Gift Guide: Eggs & Cats

You may or may not be aware of my love for both eggs and cute animals. These are the subjects of this Storenvy based gift guide (plus some unrelated socks, because they are a thing I also love). Please enjoy.

Space Egg Sweatshirt

Egg Bag

Grid Socks

Cat & Bell Keyring

Sumikko Gurashi (Things In The Corner) Cat Plush

Tony Moly Pocket Bunny Mist

5 Of My Favourite Blogs

Obviously I am really into blogging, but I am only here thanks to all the amazing people blogging around me. I love reading blogs and I wanted to showcase a few favourites which are really special to me, so here goes.

Kao-ani

1. Kao-ani is pretty much a compendium of cuteness, focusing on soft toys, accessories, stationary, and all sorts of food shaped like cute bears and cats and whatever else. As a huge fan of cute things, this blog really brightens my day and makes me feel pleased to be alive in a world of Rilakkuma and Molang.

Milk Teeth

2. Bethany is the smart and cool human being behind this thoughtful blog full of writing on pop culture, personal life, and mental health. This blog is unique, thought-provoking, and really fun too.

Perma Pupa

3. Eline is cocooned in breathtaking colours and shapes. That's all I'll say. A mischievous bug with a blog.

Cheeserland

4. Cheesie blogs about fashion, food, and adventure, all with her cheeky dog by her side. There is a very joyful vibe to Cheeserland and I love her bento box snaps (yum!).

Toys & Techniques

5. Toys & Techniques is an arty blog full of really interesting films, books, and music that I've never heard of. It's a treasure trove of inspiration and it always makes me want to start scribbling away at something.

Gift Guide: Artist Shops

I've picked out a selection of potential gift items made by some super cool and incredible creative people. I love all of them a lot and hope to share some of that love right now!

1. Hand Drawn Stickers by Ginette Lapalme

This shop sells unique original artwork on stickers and badges for cheap. Go pick 'n' mix with a bunch of different things to create a perfect little gift box of magic.

2. Temporary Cat Tattoos by Harriet Gray

Harriet is known for her exquisitely drawn cats. Alongside dresses and pouches in her shop, she sells these temporary tattoos, so you can give yourself or your favourite person a full sleeve of them if you fancy it. There are also dog and bunny versions available.

3. 'Plus One' T-Shirt by MILKBBI

I love MILKBBI designs so much, but this is my favourite currently available t-shirt. I love its simple look and use of white space. MILKBBI also sells amazing stickers, pouches, and jumpers (like this one).

4. SELFIE Heart Button by punimelt

Heart shaped badges are cute enough, but this one comes adorned with one of punimelt's many cute and happy characters. If you want to cheer someone up, try doing it with these content little tulips.

5. TENUGUI Cotton Towel by Mogu Takahashi

An art piece and a practical item at the same time, this towel features a playful art print and is limited to 150 editions. It's a special thing, but you can also dry your hands with it. Perfect.

Light Winter Options: Big Tee & Red Skater Skirt

I love an oversized t-shirt whatever the weather because it's always so comfy. I like the ease of movement and find it's always easier to maintain the right temperature in them. A lot of the time in the winter I start to feel bulky and cold and gross. After a while I get sick of wearing the same things all the time for warmth. Last winter I lived in leggings and one thick jumper, and it got a bit boring, so I'm figuring out ways I can dress differently and still be warm, but without looking like I'm on my way to the North Pole. Big t-shirts are great for this because you can wear them over and under things without feeling restricted, and they look nice tucked into a high waisted skirt.

Lately I've been wearing skater skirts with t-shirts tucked into them, and it feels great, like the most summery thing I can wear at this time of year (with a good pair of woolly tights underneath, of course). I've also been swapping out my chunky jumpers and cardigans for some less bulky options. Shirts and thin jumpers can be worn in layers, which feel light but are often warmer than one big jumper. I often tuck my jumper into my skirt as well. Everything gets tucked in there and then I still have the high waisted look (which is pretty much my favourite thing ever). Cropped jumpers would also work really well here (because then you don't have to think about tucking them in).

Pink Plastic

The other day my mum brought home some bath bombs in a pink plastic bag. We both marvelled at this plastic bag, for it was beautiful, and oddly mesmerising in its shape and satisfying level of opacity. My mum didn't want to throw it away. This plastic bag deserved better somehow. So I did what I often do when a useless, but pretty, object appears: I said "I can use it for art!"

Later I took to it with a couple of permanent markers, and I discovered that drawing on plastic bags is the best! The slickness of the material means my pens slide across the stuff with a pleasing fluidity. It's like having a luxurious new fineliner. The feeling of drawing is just really nice. I really like all these cute plastic bag drawings and I hope to draw on many plastic bags in the future.

N I C E E E E

Here's a bunch of stuff I've made recently that didn't quite fit in anywhere else. I'm trying to do a lot more casual drawing in notebooks and on scrap and stuff, which means means I tend to end up with more of a variation of things. A lot of the time I'll make a few things that have something in common, but I don't want to neglect all the things that get made and then kinda hang around on their own. There's something nice about seeing different things together anyway. I guess that way you can see how I travel through different ideas and feelings or something. That's why I like collage and notebooks so much, because they bring different things together. It feels very natural, because I'm a collection of things, and life is a collection of things, and so on.

Fitting Room Focus: Pink Bobbles & Emerald Sequins

Here I am back at my secret base - my local H&M - to try out all the stock and see how it measures up. Shout out to Maya from the Rookie Mag meet up I went to about a year ago for this great unicorn necklace!

dress - £12.99, jumper - £7.99

I went for a busy mix of pattern and texture for this outfit. One thing H&M do really well is comfy, light dresses. They're excellent for layering, which is a great way to avoid feeling like a bulky, grumpy marshmallow in winter. I thought the jumper was so cute, and again, great for layering. I love the bobbles so much! Such a playful option.

Here's a closer look at the pattern/texture combo. I really like these pieces together.

dress - £9.99

Next up I found this perfect party dress in a very festive emerald green. The sequins are so flashy and cool, but the colour and cut give it a sort of sophisticated edge.

I love the low back as well. This is the perfect party dress detail for me. It says "please give me the alcohol right away".

jumper - £14.99

I found this nice knitted jumper as well - another (muted) festive choice in a lovely dark red. A very simple and cute jumper with a nice bit of knit detail and a cosy feel. My tights are the same colour, so you can tell I really like a good dark red or wine colour. There's a certain warmth to it. It makes me think of log fires, which is a very welcome thought in December.