What I Always Wanted & Can't Live Without!

What I Always Wanted is a beautiful online gifts and homeware store. It supports home grown talent and independent businesses, something which I wholeheartedly support.  Three cheers for them please.

When I was asked if I'd be interested in writing a blog post about them I didn't need to think twice.  I love nearly everything on their website including their ethos.

All their products are designed and made in the UK, many of which are made from eco-friendly materials or 'upcycled'.  There is even an option to personalise some of the products.

One of the many things I love about this website is how passionate owners, Deborah Bancroft and Ann Ellison are about their products.  They love nothing more than tracking down beautifully designed and crafted British gifts and homeware.  This passion shows in the products they've carefully chosen.  

With Christmas just around the corner, yes I did just mention the 'C' word, why not pop over to What I Always Wanted and see what they have to offer.  Not only will you be supporting some great British Designers but you also have the opportunity to purchase some original and unique homeware.

Tiny Daisies by Wychbury Designs

Gorgeous heart shaped stud earrings covered in vintage fabric.  If you look closely you'll notice even the butterfly is heart shaped!

Little Flowers by The Magpie's Daughter

This dainty orange pinwheel poppy necklace is complemented by a strand of pearls

Appliqued Dog Cushion by Naughty Dog

This appliqued and embroidered Dalmatian cushion uses vintage fabrics and would make a great gift for any dog lover.

Letterpress Print by Print for Love of Wood

For all you Great British Bake Off lovers.  Each letterpress print is lovingly printed on a vintage press

Vintage Camera by Moha London

This fun retro camera illustrated print is printed on heavy poster paper and available in A3

Which is your favourite item.  Do you love handmade or upcycled products?

Blackpool Dungeons

Recently I was offered two tickets to the Blackpool Dungeons.  Now you know I love a day trip and as our 4 year anniversary was approaching me and the mister asked ourselves, what better way to celebrate our love for one another than a trip to a medieval dungeon! So, we  jumped in the car and headed over to Blackpool.

If you haven't been to Blackpool before then prepare yourself, it can be insane!  The summer months are filled with families on holiday visiting the beach, promenade and theme park whilst the weekends are packed out with stag and hen parties. The winter months tend to be a little quieter although the Blackpool Illuminations from August 30th to November 10th have been drawing in the crowds in since 1879 and well worth a visit.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Blackpool Dungeons.  Their website describes it as a thrill filled journey with 10 live shows, screaming, theatre, jokes, and special effects.

From the moment we got there the Blackpool Dungeons actors kept us entertained as you queued up inside a dark gloomy medieval street set.  As you got to the front of the queue a wench took a photo of you holding an axe to your loved one.  As they're about to lose their head she insists they give a loud scream, much to the amusement of the other people in the queue.  It all adds to the overall effect and gets everyone in the mood for what was about to come.

We rounded the corner and met the rest of the victims we'd be spending the next hour with in the Dungeons. Our 'tour guide' also known as the Lift Jester filled us in on some medieval torture history and gave us a brief idea of what to expect.  You'll learn about the plague, witches, torturers, smugglers, enter a labyrinth and leave your stomach behind after experiencing their gravity drop ride.

I really don't want to give too much more away, as the element of surprise is half the fun.  Overall the Blackpool Dungeons is well worth a visit, even more so now that Halloween is approaching. I screamed, laughed, clung to a strangers arm and got locked in a cage!   What more do you want?  This interactive show is suitable for all ages and perfect for families, friends or couples like us celebrating their 4 year anniversary, which believe it or not we weren't the only ones!

We finished off our day with fish and chips and a walk down the promenade to look at the Illuminations.  The perfect end to our day.

Enjoying myself far too much!

Have you been to the Blackpool Dungeons or anywhere similar?



My Top 6 Winter Boots

It's getting to that time of year where you need to invest in a pair of decent winter boots.  I always struggle to find decent shoes that fit me so I always tend to stick to Topshop and River Island as I know they'll always fit well.  I've had some bad experiences with cheap shoes that lead to a visit to the hospital but that's another story!  Anyway, I've been searching for a low heeled ankle boot for a while now but got a little bit distracted by all the other bootiful (haha sorry) choices out there. Chunky heels, metal trims, gold buckles, oooh we've been spoilt this year.

So, what do you look for in a winter boot? Which ones would you go for?

River Island black lace up bootie,  Topshop ankle booties  River Island black cutout boots,  River Island black ankle bootie,  Topshop high heel bootie  River Island black ankle bootie,

Visit Amsterdam

Not so long ago the mister and I decided to take a weekend break in Amsterdam.  I haven't been before and it's on my list of places to visit so we impulsively booked a mini break.

Finding an hotel was proving to be tricky.  It turns out there was a massive conference going on that weekend and most of the cheaper hotels were fully booked.  Then we discovered the Bicycle Hotel just out of the city centre.  The Bicycle Hotel was also a hostel.  Some rooms had private en-suites and some had shared bathrooms.  They only had rooms with shared bathrooms available and sharing a bathroom with strangers is my idea of hell.  I actually shuddered at the thought of it but when we arrived I was actually pleasantly surprised.  We only had to share our bathroom with one other room and the place was immaculate. We didn't have to queue for the bathroom once. Yay. 

Our lovely little hotel

 

 

The Bicycle Hotel funnily enough also rented out bicycles and if you're visiting Amsterdam believe me you'll see more of the city on bike than by foot.  Most Dutch people travel by bike.  In fact there are more bikes on the road than there are cars!  It's completely different to England, there are bike lanes everywhere and they even have their own set of traffic lights!

The misters got the hang of it!

I just about managed to stay on my bike!

 

There's a lot to do in Amsterdam and if you're travelling by bike you'll find even more things, as you tend to go off the beaten track, or in our case get lost.  Here's a couple of places we stumbled across.

 

 

Electric Ladyland Museum

The Electric Ladyland museum is not your typical museum. It's the first museum of fluorescent art together with a collection of common rocks that glow naturally under UV lighting.  This is a guided tour and the guy who runs it has spent decades building sculptures, collecting rocks and art work.  If it wasn't for this guy it would just be a room full of boring stuff but his passion and knowledge about every object in the room becomes contagious and at 5 Euros worth a visit.  Oh and he's a total hippy so it's worth it just to meet him and hear his crazy stories!

Once of the many displays

 

Felix Meritis Observatory

 

 

The Observatory is a building with so much history.  Built in the 18th Century it's original use was to promote the arts and science and give certain men upstanding within the community. Eventually as other museums and theatres opened in the city the Observatory lost it use but has now re-opened to the general public.  The cost of the tours was 6.50 Euros and the view from the top is breath taking.

 

 

I love the height of the buildings and the hidden gardens

 Of course there's all the other usual places to visit when in Amsterdam.   I'd recommend Anne Franks House, Van Gogh Museum, Rijks Museum, even the Red Light District.  If I'm honest the RLD is the strangest place I've been to, especially as some of the windows are nestled between bars, restaurants and shops.  It's weird that it seems so normal!

Bloemenmarkt

The floating flower market is quite a touristy area but worth a visit because the smell is amazing and great for souvenirs.  My sisters are now the proud owners of slippers in the shape of clogs and everyone else got a bonsai tree!

What To Eat

There's something for everyone in Amsterdam.  Even if you're the fussiest of eaters you'll find something but if you want to try something different I'd recommend The Pancake Bakery On the menu you'll find a sweet and savoury option, which is normal in Holland.  I went for the bacon and pineapple pancake which was actually pretty nice and the portions are huge.  You wont need to eat for the rest of the day after finishing one of these!

Something else to try is Febo. Heated food in a machine.  Just put your money in and remove your chosen item.  Great if you're on the run and need something quick.  Not so great if you're looking for a nutritious hearty meal!

You also need to try poffertjes.  These are like mini pancakes and so sweet and yummy.  I could eat these all day!

So there you have it.  Just some of the things you can do in Amsterdam.  Have you been away recently?  Have you got a favourite city or ever been to Amsterdam?  Let me know I'd love to hear all about it.