September Papergang Subscription Box from Ohh Deer

The September Papergang subscription box from Ohh Deer sets the bar high. It really shows that quality over quantity rules the roost. I have been impressed with every box I have received so far but this one has been a real stand out month.

 This month is all about their new autumn/winter collection and it totally hits the spot with me. Deep blues and purples, copper and marbled patterns.
So, what did I get?

A4 Blue Marble Quarter Bound Notebook RRP £12.95:
This is the highlight of the box and holds the bulk of the weight and value. This beautiful notebook has a thick marble effect cover that is sturdy and has copper detailing. The pages are lined on one side and blank on the other meaning that it would make a great diary, sketch book or scrap book. I am going to use it as a type of photo album, documenting our beautiful puppy growing up. The pages are also copper edged meaning that the edges look gorgeous when the book is closed.

Copper Washi Tape RRP £2.50:
I love metallic washi tape so I was happy to see this in the box. It doesn't state, but it looks to me like a 10m roll so for the £2.50 price tag, it is nice and generous.

Greeting Card RRP £2.50:
Ohh Deer is well known for being a collective platform for artists to share their designs, and the card that I received this month was designed by Kris Tate. A percentage from each card sold on Ohh Deer is returned straight to the artist. I really like the design that I received. I know there were several versions available but I'm happy with mine and it is going on my office wall for me to stare at every day when I'm working.

Riso Printed Calendar RRP £1.95:
In last month's box we received a mini clipboard with an August calendar sheet attached so I was wondering whether these might become a monthly addition to the box. I'm really happy to see that I was right. I find them really useful to have propped up on my desk because I'm in a constant state of not knowing what day or date it is (is that what working from home does to you?!). The September sheet shares the same beautiful marble pattern of the notebook. I do think that £1.95 a sheet would be rather expensive if I wasn't receiving them as part of the box, but in this context they make a nice little addition.

A subscription costs £9.95 monthly with £1.95 postage cost *here* and you are also able to purchase several months in advance for a discounted price. I just use the one month rolling subscription and find that to be good value. The contents of this month's box come to £19.90.

As I mentioned earlier in the post, this box has been my favourite so far because I am a big fan of quality over quantity and this box really screams that message. There isn't anything here that is just a novelty that won't be used and it doesn't just feel thrown together like a couple of the earlier boxes did. If this is a sign of things to come then we could be in for some fab things!

Annie x

Three Little Búhos Stationery Shop Announcement!

I'm so excited to be writing this post. All of my hard work has been paying off and I can finally make the announcement that I've been wanting to shout about for a while now!

That's right, I can finally announce that Three Little Búhos Stationery will be opening its virtual doors on 1st September! I will let you know on Instagram when I have set the shop as open, but I am aiming for 10am. The first 5 orders will also receive a special gift with their order to celebrate.
What will you be able to find in Three Little Búhos Stationery? Well, everything in the photo above and lots of other cute and quirky stationery goodies, including pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, pencil cases, washi tape and stickers!
Prices start at just 95p and all of the stock has been chosen by myself to bring a smile to your face, and colour to your work space.
Head over to Etsy and favourite Three Little Búhos *here* so that you can be among the first to know when I open!
For sneak peeks, inspiration and more stationery goodness, you can find my Instagram page *here*!

Annie x

Ugly Bug Does 1950's Sticker Kit: Spread and Review

It's a rather stormy afternoon here in Weymouth so it's nice to be tucked away in my cosy little office.
I've been working hard, getting things ready for a big Three Little Búhos Stationery announcement that I'll be posting tomorrow so be sure to check in!
Keeping my work planner organised and looking good this week is a fab kit from Ugly Bug Does featuring all kinds of 1950's cool.

Featuring everything needed to put together a weekly spread (or several) the 1950's Rock and Roll kit(*) is inspired by the classic film Grease, and when I saw a preview, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
I received five sheets of stickers (the full kit is now split over six sheets) featuring lists, headers, boxes, flags, pretties, trackers and icons and the theme is carried across the kit beautifully. I love the quote stickers and the cute little poodle skirts especially!

I used the 1950's Rock and Roll kit exclusively when putting together this week in my work planner and it feels like I haven't made a huge dent in the stickers...other than the border stickers which I went a little crazy with because I love hounds tooth pattern. As you can see, the colours are bright and fun and there's a nice variety of practical stickers. I have deviated from the original plan I wrote down, but plans are there to be changed right?
You can pck up the full kit from Ugly Bug Does *here* as well as lots of  variations to suit your different planning needs and as a nice little bonus, if you use the code threelittlebuhos10 you will receive 10% off your order of any Ugly Bug Does stock with no minimum spend!

