Handmade Gift Guide: Quaint Charms Jewelery

I love discovering a new place to shop for quirky jewellery and Etsy certainly has no shortage of it- particularly handy at this time of year when looking to shop for gifts that stand out from the crowd. I’ve only recently been introduced to Quaint Charms Jewelery but it really made an impact- specialising in handcrafted luxurious yet affordable pieces I was really taken with, well, most of the shop if I’m honest. I was very kindly sent a beautiful necklace and matching earrings so I could see just how well executed the products are but I thought I’d also turn this post in to a bit of a wish list/gift guide too…
How striking are these pieces? Although quite simple in themselves the combination of the beautifully coloured stones against the gold settings really captured my imagination. I’d say these are definitely on the more subtle side of what Quaint Charms has to offer yet they still manage to make a real statement. Both pieces are incredibly well made and just look “quality” (for want of a better word, what I mean is they don’t look like bog standard cheap costume jewellery) and I can see them standing up to the test of time.
As you can see from the selection above there is definitely something to cater for all tastes- there are personalised options available, the ability to request custom pieces and some really gorgeous birth stone necklaces as well…I could have quite easily have popped the whole shop in to this post but then that would leave nothing to the imagination would it?

Pop yourselves over to Quaint Charms Jewelery and let me know which piece most catches your eye. Next on my list are these amazing gold flower and jet earrings.

end

Items gifted for blog post consideration, opinions are all my own.

Sparkle Season with Rare Pink*

One of my favourite things about the festive season is that it becomes universally acceptable to wear a serious amount of sparkle from dawn to dusk. From glittery eyeliner and sequin skirts right through to upping your bling game and sporting some serious stones, people everywhere suddenly start to embrace their inner magpies determined to have some fun before the doom and gloom of January envelops us.

Today I’m bringing you a wish list from Rare Pink a London based jewellers that specialises in bespoke rings and wedding bands. In 2014 they were awarded “Best New Jeweller of the Year” by the British Jewellers Association so whether you are planning to pop the question over the festive period, hope to land a ring on your finger, or like me just fancy a browse (and dream) of something utterly gorgeous then rest assured you’re in safe hands.

This collage is just a teeny tiny selection of some of my favourite pieces by Rare Pink, the website provides some serious jewellery porn! You can browse through a range of classic rings or go down the bespoke route where the team will work with you to create your perfect piece.

What I really like about Rare Pink is their ethics. They operate a zero tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds and all of their stones and metals come only from sources that meet strict human rights, social and environmental criteria.

Obviously I’m now further away than ever from settling down to plan a wedding but should someone ever decide they’d like to make a wife of me I know I’ll be leaving this website open, dropping some not so subtle hints!

end

Gift Inspiration: Garden Collage

Ok, so I feel I need to preface this post by saying I know that the company I’m featuring today are based in the USA and the majority of my readers are based in the UK but a) they ship internationally and b) the products that they sell are just too gorgeous and wish list worthy not to post about!

Allow me to introduce you to Garden Collage– a shop jam packed full of hand picked, beautiful and environmentally minded products. My first destination was of course the homewares department…this is how I know I’m getting old- I often bypass fashion and beauty and head straight for accessories for the home!

Once I pulled myself away from pages and pages of beautiful items I delved a little further in to the online store and had a good rummage around the gifts for the garden (another strange love of mine given that I have no garden) and have popped together a little gift guide/wish list to suit all tastes and budgets.

Is there anything on this list that has caught your eye? I’m really, REALLY taken with the copper tea infuser and the moroccan style basket- oh and the gnome crayons as well, too cute!

end

Gift Inspiration: Makeup gifts with Beautyspin and Frugaa.com*

Beauty gifts and gift sets are my favourite stocking filler to browse at this time of year. Being a bit of a makeup addict myself, and knowing several more people who also warrant the title this is THE perfect time of year to stock up on favourite brands or try new products- often in adorable packaging or extra value sets too.

Today I bring you some gift inspiration (or just one giant wish list) from Beautyspin an online retailer who stock a whole host of goodies from well known and loved brands at excellent prices. There is a plethora of beauty gifting inspiration on the site and to sweeten the deal you can score some extra savings by shopping through Frugaa.com

I won’t link to all of the products individually as there is such a huge selection on the site that really the best way to get a feel for it is to visit yourself…this is drop in the ocean of what I’m actually coveting and what I think would make perfect presents for beauty lovers everywhere.

Oddly my most coveted item is the metallic (and somewhat space-age) lipsticks by Freedom. I’m having serious lip product addiction problems at the moment which is leading me to crave all kinds of crazy shades and finishes and my latest object desire is everything metallic.

Santa, if you’re reading this post then please do feel free to slip a set in my stocking- and the NYX lip product set wouldn’t go amiss either. Thanks, I promise to be good!

How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? I’ll admit I’m way ahead of myself this year and I’m pretty much done- this brings me in to the danger zone of buyers remorse and spending way over my budget on additional gifts for my nearest and dearest as well as a few for myself along the way…

end

Gift Inspiration: Chickidee Homeware

I have a pretty good sense of humour and most of what I say to my nearest and dearest is laced with a touch of sarcasm. This would probably explain why I was so smitten with Chickidee Homeware when they got in touch offering me one of their rather fabulous mugs. After a good long browse I decided to expect my tongue in cheek approach to myself and picked myself a pretty perfect gift*.
I think mugs make a brilliant gift, I’m always grateful to receive one. I absolutely love the range on Chickidee- they have the perfect selection for all of your nearest and dearest for the very reasonable price of £6. I’m forever being told I’m a pain in the arse (and I don’t beg to differ) so I decided to indulge myself with a constant reminder.

And it’s not just gorgeous mugs that Chickidee Homeware sells, as the name would suggest there are all kinds of products that would make perfect gifts or adornments to your home. I have quite a wish list brewing for when I move out again some time next year and also rather a few ideas for the last of my Christmas shopping!

If Santa is reading my blog then I really wouldn’t say no to this candle to brighten up my days.

Which mug would you pick and for whom? Not going to lie, I really AM my favourite pain in the arse.

end