We are into the first week of August and already it’s been really busy and exciting for me!
During the end of July I seemed to get a bit spend happy which I really didn’t mean to do. You know when you just see a lot of items come up for sale or on offer and you just need to snag them? Yep, that’s been me. 😛
Due to this a lot of items on my wish list are probably more realistic to September, rather than August.
That aside, I really hope you guys enjoy this months wish list post! 😀
Nintendo Animal Crossing Summer Isabelle, Kicks and Timmy & Tommy Amiibo – (link), (link) and (link)
For a couple of years now I’ve really wanted to start collecting the Animal Crossing amiibo figures, but it’s only been towards the end of July that I’d found some at decent prices and ordered. I only have three (four if you include Smash Isabelle) left to get and it’s crazy how many I own already! I also have some dupes that I’m selling to a friend, so the monies I make from that can be saved to potentially go towards the three I’m missing! I have an Animal Crossing shelf near my bed, which has gone from empty to really full in a short amount of time! I’ll have to show it off in next months favourites. 🙂 I’m hoping to snag these amiibo from eBay/Depop or Cex in the future.
Pokemon Me Stained Glass Collection Re-Ment – (link)
I’m not a massive re-ment fan… It just isn’t for me. I do own a few that I was gifted a while ago now and I do like them, but there are some really cute Mew ones coming out lately! This stained glass Mew re-ment is adorable and it’s something I would love to get to keep on my desk. The little Mew’s face is just adorable! I’m definitely contemplating picking it up in the future. Probably through From Japan. 😀
I have been lusting after this ramen bowl for what feels like forever now! As regular readers will know, I love Studio Ghibli, but I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned before just how much I love Haku. He’s my favourite Ghibli character so whenever I see him on merch, I usually love it with this ramen bowl being one of them. I love eating ramen and currently only have one ramen bowl (which you can read about here) I go to but would love another one. I was showing this design and more to Dane recently and he rather liked the designs. Maybe in the future I’ll pick up a couple. 🙂
Cakeworthy Animal Crossing Timmy & Tommy Pocket Long Sleeve T-Shirt – (link)
I love Animal Crossing (as you all know… :P) and I love long sleeved t-shirts… So put them together and there’s something I can get behind and love! I really want this Cakeworthy t-shirt. I wanted it ages ago when it was being stocked in the UK by the price the store in question wanted was a fucking joke, so I left it. I’d be using a personal shopper I buy with in America to pick this up for me… Maybe the Haku bowl too. 😛
I am in desperate need of some new Vans slip on shoes! My Darth Vader ones from back in 2015/2016 are starting to rub now due to the age of them and I do need to get something fresh. For some time now I’ve had my eye on getting a pair of the checkered slip on shoes. One of my first pairs of Vans were the red and black checkered, which I adored! I still on them but they’re not comfy to wear anymore due to the age. Plus these are the comfycush shoe, which is said to feel like you’re walking on air! This being said, reviews say different. I’d look to try these on in store and see for myself.
I’ve fallen in love with Calvin Klein lingerie, especially their bralettes which I’ve found have been great for wearing whilst working from home, as well as for bed when it’s a warm evening. The Pride triangle bras look so pretty and I’d love to have them to wear whilst working from home too! They come in a two pack, which makes the cost of them overall really good.
Melissa X Lazy Oaf Kick Off Heart Sandals – (link)
Finally, another pair of shoes! I keep going on and off these sandals and I’m unsure if I’ll ever buy them due to that. I bought my first pair of Melissa shoes a couple of months back now (Vivienne Westwood flats) and I love them! However, I don’t own any sandals and every summer and holiday I go on I often just wear my vans everywhere due to that. I don’t really like sandals and showing off my feet, not so much abroad but definitely in the UK. Hence why I’m constantly swaying towards not buying these. They’re not cheap and I’ve heard mixed reviews about them rubbing, which isn’t something you want during the warmer weather. I think these will be shoes I’ll keep my eye on and if they go into the sale for a good price, I may snap them up!