Happy planning!

Annie x

Currently Loving - August

I cannot believe how far we are through August already, it's flying by. I've been working hard the last few weeks in my little office on the set up of Three Little Búhos Stationery ready for the approaching launch- more about that next week- and I've found that there have been a few things that I have just been loving.

What do we have here then?:

Ohh Deer Black Cacti A4ish Notebook:
How pretty is this notebook?! I got it as part of my monthly Papergang subscription a few months back and have been saving it for something special. It turns out that the something special would be the start up of my little business. It hasn't really left my side since I started planning nearly a month ago. The pages are grid pattern so I've been able to use them for jotting out sums clearly as well as filling with mind maps, plans and stock ideas. You can pick one up for £4.95 *here*.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliners 36 Pack:
These are actually on offer in the back to school section of Asda at the moment for £9 which is a total bargain. I've always liked to write in fineliner and as a leftie with bad pen grip, these are perfect with their triangular barrel. I'm using these daily at the moment and colour coordinating different types of stock with different pens (I'm a sucker for a pretty page!) and the fact that the packet also contains 6 neon pens is just an exciting bonus.

Dream and Explore Pen:
Hands up, I snaffled this from my stock when it arrived because its so pretty. It's just a simple black ink gel pen but it writes beautifully. I also love the purple twilight colours and stars. Its hard to see from this photo but it also says "dream and explore". It's pen love. These will be available shortly from Three Little Búhos Stationery.

Ohh Deer Mini Bird Scissors:
These are another Papergang subscription item, they may have even come in the same box as the cacti notebook, but these little scissors are great for my planner as they can just be slipped in to one of the pockets, they are the right size for cutting washi tape and just really cute. They aren't on the Ohh Deer website at the moment but I saw on Instagram that they will be soon.

Heidi Swapp Glittered Hole Reinforcement Stickers:
I get through so many of these! If you follow me on Instagram *here* then you'll have noticed that I reinforce all of my holes with these. They're so pretty and also nice and thick meaning I won't be able to accidentally rip my pages from the rings. I picked them up from one of my favourite stationery shops; Bonbons Kawaii *here* for £2.20 in the sale. I think I have like five packets of them stashed away now haha!

Small Town Washi Tape:
This is another item that I am going to be stocking when I open Three Little Búhos Stationery. I had a roll that was a slight second so I wrote it off and I've been finding lots of uses for it. It's just so cute! I ordered it because I fell in love with the sleepy little star lit town and it's just as beautiful in reality.

Tesco Free From Choc Bar:
Not stationery but definitely planner fuel! I've recently had to cut out gluten, soya and hugely reduce dairy from my diet due to being under investigation for endometriosis and that's pretty tough on a chocolate lover! The Tesco free from chocolate is my favourite alternative that I've found so far. It actually tastes like the real deal!

Phew, this has turned into a really long post. If you made it this far then well done :) What have you been loving in August?

Annie x

Lilac & Dot Sticker Hauling

Okay, hands up, I have a Lilac & Dot sticker addiction. Originally found through my favourite Facebook Group - UK Planner Addicts - Lilac & Dot is owned by a lovely lady called Natalia who designs all of her own images (no clip-art here!) and turns them into the cutest, prettiest, girly stickers that I've found in a while, and I can't get enough of them.

I can't show off my latest purchase because it was bought as a gift but I am just loving these stickers. People who follow me on Instagram *here* will have seen them popping up a lot in my weekly spreads.

So what do I like so much about them?
Well, first of all, it has to be the quality. The paper and print quality are truly lovely. I prefer glossy stickers in general but find that sometimes this means that the print quality suffers a little, but I haven't found this to be the case with any of the Lilac & Dot stickers that I have purchased so far. The colours are lovely and bright and the paper is good quality without being so thick that it sticks up from planner pages.

Then there is the mix between pretty and practical stickers. The kits come with a sheet that is more dedicated to pretty stickers relating to a theme whilst the other sheet has lists, prompts, weekend banners, flags and bullet point stickers. It means that they work well both together and independently and last a nice long time.

Finally, there is the individuality. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, all of the designs are drawn out by Natalia herself, meaning that they can't be found anywhere else. To me, that makes them so much more special.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to find out that I have been accepted as a member of the Lilac & Dot design team which I am over the moon about. It makes me so happy to be able to work with Natalia and several other ladies to help show Lilac & Dot some love. Expect to see plenty more from this beautiful brand and please do check out all of the sets available in the shop *here* and show some love on Instagram *here*!

Annie x

Building the Best Ever Blanket Fort

I was recently approached by the lovely people over at SkinnyPop Popcorn who asked me what would make my idea of the best ever blanket fort. This is a question that I have spent too much of my adult life pondering because I am a sucker for anything cosy. The night my best friend turned her living room into a blanket fort and filled it with pizza and cards against humanity was just the best!
So what makes the best ever blanket fort?

Well, to begin with, you need your essentials! I think my list of essentials also has to include duvets though, because I like a little extra padding and cosiness for the floor! And the brighter and more eclectic the mix of blankets, the better.
Once you have the basics sorted, its all about creature comforts. It goes without saying that only people in pyjamas or a onesie are allowed into my blanket fort- I have no time for uncomfortable clothes at the best of times- and slipper socks and slipper boots get you bonus points!

Image found on Pinterest

For me, because blanket forts are all about being cosy and surrounded by comfort, fairy lights play a big part. For fire safety reasons, I would recommend LED lights because they don't get hot. I also find that battery operated fairy lights make the best choice because they can go anywhere you want them, without needing to worry about plugging them in to the wall! Nothing can beat lying back in your blanket fort and looking up at a sea of shimmering lights.
Board games! These have to be the activity of choice in my eyes! I love Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Cards Against Humanity, or to make it feel even more like and old school sleepover, how about a game of consequences? Whichever game, I love how social this can be be, especially when we are living in an age where technology is king, and we would usually all be sat around looking at our phones rather than interacting.

Image found on Pinterest

Snacks and drinks are the other big player in the blanket fort game. Due to a recent diagnosis, I am not longer able to really drink alcohol, and also have to avoid gluten and soya, so this does cut down on the snacking options rather, but that doesn't mean that all yummy things have to go out of the window. Popcorn is still a great choice, and totally the right snack to enjoy inside a blanket fort, you can also get plenty of gluten free tortilla chips, so nachos are another must have along with plenty of cheese and all the dips you can muster. Set these up at a snack station along with mocktail ingredients and you have my idea of perfect blanket fort feasting!

So that is what goes into creating the best ever blanket fort in my opinion. Classic, cosy and comfy :)

Annie x

Ugly Bug Does Rockabilly Subscription Box Review

I mentioned the other day that I had a full review coming up of the August subscription box from Ugly Bug Does, and here it is!

The theme this month was rockabilly which makes me so happy. What I love about Ugly Bug Does is that you don't get the typical unicorns, rainbows and bunnies themes, you get something a lot more unique. It's a breath of fresh air.
So, what was in the box?

All I can do is kick myself for this photo, I'm gutted. All of my photos of the sticker sheets that I took before using them came out blurry :( So I can only apologise. But the first item in the box is three sheets of exclusively designed sticker sheets all with the rockabilly, classic tattoo theme. There are boxes, to do lists, banners, icons and pretties which can all be used to liven up planner pages.

In order to make up for the awful photo out of focus photo, I have taken the photo above to show off some of the stickers in action on this weeks pages of my work planner. As you can see, the quality is beautiful and the stickers all work really well together to build up a themed planner spread.

Next up is this gorgeous rockabilly girl showing off her swallow tattoo and pretty dress. She was designed by Slinkytart and turned into a dashboard by Ugly Bug Does. When ordering your subscription box you specify the size or type of planner that you use, so these are customised to work with your planner.

I also received a lovely little selection of goodies.
The planner charm was customised for each order with the initial of their first name which I think is a lovely touch and really adds to the appeal of ordering from Ugly Bug Does.
There were several varieties of sticky notes across the boxes and I was really happy to receive the hearts because I'm a sucker for a girly heart on my planner pages and the size of these makes them useful for popping on the calendar in the kitchen too when I want Tom to notice something :P
The eye catching planner clips have become a bit of a trademark of the Ugly Bug Does boxes over the last few months, and this month did not disappoint. Again, it offers something that little bit different from the usual planner clips that you find, which makes it extra special.
And finally, two rolls of skinny washi. These are thicker than your usual washi tapes, it feels like they're made from a good quality thick paper. I like the gentle colours and I use skinny washi in my spreads every week so these will definitely get used up.

This months box is right up my street with both the theme and the contents so I have really enjoyed using everything from the box. I don't yet know the theme of next months box and haven't seen any spoilers so I'm very excited. You can find Ugly Bug Does *here* on Etsy. I have noticed a pre-order listing for a Famous Boy Wizard box which makes me way too excited!

Annie x