Birthday wish list // gift guide

My birthday is less than a week away and as people keep asking me for birthday ideas, I thought it was high time I made a wishlist!

Anything Alice in Wonderland - I particularly love these framed book prints

Wall art in general - framed posters of inspirational quotes. I'm constantly pinning them on Pinterest

Bangles ....which leads me on to bangles with inspirational quotes. Can't get enough of them, as you may have noticed before...

Flowers - I adore sunflowers, birds of paradise and dyed flowers like dendrobium orchids and rainbow roses

Diptyque candle - the ultimate. And once it burns down, perfect for storing make-up brushes

The White Company - Orange Grove reed diffuser and candles - the nicest scent, so fresh and natural and summery

Yankee Candles - everyone has their favourites, but mine is mango peach salsa

Tea cups and saucers - as well as drinking vessels, also great for desserts and a novel way of storing your jewellery

Satchels - I bloody love satchels. Particularly tan ones. My tan Primark satchel broke and I've been left broken hearted ever since. I'm after a decent sized one because I always carry so much crap stuff around with me.

With mere days to go (5th May, if you're curious!), I've been enjoying meals out, spending time with friends and the odd cocktail here and there. I'm looking forward to catching up with more people over the next few days - roll on the weekend!

7 Easter craft ideas for kids (and big kids!)

Easter and chocolate. A partnership that has been going strong since the 19th century. They go hand-in-hand together, like salt and pepper or bread and butter. As appreciative as I am to still receive Easter eggs, the excitement of receiving an Easter egg - and chocolate in general - is kind of lost on me now. Maybe I've just hit that age. Earlier this week I found lots of inspiring Easter gift and craft ideas on Pinterest - perfect if you have children and want ideas for the up-and-coming bank holiday weekend. But equally inspiring if, like me, you don't have children yet. Has Easter become monotonous? It doesn't have to be...

How cute are these jam jar vases?
Fill them with Easter treats, bright cereals and sweets

Candy carrots are easy to make - just place orange sweets into an icing bag 

Rabbit food! Fill with dried snacks like cereal, pretzels and mini biscuits

Carrot play dough! I'm in my 20's and I'm still excited by Play Dough!

Egg shell candles in egg cups

A packet of Forget-Me-Not seeds is a cute gift idea

As is home made carrot cake in a jar with a home made gift tag and twine:

All the above pinned from Pinterest

There is now even a market for pets. With safe Easter treats for dogs that aren't chocolate:

Pets at Home - £1.75                                                    Pets at home - £5

In recent years advent calendars have evolved to variations without chocolate as discussed here and here. So maybe it will only be time until Easter eggs follow suit. Because if faced with a choice between an Easter egg filled with sweets or an Easter egg filled with beauty treats, I know which one I would choose. Especially if there was a speckled egg effect nail polish inside. Because nothing says Easter like having your nails resemble Cadbury's mini eggs!

What would be hiding inside your ideal Easter egg?