USA holiday haul:

I wholeheartedly promise that I will shut up and stop posting blog posts and YouTube videos about our America trip very soon, but first I wanted to share a few things I bought while we were away.  Craig and I were both more interested in spending our money on nice food and memorable experiences than on shopping during this holiday, but I did end up buying one or two keepsakes to bring home.

I may not be the girliest of girls, but I do still get excited about the prospect of being able to buy make up and skin care products that you can't easily get hold of in the UK.  The (nearly) spherical EOS lip balms hold something of a celebrity status in the online beauty world, so I picked one up in the Strawberry Sorbet scent at Target to give it a go.  While the lip balm smells and tastes great and I really like the novelty of its unique shape and design, I don't actually find the product itself very moisturising or long lasting, which was a bit of a disappointment.  Luckily, it didn't cost an arm and a leg, so I don't feel too cheated!  

On the same trip to Target I also felt the need to replace my mascara.  Maybelline seem to have around four million different types of mascara in their range over here, and there are even more to choose from in the US!  I settled on Volum' Express Colossal Pumped Up! Waterproof (always waterproof) which doesn't seem to be available in the UK as of yet.  I'm happy with the results of this one, but the brush is a little larger and more unwieldy than what I'm used to (cue an increase in the number of times I poke myself in the eye each morning).

I was very restrained and only made one homeware purchase (again, at Target - seriously, I could have spent many, many more happy hours browsing in there) throughout the whole two weeks, despite a lot of temptation.  It was love at first sight between me and this 20oz Mason Tumbler by Aladdin, with a burnt orange lid and straw.  The tumbler is made of plastic, as well as being reusable and insulated, so I can use it to keep drinks cold.  Probably just water though, as it's a little on the large size for iced coffee!

I made sure we fitted a visit to Bath & Bodyworks into our itinerary so that I could buy some miniature scented candles that are rumoured to be the best around.  Again, a lot of these scents have been made famous by bloggers and YouTubers but are impossible to source at home.  Unfortunately, there definitely wasn't room in my suitcase for their large, three wick candles, so I settled for three miniatures for $10.  The scents I chose were Autumn, Marshmallow Fireside and Leaves (probably the one most raved about by YouTubers!) and I'm looking forward to savouring them during the autumn and winter months.

Last, but definitely not least, I nabbed a bargain pyjama top in the Old Navy sale that perfectly sums up my feelings about running on a treadmill!

Crazy plate lady:

Today I (gingerly) made the first step back onto the interior improvement bandwagon.  I still have plenty of fairly big projects I want to carry out in our flat over the summer - including rejigging the spare bedroom and FINALLY covering the bloomin' sofa - but I thought I'd start small, just to ease myself in gently.

So, since I seem to have become the kind of person that collects decorative plates, I hung them on our living room wall for the world to see.  I'll admit they look a little odd in the photo below, dwarfed by that big, wonky frame collage on a huge expanse of white wall, but they look good in person (I promise) and I'm sure they will soon be joined by some other ceramic friends.

You will probably recognise the chameleon plate from when it used to hang above the fireplace, but it has since been replaced by my wooden stag head.  The plate is still available from Anthropologie (it's part of the Natural World Dessert Plate line) and I would love to buy a few more from the same collection at some point.

The Jimbob Art bear plate was a lovely Christmas gift from my best friend, and I think she'll be happy to see that it's finally out of the box!  The designer does all sorts of other ceramics, and they are available to buy in his online shop.

As the more observant among you might have already noticed, one of these things is not quite like the others.  That's because one of the items I hung on my plate wall is actually a miniature horse's head, made by my very talented friend!  Fans of Parks and Recreation may recognise him as wonder horse Li'l Sebastian, isn't he cute?

I used my trusty adhesive plate hangers to hang both plates and Li'l Sebastian, and they worked perfectly, as always! 

Finally, I added a black and white chevron Urban Outfitters photo frame I've had lying around for a while (which sadly isn't on the website anymore) to the frame collage, and popped an adorable little print from The Grey Earl inside.

Inferior Inspiration #11: Valentine's Day edition!

