge to pull out during a pub quiz! You never know when you might require a snippet of seemingly unimportant knowledge. haha. 

Anyhow, all in all, I enjoyed that the challenge lead me to read A Little Princess again, since I'd not read it for close to eight years and it was interesting to look at the book after having gone though some more life experience. It's always fascinating to see how you'll interpret a text in a future read, and discover how much your tastes or thoughts around a particular subject may have changed over time. It was a lovely nostalgic read and it got my imagination cogs turning, so to speak, which is always fun! As I said, I have been reading more over the last two weeks and that is also thanks to the readathon. So even if you don't complete a task that you start, especially if it's a challenge, then all was not in vain. You can still get something out an experience that you tried, even if that's just knowing what not to do again :)

I'll stop typing away now because Bastian, Atreyu and the Childlike Empress are calling me, and I have a mighty need to get lost in their adventure once more! This was a very wordy, chatty, whatever you'd call it type of post but I hope that it was still an interesting read, nonetheless. I hope that if you take anything away from it, that it's a reminder to not put yourself down for trying. It can take a lot to have a go at something, and we all have things going on in our lives that can interrupt our plans, but that's okay (albeit frustrating). Be kind of yourselves!

Thankyou for reading!

♥

Have you been reading lately? 

Got any recommendations (or suggestions of books to avoid)? 

I'm also interested to know whether you just enjoy reading posts like this? 

Fox Leap! Haul & Review

Hey lovelies! I hope you are all well, and that you're looking after yourselves during these stressful times ♥ I wanted to bring a little brightness into your day, especially since its been so overcast today... (well, it has been pouring it down in the North West of England anyhow), by showing you guys some of the most gorgeous pins ever!! So if you are a fellow collector of pin badges or just enjoy all things pretty, then you're going to love this post :) 

I have had my eye on a fantastic online store called Fox Leap! for quite some time, after first having it brought to my attention by my awesome blogger friend Natalee from over at There Might Be Coffee. Ever since, I have absolutely adored Fox Leap's artwork and it makes me smile whenever some of it pops up on my feed over on Instagram. Sophie, the artist behind Fox Leap!, creates the loveliest art; her style is so adorable and unique *all the heart eye emojis*. All of her fanart and original characters have these big eyes that make your heart melt, at least that's the affect they have on me! 

I noticed back in April that Fox Leap! was having a sale and so I jumped at the chance to finally get myself one of Sophie's beautiful pins. I wanted the Kovu and Kiara pin, since The Lion King 2 is my all-time favourite Disney movie & I barely ever see any merch of the characters, but it was unfortunately sold out. I instead opted for my second favourite Fox Leap! pin :) 

So, which character did I choose? 

Scar, of course!! This devious, sarcastic lion is my No.1 Disney villain; he has been since I was around 5 years old. I think he's hilarious and even though I should 'hate' him, I just can't! Who else loves Scar?

This 'Be Prepared' pin design is just so stunning! LOOK AT IT!! I really love that Sophie chose to design the pin after this scene because I am such a big fan of the song! Each time I see my new pin, I instantly want to start singing :D Jeremy Irons' version is obviously marvellous, but I always think about the performance from the Broadway musical, which was the first ever musical theatre show I went to, back in 2013 with my mom, so of course, it's a memory I hold very dear to my heart. The fact that this pin makes me reminisce about the musical will mean that it will forever remain one of the most beloved pins in my entire collection! 

Here's what the pin looks like when tilted in the light (if that makes sense!)... 

Super bright & eye-catching!! I am in love with the colour scheme :) Black and green are my favourite colours so it's hard for me not to adore this pin based on the colouration alone. But there are so many more things I love about Fox Leap's Scar pin! 

I have mentioned many times before on my blog that pins with gold outlines aren't really my cup of tea, even though I'll admit that lots of pins do look lovely being gold-plated and so I have several like this in my ever-growing collection, however, in general, I'd prefer a pin with another coloured outline/plating. And so as you can imagine, the fact that this Be Prepared pin is backed in black is one of the details that drew me to it. It really love the outline colour, and how it can be subtle yet still shine just as nicely in the sunlight as any gold-plated pin can! 

