Hi everyone! Happy Monday! I hope you're all having an awesome start to the week :) Today, I have been trying to endure this sweltering weather! And catch up on my favourite shows, so its been one of those 'lazy' days. I thought I better try to do at least one productive thing today, and finally share a post that so many of you guys requested. If you follow me over on Instagram, you might have seen my posts about my day out on Thursday last week, when I went on a shopping spree in Preston city with my best friend. I was super looking forward to visiting some stores that unfortunately my local town centre doesn't have, and as a consequence I got a little overexcited and spent more than I probably should have. Oops! Although to be honest, I was very much in need of a dose of retail therapy, and I picked up some lovely things. The stores that I was most enthusiastic about going to were Flying Tiger/Tiger and the most adorable store called Kenji, and after seeing me share video snippets on my story, lots of my wonderful friends said that they would love for me to do a haul post, so here we are! Enjoy!
I absolutely adore both of the stores who's products I am featuring in today's post, mostly because they sell unique and quirky items, that can be more difficult to find unless you shop online. When it comes to the kinds of cutesy stuff that I like, I usually have to purchase them via the internet so it's a lovely change to be able to get them in store, and enjoy the experience of browsing the shelves and filling up a basket. Plus my best friend gets a good laugh out of watching my reactions apparently XD I tend to get very giddy and 'squeeee' a lot when I am surrounded by pretty stationery and adorable products!
Flying Tiger or just Tiger as it used to be called, is a Danish company that reminds me of Ikea, selling a range of products, from stationery and kitchen and bathroom ware, to children's toys and games, and all kinds of really useful items. Something that very much appeals to me about the store is how many novelty-style products it sells... for example, the first time I visited, I bought a tin case with a handle that was shaped like a tomato with a cute face on XD Yeah, those sorts of things are right up my street!
Kenji on the other hand is a newer and less-well known company, with only four shops in the North of England, including Preston, Manchester, Warrington & Bury. It is another store that sells a multitude of items, such as kitchen products, accessories, giftware, plushies and my favourite, stationery! And all of them are Japanese inspired. I am just in love with this store, and I really hope that they become more popular and can expand throughout the UK.
I'll show you all what I picked up at Tiger first!
How flippin' cute are these two notebooks that I bought!?
There goes my temporary notebook ban out of the window... I knew it wouldn't last long :D I have so many notebooks that I haven't even written in yet, and I told myself I had to stop buying new ones, but I cannot resist. I just love them so much! I am always writing, but with the amount of notebooks I have, it still seems impossible to use them all. Although, I do have several that I have some sort of attachment to and cannot bring myself to write in them. My fellow notebook hoarders, please tell me I'm not alone in this :')
My attention was instantly grabbed by the hamster notebook, which is actually an exercise book style of notepad. There were several designs and it was pretty difficult for me not to just buy them all but I was trying so hard not to come home with too many notebooks...what is too many though ;) I chose the yellow one because I am a big fan of the colour, it's so happy and bright, and I love the pink and yellow combo. The main reason I was drawn to this notebook is because seeing it hit me with a wave of nostalgia. If you've ever seen the anime series Hamtaro, then you'll remember the scene on either the first or second episode (but don't quote me on that) when the main human character of the show is shopping for notebooks with hamsters on. Well, seeing this hamster exercise book made that scene immediately pop into my mind, and I had to have it.
I bought the small notebook with beetles on the cover because a) the nature geek in me loves insects, and b) because I'm a sucker for anything colourful. There was actually an entire range of products in store, found across all the different sections, with these beetles on, but I fought the urge to buy more and just stuck to the notebook. Those fabulous rainbow pens were from the LGBT+ Pride section. It was fantastic to see a pride section, selling flags and colourful dinnerware for hosting pride parties. I wanted to pick up something and chose these pens (one for me and one for my friend), because just look at those pom-poms and vibrant colours!!
Just look at that bunny bead set! Yes, I'm 26 years old and yes, I had no second thoughts about putting this bead set straight into my basket :D When I said that I was a fan of novelty-shaped things, I meant it. The fact that the beads came in a rabbit-shaped container is what made me have a mighty need; getting all of those lovely, bright beads is just an added bonus. I'm looking forward to sitting in the garden in the sunshine making bracelets, and I love that I can re-use the container for storing little bits and bobs after.
Something cool about Tiger is that it has a snacks section and there's some really interesting things available that I need to try some time, but as soon as I spotted a pack of six stroopwafels for just £2, I couldn't say no. If you've never tried these scrumptious Dutch caramel wafers before, you really need to!
I've been after some food shaped erasers for a while now, to use for my toy photography hobby. For anyone who's new to my blog, I am a collector of vinyl figures and toys, and alongside that I do toy photography. I have a dedicated Instagram if you'd like to check it out here. I want to start creating my own set-up's with props, and I thought that novelty erasers could be incorporated into this, e.g. for a picnic scene. I love that this little set from Tiger came in a container too, so I won't loose them. I used to own quite a few of these cute erasers as a teenager but I lost them all! So the plastic tub will definitely come in handy.
Aren't these just the best highlighters that you've ever seen? I know that they are for me! Something that's amazing about Tiger is how cheap their products are! This pack of highlighters was the most pricey individual item that I bought, and they were only £3! I have always been curious about pastel-coloured highlighters, whether the shades would be very visible and such, so I thought why not finally find out! If I didn't like them, then I could still keep these little ice lolly shaped ones for summery photography props or whatever. I am a lover of pastel colours and I like mini highlighters that are easy to fit into a pencil case, but I'd never seen anything like these before so I had to get them. Which is your favourite colour? I love the blue one, as when used it looks more like a mint shade :)
Apologies for bombarding you all with photos of stickers, but I wanted to show what each sheet looked like close up VS trying to squash all six into one shot. Who else loves stickers? They are another stationery item that I have managed to build up quite a collection of over the last ten years or so, but I do actually use them, mostly for when I'm writing letters or cards to my penpals and loved ones. Tiger have a marvellous deal, 2 for £1 which I am over the moon with, considering how many stickers you get, the quality of them and the fact that you can see how much thought has gone into their design.
I hardly ever see stickers of sea creatures so that's the main reason I chose those, and also because they are so colourful and cheerful! I picked up the dogs for my friend, the cat sheets because cats are amazing, and the reptile one because reptiles are my favourite group of animals! Which is your favourite sticker sheet of the bunch?
So that's everything that I purchased from Tiger (other than two things that I bought for my niece). I've just realised that I didn't tell you how much some of the items cost, so I'll list those before showing you my Kenji haul :). The Pride pens were £1 each, the erasers were £2, the hamster exercise book was £2 as well as the beetle one, too. Oh, and the bead set was £2.
I only did a small haul at Kenji, compared to Tiger because I had spent quite a lot of my budget at this point and still had to get lunch, as well as go back to pick up some pretty desk drawers that I'd spotted earlier in the day at TG Hughes for £14.99. Again, the notebooks stole my otaku heart, and thank goodness that I had a budget as there were so many amazing ones to choose from! It was tough to choose and I swapped things in and out of my basket several times as I walked around the store, haha!
I picked up this mini notebook with an alpaca/llama on the cover solely because alpacas have been one of my favourite animals since I was about 14, and they look especially cute in designs that are inspired by Japanese and Korean animation. Seriously, Japan makes the most fabulous alpaca products, and I have accumulated a fair few alpaca plushies by the Japanese brand, Amuse :D This notebook was £2.
The other two notebooks that I couldn't leave the store without were £2.50 each, and oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the designs/prints on their covers. The price is such a bargain in my opinion because the quality is fantastic and the covers are so incredibly sweet, and are printed on the front and back of the notebook. Also, I didn't realise until I took the notebooks out of the plastic film they were sealed in before taking these photos, that the texture of the cover is lovely. I don't know what it is about inanimate objects given cute faces, but I can't help but adore them! There was another version of these notebooks available too that I so wanted to get, a lilac one with another sky/galaxy theme on. I have a feeling that the notebooks I bought from Kenji might end up being added to the stash of ones that I cannot bring myself to use in case I spoil them. That's how delighted I am with them!
The final items from my Kenji haul are a set of floral tealights and a tiny porcelain duck. Haha, I know that the latter is very random, but let me explain! When I was a child, I used to collect small ornaments, and I would buy them each time I visited the market in my hometown. Even though I don't collect them anymore (I still kept my childhood collection, of course!), I just think its a part of me now to be drawn to little ornaments and sometimes I can't resist buying them. I obviously needed this little puddle duck in my life and I will name him and he will be the best duckie friend ever :3
Lastly, I picked up this pack of four flower shaped tealights candles simply because I really liked the yellow one that looks like a sunflower and at only a £1 per set, it was an offer I couldn't pass up on. I really like how each tealight has a completely different design and colour, and not only are they functional, but they also make great props. It's all about the props when you're a blogger XD Another thing that I think is superb about this product is how simply yet nicely it is packaged... I'm lovin' the flower tie. They would make great gifts :)
Well, we've reached the end of my haul. I hope that you all enjoyed reading, even if I did get a little rambley in parts :D I cannot recommend these stores enough, they have something to suit everyone's taste. Be sure to check out the Kenji and Flying Tiger websites for more information. I'd love to know if you guys have visited either of these stores, and what you bought so please let me know in the comments!
Flying Tiger or just Tiger as it used to be called, is a Danish company that reminds me of Ikea, selling a range of products, from stationery and kitchen and bathroom ware, to children's toys and games, and all kinds of really useful items. Something that very much appeals to me about the store is how many novelty-style products it sells... for example, the first time I visited, I bought a tin case with a handle that was shaped like a tomato with a cute face on XD Yeah, those sorts of things are right up my street!
Kenji on the other hand is a newer and less-well known company, with only four shops in the North of England, including Preston, Manchester, Warrington & Bury. It is another store that sells a multitude of items, such as kitchen products, accessories, giftware, plushies and my favourite, stationery! And all of them are Japanese inspired. I am just in love with this store, and I really hope that they become more popular and can expand throughout the UK.
I'll show you all what I picked up at Tiger first!
There goes my temporary notebook ban out of the window... I knew it wouldn't last long :D I have so many notebooks that I haven't even written in yet, and I told myself I had to stop buying new ones, but I cannot resist. I just love them so much! I am always writing, but with the amount of notebooks I have, it still seems impossible to use them all. Although, I do have several that I have some sort of attachment to and cannot bring myself to write in them. My fellow notebook hoarders, please tell me I'm not alone in this :')
My attention was instantly grabbed by the hamster notebook, which is actually an exercise book style of notepad. There were several designs and it was pretty difficult for me not to just buy them all but I was trying so hard not to come home with too many notebooks...what is too many though ;) I chose the yellow one because I am a big fan of the colour, it's so happy and bright, and I love the pink and yellow combo. The main reason I was drawn to this notebook is because seeing it hit me with a wave of nostalgia. If you've ever seen the anime series Hamtaro, then you'll remember the scene on either the first or second episode (but don't quote me on that) when the main human character of the show is shopping for notebooks with hamsters on. Well, seeing this hamster exercise book made that scene immediately pop into my mind, and I had to have it.
I bought the small notebook with beetles on the cover because a) the nature geek in me loves insects, and b) because I'm a sucker for anything colourful. There was actually an entire range of products in store, found across all the different sections, with these beetles on, but I fought the urge to buy more and just stuck to the notebook. Those fabulous rainbow pens were from the LGBT+ Pride section. It was fantastic to see a pride section, selling flags and colourful dinnerware for hosting pride parties. I wanted to pick up something and chose these pens (one for me and one for my friend), because just look at those pom-poms and vibrant colours!!
Just look at that bunny bead set! Yes, I'm 26 years old and yes, I had no second thoughts about putting this bead set straight into my basket :D When I said that I was a fan of novelty-shaped things, I meant it. The fact that the beads came in a rabbit-shaped container is what made me have a mighty need; getting all of those lovely, bright beads is just an added bonus. I'm looking forward to sitting in the garden in the sunshine making bracelets, and I love that I can re-use the container for storing little bits and bobs after.
Something cool about Tiger is that it has a snacks section and there's some really interesting things available that I need to try some time, but as soon as I spotted a pack of six stroopwafels for just £2, I couldn't say no. If you've never tried these scrumptious Dutch caramel wafers before, you really need to!
I've been after some food shaped erasers for a while now, to use for my toy photography hobby. For anyone who's new to my blog, I am a collector of vinyl figures and toys, and alongside that I do toy photography. I have a dedicated Instagram if you'd like to check it out here. I want to start creating my own set-up's with props, and I thought that novelty erasers could be incorporated into this, e.g. for a picnic scene. I love that this little set from Tiger came in a container too, so I won't loose them. I used to own quite a few of these cute erasers as a teenager but I lost them all! So the plastic tub will definitely come in handy.
Aren't these just the best highlighters that you've ever seen? I know that they are for me! Something that's amazing about Tiger is how cheap their products are! This pack of highlighters was the most pricey individual item that I bought, and they were only £3! I have always been curious about pastel-coloured highlighters, whether the shades would be very visible and such, so I thought why not finally find out! If I didn't like them, then I could still keep these little ice lolly shaped ones for summery photography props or whatever. I am a lover of pastel colours and I like mini highlighters that are easy to fit into a pencil case, but I'd never seen anything like these before so I had to get them. Which is your favourite colour? I love the blue one, as when used it looks more like a mint shade :)
Apologies for bombarding you all with photos of stickers, but I wanted to show what each sheet looked like close up VS trying to squash all six into one shot. Who else loves stickers? They are another stationery item that I have managed to build up quite a collection of over the last ten years or so, but I do actually use them, mostly for when I'm writing letters or cards to my penpals and loved ones. Tiger have a marvellous deal, 2 for £1 which I am over the moon with, considering how many stickers you get, the quality of them and the fact that you can see how much thought has gone into their design.
I hardly ever see stickers of sea creatures so that's the main reason I chose those, and also because they are so colourful and cheerful! I picked up the dogs for my friend, the cat sheets because cats are amazing, and the reptile one because reptiles are my favourite group of animals! Which is your favourite sticker sheet of the bunch?
So that's everything that I purchased from Tiger (other than two things that I bought for my niece). I've just realised that I didn't tell you how much some of the items cost, so I'll list those before showing you my Kenji haul :). The Pride pens were £1 each, the erasers were £2, the hamster exercise book was £2 as well as the beetle one, too. Oh, and the bead set was £2.
I only did a small haul at Kenji, compared to Tiger because I had spent quite a lot of my budget at this point and still had to get lunch, as well as go back to pick up some pretty desk drawers that I'd spotted earlier in the day at TG Hughes for £14.99. Again, the notebooks stole my otaku heart, and thank goodness that I had a budget as there were so many amazing ones to choose from! It was tough to choose and I swapped things in and out of my basket several times as I walked around the store, haha!
I picked up this mini notebook with an alpaca/llama on the cover solely because alpacas have been one of my favourite animals since I was about 14, and they look especially cute in designs that are inspired by Japanese and Korean animation. Seriously, Japan makes the most fabulous alpaca products, and I have accumulated a fair few alpaca plushies by the Japanese brand, Amuse :D This notebook was £2.
The other two notebooks that I couldn't leave the store without were £2.50 each, and oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the designs/prints on their covers. The price is such a bargain in my opinion because the quality is fantastic and the covers are so incredibly sweet, and are printed on the front and back of the notebook. Also, I didn't realise until I took the notebooks out of the plastic film they were sealed in before taking these photos, that the texture of the cover is lovely. I don't know what it is about inanimate objects given cute faces, but I can't help but adore them! There was another version of these notebooks available too that I so wanted to get, a lilac one with another sky/galaxy theme on. I have a feeling that the notebooks I bought from Kenji might end up being added to the stash of ones that I cannot bring myself to use in case I spoil them. That's how delighted I am with them!
The final items from my Kenji haul are a set of floral tealights and a tiny porcelain duck. Haha, I know that the latter is very random, but let me explain! When I was a child, I used to collect small ornaments, and I would buy them each time I visited the market in my hometown. Even though I don't collect them anymore (I still kept my childhood collection, of course!), I just think its a part of me now to be drawn to little ornaments and sometimes I can't resist buying them. I obviously needed this little puddle duck in my life and I will name him and he will be the best duckie friend ever :3
Lastly, I picked up this pack of four flower shaped tealights candles simply because I really liked the yellow one that looks like a sunflower and at only a £1 per set, it was an offer I couldn't pass up on. I really like how each tealight has a completely different design and colour, and not only are they functional, but they also make great props. It's all about the props when you're a blogger XD Another thing that I think is superb about this product is how simply yet nicely it is packaged... I'm lovin' the flower tie. They would make great gifts :)
Well, we've reached the end of my haul. I hope that you all enjoyed reading, even if I did get a little rambley in parts :D I cannot recommend these stores enough, they have something to suit everyone's taste. Be sure to check out the Kenji and Flying Tiger websites for more information. I'd love to know if you guys have visited either of these stores, and what you bought so please let me know in the comments!
Thankyou for reading!
♥
What is your favourite item that I mentioned in my post?
Have you bought anything nice lately? Tell me all about it :)
So many cute things and they're all so cheap to, I'll definitely have to check them out xoxo
ReplyDelete♥ Cateaclysmic ♥
I love Flying Tiger! The stickers are so cute, especially the sea creatures, and oooh, those highlighters.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely haul in general! <3
I do really love Tiger for picking up general bits and pieces, as well as cute stuff! :D I especially love the rainbow pens you bought and the llama notebook! :D
ReplyDeleteWhen I need stationary at work, I plan to pop into Tiger and buy loads of goodies. :P
it is a pity that I have a tiger so far away, if it wasn't for that I would have many more sweet things like these notebooks and highlighters,great blog ! :)
ReplyDelete