Certified Book Addict

Hello again chums, what's this, another blog post already!

That's right, here I am, back with yet another thrilling installment of 'Life: as Jade Boylan'. Perhaps one day i'll discuss my uncontrollable online shopping addiction with you all, but for today i'll be telling you all about one of my most recent purchases, a rather fab custom laser cut necklace and brooch. 

I love a good laser, and I love a good book, so what better way to combine the two than with a pretty special laser cut necklace declaring my LOVE of books to the world! And a cute brooch to match. 

After all, I AM a Librarian so i can totally get away with wearing these at work sometimes. Or EVERY SINGLE DAY! Possibly.

Anyway, here's a closeup of the necklace. Yes I know... it IS rather flipping brilliant isn't it!

When I ordered the necklace I couldn't resist getting myself one of the speech bubble brooches as well! I knew I had to pick a quote about books, so this one by 'Frank Zappa' seemed like the perfect choice. Ah such is the eternal struggle of the book addict...

I often treat myself to various pretty bits n' bobs while perusing the internet, but this time I wanted something a little more personal. I've been going through a bit of a rough patch lately so I was looking for a little treat to try and cheer myself up a bit. 

Luckily, while trawling the interweb late one evening one one of my frequent shopping quests I found the incredibly marvellous Sugar and Vice shop online and as soon as I clicked on the custom options I knew I wouldn't be leaving without placing an order! 

The items available are all absolutely gorgeous and I have to say, super good value for money. I can't actually believe how reasonably priced everything on the site is! The designs are super cute and yet still totally affordable to the point where if you visit the shop (and you're like me) you'll probably be tempted to order more than one thing. 

BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO DARN LOVELY!

Both the necklace and the brooch are great quality with a really neat finish and a nice sturdy feel to them. I've bought laser cut jewellery in the past and it's practically fallen apart after a few wears, but these items feel built to last. 

I daresay i'll still be rocking my brilliant bookworm accessories for years to come!

  

Sugar and Vice offer loads of super duper customising options for necklaces, brooches and rings.You can get pretty much any phrase, name or word custom made into a funky accessory for you or someone else. What better way to celebrate how awesome YOUR name is than to get it made into a necklace so that everyone who sees it knows that YOU know who you are, even if they don't. (And let's face it, if they don't know you, it's obviously their loss!)

As well as tons of groovy custom options, Sugar and Vice also offer a whole bunch of sweet ready made accessories and treats. Scroll down to see a few of my personal favourites from the shop...

Yeah... okay so maybe i've kind of got more than a few faves! So much lovely stuff though! I'm already bookmarking things on the site for Xmas gifts for friends and family + the custom items make great Birthday gift ideas for anyone and everyone. 

I can prove it since My necklace and brooch were both Birthday gifts to myself and I just LOVE them!

Anyway I think i've posted more than enough gorgeous examples of smashing accessories to effectively tantalise and tempt your online shopping taste buds! 

To see even more of what Sugar and Vice have to offer, check out their Website

You can also follow them on Twitter, keep up with their news on Facebook or follow them on Instagram for lots of fab snaps of lovely stuff. 

And on that delightful note I shall bid you all adieu!

Now that i'm officially back in the world of the blogosphere I shall do my utmost best to try and maintain a regular routine of fun posts for y'all to feast your eyes on.

So until next time, that's all folks

Goodbye Summer Giveaway

hello dearhearts! it's that time again, at long last, i'm finally running another little giveaway here on the blog! (pause for cheering and applause...)

now i know what you're all thinking, "Jade, shut up and tell us WHAT WE CAN WIN!!!"

well you don't need to shout! just give me a chance and i'll tell you!

here it is then, here's the bundle of lovely goodies i picked up during my recent trip to Ireland + a few extra bits n'bobs

pretty tasty right! you bet it is, i'll actually be v jealous of whoever wins this stack of cuteness! maybe i should keep it all for myself!!! (*evil laugh*). nah, i wouldn't do that...

allow me to break it down for you then, first up we have a trés adorable apple watch necklace on a peachy chain. yes, of course the watch really works, however it hasn't been started yet to make sure it's battery will last for the winner!

there's also a v sweet set of post earrings, perfect for the imminent Autumn + a cute summery anklet (just because it's the end of Summer doesn't mean you can't still wear a little bit of it around your ankle!) and a v pretty Hummingbird ring

there's a funky handmade 'ugly doll' type keyring charm, because you can never have too many quirky keyrings, FACT!

and a cute star bow headband + a pretty purple hair-bow clip

then there's the frankly AMAZING owl shaped strawberry lipbalm... yes, it really is owl shaped!!! really!

see!!!

 what else?! well there are some fun tutti cuti kawaii stickers + a set of fun emoticon page tabs (ideal for marking out early Christmas Gifts + for dropping major hints about gifts you would like to receive)

AND a cute Fluff luggage tag (perfect for jazzing up your suitcase) + a sweet Hello Kitty pencil (because lets face it, who doesn't like a bit of Hello Kitty!)

there's also some of my own merch stuff, two sugary sweet postcards + a cupcake pocket mirror and a cupcake badge

+ a Sugar Skull circle sticker to stick on your fridge or your laptop or your face or whatever...

and that's the prize bundle! some very luuuurvely goodies there, i'm sure you'll agree. apologies for the dire quality of the pictures but then you all know how much my camera sucks!!!

right so, enough of the rambling times, let's get to to important part, how YOU can try and get your hands on the prizes!

oh and as always, the giveaway is open to entries from anywhere in the world, seriously, don't fret about postage or anything, that's my concern not yours, if you want to try and win some stuff then go ahead and enter, doesn't matter where you live!

right then, there are lots of ways you can enter + the more entries you get = more chances of winning (yay!)

you just have to click the options on the giveaway form at the end of this post.

firstly, if you don't already follow this blog (and if you don't then why NOT?! explain yourself...) go ahead and click Follow, that's two entries already!

leave me a comment, that's one entry

then you can 'Like' my facebook page, that's another two entries

you can Follow me on twitter = two more entries

and tweet about the giveaway = another one

(if you already Like/Follow me etc, just fill in the form accordingly, but beware... if you DON'T really follow/like my pages, i can check and i will DEDUCT entries if you're fibbing!) 

the giveaway will run until midnight (UK time) on Friday 14th September and i'll email the winner over the weekend.

that's it, that's all you need to know, so what are you waiting for!!! GET THOSE ENTRIES IN!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


+ until next time, that's all folks... xX

May Drawing Challenge - Day 3

todays theme was 'your name' so this is what i came up with...

well that pretty green gem stone is my namesake after all :)


i won't keep posting my friends doodles on here everyday, so if you want to see them be sure to head on over to the Smoo Doo Croo facebook page and click on the album May Draw A Day

we've nearly reached 50 'likes' on our collective's page so if you haven't already 'liked' us we'd really appreciate it if you could stop by and hit the 'LIKE' button


and until tomorrow, that's all folks... xX

Kind of Boring Stuff ★

hello hello from Dublin town!!! sorry for the mini hiatus, been verrrry busy walking about, shopping, catching trams and the like

but will you just LOOK at what i got today!!! just had to get this amaaaaazing cherry necklace! i LOVE it!!!

isn't it gorgeous!!!

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so the other day I bought this uber cute little rainbow swirl lollipop to go in the giveaway!

I'd have LOVED to have put in one of the big lollies like the one I got in Kinsale, but they're kind of heavy and who knows where these goodies will need to be posted to! I figured a mini lollipop would be better...

there's not been that many entries so far so you know... get entering!

there's still 10 days left to enter before the giveaway closes, to see ALL of the prizes head over to this page here - August Giveaway

so what are you waiting for... GO NOW AND ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!!

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in other news, while I was getting the lolly I also got myself some bags of jazzles

now if you don't know what jazzles are... then you really haven't lived!!!

I was addicted to these when I was little and I still luuuuurve them now! I like them both together, the milk chocolate and white chocolate ones (yeah i'm a bit weird like that! Go figure)

but they are sooooo SO delicious!

Ok i'll shut up about them now...

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so what else?! Well to be honest there isn't much else!