Another feature of this pin that I love is the shape... I think it just has a very unique structure to it and your eyes are instantly drawn to the yellow and green smoke, and then to Scar's big eyes. They are super cute! Who can resist a chibified version of a baddie, though!? His little smirk is so endearing, too. Oh my gosh, I can't express how delighted I am with the entire design of this pin! Sophie has really captured the unique look of Scar's mane, which is another thing I love! And those swirls/wisps of smoke look super cool, don't you think? 

It's so awesome how the colours change depending on the angle and lighting. I can't wait to wear this pin out and about (eventually!) and show it off! 

You may have noticed the little sneak preview of another pin in the photo above ;) And that's what I'm going to talk about next. Sophie was amazingly kind and gifted me the loveliest pin, and I have been super excited about showing it to you guys!! 

Ta-da!! HOW STUNNING IS THIS PIN!!? Just look how intricate and detailed the design is. I was so wowed when I opened my package and found this little cutie inside!! I can't get over how beautiful it is. THANKYOU so very much, Sophie, for sending me your Silver Fox* pin!! ^.^

If you guys didn't already know, a silver fox is a colour variation of the Red Fox, where instead of having bright red/orange fur, the fox looks black or very dark grey. If you've been following my blog for a while now, you'll probably know that foxes are one of my most loved animal species, and so I was over the moon to receive a fox pin!! Fox Leap!, as the name would suggest, has created several gorgeous foxy pins, so definitely go check them out if you are a fox lover like me! Talking of foxes, how brilliant is Fox Leap's logo!!? It makes me super happy... especially because of its huge, floofy tail! I can just imagine a real Red fox sleeping in a meadow full of summer flowers when I look at the logo! 

So, what is it about this pin that I adore? 

Where do I start? haha :D I love the boldness of the colours, they are striking! There's also so much to look at, from the detailed facial markings, to the pointy pink ears, to the leaves in the background, the flowers & the glittery tail and paws. You can definitely see how much attention to detail has gone into the design of this enamel pin! 

I'm not sure if this makes much sense to anyone other than myself, but the Silver Fox pin really reminds me of a mountain! Let me explain... the tail makes me visualise a snow-capped mountain, and the surrounding blue makes me think of photographs I've seen of Japan's Mt. Fuji against the backdrop of a cool evening skyline. The blossoms represent sakura/cherry blossoms for me, and the leaves could be the forests surrounding the mountain. This pin makes my imagination run wild and that makes me love it even more! 

Despite the pin having a gold outline/plating, I actually don't mind it because I feel like it really helps to make the colours stand out more. They are vibrant and wouldn't look as pretty on a black or silver plated enamel, in my opinion. The gold has a lovely warm shine to it, and could totally be the sunset for my mountain! :D Oh, and another element of the design I love are the fox's green eyes, because it's almost like they are reflecting the leaves. So pretty!

Anyhow, those are the two new pin badges I got from the fabulous Fox Leap! I am very impressed with the design and overall quality of them, and I loved how nicely packaged they were. The backing-cards were lovely, and I don't know why but I just think it's wonderful when I receive items in paper bags. I guess it subconscious;y reminds me of getting pick'n'mix sweets or something! Is anyone else a sucker for paper bags, or am I just weird? :D

Before I finish up today's post, I just wanted to let you all know more information about the pricing of my new pins. As I said earlier, I got the Be Prepared/Scar one on sale, during which it was only £6.40. It's usually £8, which is a great price for such a brilliant pin, although I love a good bargain, haha! All of Sophie's pins are £8, but you can get yourself a foxy pin from her website for only £6.40 at the moment. The P&P for me in the UK was £1.50, so altogether I paid £7.90, which I was very pleased with. The package arrived pretty quick as well, considering all of the corona-related delays going on. 

I'd love to know which of the pins is your favourite and why, guys! I hope you all enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing about these gorgeous products! I will certainly be shopping from Fox Leap! again in the future. They even have a monthly pin club on Patreon, where, for just approximately £9 a month ($15 for international backers) you can get a pin, a vinyl sticker and a mini print, and I'm so tempted to sign up! A big thanks to Sophie for kindly gifting me the fox pin... I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I hope you have a wonderful week, everyone! 

Thankyou for reading!

 ♥

Have you been buying any new pins lately?

Do you have a favourite species of Fox, or Disney character, or both?

Let me know in the comments!

Keep up to date with my boring quarantine life over on social media:

| Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest |