An Etsy Review

The online shop showcasing creative, handmade pieces is a big hit with a few of my friends and is a popular website in the blogging world. It's only recently that I have been really impressed with their service and what they have to offer. In the past I have been let down with un-realistic delivery times and poor quality products but I'm pleased to say this view has been turned around.

At the tail end of January with Valentine's Day on the horizon I started to rack my brain for a different kind of gift for the boyfriend. I set my mind on something personalised to make it more special and after scrolling through pages and pages of cuff links I found a brilliant seller with a shop full of custom made hip flasks.

I loved all of the handmade leather designs with the additional offering of personalisation for no extra fee. The prices ranged from £35 to £40 which I thought was great for the quality so I couldn't resist. I selected the design I wanted - after much deliberation - and in a note to the seller I picked the font and lettering to be etched onto the hip flask. Within 24 hours Gemma had replied and ran me through her timescale so I knew when I would receive the finished article.

Me being me, I had ordered the flask 14 days before Valentine's Day and Gemma's turnaround was roughly 2 weeks so it was pushing it to be delivered on time! I mentioned this in an email to her and she said she would try her best, keeping me updated on the progress. I had a nice surprise when I came home from work on 13th February to find it had been delivered. Amazing!

I am so impressed with the speedy, friendly service and attention to detail on the product I ordered. I would highly recommend a browse on Gemma's shop for a quirky well made gift. Just brilliant!

Click here for a browse - Gx2homegrown

Lovely packaging 

I loved the subtle personalisation

Are there any personalised gifts that you would recommend?

Birthday Wishlist: 23

My birthday is fast approaching and to sooth the pain of turning 23 I decided to put together a birthday wish list. I'm such a trooper.
It feels like Christmas has only just been and gone so there isn't a great deal I'm loving at the moment. Instead there are a few bits that I 'need'. Floral suitcases and nude heels are definitely needed at this time of year what are you talking about?

Gold Frame Pinboard

I'm forever wanting to stick things on my walls - tickets, Polaroid photographs, memos and keep sakes but as my bedroom is still only newly decorated I don't want to ruin the walls with blu tac. I'm still scarred from having to painstakingly peel off a whole wall's worth of blue tac from my uni room.
So hurrah! I have found this brilliant alternative. A cork board is ideal for pinning anything up but when I stumbled across this on the 'New In' section on ASOS I immediately added it to my 'I must have this' list in my mind. It's such a cool twist on a classic pin board and makes a cluster of West End and Harry Potter Studio Tour tickets far neater!

Floral Suitcases

Bare with me here. They may seem like a ridiculous request on a birthday list but to convince myself I need them I have come up with two uses for these pretty kitsch cases! For one I need a new memory box. The one I have had since I was about 14 is full to the brim so the mini suitcase would be ideal for that. And secondly, the larger two are perfect for storing hair and make up products. See told you they were a necessity...

Mom Jeans

I have been wanting these jeans for a while now but I am very much a skinny jeans kind of girl. I think they'll be great when the weather gets a bit warmer to wear with little flats and a cropped striped top.

Real Techniques Make Up Brushes

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about make-up but I do know that the Real Techniques brushes are amazing plus the whole blogging world rave about them so they must be good. I already own the Powder Brush and can't get over how soft it is so I feel I need to experience the rest of the collection!

Office Jitter Bug Heels

These shoes have been calling me for a while now but I already had a pair of nude heels that I loved so I couldn't justify it. Now, however, my beloved heels have suffered death by mud and dirt so it's definitely time to replace them. I love the height of them but the platform will make them easy (ish) to stride along in and the ankle strap adds extra support.

So there are a few things on my wishlist, I also would like an electric toothbrush but that's a little less exciting for you all...

Roll on March!