There we have it guys, there’s my wish list for August! I know it’s nothing special, but I’m trying to be good with my money throughout the rest of the month.
What did you guys like the look of on my wish list, and what’s on yours? Make sure to let me know in the comments.
Until next time guys, take care and I’ll see you soon!
It’s now September and I know the kids are now officially back at school. FYI the weather is also rubbish, it’s 10am as I’m writing this on my day off (day before this post actually goes up!) and I NEED my light on to see what I’m actually doing. I feel sorry for the kids who have just has 6 weeks of crap weather. YUCK!
ANYWAY! I thought to go alongside the back to education post I did recently (which you can read here) I would write a bag ideas post too, so you have somewhere to store all that awesome stationary I talked about before. 😛
To be honest a lot of the bags I feature on this post are ones I’d buy myself if I was starting back at school, college or university. The prices will also range too due to this. I do understand that some of the bags on this list are very expensive, but it’s just to give an idea I guess on what kind of styles you could buy and use. Doesn’t mean that exact bag. 😛
On with the post… That has secretly made me want to buy new bags! Oh dear… 😛
Wow I’ve really kicked off this blog post with a HELLA expensive backpack, haven’t I? It is gorgeous though and is obviously 90’s inspired and follows the grunge trend. It looks to be quite a big bag though which in turn makes it perfect for education use. You can shove all your books in there as well as stationary and necessities. I just love the random patches all over the bag, but yes it is expensive for what it is… You could always find a black bag similar to this one and buy all sorts of patches on eBay or Etsy to iron or sew onto it!
I wasn’t sure whether to add this bag to the list or not due to it being a shopping bag, but hey! When I was at college and university I used bags similar to this one and they were great! Due to how big the ones I used were they were a perfect size for carrying books in and a pencil case or pens. It wasn’t anything over the top and it did the job. I saw this bag though and thought the pink and Moomin print on it was so cute and definitely one you could use at university to go to and from lectures with.
Although I’m not a Zelda gamer, I know A LOT of people who are and who were really excited when the new game came out with the Nintendo Switch. The main reason for adding this bag here is because of the type of bag it is. I had a bag exactly the same as this during my GCSE’s at school and I loved it so much! It was the exact same colour as this but it has a huge Green Day logo on the front… I was a massive fan okay!? The bag was huge though and you could fit everything in there including folders. I don’t know if this bag will be the same but it’d be a great bag to use during GCSE’s like I did and especially throughout college and university. It’s also a conversation starter when your’e meeting new people!
If you love holographic like myself then maybe a holographic backpack is the way forward? This would probably be more ideal for school due to how bright it is, but hey if you want to rock something like this as you get older then I salute you! I would have probably worn something like this at school and college and probably ended there. I love holographic, but I feel like a backpack would be a bit much at my age… God I make myself sound REALLY old. 😛
Don’t worry if you don’t know what an ita bag is, I will educate you! An ita bag is something that every anime mad girl in Japan will use and wear. The trend is now well and truly in the UK and myself included wants one. They come in various colours but I decided to use the black one as you can’t go wrong with that colour. Where the clear heart is on the front you use as a display window for badges, charms, keyrings etc of your favourite anime character(s). It’s a way to show off your love of a certain anime or just a certain character. I’d love to get a black one to put loads of Persona 5 charms in. I do think I’m too old for this trend now. If this came out when I was in university I may have contemplated getting into it, but alas I’m a little old now. 😛 This would be an amazing bag for someone starting secondary school to have. It would make for great conversation between anime fans. This would work out to be very expensive though, but at the same time it would make an amazing hobbie!
Iron Fist Wolfbeater Tote – £45.99 currently £28.99 (link)
I actually owned this bag many moons ago when I was at university and it was by far one of the best ones I owned! I still have it at my mom and dads house somewhere! It was huge and you have a few different ways to wear it too. Not only that but it’s like a Mary Poppins bag, you’ll never be able to find what you want straight away as it’s huge! You’d be able to keep folders, books, necessities and of course stationary in there without a worry. You can get all sorts of designs on this style of bag too, I just chose this one as this is the same one as mine.
