27. Impossible to Buy For

Posted on December 14, 2015 by prettyandpetit

For those of you who are stuck for ideas on what to buy for loved ones for Christmas this year don’t despair! I have a fabulous business to share with you this week called Impossible to Buy For.

Impossible to Buy For is a website suited to those who are totally stuck for gift ideas for loved ones in the run up for that special occasion be it Christmas, Birthday, Valentines Day etc. Set up by blogger, Louise Croft who owns blog, Pauper to Princess. All of the gifts are supplied by Amazon to provide gifts for literally everyone in your life!

“So many of my friends and family are impossible to buy for, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, so I figured it was time to fix the problem.” – Louise Croft, Founder of Impossibletobuyfor.com

WEB RES louise_croft_founder_2

What I love about Louise’s website is how easy it is to find a gift. What I often find with larger department store websites is that it can take a while to find the perfect gift but this has all the ideas in one place for any budget.

So are you looking for some gift ideas? I’ve put together a few lists for you below for the different people in your life! I hope it provides you with some inspiration!

Gifts for the lady in your life

Kate-Spade-1YRU0716-Ladies-Gramercy-Grand-Rose-Gold-Tone-Chronograph-Watch-01

Kate Spade Watch – £173.50

Flamingo-Candles-Pink-Lemonade-Candle-Pink-0

Pink Lemonade Candle – £12

Bottega-Gold-Prosecco-Magnum-in-Gift-Box-150-cl-0-e1443613484975

Bottega Gold Prosecco – £47.99

Gifts for those who love a good book

Invisible Bookshelf – £39.90

This-Old-Thing-Fall-in-Love-with-Vintage-Clothes-0

Dawn O’Porter Book – £14.99

Gifts for those who love to bake

Macaron Pyramid – £22.81

Mug-Cakes-40-speedy-cakes-to-make-in-a-microwave-0

Mug Cakes Recipes – £3

Gourmet-Gadgetry-Retro-Diner-Waffle-Maker-Metallic-Red-0

Retro Waffle Maker – £27.15

Chocolate Brussel Sprouts – £9.95

Gifts for the creative ones

Artist-Designed-Clutch-BagPursePouchWristlet-by-CreateCase-Billy-Rays-0

Artistic Clutch Bag – £29.99

Illustrated-Map-of-London-print-A4-Black-and-Gold-typographic-map-of-London-London-word-map-map-print-map-poster-London-tube-London-poster-0

Illustrated Map of London – £13.99

Vogue Colouring Book – £7

and of course I have to include my total faves!

Contemporary-Warm-White-24-LED-Battery-Operated-LOVE-Shaped-Decorative-Wall-Light-0

LOVE Light – £29.99

Paddington-AGTC0011-Dressing-Table-with-Stool-Mirror-White-Vanity-0-3

Dressing Table – £69.97

Fujifilm-Instax-Mini-8-Camera-with-20-Shots-Blue-0

Fujifilm Polaroid Camera – £76.49

Do you have any gift ideas? Share them with us in the comments!

Click here to visit the full range of products available.

Becky at Pretty & Petit

Images taken from impossibletobuyfor.com

My Christmas Wishlist for 2015!

Posted on December 13, 2015 by prettyandpetit

So it’s the middle of December and after gorging on the first of many sweet treats to come over the festive season (if unlike me you have resisted the temptation to eat them all!) it’s time to create the wishlist of all wishlists! I love a wishlist.. and to be honest my wishlist is ongoing! That’s enough of saying wishlist for now!….wishlist.

I recently went on a major spending spree in Waterstones coming away with £50+ worth of gorgeous new hardback books from my favourite bloggers, vloggers and fashionistas, a review of which will be coming soon! I still love curling up with a good book and a couple on my wishlist this Christmas include:

Fleur de Force – The Glam Guide (I’m obsessed with blogger/vlogger books at the mo!)

Dita Von Teese – Your Beauty Mask (She is my ultimate beauty icon! Even her front cover is stunning!)

Alexander McQueen – Claire Wilcox (After seeing the exhibition, I felt intrigued to learn more about the designer)

Lisa Eldridge – Face Paint, The Story of Make Up (Just look at the front cover!!)

Secret Garden: 20 Postcards (Time to get colouring for friends and family)

The World According to Karl (Full of wonderful, inspirational quotes. The perfect gift for any fashionista!)

Miles of MAC (No one can ever have too much MAC)

I am majorly getting into Charlotte Tilbury make up. Not only are the products looking super cute, the names of the different products are so unique and I’m super excited as we now have our very own branch in London!

Mini Lipstick Charms – £29

Nocturnal Cat Eyes To Hypnotise, Silver Leopard & Black Magic Eyeshadow – £29

Lip Cheat, Pillowtalk – £16

Keeping with beauty and I think it’s time to admit that yes, I’m a Naked addict. By that I mean the gorgeous eyeshadow palettes from Urban Decay that have literally taken the blogging community by storm. I’m not going to bore you with yet another review of these fantastic eyeshadows – everyone knows they’re amazing by now. However, I am going to pop a couple on my wishlist and hope to inspire you to do the same. Once you do, there’s just no going back. (For those of you who are interested I am going to be doing a W7 palette review, which in my opinion are just as fabulous on a budget buy!)

My absolute fave palette, Naked 2 – £38

How cute is this Fujifilm pink camera?! I adore it! Or if you’re a massive Hello Kitty fan check this one out too! I was debating getting one last Christmas but never got round to it.

I love having photos around of memories and special occasions and I’ve found a few gorgeous frames from Paperchase that I absolutely love this Christmas.

Mystic Rose Frame – £10

Vision Peacock Frame – £15

Flamingo Frame – £18

My computer is literally so old it’s practically running Windows 98 (which is saying something as it’s a Macbook!!) so it’s definitely in need for an upgrade. I have been looking at getting a netbook for a while now – something that I can pop in my handbag so I can set myself up in a coffee shop over lunch and get on top of my blogging. I love this ACER from Currys, which is sleek and versatile, perfect for working on the move!

In 2016 I want to get mega organised with my blog and in order to do so I am looking to get a Blogger Planner. These Blogger Planners are perfect for keeping organised, planning content and brainstorming new ideas. They also have such lovely quotes and are seasonal, offering beautiful pastel shades in the Summer and blacks, greys and whites in Winter. Available from The Bloggers Planner.

In 2016 I want to fill my home and life with everything rose gold. I can’t describe how much I love this colour. A slightly pinker version of a copper colour, it looks most fabulous with rich dark purples and white.

Lantern from New Look – Now £5.99

Tealight Holders from eBay – £7.99

Bellini Rose Gold Coloured Furniture from Kaleidoscope – From £92

Cushion from Ted Baker – £50

Fairy Lights from Christmas Time UK – £34

When I was last in Debenhams (One of my fave department stores with excellent sales!) I spotted these gorgeous Ted Baker PJ’s. All of Ted Baker’s sleepwear and lingerie range is so beautifully silky and soft and so perfect for curling up in on a Winter’s evening. It’s a shorts and vest set too meaning you won’t get too overly toasty curled up under layers of duvets and blankets!

I am totally besotted with the new Michael Kors Rose Gold perfume. Not only is it such a stunning colour but it smells so yummy that I kept the sample in my bag for weeks! Definitely check it out if you haven’t already. I hope you love it as much as I do.

What are on your Christmas wishlists? If you’ve posted them on your blog make sure you send me your link in the comments!!

Becky at Pretty & Petit

24. Noah’s Ark & Crafts

Posted on October 12, 2015 by prettyandpetit

My featured business this week is…Noah’s Ark & Crafts!

Screen shot 2015-10-12 at 19.01.51

I found out about Noah’s Ark & Crafts whilst in Southampton visiting a new boutique concept in which small businesses and individuals hire space to display their products for sale. I came across Noah’s Ark & Crafts as one of these small businesses and absolutely loved their products.

The specialise in kitsch cushions and fun bunting. Cushions are great to brighten up plain, dull furniture and especially these which will be the most eye catching accessory in the room! The bunting available provides a great addition to any kids bedroom with a whole range to choose from.

Some of my recommendations include:

Comic Strip Hero Cushion – £15

Marvel Heroes Cushion – £15

Aloha Girls Cushion – £15

Guess How Much I Love You – £10

The Gruffalo Bunting – £10

Marvellous Marvel Bunting – £10

Click here to visit their website and view the full range of great products available! Perfect for Christmas!

Becky at Pretty & Petit

All images from the Noah’s Ark & Crafts website.

The Program Film Review

Posted on October 11, 2015 by prettyandpetit

When I think of Lance Armstrong I think of three things, cycling, the Tour de France and doping.

_63428153_armstrong

I used to love cycling when I was younger and was out on my bike every night after school. I never really thought of it as a hobby though – just something fun to do. Eventually as I grew older I found other interests, music and dance in particular, so my passion for cycling dwindled away at that point. Now I’m out of education and have been settled in a job for the past few years I have started to get more interested in it again. In the summer of 2015 I even got to witness first hand the excitement of the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris and even though it was pouring with rain, it was still so exhilarating and amazing to watch. When watching a race like that first hand, you notice the true passion these riders have for their sport. Cycling is their life.

Screen shot 2015-10-11 at 13.14.47

Screen shot 2015-10-11 at 13.14.55

The program, which held its premiere at the BFI London Film Festival last night, tells the story of Lance Armstrong, his rise to glory and the doping scandal that engulfed his highly successful career. Based on the book, Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh, Chief Sports Writer of The Sunday Times it looks at the relationship between these two characters and provides an account of the events that took place leading up to and post his confession on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2013.

lance armstrong 'the program' biopic movie poster

In a Q&A with the cast and director, after watching the film it was interesting to hear how David Walsh had spoken to people after they had watched various screenings of the film to discover their reactions to find them somewhat having empathy with Lance. This may have something to do with the cancer, Walsh stated, but as was said in the film, he was ultimately using his disease as a shield. It is at this point I should mention that of course cancer is the most terrible of diseases and of course I do sympathise as what he must have gone through would have been one of the most horrific times of his life. Ultimately his career was about doping and whilst I did not feel the empathy with Lance, I did feel it for David. It was admirable to hear how he stuck with his beliefs even though no one else believed him.

_80696384_lance_armstrong

I found this film difficult to watch. Despite some mixed reviews coming out today, I have no doubt that it was an enjoyable film – I can tell I enjoy a film when I don’t feel like I’m clock watching at all. There were a few laughs shared and I definitely think Chris O’Dowd playing David Walsh and Ben Foster playing Lance Armstrong are what made the film. To be honest though, I felt a bit flat coming out of it. I initially thought it was in regard to how I felt about the responses the director, Stephen Frears, was providing to his questions. It felt as though he had made the movie because he felt like it needed to be made and wanted to get there first. I felt frustrated by his responses and felt that the film and the story, deserved so much more than that. This one man had cheated his way to the top SEVEN times without intense questioning. I think it was at this point that I really felt my empathy for David Walsh. I didn’t really feel anything about Lance when the stories were breaking in the news at the time. I didn’t know enough about the sport to pass judgement – I just knew it was wrong. To witness his portrayal by Foster though, to witness his arrogance and his greed to win, made me feel disappointed and well, heartbroken really. Cycling is a sport, it should be enjoyed by those who have a passion for it and whilst I think Lance’s career started with that passion, he clearly lost that when his greed for the win took over.

The Program is in cinemas now. A must for any cyclist enthusiast!

Becky at Pretty & Petit