Love it or loathe it, Valentine's Day is just around the corner again.  Here are some homely (mostly heart shaped) things that have got my ticker all a flutter:

1. Normally I wouldn't jump on the overly popular pug/French bulldog accessory bandwagon, but this Ben de Lisi cushion from Debenhams is freaking adorable. (£22)

2. Pretty and practical is my favourite combination, and these colourful Paperchase heart measuring spoons would be a cheery addition to any kitchen. (£3)

3. There's nothing nicer than novelty Le Creuset dishes.  You could bake a nice romantic pie in this heart dish from John Lewis, couldn't you? (£49)

4. Arguably the most romantic novel in literary history, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is worth a read if you've never tried it.  The Mr Boddington's Penguin Classic version (which you can find at Anthropologie) has a lovely cover so you can keep it on display when you aren't reading about good old Cathy and Heathcliff. (£9.99)

5. I mentioned my admiration for the Listography diaries in a recent post, but hadn't seen the Love Listography before.  Who knows?  It might be very therapeutic to list all of your thoughts about love - past, present and future.  You can grab a copy at Urban Outfitters. (£11.99)

6. Nothing says Valentine's Day like a new bathmat, right?  If you agree, this pop art inspired speech bubble mat from H&M will be perfect for beside your tub! (£7.99)

Perfect presents:

I know Christmas has been and gone now, but (just like last year) I was given some lovely homeware as gifts by my thoughtful family and friends, and I'm excited to share them!  First of all, Craig gave me an awesome wooden stag's head from Oliver Bonas.  I've had my eye on one of these for ages, so I was very excited and grateful when I opened this gift!  I think it (he?) looks brilliant above the fireplace.

My very talented Auntie embroidered pillowcases for me (and Craig!) with sweet messages.  She makes sewing and knitting look so easy, but I can't even comprehend how bad the outcome would be if I had attempted this project myself...  It's lovely to have something unique but practical that we can keep for a very long time, if not forever!

Craig chose this 4x4" dark wood stained photo frame (also from Oliver Bonas) as another surprise present for me, and it's perfect for our bedroom.  I've popped it on my bedside table already - just need to remember to put a photo in there at some point!

Remember the cutesy milk carton jug I included in my November Instagram update?  Well, my lovely little Mum did, and bought it for me!  It was a brilliant present, as I thought the jug had sold out.  Craig's Mum also surprised me with a pair of quirky Coca-Cola salt and pepper shakers in a little caddy.  They'll look so cute on the dinner table when we have dinner parties!

And last but not least, my big cousin brought me back some beautiful flower fairy lights all the way from Thailand, and my best pal, Emily, picked me out a Jimbob Art plate, by James Ward.  There are SO many great designs on his website, but the 'What Cake?' side plate that Emily chose is perfect for me.  I'm tempted to start a collection!  When did I become one of those people who collects plates and hangs them on the wall?

Inferior Inspiration #10: Christmas decoration edition!

Some early birds have already put up their Christmas trees and decorations, but I am nowhere near that organised.  Our Christmas tree (the question of real or faux has not yet been decided) will hopefully go up this weekend.  I love going through all of the tree decorations I've collected over the last couple of years when it's time to decorate, but there is always room on my tree for one or two more!

1. I think Alfie the monkey from Paperchase would be an adorable addition to any Christmas tree.  Isn't he so pudgy and festive? (£5)

2. I've seen a few baubles for sale in the same style as this Papier Mâché Ball from Oliver Bonas this year.  I love the retro colours and pattern! (£9.50)

3. These cute Felt So Good Spotty Present decorations by John Lewis come in green and red too, but the blue is definitely my favourite. (£4.50)

4. Let's face it, one of the best things about Christmas are the jingle bells.  Asda is selling a Metal Bells decoration that you can hang on your tree and jingle all you want! (£2)

5. Anthropologie has a load of stunning decorations for Christmas 2013, but I find this Darting Hummingbird particularly pretty.  It comes in other colours too, but imagine the beautifully girly Christmas tree you could have with this and other pink decorations! (£4)

Although the tree usually takes pride of place, you can't forget other Christmas decorations for around and outside your home.  I narrowed it down to my three absolute, cannot live without favourites...

1. I recently visited Vinegar Hill for the first time, and although there aren't any Scottish stores, you can still order online.  This Large Standing Handmade Felt Robin caught my eye in the Bristol shop, wouldn't he look cheery perched somewhere in your house for Christmas? (£19.99)

2. A pink flamingo might not be your first thought when it comes to festive decor, but apparently it's not Christmas for Paperchase without one.  He's a cute flamingo, and it would definitely be a conversation starter.  Just imagine him with a little Santa hat on.  Cute! (£12)

3. Okay, okay, I'll admit this isn't a serious suggestion.  But only because I don't have my own garden, or easy access to the roof.  Who doesn't need an Inflatable Santa in a blue VW camper van to decorate outside their home?  Riddle me that. (£100)

Homeware Christmas gift guide:

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  I certainly have... not.  I'm not quite sure where November has gone.  I'm usually fairly unprepared for the festive season, but this year is the worst so far.  Still, I'm looking forward to getting started and spoiling my friends and family.

If you're still in need of some inspiration, I've thrown together a quick homeware Christmas gift guide.  My ideas aren't revolutionary, but they are fairly gender and age neutral, so there should be something for everyone!

Source: here

Mugs are an affordable present that everyone will appreciate.  You can wrap it up with some of the recipient's favourite tea, coffee or hot chocolate, and maybe some biscuits too. 

1. Tunnock's Teacake Mug (by Gillian Kyle) from madefromscotland.com (£11.50)
2. Monogrammed Mug from Anthropologie (£6)
3. Christmas Town Half Pint Mug (by Emma Bridgewater) from John Lewis (£15.96


Giving wall decoration as a Christmas present can be tricky, but if you know your friend or family member's taste well enough, go for it!  They'll think of you every time they walk past your gift in pride of place.

1. Wooden Deer Head from Oliver Bonas (£28)
2. Batboy Print (by The Grey Earl) from madefromscotland.com (£20)
3. Cosmic Coat Rack from Oliver Bonas (£55)

Vases always come in handy, and they can be as functional or ornate as you like.

1. Owl Bubble Vase from Oliver Bonas (£14.50)
2. SOCKERART Vase from IKEA (£14)
3. Pragmatic Vase, Eat Cake from Anthropologie (£38)



You didn't think I could resist some cushions, did you?  Well... you were right.

1. Hand Knitted Cushion from Matalan (£18)
2. Tunnock's Teacake Round Cushion (by Gillian Kyle) from madefromscotland.com (£36.50)
3. Canvas Cushion Cover from H&M (£6.99)

Good luck, everybody!

Inferior Inspiration #9: Halloween edition!

Happy Halloween!  Even if you aren't dressing up and going out to celebrate this year, it's still fun to get in the festive spirit.  Here's some Halloween themed inspiration to put you in the mood:

1. I have a Scroobius Pip jumper in a very similar style to this Skeleton Sweater from Topshop, and it's so cosy and easy to wear.  I could see myself sporting this one all year round, but it's especially appropriate for October! (£35)

2. If you fancy a quiet one on All Hallows' Eve, you can always treat yourself to a lovely bath with the Lush Pumkin bubble bar, a nice drink and a good book. (£2.75)

3. These Topshop Halloween Nail Wraps make everyone's favourite terrifying monsters look super cute. (£6)

4. Craig and I spotted this Jack and Jones Skull Sweater for sale in USC.  It doubles up as both a Halloween sweater and a slightly morbid Christmas jumper.  Jumpers in this style are pretty unisex, and I wouldn't feel strange wearing this one.  If Craig decided to buy one, I would definitely pinch it! (£45)

5. I have a soft spot for novelty Le Creuset pieces, and this Petite Pumpkin Casserole (available at John Lewis) is adorable.  It almost inspires me to get cooking!  Almost... (£20)

6. You knew I wouldn't be able to resist including a decorative cushion, didn't you?  This embroidered skull cushion from Paperchase is cheery and creepy - what's not to love? (£22.50)

7. Another Topshop sweater, this time a cosy Knitted Pumpkin Face Jumper.  The design is almost verging on too scary for me, but I'm a self confessed wuss! (£38)

Hanging around the fireplace:

I've been collecting bits and pieces to hang above our fireplace for a little while now.  The majority of them have some kind of sentimental meaning, but none of them really match and they probably shouldn't be hung up on a wall together.  The end result is a bit higgledy piggledy, but I'm starting to think that that's just me, and it sums up my style pretty well!  For the last year, we've only the larger mirror in the middle on that wall, and it's lovely to fill up the space.