I can’t say I agree with the faux fur look fashion wise… It looks tacky to me and yuck. BUT I put this down to the hideous fluffy sliders that have appeared this summer. This backpack has the faux fur trend all over it and although I’m not a massive fan of the trend, this bag is really cute in it’s own right. This could be worn by anybody and considering it’s by Missguided it’s probably going to be more fashion orientated and not as practical… But sod it! If you’re at university and live on site then this will definitely be a winner for you! You can carry your folder and look all American high schoolesque. 😛 If that wasn’t already a word… It certainly is now! 😛
So that’s some of my bag ideas for returning or even starting back in education. I can’t believe how quick the school holidays went, can you?
Do you have any bag recommendations for younger people than I? Make sure to tell me down below! Have you bought a new bag recently? If so let me know that too.
Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re having a great week!
Oh dear, I should really be saving my money… Especially when I’m getting closer to buying a house! I hate being a grown-up… >.<
I went out with my friend Sophie (HI SOPHIE!!! :D) for a much needed YO! Sushi, nerdy, and interior design window shopping. It was much needed as I’ve been so busy lately with work, and life in general that I haven’t seen her properly since after Christmas!
We had an amazing day, but I spent a little bit too much money… OOPS! I hope I don’t do the same again Sunday when I see Poppy… Fingers crossed. 😛
One of the items I picked up was from eBay, but I just HAD to mention it today as it was such a bargain I snatched up!
One of the first things I picked up before we went for food was this 2016 holographic diary, and pen from Paperchase. I don’t need a diary as I have my planner, but that’s for important things, this diary is going to be my “Bridget Jones diary” where I write in it everyday. As it is now pretty much two months into the year, I’m using the first few months as random pages to write ideas for my blog, interior ideas for when I get a house, etc. It was 30% off in the sale too, which wasn’t too bad. I recently found my diary from 2013, which I never finished as I had a lot of stuff going on, and just forgot about it. I read through the pages, and it reminded me of things I have forgotten about. So I want that again, especially this year with all the exciting things that are happening!
We ventured into a couple of the comic book shops in town, Forbidden Planet and Nostalgia Comics. I picked this AMAZING comic up from Nostalgia, and I didn’t even know of its existence! Bee and PuppyCat is a cartoon by Natasha Allegri which started off as a cartoon, and has now been turned into a comic! I literally gasped out loud, and pretty loudly too when I saw this, and snatched it up with both hands. There was only one copy left, so I’m glad I got it. I love Bee and PuppyCat, which was inspired by Adventure Time’s Fionna and Cake. I’ll drop a video down below so you can check it out.
Naughty me bought Benefit… And I said I wouldn’t… Sigh. I decided to do the 4 minis for £15 offer, one of the minis I gave to my mom (a mascara) and I picked up the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, It’s Potent Eye Cream, and Posie Tint Lip & Cheek Stain. I already LOVE Posie Tint and already know I want to buy the full product. I’m pretty sure I’ll be reviewing this at some point.
I also picked up The POREfessional License To Blot Instant Oil-Blotting Stick. I wanted to pick up Puff Off eye cream/gel, but they didn’t have any left in stock. So I decided to go for this instead. I used it this morning for work and it worked pretty well to be honest! I touched up with a bit of powder during my break, but I wasn’t as oily looking as I usually am, which I was really pleased about. Well worth picking up then!
