[MailCall Monday] 7th August 2017

Notebook & Pen Swap

I received my swap parcel for the Notebook and Pen Swap hosted by Jessica over at The Paper Trail Diary.

I was partnered with Emma, from A Cornish Geek and we were tasked with selecting notebooks & pens based on each others preferences, packaging them up, and mailing them off; before the deadline of August 7th.

Emma stated a preference for hardbacked A5 or greater notebooks, containing plain paper pages, hopefully in pastel colouring, and preferably featuring a literary or motivational quote. 

This seemed like it should be a super easy request to fulfill but for some reason I really struggled! I tried all the usual suspects: Paperchase, WH Smith, The Works, TK Maxx, Tiger, various online small businesses who stock stationery, both Asda & Tesco’s large stationery & back to school ranges, amongst others but had little success. Eventually I realized I was going to have to cheat a little, and I hope she didn’t mind! 

Anyway, enough about that! Let’s get on with admiring the goodies that Emma selected for me, shall we?

Inside a big bubble mailer I found a fabulous A4 bright pink notebook emblazoned with MAKE THINGS HAPPEN in gold foiling, isn’t it marvellous?

The cute ribbon markers are incredibly useful for splitting sections or marking places, don’t you think?

Interestingly, she had similar thoughts on pens as I did (remember the pens I mentioned here recently? Well, this is the swap they were for) and these colourful ballpoints will be very well used!
Lastly, can I just draw attention to the delightful notecard?

How did she know that Dolly is my Spirit Animal?? 😂😂
I look forward to using those pens for writing many important notes, on the things that I am going to make happen, in my swish new notebook. 

Book Swap

July was Book Swap month in Jocelyn from The Reading Residence ‘s #BringBackPaper campaign.

I was paired with Kathryn, AKA BookwormAndTheatreMouse , and the challenge was to select and send each other a preloved fiction book. The only clues we received was the other’s least favourite genre, so we knew what to avoid. Kathryn admitted to not being much of a SciFi fan, so I skipped the bookshelf full of distant planets and robot overlords, then chose a copy of a thriller I enjoyed reading a few months back. I packaged it up with some tea and chocolate, because what’s the point of settling down with a new book without making yourself comfortable? and sent it off.

Meanwhile, the lovely Kathryn was doing exactly the same; so I came home from work one evening to find an interesting looking bubble envelope, emblazoned with the #BringBackPaper hashtag, waiting for me.

 

I received a copy of INDIGO DONUT by Patrice Lawrence, I haven’t read it and the blurb sounds intriguing.

In Bailey’s opinion, Indigo didn’t look like she needed a hero. One by one, she looked Mona, Saskia, Betti and Kay in the eye. Then she gave them the finger, slow motion. Headphones on again, she sauntered off towards the science wing. He’ll. That was … She was …

Indigo lives with her foster mum, Keely. When she meets Bailey at sixth form, serious sparks fly, but Indigo has a secret that could ruin everything between them before it’s even begun.

Bailey‘s blown away by Indigo; she’s so different to other girls. But when Bailey becomes the target of a homeless man who knows more about Indigo’s past than is normal, he is forced to make an impossible choice.

I’m looking forward to reading this as I enjoyed Orangeboy, the first novel by Patrice Lawrence. (I think everyone else enjoyed it too, since it won a Waterstones Book Prize and was shortlisted for many others.)

Important Paperwork

Midweek, I received written details of the amendment to my terms and conditions of employment. Basically, it’s just confirmation of my start date, job title, new location & pay grade.

I pick up my swanky new uniform when I start next Monday.

Some EXTRA Beauty

Birchbox’s discount code for July entitled users to an extra mystery box. Mine wasn’t delivered alongside my July box, but their customer service team were on the ball and soon sorted it out; and the courier dropped it off just as I was heading to work on Friday.

The EXTRA box I received was actually June’s Daytripping Birchbag; a delightful pastel zippered pouch; inspired by Brighton Beach and it’s chalk-coloured beach huts, sorbet ice-creams and dreamy watercolour sunsets.

 

Inside my lovely Birchbag I found:

• A full-size MEECH AND MIA Brow Liner, in shade #21 (RRP £12.99)
• A full-size 50ml tube of COWSHED Cow Pat moisturising hand cream (RRP £18)
• A 50g sachet of SCRUB LOVE Invigorating Coffee Body Scrub
• A set of ECOTOOLS Enhancing Eye Brushes (RRP £6.99)
• And a dinky 2.5ml sample jar of BOBBI BROWN EXTRA Eye Repair Cream 

As I mentioned, I received this free of charge, but full price would have been £10 plus £2.95 p&p. Given that 3 items were full-size products worth a total of £27.98 AND it came in such a delightful & very useable bag, I think this one was a real bargain for anyone who received this June offering!

If you fancy trying Birchbox for yourself, you can save £5 off your first box by signing up via my referral link (Birchbox also credit my account with a small amount to spend in their online store)

Even MORE Beauty : August Birchbox

Given that Saturday morning was the third time in a week that the same delivery guy was met at the door by a frightful vision of unmadeupness, he is probably wondering why I buy all these Beauty Boxes….

This time he was bringing my August Birchbox; the choose-your-preference item this month was a Spectrum brush, in one of two colourways; as usual I ticked the ‘Surprise Me!’ box, so I’m eager to see which colour of brush I received and what else is enclosed.

You can see my full unboxing of August’s themed Birchbox here.
So, that was the contents of my mailbox this week, what about yours?

Until next time,

Hugs, Crafty xx