I feel like you will have already seen the majority of these keepsakes on Instagram or in other blog posts, so I don't want to repeat myself too much and run the risk of boring you all to death!  It's pretty safe to say that our flat is becoming a bit of a shrine to Frightened Rabbit, however...  If you do have any queries about anything in particular in the above photos, though, just let me know and I can fill you in on where and when it's from.

I also feel I should add that I'm experimenting with photo editing at the moment, and I'm not a huge fan of how these ones turned out.  Never mind, hopefully you can still see everything clearly enough, and I'll know for next time!


Edit - 05/10/2013:

I forgot to mention that I used adhesive plate hangers to hang both the Anthropologie plate and the guitar fret board above.  These have worked really well (even better than I'd hoped, actually) so I've decided to post some photos of the adhesive discs I used and how they are attached at the back, just in case anyone needs some inspiration or advice on how to do it!  They were very easy to stick on, and also seem simple to remove if and when I need to.  Using one of these on the fret board felt like a bit of a gamble, but I think the result looks great!  Okay, I'm really done now, I promise.

Inferior Inspiration #8:

With the sun shining so much lately, I've been inspired by everything bright and multicoloured!

1. The Wall's Picnicware range from John Lewis is both adorable and practical, with everything from plates and cups to cool bags and picnic blankets.  My personal favourite is the Twister print.  Who doesn't love a Twister ice lolly? (£4.50-£25)

2. This striped SKARUM cushion cover from IKEA is already in my possession, although I'm saving it to adorn the newly covered sofa.  More on that soon, hopefully! (£5)

3. I spotted this bright orange retro Wild & Wolf Trim phone whilst shopping in Oliver Bonas last week and fell in love.  I seem to have a weakness for novelty phones (our current landline handset is a hamburger phone). (£36)

4. I first saw this Urban Outfitters sleeveless shirt in a photo on Fiona's Instagram a little while ago, and I'm currently trying to decide if I want to take the plunge and buy it.  It has bicycles on it, what's not to like? (£35)

Inferior Inspiration #5:

After spending the weekend celebrating a family friend's birthday and having some delicious meals on some amazing tableware, I've been dreaming of new crockery.

1. The whole collection of Nature Table plates from Anthropologie are my favourite combination of strange and beautiful, but the Praying Mantis design is the weirdest (and therefore best). (£16)

2. These Burleigh Blue Calico plates are a more traditional style, but I still find them very pretty to look at.  It might be tricky to make sure they're clean when you're washing up, mind you!  You can find them at John Lewis in various sizes. (£9 - £14.50)

3. Although they're probably the most impractical type of crockery, I'm a sucker for dainty tea cups and saucers.  Some day, I'd like to have a whole mismatched collection of them!  I love the scalloped effect this set from Oliver Bonas has, as well as the lovely pastel colour. (£12.50)

4. I was very excited when I discovered that Le Creuset make mugs.  I mean, of course they do.  Why wouldn't they?  But, still, it's exciting!  They come in pretty much every colour you can imagine, and I spotted them at Debenhams. (£12)

Inferior Inspiration #4:

I can't stop myself fantasising about gardens, patios and balconies.  It might have something to do with working through these rare but lovely, sunny days in a tin box with no windows!  If I had a garden, patio or balcony (which, unfortunately, I don't) I'd be very tempted by some of these items!

1. No doubt I would get myself trapped in one of these retro style deckchairs, but it doesn't stop me wanting one!  Unfortunately, these Penguin Classics themed chairs proved impossible to find in stock anywhere online, but they were too good not to show you all.  Price wise, they seemed to average between £60 and £70, so maybe it's better that I can't find one for sale!

2. Argos are offering this much more affordable (and much more available!) Garden Deck Chair in cheerful multicoloured stripes, gimme! (£25.49)

3. I mentioned in my last post about my visit to Edinburgh's new Oliver Bonas store that I was lusting after these Primrose Garden Chairs.  I can't choose between the mint and coral colours, so I'd probably just have to get one of each! (£59)

4. Also from Oliver Bonas (and also very necessary for any sunny garden or balcony situation) are these Shir Pastel Aztec Wayfarer Sunglasses.  I love this style of sunglasses, and I'm pretty much sold on anything with an aztec pattern. (£16)

5. As long as we're dreaming, I might as well imagine that I would go to the effort of packing myself a picnic to sit in my own back garden.  This Cherry Two Person Hamper from BHS would come in handy for that, wouldn't it? (£25)

Oliver Bonas, Edinburgh:

If you've never heard of Oliver Bonas, don't worry, you and I were in the same boat up until a week ago.  The stores are primarily based in London, with a few scattered across England, but the brand new Edinburgh shop is the first one to reach Scotland.  I was invited along (by the lovely Emma!) with a few other bloggers to celebrate the Hanover Street store's grand opening, and I had a fantastic time!

I was very excited to find out that Oliver Bonas sells a huge array of clothes, jewellery, homeware and even beauty products.  I was especially excited about the homeware!  Apparently Oliver Tress, the founder of Oliver Bonas based the idea for the business on 'his love for buying unusual gifts for friends on his travels'.  This means that the stock is hugely varied, and there is something for every price range.  The Edinburgh shop is laid out beautifully, with attractive displays and plenty of space to browse.  Think Anthropologie, but a little younger and with more neon colours!

I love the cardboard stag heads in the photo above, they're the most decorative ones I've ever seen!  My favourite has to be the little birdhouse on the far left, though.  Wouldn't that be a cute addition to any home?

This necklace is one of many stunning statement necklaces on display at the back of the Edinburgh store.  Normally I would be totally intimidated by jewellery like this, and I would never even think about trying to pull it off myself.  However, one of the lovely staff members at the event was wearing this necklace as part of her uniform, and it looked amazing!  She told me she was planning to wear it with her graduation dress, but it looked just as good with a simple black collared shirt.  It turns out it's a surprisingly versatile piece, and it just goes to show that it's worth trying these things on!

These ornate iron chairs in various pastel colours are a big part of the shop's window display at the moment, and I think they do a great job of summing up the feel of Oliver Bonas as a store.  They are also so summery!  If I had a patio, or even a balcony (sigh, a girl can dream) then I'd be in great danger of purchasing a few for myself!

Sofas, chairs, stools and benches from The Velvet Chair Company are dotted all over the Edinburgh store in a huge variety of colours.  I even tried one out, although the price tag made me a little bit nervous!  If you're looking to make a quality soft furnishing investment, however, the chairs look great and are obviously sturdy.

Just to add to the excitement, two barmen from Candy were on site to mix us up some delicious fresh cocktails (my favourite of which was served in a jam jar!) and we were all given a hand decorated Bibi's Bakery cupcake to take home with us.  Some of the best butter icing I've ever tasted ensued!

So, what did I buy?  Well, I honestly could have bought almost everything in the entire shop.  Lianne and Gillian kept (nervously) laughing every time I picked something up off a shelf and announced that I didn't just want it, but needed it, but that's really how I felt!  In the end, I was quite sensible and went for a Korres lip butter in jasmine (above) and two glass neon bottles that I had been eyeing up all night (below).

I had a lovely time at Oliver Bonas, and was extremely excited and grateful to be invited along.  I will undoubtedly be back in store to have more of a browse, and I would recommend it if any of the stock in my photos seems up your street.  If you're more local to Glasgow, you might be happy to hear that an Oliver Bonas is due to open on Byres Road soon.  If not, there is always the option to shop online, and there are literally thousands of products available there.  My poor bank balance!