I didn’t buy these yesterday, I actually picked them up after work. I was only going to buy the one item… I ended up leaving with all of these. Oh dear… I earned a lot of Boots points from it though so WOOHOO! I picked up a new face scrub for myself, and as I loved this so much last time I bought it I decided to repurchase it. It’s a 3 in 1 wash, scrub, and a mask I use the latter two. I didn’t know that Soap & Glory had brought out their Hand Food hand cream in the Sugar Crush scent! Yes it’s in a tiny 50ml bottle, but I don’t mind that at all as it can live in my hand bag, or on my bedside table happily! The main reason for me going into Boots in the first place was to pick up a clear mascara for my eyebrows. I’ve always used the Miss Sporty one and it’s always done me good, so like the face scrub, I repurchased it. Finally I picked up the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL lip gloss in shade Clearvoyant, which I’m sure you can guess is a clear shade. I’ve had my eye on it for a while now, but never seen it on offer until today. With £2.00 off I thought I’d finally pick it up for £8.00. I tried this not long after I got home and it feels and makes my lips look pretty nice. It has a fruity scent to it, and straight away I can feel my lips tingling and plumping. It’s nothing major from what I can see so far, but we shall see how it goes…
One of the first places me and Sophie went into after sushi was Tokyo Toys, (which I’m sure as you can guess from the name) is a store dedicated to all things Japanese, and kawaii! We bought a matching little black soot Totoro keychain, and I picked up a little Totoro holding a no face mask keychain. I was going to stick these little guys in my car, but I don’t want to now, so they’re going to sit with my massive Totoro plushie in my room. Yay!
Finally I’m showing off my eBay purchase, some more Black Milk Clothing leggings! Which I hope you can tell are mermaid leggings too. These are the Mermaid Midnight Leggings, which look black but aren’t 100% black. When you shine them in light the scales come up as a dark teal shade, which is pretty cool! These cost $80.00 AUD but I picked them up for £36, including postage and they’re BRAND NEW! I’m so damn pleased that I bid on them, and won them as I’d probably be kicking myself now. I’m going to wear them this weekend, and maybe get some pictures taken for a look book post.
So yeah, that’s everything I picked up when I went on my retail therapy shopping spree!
Have you bought anything nice recently? If so make sure to let me know what you’ve picked up recently.
Until next time all, take care and hope you’re all having a great week so far.
I said before I left for my holiday that from the start of December, until the last Wednesday before Christmas I would be posting Christmas present idea lists up on my blog. I’m not going to do your casual present guides, instead something a little different, and quirky. For my first list my boyfriend is here to give me a hand with a geeky guy present ideas! Him being a geek himself, this is pretty much his wish list for Christmas. So I hope you enjoy his choices, and they help you get any ideas for those geeky men in your life!
Howdy everybody! Natalee is still away on her holiday, so she has roped me in to do another post. It’s coming to that time of year where we openly let a fat bearded man into our homes and steal our milk and mince pies. I never understood why we do that but that thought is for another day!
With Christmas coming up I thought it would be a good idea to give people ideas on what presents to get a geeky guy like me. I know Nat has some difficulty getting me presents as I tend to buy stuff when and if I need it, and I am pretty sure it is the same for a lot of guys out there. My dad in particular is pretty hard to buy for as he isn’t really interested in much. So to give you ladies, and even guys a helping hand with what to get any of the neckbeard* men in your life.
*www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=neckbeard
Xbox Elite Controller
I’m an Xbox loyalist; I will state that straight away so forgive me if your man has another console or belongs to the master race (PC). I don’t believe there is an equivalent for the PS4 and the master race will always praise using mouse and keyboard so this is not for them. This is one thing that I am really looking forward to getting. The customisation, the responsiveness… It just looks cool, and so on. Just watch this official video:
The only drawback is the price, at £120 it is pretty steep for an accessory that most people probably don’t need. That is why I have asked for assistance with getting mine for Christmas, I could get it but I can’t justify buying it myself for the full price.
Star Wars Battlefront Special Edition PS4
I suppose an alternative is the Star Wars Battlefront Special Edition PS4. It just looks tasty with the Darth Vader print on the front, funky looking limited edition controller, and general presentation. It also gives me an excuse to be a double agent in the console wars. It is more expensive than the controller so it isn’t really an alternative at all, plus it will never beat the limited edition R2D2 Xbox 360 with sounds and lights. However, for those that want to splash the cash, for those who may be into it, and for those without a PS4 it is a great present. I know Nat really wants one for herself!
Nendoroids (and I suppose Pop! Vinyl Figures)
I am a bit of a snob when it comes to figures, even though I am new to collecting them. Due to this I don’t know names of other brands other than these two and could never see myself buying the proper expensive ones no matter how cool they look. They really would be too unfair on my bank account.
Personally, I dislike Pop! Vinyl figures. As the brand has grown in popularity the quality seems to have diminished. I don’t like the look of them, they are manufactured in greater quantity so the paintwork tends to be iffy at best, and there isn’t much to them other than they’re a potentially cute looking figure. They are very easy to buy, popular, and cheap brand of figures so yeah, go for it if you’re on a budget, or there is a particular figure that will appeal. Older figures like Nat’s Wall-E are really decent, whereas newer ones like the Colossal Titan seem badly made. If there was one I would get it would be the Brotherhood of Steel Pop! from the Fallout collection, as I have had my eye on it for a while. Otherwise I’ll tell you about Nendoroids, a figure that I think will give you a hell of a lot more for your buck.
For those that like a bit more quality to their figures, Nendoroids are the way to go. I already own a fair few of them; nearly all the Attack on Titan collection (just missing Cleaning Levi), both Kirito and Asuna from the Sword Art Online collection, Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, and the Star Wars Stormtrooper.
They are manufactured by a Japanese company called Good Smile so a lot of their products are based around manga and anime, making them the perfect gift for someone who loves that sort of stuff. They are incredibly well made, pose-able, and all come with unique accessories that reflect the character. Some examples being Solid Snake has a cardboard box, the Stormtrooper has a blaster, and Mikasa has her red scarf.
The drawbacks with Nendoroids are availability, price, and variety. You can see them at conventions (but be careful they’re not fake!), and very rarely in places like Forbidden Planet but the best place to get them is online. Always use trusted partners (http://partner.goodsmile.info/support/eng/partnershops/) or shops other people recommend like Sushi Noms, Crunchy Roll and so on. Due to the way Good Smile release them affects how easy to acquire they are. You will find it difficult to find older figures outside of eBay and even then they have a chance of being fake or overpriced. Speaking of price, they can be on the expensive side. For example, I got Nat a Mawaru Penguindrum (Google it) Nendoroid which I would consider quite rare for just over £20. That is good, right? On the other hand the Pokemon Red is priced up at £160… Yes, that much! Then there is the trouble of bootlegs which there is a major issue with. Good Smile does bootleg warnings which are great and helpful, but you still have to be careful. I fell victim to it using eBay. It looked real on the pictures, but I could tell instantly it wasn’t when it arrived, and returned it straight away.
Even though these are some issues, I still recommend Nendoroids over anything.
Games (Fallout 4, SW: Battlefront, Just Cause 3)
Games are a simple easy present to get. They are released constantly and if it were me I would be happy to receive any game, hell even Viva Pinata! Just check out the hype for the upcoming games and maybe take a little look at their current collection and it should give you a good idea on what sort of games they’re into. At the moment I am playing Fallout 4 and Star Wars: Battlefront and anyone would have a blast playing either of those. The problem with these though is they are out already and said person who you’ll be buying for will have most likely bought them already (like I have), so what do you get? Well one idea is to buy something similar to what they have already, no harm in that is there? An older game I want is the Master Chief Collection, I’m glad I didn’t get it at launch because it was shrouded in problems but they have fixed them and it would be a great addition to any Halo fan boy. I already own the original Xbox and 360 copies of Halo 1,2 and 3 so I would love to be able to play them on my Xbox One.
You could even go retro, have they ever spoken about the good old days playing the Sega Mega Drive or the Super Nintendo? You can find them pretty cheap on eBay, I got hold of a Mega Drive for £30 and it included 10 games. Mega nostalgia for any gamer!
What if you want to get something new for them? Or your partner has everything already? Or you don’t know the difference between Battlefield and Battlefront? Or you can’t work out why you shouldn’t get Duke Nukem Forever?
Well the answer to that really is Just Cause 3. Why? You ask. Because explosions. Every man wants to be Antonio Banderas and not look at explosions and this game gives you all of that with no risk of being branded a terrorist or creepy for trying to be Antonio Banderas.
Antonio Banderas isn’t actually in this but I think the character is based on his [film career] life. It is a silly game that you shouldn’t take seriously, but that is what makes it fun. I have played the two original games and they are beautiful and amazingly fun to play another game that anyone would love to play. I am actually looking forward to it coming out in December. That is why I am suggesting it as whoever you may buy it for won’t have it just yet so it makes a perfect present to get. Just make sure they haven’t pre ordered it!
The best advice I can give for when buying games is to ask them straight up what, if any, games they would like. Then you have no trouble. It may ruin the surprise, but if they are anything like me I appreciate the thought that you want to get something I am actually interested in rather than having to feign happiness that you got me Ride to Hell: Retribution because you saw I liked Sons of Anarchy (FYI: It is a terribly bad, bad, bad, bad, baaaaaaad game).
If you really want to surprise the gamer, make the notes of what games they have and go into any gaming store. GAME staff in particular are incredibly helpful and although they want you to buy stuff regardless, I still feel like they want to help you.
GAME Gift Cards
When I say game store, I don’t specifically mean the chain of stores. You can buy vouchers for pretty much all the major game outlets. Xbox store, PlayStation Network, and Steam all have gift cards available, and depending on what system they use you can tailor it to them. If all else fails, get GAME gift cards. Anything that helps me buy more is always welcome.
Portal Board Game
I recently got this to play with Nat, but we haven’t got round to playing it yet. It took a while to understand the rules, we were tired and it was late so please forgive us for not being able to truly review it. Most gamers and geeks will know about the video game Portal, so this is a brilliant gift for any fan of the series. Valve, the creators of the series, are probably one of the biggest hitters in the gaming industry so you can’t miss what they have released. Not sure when it released but I had no idea about it until I randomly spotted it in a Games Workshop. It looks fun and I hope we get round to playing it soon. It would be a great gift to open on Christmas and play with the family.
Stormtrooper Costume
I don’t really know what to say to persuade anyone to buy this…
A full PVC outfit of a Stormtrooper with holster and blaster would be fudging amazing! I have always wanted one, but that price is a bit painful on the soul, if I had one…
Stocking Fillers/Novelty Clothing
These are awesome little ideas that you could buy someone. I know that I have largely focused on gamers with a heavy dosing of Star Wars but this is really for any geek. There are tons of websites and shops out there to get little presents and random bits of clothing.
Just look on the websites for whatever they are into and you can easily find something. If it is clothing I would recommend sticking with T-shirts as not all nerds and geeks are confident enough to walk around wearing a Naruto jacket, a Survey Corps hoody, or even like having to explain what their clothing is from. Most people don’t understand how adults can be into these “childish cartoons”. Not even when Lucy from Elfen Lied tears people in half creating a bloody massacre whilst strolling naked through a military complex. T-shirts allow people to express their interests, yet be able to cover up when visiting grandparents. There is nothing more awkward than having to explain over a cup of tea why the cake is a lie. Just don’t put them in that position!
Stay with me here and give me a chance to explain.
I don’t necessarily mean buying your partner a commode and letting them excrete into a bucket, unless you really want to. I mean giving them the gift of letting them zone out and enjoy their games. Book a day off work for them (and yourself), keep up their supply of Monster and Doritos (possibly with melted cheese), and take an interest in what their playing. I know it is hard to just watch someone play but having support from loved ones means a lot, it’s the thought that counts. Hell, you could even empty the bucket for them…
I joke.
So there you have it, my quick gift guide for that special geeky person in your life. I don’t want this to be limited to just guys as I’m sure some women out there would appreciate the intricacies of a poop bucket. So if you have a geeky guy or girl hopefully they would appreciate some of these things that I myself would love to receive from the bizarro burglar know as Santa.
Ciao for now!
Thanks again to Dane for writing this post for me! The last present idea really did make me giggle! What did my readers think of his ideas? Make sure to let me know in the comments, Dane will be reading them whilst I’m away on holiday.
I’m away for another week yet so I’ll see you all when I get back! Take care.
There Might Be Coffee 