I travelled up to Dublin on Saturday morning but I hate hate HATE to wander around Dublin taking pictures! I don't know what it is, it have the same mentality whenever i'm in London! So SO much beautiful architecture + stuff to photograph yet I never can bring myself to fish out the camera and start snapping!

although today while wandering along Grafton street i couldn't resist snapping a shot of the very gorgeous exterior of the famous Bewley's Café 

Dublin is a city that I absolutely LOVE to visit! It has such a great atmosphere and it's always so vibrant and fun

yesterday was no different since it was the Rugby world cup Ireland v France match last night here in the city at the Aviva stadium at Croke Park near to where I stayed last August

all day the streets were full of supporters milling about in their green shirts waiting for the 5pm kick off

unfortunately France absolutely kicked Ireland's arse last night but there was still a great patriotic vibe about the city all day

today was the same since it was the GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final earlier, Kerry v Mayo

Co Kerry won so congrats to them! :)

anyway, today we caught LUAS tram into the city centre where myself and my mum headed off to Abbey street and O'Connoll street while my dad went off to the Point (where the Dublin O2 academy is) near the docks

we had a cracking afternoon wandering up and down O'Connell street and of course... Grafton street!

though unsurprisingly the highlight was probably getting to visit Brown Thomas again!!!

we also popped to the Museum this afternoon where unfortunately, photography isn't permitted! so all i could do was snap a pic of the beautiful old 18th Century Army Barracks that now house the National Musueum of Ireland

where i also ended up getting a pair of mini pencil sharpeners from the shop shaped like a naval cannon and a field gun

 aren't they cute!!! 

* * *

anyway i think that's it for today, this has been a verrrrry boring post so i'm sorry for that! only i would be able to write such a god awful boring post in an amazing city like Dublin! 

i really am sorry...

last day here tomorrow so i probably won't post at all... unless something exciting happens tomorrow that is!

that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Art and Shopping ★

wow art AND shopping in one post... well they are two of my favourite things, what did you expect!!!

anyway, while i was in Kinsale yesterday i also took the opportunity to re-visit a fabulous little gallery shop i saw last year during my visit (see old post - kicking back in kinsale) 

this gallery always seems to be filled with the most incredible paintings and ceramic pieces, this year was no exception

(artwork shown here by: Ruthie Ashenhurst, Carolanne Crosbie, Lucia Parle, John Lawrence, Amélie Gagné, Sara Roberts, Adrian Wistreich, Julian Smith, Victor Richardson)

while i was there i also treated myself to this beautiful little ceramic heart brooch, made by wonderfully talented Irish artist Lucia Parle. isn't it pretty!!! 

here's some more of her gorgeous Ceramics work (images via Crafts Council of Ireland)

* * *

so today i just wandered around Cork City Centre again for a few hours since i love the shops on St Patrick's street so much! super duper fun times!

anyway, since i've been out this week near so many wonderful shops, obviously i've ended up treating myself to one or two little bits and bobs!

i thought today i could show you some of the lovely stuff i've bought so far...

well there's the truly awesome pencil necklace and crayon bracelet!!! i figured that being an artist they'd be quite suitable! (Accessorize, Cork)

a colourful little pinwheel pencil! because let's face it... who doesn't love a pinwheel on a pencil!!! (Stationary Shop, Kinsale)

a big ol' yummy rainbow swirl lollipop! tutti frutti goodness!!! (Aunty Nellie's Sweet Shop, Kinsale)

a yummy cupcake scented air freshener. it's for my room... i already have a different strawberry cupcake one hanging from my calender! don't judge!!! (Accessorize, Cork)

a pair of gorgeous pencil cases/cosmetics bags that i couldn't resist! (Jello, Kinsale)

a lovely vintage glass beaded velvet and satin tie-up belt, loved the tasseled rope ties! (PaNdEmOnIuM, Kinsale) 

+ a pretty print, i spotted it in the window of a stationary shop in Kinsale and just knew i had to have it!!! 

it's by British Illustrator Julie Fletcher (print from James Ellis)

i've actually seen some of Julie's work once or twice before floating about online, i just loved the colours in this print though + the adorable little characters! love, love, love it

* * *

anyway, since it was our last day in Cork, today my mum also decided to treat herself to something special! 

i met her outside Brown Thomas and after we had a lovely wander around the handbag hall, she eventually settled for a gorgeous Michael Kors handbag!

 it's a lovely bag, very smart with a fabulous metallic lining and pretty 'MK' charm on the front

very swish! we make quite the stylish pair, her with her MK tote and my with my new Gucci Indy :)

* * *

oh and before i forget, i also popped back in to Peacock and Ruby + Miss Daisy Blue in the market today to say thanks again for being allowed to snap so many pictures of those gorgeous shops! so big thanks again to Breda at Miss Daisy Blue and Noelle (who i met today) and Jill at Peacock and Ruby, thank you :) x

* * *

well i guess that's it for today! tomorrow we're packing up and heading up to Waterford for 2 days (which isn't nearly enough time!!!) so look out for pics of my adventures!

but until then, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX