Rainbows just make everything seem better…

There’s no denying it, 2021 has started off just as hard as 2020 turned out to be, even harder if anything. Many of us having our wobbles from time to time, but then, out pops a rainbow to remind you that it doesn’t always have to be dark, there is hope, there is a brightness, and that the world will basque in it’s own colourful way once again. Rainbows have become the symbol of hope in all of this, as well as the symbol of gratitude towards all who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect ours.

For a long time, our boy has wanted a Rainbow-themed bedroom, even before it became a thing, and I intended to explore this at some point, kill two birds with one stone, cater for our boy’s rainbow needs whilst writing up a new post. But with the rainbow becoming the symbol of hope in such a crazy time, quirky crafters have gone above and beyond to bring this hope to life within their creations.

Our children are our rainbows, our hope for a better world, so I thought it appropriate to start with this bright and beautiful rainbow dress. It is so adorable. How can you possibly look at this frock and not smile?!

I have loved seeing rainbows infiltrate homes, and let’s face it, we are spending a lot more time at home than ever before. If ever there was a time to add colour and vibrance to our abodes, this is it! This chopping board is gorgeous, I love that it has a practical use, but it looks amazing just as a piece of decor too to be honest.

Another practical decorative piece, this rainbow suncatcher is just perfect. Spot on in it’s design to place in the window. I have a sweet little soft for this one. Beautiful colouring, the golden warmth of the sunshine, the turquoise tints in the blue sea. Love it!

And how about this for a door mat? It works so well, if it’s at a front door right now, it is in-keeping with the symbolism of hope, but also when we are allowed to open our doors to visitors again, it’ll be the perfect welcome.

Oh I just couldn’t resist adding this gorgeous little thing to my post. These quirky little gnomes have taken the world by storm over the last year and people have gone crazy for them. Often called Gonks, which is a funny name, and I find it weird that they don’t have faces! But this one is so bright, so funky, rainbow vibes are shooting from it in every direction. If I bought this one, I’d definitely display it in the window for all who pass to see and admire. An adorable little chunk of funk!

When I found this topiary tree I did an eeeek with excitement kind of sound! The colours are stunning, and what a beautiful splash of colour to add to a hallway or wherever else you would add a fake little tree I suppose, a windowsill, conservatory! Gorgeous!

I saw this cheeky little chappy and thought he deserved a spot in here. Click through and you’ll see this design on a few products, but I think it works really well on a chopping board. A different colouring to usual rainbows, but I think the under-stated colours match the more neutral-coloured kitchens these days. I love colour in my kitchen, but a lot of people opt for grey these days.

These are aaaaawesome!! I love that you can create your own colour pattern, no rules, and you can place your colours where you want them! A chance to unleash your inner designer…but colouring is also known to be quite therapeutic too isn’t it? And in a time like this, we’ll look for anything that de-stresses and gives our mind a little restbite! They are for children, but the sizes reach my size sooo I guess little adults like me could give them a go 😉

Now this is something I absolutely adore. Many other quirky little play sets to choose from, but this one is all about rainbows so I had to include it. It’s called Rainbow Fairy Playbox, and I think it is fabulous. I have had to include both pictures to show it off properly.

Jigsaw puzzles have always been something I like having in the house. I very rarely get a chance to do them, but I’m sure as the little one gets older, they’ll be something we can enjoy doing together. This one is so funky, so quirky, I love the shape of it. At 750 pieces, it is challenging enough for most puzzlers! I actually quite like the hand holding the rainbow, quite symbolic, don’t you think? We hold the hope in our own hands!

Turquoise is my favourite colour, so this was going to grab my attention! I love the use of the rainbow as the top part, it looks fab! It has a lovely cut, cinches in at the waist and I think it would look quite cute in Summer!

I added this cute little rainbow patch in because it kept smiling at me in my favourites 🙂 And it is a cat, shaped and coloured to look like a rainbow, can it get any more quirky?!! Lovely bit of quirky colour to add to an otherwise boring garment though!

I thought this was unusual. Rainbow colours twisted and turned, quirkily positioned, and kind of looks like the top of a butterfly perhaps! Quite a funky piece!

I actually couldn’t decide which one of these to showcase in this blog. They are from the same artist so ideally would have picked just one. Having asked my followers on Facebook and Instagram which one they were more drawn to, I think this toadstool came out on top, but only just, it seemed to be a mixed bag, so thought, might as well add them all in! I would have created a neat little gallery block for them, but you’ll have to excuse my lack of knowledge on how this blog template works! I will learn what to do before my next post! They are hand-drawn and hand-stitched, and I just can’t get enough of them, they are stunning!

Another piece of art that grabbed my attention and didn’t let go was this beauty right here. A rainbow twist on an already beautiful piece of art. I love the words, and thought, these are the words I need to finish this blog on…after the storm comes a rainbow. Let’s hope so.

Quirky Florist with Winning Ideas…for Every Occasion

Seeing small businesses giving it their all to cope and build themselves up again during this pandemic, I was trying to think of a way I could do something to help. I thought a little competition would be cool, a little outside the box, but I invited quirky small businesses to compete for a chance to win an expose of their business in a bid to give them a little boost in these uncertain times.

I had a great response, many businesses commented on my Facebook post with the quirkiest product they had to offer and I loved looking at them all. I let my little boy (I mean quirky assistant!) dress up as a wizard and he pulled out a name from his magician’s hat. And we had a winner, truthfully, I would have been happy to write about any of the contenders, such a diverse range of businesses, but the winner was Dale Evers from Every Occasion, and this excited me, a chance to explore the quirkiness of a florist business and it’s blooms intrigued me.

The first thing I did after announcing the winner was check out their Facebook page and went for a little wander in their photos. You can imagine how overjoyed I was to see so much quirky on the winner’s page! This was the first thing I spotted and I did a little dance! Ladybirds are adorable creatures, I love them, if you add ladybirds to anything, it just gives them a quirky edge. Scrolling down a little more and I saw more funky fish bowls.
“The fish bowls are all my own ideas and thought would be nice for kids also with fairies or the dinosaurs, I’m also going start doing children’s parties so they can make their own bowls”
I love the idea of these creative children parties, such a quirky experience!

It doesn’t just stop at fish bowls, I saw a whole host of quirky cactus displays. So unusual, unique gift ideas for sure. And for those people who can’t keep plants alive, a cactus is probably a safer bet! Can you spot the one inspired by Tiger King?

Since becoming a fan of their Facebook page, my newsfeed gets brightened up by their beautiful, vibrant, colourful bouquets. I found that they have some unusual ways of displaying their bunches of blooms too. From hat boxes to heart-shaped boxes, but these envelope boxes grabbed my quirky attention!

I was intrigued to know what is the most unusual plant / flower Dale had worked with. There are some quirky ideas floating around here so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I wasn’t disappointed with the answer.
“The most unusual flower would probably be the dyed ones I’m doing at the minute as you can play with them until you get the colour desired and no two are ever the same”
I absolutely love this cosmic range of blooms, absolutely stunning!

“I would most like to work with flowers from tropical climates, India, Thailand ect as they’re more rare to buy over here”
I’m sure they will make their way to this florist, but when you can make your own funky colours and make otherwise simple flowers stand out from the crowd yourself, who needs tropical flowers!!

I would imagine one of the times this process could come in handy would be for weddings, especially when a fussy bride wants to match her flowers to her colour scheme and wants them to be spot on…I may have been one of those brides!! But when I questioned which was Dale’s favourite wedding to work on, it was a lovely response.
“My favourite wedding was the sunflower one as it was for a good friend and she said as long as it’s got sunflowers do what you want”
Sunflowers are definitely the happiest, sunniest flowers to choose for a wedding.

One of the things that stood out the most to me were the pumpkins, and I thought straight away, these must have been table arrangements for a wedding, beautiful blooming pumpkins! But these are an Every Occasion special and I adore them.
“the pumpkins I do every year from start of October and people go mad for them”
I even spotted pictures of a pumpkin arrangement workshop on their page, a fabulously unique experience, I’d love to join in. Shame I live soooo far away or I’d sign up for this experience!

I also saw wreath creation workshops, another fun, unusual experience for the locals. This florist definitely knows how to bring fun, flowers and people together. There were two wreaths I was drawn to for their uniqueness and beauty. The peacock wreath is so unusual, very pretty, and peacocks are bang on trend at the moment. And the other one was the musical notes one, soooo me, I love music, music is life, and I will always be drawn to quirky musical creations and products.
“The musical one was for my own door as my husband plays every instrument going … and they’re my own creations from me”

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I have been so inspired by writing this post, I have already added some ornaments to my flower pots, and I’m about to go plant a rose in my very weedy garden. If you are in the Kimberworth area, support this florist, support this business, it’s been given this Quirky Shopper‘s badge of approval! Oh and news just in, Every Occasion is looking into posting their beautiful bouquets all over the UK come September, so even more of you lovely people will be able to support this wonderful business. So what are you waiting for?… get over to their Facebook page, Every occasion, and show some quirky love…pretty please with a cherry on top!

A world of quirky imagination…

We are massive den builders in our house. My five year old has a den kit and so I have built many dens in different shapes and sizes over lockdown in particular. It has made mundane rainy days more fun for definite. He also has a teepee that has had a huge amount of use over the last few months, a shelter from the sun when we’ve been outside, and an extension to his indoor dens too! If you have children in your house, you will know how valuable dens, playhouses and tepees etc are for bringing smiles to your children’s faces… and give you a bit of time out too!

My boy would be in his element with this one. It’s like an oldy worldy hut that Royalty may have stayed in whilst waiting to go to battle! But then dress it up and it could be a Princess’s palace. This really does open up a world of possibilities with a bit of imagination.

This tepee is whimsical, it’s beautiful and looks like a little fairy house. The colours are vibrant and pretty. It has butterflies, oh how I love my butterflies! It even has a quirky little flower-shaped window, so adorable. I can imagine it looking so magical with little fairy lights dotted around. A real treat for a little one’s senses.

And how’s this for a little cowboy or cowgirl?! It used to be a favourite theme of play when I was younger, in school, playdates etc and I’ll take a guess that it’s still popular these days. Our boy would just love going through the swing doors!

This one gives me vintage feels, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Holly Hobbie popping out of it to say hello! The dreamcatcher on the top is a nice touch, especially if your little one finds it a comfy place to have a nap. Very boho chic, the frills, the tassels, pastel colours, elegant and cute.

This lovely little house makes me think of the three little pigs! Such a cool playhouse because your chid (you!) can actually build the house up yourself! This is very much up my, I mean, my child’s street 😉 Great for imaginative play and for developing building skills and making connections in their little brains!

This does have a more traditional look, the type of wigwam that may have been built for us in the garden when we were children. I like that this one is made out of willow, it looks sturdy, durable, and it blends in well out in nature, I know not everyone can set up a tepee in their own woodland, but it does look good against this backdrop!

This is an unusual shape for a den, looks so cosy though. And stars will always get my vote. Looks like the perfect little hideaway for your little people! It has pivoting axes so it can be transformed in to different shapes, how cool is that?! I would prefer a more vibrant colour if I was ordering this myself, but other than that, I think this might hit the top spot for me!

Ok, this is a bit out there, especially as a child’s playhouse, but I’ve made it my mission to find the most unusual things out there, and this is definitely unusual. Very modern and clean-looking, but the cut-outs and light glowing through gives it a certain charm. Seems extremely spacious too.

This is a cute idea, and achievable for those of us who are a bit more limited in den space! Many different themes and designs available so worth having a look around at this type. So clever how it fits over a table to create a little playhouse. This zoo one caught my eye, vibrant and colourful with oodles of cuteness!

Or how about this one for the cute factor? Who wouldn’t want to be a food van person? just like playing shop, but cooler! Great playhouse to get out indoors for playdates or outdoors for fun times with the neighbours’ children. A fire truck is also available if your little one fancies themselves a firefighter!

I know that there are soooo many more gorgeous playhouses and tepees out there that I haven’t even mentioned in here, but they are ones you would have all seen by now. I would hazard a guess that you might not have come across most of these. If I’m wrong, I will do better next time 😉

I’d ‘bee happy’ to show you some quirky bees!

Bees are growing in popularity in the design world, buzzing around on everything, but sadly not the same in the real world, it is increasingly becoming a worry that the bee population is declining…and what happens to the world and it’s inhabitants (us!) if they do become extinct? It’s a scary prospect! The trend shows that there is interest there in preserving bees, so let’s give these adorable and clever little creatures a fighting chance. It’s World Bee Day today so seemed apt to publish this post on this day!

Cake is always a good place to start! I know we’re not being allowed to celebrate with parties etc at the moment, but cakes are going nowhere, and this cake topper is fabulous. Even if it’s a birthday in lockdown, you needn’t sacrifice on the grandeur a very classy cake topper can give your cake! I would like to see the cake beneath this topper have a generous drizzle of honey on it, it would just make sense!

Cake and music are getting most people through this unusual situation. This is a record player slip mat, I think it’s gorgeous. Retro vibes in it’s colouring and style of drawing…the perfect design for an old school music player!

Bees styling it out in retro vibes here again. This corduroy pinafore is gorgeous, love the cut, the style, not my usual colour, but on this, it works beautifully. It says it’s mustard, but shall we pretend for the purpose of this post that it’s honey-coloured?!

If you get the dress, and have a dog, you may want to go all matchy matchy and don a quirky bee collar on your pooch too! It’s like I always say, why have plain and boring when you can quirky?! Even dogs like to be on trend!

Why stop at the dog? Give your phone a little buzzy bee make-over too! This is a happy case, I really like it. It is cute, but I guess us grown-ups could get away with it…with us being quirky and all haha!

I love ties, and this one is super funky. The yellow classy bees on the dark blue is gorgeous. Quite often, men don’t get to show their personality in their outfits like us ladies do, so a tie is the only part of an outfit that gives us a glimpse into their character. These bees would give me an idea that they do have a kooky and fun side, but that they also have a sophistication to them too.

Bees totally belong in the garden, it is the perfect place to display bee-themed decor. This is such a quirky decoration. The rustiness adds to it’s charm I think. I love the whole design, the hive with the bees on a branch, it is a stunning piece of garden art.

From rusty and classy to bright and beautiful. These are quite striking bees, perfect if you would like to add a gorgeous splash of sunny colour to a bland part of the garden! They give me Summer vibes, they make me smile.

You know I can’t resist a quirky suncatcher, and this bee is fabulous. Perfect for hanging in the window, a bridge of nature between the outside and in. I bet the colours that sparkle off this would be like golden honey oozing into your home.

Wow, I didn’t know there was such a variety of bees. Love this print, very educations. Great little addition to a little one’s room or study perhaps. Great style, clearly labelled, love the added touches of honeycomb. Gets a thumbs up from me!

Oh I do love these wellies, these are for girls, wish they were ladies sizes, they’re gorgeous! Cool colours, pretty design, perfect for Summer rainy days don’t you think?

How’s this for a quirky drawer knob?! Vintage vibes, classy golden colour, it would definitely add a bit of snazz and quirkiness to a piece of furniture! This is right up my quirky street. What I like about them is that they would look fab in any room of the house, sophisticated enough to deemed grown-up decor, but cute enough for a child’s bedroom.

Funky mug coming up. This screams bee happy…quite literally, it has it written on it! But even without the words, this would be the image I would get if you were to say to me ‘bee happy’! I love the oozing honey, the cutie little bees, it is a cup you would enjoy drinking out of, especially if it had a slice of cake or a couple of biccies next to it!

These are adorable coasters. Cute, friendly, positive. They would make a fab gift idea if you wanted to send someone some love and positive vibes! I love the shape too, honeycomb shapes are just perfect for bee-themed products!

If any of you want to buy me jewellery, this rose gold bee bracelet would be spot on!! So delicate and cute, but still has an element of sophistication. I am petite, so dainty jewellery suits me better. Truly gorgeous.

Well these are different, I have very tiny nails so these press-on ones would be fab! It’s an unusual theme for nails, but between the bees and the honey, it goes. They are a bit out there, but then that’s what I’m here to find!

I adore this piece of art. The bee is adorable, but there’s a feel of nostalgia about it. It reminds me of artwork I would have seen in books and on walls as a child, it takes me right back to the eighties. It’s a very happy picture, you can’t help but smile when you look at it.

Love this classy little stamp. If you are sending post at the moment, this would add a touch of joy to your parcels and letters! Spreading the bee happy message wherever it goes! It would be lovely just on a plain card as well if you fancied dabbling in some handmade arty projects, cards etc.

If you do start feeling the need for creativity, this unique little paint by numbers (for adults and older children) looks like something cool to try. I’m not much of an artist, but I do think I could enjoy this. And the end result is beautiful.

This is so sweet. What a clever and quirky way to display a beautiful stamp. It’s promoted as a piece of art, but I do like the idea of attaching it to a chain of some sort, it would make a rather quirky statement piece necklace!

I love love love this top! Also available in white, I wasn’t sure which colour to showcase here, but I would be more likely to choose the black for myself. The colours are beautiful, it is a work of art on a t-shirt, such a unique design. I could see this as a tattoo too, it is very pretty.

This is a kooky modern piece of art! Kind of a framed sculpture I suppose. Love the friendliness of the font, the style is very happy. I’m not heavily into sculptures, but I could actually see this up on my wall, it’s cute.

I would definitely be happy to have these in my kitchen. They have a lovely, almost shabby chic, look to them. They’d look gorgeous in a farmhouse or country cottage kitchen, but they’re not too over-styled in this way that they can’t fit in in a standard kitchen like mine!

This is a very unique and wonderful little sock knitting set. Comes with the alpaca yarn needed to make the honeycomb socks, quirky little bee stitch markers and a bee themed bag to hold them! At a time when a lot of people are twiddling their thumbs and learning new crafts and skills, a gift like this would certainly make someone smile.

I have come across tea cosies in the past, but this is the first time I’ve seen a cafetiere cosy! And with a lot of getting better acquainted with our gardens and opting for al-fresco breakfasts, this could be perfect for keeping your coffee warm on the chillier mornings. I love the yellow on blue combo, they really are a perfect match, and it is such a gorgeous design.

Such a gorgeous needle holder. The fabric is beautiful, very sophisticated. It would make a beautiful gift. The bees on this are the friendliest-looking of all the bees, chubby and fluffy. So cute! This looks very well-made, if I did knit, I’d be very tempted by this, and I’m sure it would be very handy to keep things organised.

This is called a hug in a trug, and I couldn’t think of a better name for it. It is a comforting selection of gift, all celebrating our buzzy little bees. I love the quirky beehive candle, that’s probably my favourite part. I would be extremely proud to give this as a gift, and I’d be very happy to receive it!

This has got to be one of the best baby mobile I’ve ever seen. It’s got so much class and character. A unique theme for a nursery, but I like it, bees are so cute. This can be painted in a choice of colours, I’d be tempted with the rose gold, I have a lot of love for rose gold at the moment!

I am seriously tempted to get this temporary tattoo. I’m not a tattoo fan in general, I definitely wouldn’t have the guts to get one, but a temp one would be cool! I really like this one, it’s quite sweet.

Such a beautiful piece of art, I love it. So much beauty. I love the flowers, they add a bit of quirky prettiness to the piece. She kinda looks like the queen bee to me, with a crown of flowers upon her! I am quite sure if you had this hanging on your wall, even the smallest of glances would entice a smile.

I know there’s not an actual bee on this super quirky clock, but honeycomb brings bees to the mind instantly, so 100% belongs in this blog post. I would be so happy to display this in my home. It’s an unusual shape, the colours are spot on, and it is a work of art as well as a clock. Love it.

These coasters are soooo up my quirky street. They have class and character, such a gorgeous gift idea. Very similar to the clock above in their colouring and style. Love, love, love them. I love the use of wood on these bee products, they match the nature vibe!

After writing this, I might just go all out bee and decorate my kitchen full of bees and honeycomb. It is a happy theme, it has a lot of versatility. The kitchen is one of my happy places anyway, it’s where I lose my mind in music and cooking, so it would be the perfect room in my house to ‘bee happy’! Hope these finds have created some smiles, inspired ideas and more importantly, I hope they have and will encourage you to bee happy! Oh, and save the bees!!

Spring feel-good vibes…in a quirky way!

With Spring around the corner here in Wales, I wanted to capture some of the feel good quirkiness that we have available to us, and create a big ray of sunshine that will leave you feeling good, feeling happy and feeling positive.

What makes us feel good? What makes us look forward to Spring?

From what I’ve gathered, nature is at the fore-front of what makes people tick about Spring, the fresh blooms breathing new life into the landscapes around us. For me at least, once Christmas and it’s magic is over, I look forward to Spring. I look forward to brighter mornings, brighter evenings, better weather, it’s freshness. I also enjoy the little warmth it brings, a nice change from the colder seasons!

A new season brings new hopes, new dreams, a chance to start-over and to see yourself in a brand new way, a positive way. But sometimes, we need a nudge in this direction, and we often need to be reminded to be kind to ourselves. This is such a beautiful feel-good kit. Not only does it have a wonderful sentiment, I have found that having something creative to do lifts my mood, and encourages a healthier mind-set. I know sewing isn’t for everyone, but this kit looks quite simple and you’ll get something very pretty and meaningful to keep at the end of it.

Sometimes it takes a work of art to rekindle an emotion and to give you that feel-good factor. I think this colourful artwork would at the very least brighten up an otherwise dull spot, but it would also give you the strength to believe in yourself and to appreciate that you do have a choice and that everything you choose to do should ultimately lead to happiness. Butterflies are a favourite of mine too and they along with the birds, just give this artwork that Spring feel, when nature starts spreading it’s joy.

It wouldn’t be a feel-good post without a bit of alcohol would it?! This Gin glass oozes Spring feels. Coupled with a bottle of Gin, it would make the perfect Spring Feel Good gift! It stands out from the crowd, it’s a happy glass and it’s only fitting that it is enjoyed by a happy person!

I am definitely feeling the good vibes from this weekly planner stickers kit. It’s pretty, it’s freshly floral, it gives you the impression that Spring is definitely in the air. You’ll feel good when you’re planning the week, ad you’ll be reminded of those good vibes throughout the week with this cheerful stickers.

This is probably up there as one of my favourite finds for this post. I would wear it myself. It’s cute, it’s cheerful, and it’s not too chunky! I can imagine it making other people smile when they saw it. It would create an aura of happiness around you, and people like happy people don’t they?!

As well as being happy, I’m a massive fan of being kind! Kindness costs nothing, and you can be kind at any time of the year, but I found this temporary tattoo and thought it worth including in this post. It’s not a particularly quirky tattoo, but they are beautiful words, and beautiful words make you feel good! I’ve been trying to interpret this saying, and this is what I’ve come up with. A Spring day gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, a feeling of hope that just makes you feel good, and when someone says something kind to you, well, you get the same joyful smile on your face. If you can improve on this interpretation, I’d be more than happy to include it! I asked the question on my own Facebook profile and I’ve given a few interpretations, it is thought that it means a refreshing uplift of light, leaving behind the darkness (winter/negativity). I have also been given the notion that it is a promise of better things to come. Whatever it means, I think it’s a wonderful saying and I’m glad I have come across it.

I couldn’t resist adding this cute work of art in. You don’t usually associate hedgehogs with Spring, they are a creature we usually see in Autumnal designs, but this is so ‘Spring’ in it’s colours and blooms. The smile on the hedgehog’s face makes you smile too. You get the sense of joy it feels making friends with a butterfly. I love the use of flowers instead of spikes, it’s such a gentle, calm, soothing vision. It would look cute in a Nursery or child’s bedroom don’t you think?

Now this is something I would have up in my bedroom. I adore it. I love butterflies, they’re so pretty, and the colouring is very ‘Spring’! The best thing about this products is that there are no rules in regards to how you place them, they are transfers so they can be stuck in any order, dotted around the room if that’s what you prefer. I like the way they have showcased them around this mirror though, the wording just fits nicely with where you would look at yourself. We all like to be told we’re beautiful, well, Mirror Mirror on the wall and all that, this transfer will help you see your own beauty staring back at you.

Isn’t it wonderful that you can literally give someone the gift of being happy? Whether you’re into gardening or not, this little grow your own sunflowers kit is such a beautiful sentiment, I dare anyone not to smile and be happy when they receive it. Sunflowers are always associated with joy and sunshine, so it makes sense that they would be the flower of choice to include in a feel-good set such as this one!

Cherry trees are one of my favourite trees, I love how they bloom, it’s a short-lived beauty, but definitely one of the most beautiful wonders of nature in Spring. This is a crystal tree that has rose quartz and cherry quartz crystals on it. I’ve looked into the benefits of these stones and rose quartz are thought to promote self love, heal the heart and raise self-confidence. Cherry quartz is thought to purify energy, it can absorb negative energy which makes it the perfect stone to help purify things. After looking into the benefits, I’m quite tempted to get this tree myself!

This little thing here is such a ray of sunshine. It blooms with happiness. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what a needleminder was until I looked into it, it’s just a happy little place to keep a sewing needle safe. The colours are vibrant and I bet you would feel good every time you start a sewing project because as you go to get your needle to get started, you’ll be greeted with this fantastic smile!

I love this selection of cards, I know this particular seller sells similar styled greeting cards too, but these are affirmation cards, designed to enhance positivity and create a healthy mindset. They’re a nice size, so can be used as a happy little book-mark or even pin it up next to your work-space or somewhere where you can look at it and be given a little nudge in the right direction. The designs are quirky in their own right, but the flowers and outdoorsy look give them a Spring-time vibe.

For some reason, flowers give us joy. When you’re ill, feeling low, bereaved…flowers are the go-to gift, maybe more for women than men, but these would make a wonderful keepsake alternative to a real bunch of flowers. You can add a note to anyone, it’s not necessarily just for Mummies! I love that you can add your own cute little messages on the stems that would make them unique.

Here’s another alternative to a real bunch of blooms, with an added little bunny character too. Other colours available, but this one gives me the most Spring vibes. I love that these are flowers you can keep for years to come. They won’t wilt, they won’t be thrown out in a week or so, they are a gesture that will keep on giving for a long time.

I shared something similar to this on my Facebook page the other day, but I saw this and thought it was perfect for this particular post. This is the garden play kit. These kits are designed to stimulate imaginative play, which of course will make the little ones feel good! The butterflies, bees, ladybirds and flowers give it a Spring vibe. It’s a quirky gift idea, I haven’t seen anything like this before.

These boots are so different. I can’t say they’d be something I would personally wear, but they look fab, they really do have the feel-good factor. They’re colourful, bright and sunny, basically a floral meadow on your feet! Whatever you think of them, they are show-stoppers, and I can imagine them being perfect for Spring festivals!

Be your own kind of beautiful. I’ve seen this phrase used quite a bit whilst looking for these feel-good items. It all starts in the mind, as soon as you start appreciating the good in yourself, it will soon spread, and before you know it, you’ll be able to look at yourself in a whole new and positive way. At least I think that’s what this represents. The Spring bloom growing from the mind. Please do feel free to add your own interpretation!

I love this wreath, perfect if you want to add that Spring feel-good vibe to your home before friends and family enter it! Bee Happy is very much on trend at the moment, and I am grateful for it, it has created an abundance of bee-related quirky products, which I might indulge in a post of it’s own someday soon.

This is what is is! A quirky little ornament that will enhance the happy vibes in your happy place! The floral elements and the funky little tree gives it a Spring freshness. It’s quite shabby chic, but also fits in with this whole new trend of having natural materials, in particular wood, decorating your house.

I’m not huge in crystals, I think they’re beautiful, and I do get drawn to some more than others, but I don’t know much about them and how they work. This crystal set has been created especially for Ostara, the Spring Equinox. Each stone has properties to support at this time of the year. I’d say anything that helps to support you and helps to make you feel good is worth exploring don’t you?!

These are gorgeous-looking bath fizzer macarons. They look good enough to eat don’t they? They look like a Spring set to me, the colours give me an Easter vibe, all colourful and bright. These are vegan, made with sea salts and essential oils. The flavours sound amazing, passion fruit, peach, green apple, lemon, red grape and freesia; I bet they have a stunning aroma, What’s more feel good than a long soak in a hot bath with some funky bath bombs fizzing away and you making you feel a million dollars afterwards?!

This table decoration oozes Spring, I love the little lights adding more ambiance to the piece. It’s a work of art in all honesty. It’s almost like a sculpture that breathes life. It would indeed sit perfectly on a table, but you could place it on any flat surface as a decoration, doesn’t necessarily have to be a centerpiece. It could even be cute on a windowsill, a celebration of the Easter festivities that lie ahead! I like the magic is possesses, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a few fairies flying around it. It has a glow, a romance, and it makes me feel good!

This keyring says is all. I think it’s a fitting end to this post. I have tried to find you Spring feel-good vibes…in a quirky, unusual way, and I hope I have succeeded. I hope that some of the products, at least, have made you smile. But most of all I hope it reassures you that there is kindness out there, people are creating and selling such wonderful things that are aimed purely at giving you joy. There is happiness out there for everyone, yes, sometimes you have to dig a little deeper, look a little longer, but it is there. Look at the support network you have around you, you are safe, you are loved and it will be okay!

These pumpkins are for life, not just Halloween!

Pumpkins are up there as one of the quirkiest vegetables in my opinion. They’re so chunky and funnily-shaped. They have been used as canvases for creepy faces for Halloween for so many years, but people are getting so creating with their pumpkin artwork, it is unbelievable.

I thought it would be a bit of a challenge to find pumpkin-shaped products, but there’s a good amount about, I’m quite impressed!

The pumpkin even made it into one of the best-loved fairytales, Cinderella, as her carriage was originally a pumpkin! It makes sense that the pumpkin carriage would be created as some kind of product, a trinket box is the perfect choice. This is so beautiful and is very very similar to one I had from Mr Quirky a few years ago…I had spotted it in a quirky shop and hinted very loudly 😉 Mine is sparkly silver all over, but this one is just as elegant.

This cushions are adorable, they look so squishy and soft. Children in particular love funky cushions, our boy has all shapes and sizes..I think he’d love one of these, especially as his favourite colour (at the moment) is orange!

Oooh what a cutie little pot plant 🙂 Such a classy pumpkin, It would look fab with a cactus or a mini tree in it…or even as a holder for bits and bobs or pens! It’s so dinky, perfect for jazzing up an area that is tight on space!

I adore this, one of my favourite finds…such a cute little cosy bed for little pets! Looks so snug and warm, perfect for the Winter months. if they made them human-sized I’d be seriously tempted!!

This is fabulous, such a funky little bottle opener. This listing is for 12 pieces for some reason, so it could be a good order if you have a lot of people to give a gift to! I think it’s a very clever design, love it!

This pumpkin fairy house is stunning, I’m quite positive it already features in my fairy house post I wrote many months ago, that’s how much I love it! I can imagine it looking fab on a windowsill or outside…this pumpkin is definitely not just for Halloween!

This pumpkin mug is so funky, love the lid too! Great for soups as well as cuppas, keep it nice and warm. My quirky radar went through the roof when I saw this!

Such an elegant pumpkin, it would add a glorious glow to any room. It’s beautiful as a decorative piece on it’s own, but the light feature makes it even more special.

Do you like marzipan? This is so cool, a bunch of marzipan pumpkins in a coffin box, genius idea! It does ooze Halloween vibes, but a lot of people are into the gothic theme these days, could be the perfect gift for someone who has that taste!

Such a beautiful pumpkin carriage locket, perfect gift idea for a romantic girl or lady. This is one piece of jewellery I would truly treasure if I was given it, it’s very special.

With crystals becoming very popular, I am seeing them in all shapes and sizes, but how could I not add this pumpkin into this post?! It looks fab, and would be a perfect addition to a crystal collection, especially this time of the year.

This is a set of 3 decorative pumpkins, I had to add them in due to their unusual colouring and patterns. They have such an Autumn look and feel to them, I really like them.

Fancy adding a bit of va va voom to your frothy coffees? This stencil would allow to do just that! You could give your own pumpkin spice latte a go at home and make it look just like they do in the shops!

What a beautifully designed pin cushion. I love the choice of fabric, and I love that it has a wooden base. Beautiful detailing with the added leaf too. Sweet little piece.

This is a sturdy-looking pumpkin! Made out of horse shoes!! It would look awesome outside with a big candle glowing in the middle. This is a pumpkin with a difference, I’d imagine quite hard to steal too, it must weigh quite a bit!

Pumpkin knobs eeeek! You can buy them in sets of 8 but I do have an issue with this listing, you can only buy them in sets of one colour…but I like the combo of all colours as shown in the image, that would make such a funky chest of drawers or whatever! But they are too cool to not include in this post!

This is a goooorgeous pumpkin candle holder. It has elegance, class and I love it. I love the workmanship on the leaves and stalk, probably my favourite parts. This is definitely the type of pumpkin I’d have in my house!

I think you’ll find most of these quirky pumpkins have longevity beyond Halloween, I really do hope you see something you like…and hope this post isn’t too late for any pre-Halloween orders!

A dream World of colourful houses!

My dream World would definitely consist of colourful houses, vibrant towns and multi-coloured streets; oh what a beautiful life it would be! I often wonder why the houses, particularly here in Britain are so boring…not everywhere of course, a lot of coastal areas go nutty for colours and every house has it’s own colour, it’s own character. If you’re thinking of painting your house, please do it (within reason!) it might encourage your neighbours to give their house a make-over too, and before you know it, you will love the street that you live on!

I adore colour on my products, and I find houses so quirky on things. One of my favourite mugs is my festive village scene mug, it’s just so colourful, yes it is Christmassy, but I use it all year round because it’s too pretty to be hidden away!

I’ll start with my favourite product, this colourful houses backpack. I am sooo in love with this that Mr Quirky has asked me repeatedly to just order one for myself, but I already have two beautiful backpacks that I don’t use, so as much as I love it, I’m holding off on ordering one just yet…but the more I look at it even now as I’m writing, the more I want it! It would be amazing to carry this around during the festive season!

I had to add this stunning little dress in, if there was an adult version, I might have tempted! It’s so colourful and kooky. Sizes range from 12-18m to 12-14yrs so you could really annoy your daughters by making them all wear matching dresses…as the eldest of four girls, this happens, trust me!!! It is so pretty though, you can even choose between long or short sleeved. I love it.

Going on holiday and want to be able to spot your suitcase in amongst the others? This colourful luggage tag will certainly stand out. I can’t work out if it’s a painting or a photograph, there’s so much detail! I have often advertised my own quirky luggage tags as a cute way to give a gift of a trip or holiday, something to open with tickets perhaps!

This would be like carrying a work of art around with you. Fabulous colours, quirky artistry, all the houses and windows are a bit wonky, but that’s what makes it stand out. I have many purses, none of them are plain, this would fit right in with my collection. It looks like a happy place to be.

I know this jigsaw puzzle isn’t “quirky” quirky, but I thought it deserved to be added in for it’s vibrance and colourfulness. It’s quite possibly one of the prettiest jigsaws I’ve come across this year. I do love a puzzle, especially at Christmas time, when work slows down and fun times begin. With our boy being 4 years old now, I’m hoping this is the year we’ll be able to do a proper jigsaw together as a family…we’ll see! Anyway, back to the puzzle, it is of Positano in Italy which is a beautiful area of a beautiful Country. I’m sure this would be an absolute joy to complete.

A pretty painting you might think, and yes, yes it is absolutely beautiful, and even just as a stand alone canvas, this is gorgeous; but the reason I’ve added it in to my quirky post is because of it’s light function. If you click on the picture, it’ll take you to the listing where you’ll see an image of it with a gentle glow in the dark, making it a perfect night light or just a little something to create ambiance.

This is one funky, super quirky clock! This would brighten up the kitchen for sure, it would even add a gorgeous splash of colour and quirkiness to a bedroom too with it’s night-time scenery and funny-looking moon man! It would even look cool in a fun restaurant or bar, why not?! A sleepy but cheerful vision, the colours are vibrant, the houses all kooky and fun. I really like it, it has stacks of character.

Ooooh this little drawstring bag is right up my funky street! Perfect for swimming, beach days, play dates, shopping, the gym(??!). It would definitely stand out from any other bags so not an easy one to misplace or to get confused with anyone else’s bag! Children will love the fun colours, I love the fun colours!

These are 100% my kind of curtains…I would have loved them as a teen / young adult for sure. Might have to persuade Mr Quirky to let me indulge in a bit of quirky for the bedroom with this gorgeous pair of curtains. Lovely calming colours, beautiful, elegant houses, a special find for me, love love love.

Now this is quirky in a different way. Bold in colour and style. A cute little bag for a night out, it would make the right outfit ‘pop’! It gives something very classy and stylish a little bit of quirky charm, a little bit of fun.

This here has got to be one of most beautiful fabrics I’ve ever come across. I would love this as a bag, a dress, a cushion, curtains, I don’t know, just make me a whole sofa with this on it! It is gorgeous, combines my adoration of quirky trees and colourful houses, might be my favourite find in this theme. It has a bit of fantasy, a bit of magic and I think if you are a person who creates with materials, you’d be mad to pass up an opportunity to make something special out of this one!

These are actually a set of magnets! I am quite tempted by these, they would make munchkin’s school letters board much brighter and friendlier…all I have on that at the moment are little black magnets, these are much more fun! They are like beautiful little works of art, the colours are stunning and vibrant, the scenes quirky and cute. This particular store is full of wonderful, colourful, quirky bits and bobs, I recommend a little browse of their offerings.

Ok, so I know we’re still a way off Christmas yet, but isn’t this Christmas cushion gorgeous? A perfect comfortable decoration for the festive season! I would love a couple of these I’ve got to be honest, I love a Winter Village scene, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

This suncatcher is so funky and bright, a real statement piece to hang in your window, people will pass your house in awe and think, ‘wow, those people are cool, look at their quirky suncatcher’! There’s only 1 left of this style so you might want to hurry and get it quick before anyone else nabs it, but if you miss out, this store has plenty more colourful suncatchers to offer.

Last but not least, this stunning lampshade has got it all going on! Colour, style, sooo chic! I can imagine it looking amazing in a clutter-free, very modern, very white room…but I can also see it adding more charm and colour to a more quirky, vibrant abode. It’s a very versatile design. Brighten up a kitchen or hallway maybe, it would look fab in a conservatory! Oooh maybe even in a cool cafe, restaurant or bar…can you imagine a few of these hanging from the ceiling, they’d look awesome!

This colourful houses post has been on the cards for so long, leaving it as long as I have meant that I was able to add in a couple of festive finds, which is fab seeing as the inspiration for this post came from my Christmas village scene mug! It’s been so lovely to look at all these colours. My Grandparents lived in a little coastal village called Aberaeron, full of colourful houses, this may be why I was drawn to this topic, a homage to my Grandparents, that colourful houses and colourful streets will always make me think of them, bless their souls. I found it quite hard to find colourful houses on products, so please, if you do come across any that you think I might like, do let me know, I’d be most grateful.

Plantasia…we’ll be back!

One thing I have learnt over the last few months is that children definitely bring adventure back into your lives. Our four-year old has a massive hunger for all things exciting and new, he embraces every new environment with open arms, and I just knew that he would absolutely love this gorgeous little place called Plantasia in Swansea, Wales. It looks like a massive greenhouse in the middle of a retail park, so random, but step inside and you step into another World.

Plantasia had a massive £1.1 million re-development and opened it’s doors again in April this year (2019). I have no idea what the old Plantasia looked like, but with this re-vamp, I’m sure it’ll be a hit with families looking for an escape from the mundane!

They have even started introducing some new additions like the adorable little leopard cat, it was one of the reasons we visited, but she was still very new and very shy. But maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see her settle into her new home as she gets more comfortable with her new surroundings.

Our little one had a zookeeper experience, and he had such a fab time, he started off feeding the animal he was most looking forward to seeing, the cutie little meerkats! One preferred grapes and the other preferred mini corns, so funny to watch them roll their food in the sand before they ate them. I guess we all have our quirks, but if anyone knows why they do this, I have a very inquisitive munchkin here who would love to know!

He also got to feed live locusts to the most adorable little monkeys, these ones are called marmosets, and they have definitely captured my heart and are now up there in my top 5 favourite animals! I thought munchkin would have an issue feeding them live creatures, but he seemed unphased, which made for a much more positive zoo-keeper experience that’s for sure!

Meet Rainbow the beautiful parrot, she is definitely the most funky animal in Plantasia, she’s got beauty, she’s got multicoloured feathers and she has got a fiery attitude. Here’s our boy feeding her some pistachio nuts, her favourite snack. Rainbow certainly left an impression on him, he chose to buy a parrot teddy in the gift shop because it looked like Rainbow.

I was really looking forward to seeing the crocodiles, they were quite dinky for crocs. I couldn’t stop watching them. I love how they just float in the water, arms and legs (do they have arms and legs, or just four legs??!) anyway, they would just lie there floating, very strange but compelling viewing! They even have a turtle living with them, the turtle seems to get on better with the crocodiles than with other turtles, interesting to hear all their different traits and characters.

As our boy threw in loads of live crickets for them to chomp on, one of them came right up to where I was standing and just stared at me for what felt like ages, so glad there was something separating us, I don’t think he liked me papping away with my camera…or maybe he did and was just posing, who knows?!

Believe it or not, out of all the animals he fed, the fish were the most viscous of them all! They went mental, fighting for their grub, thrashing around as if it was a Black Friday sale in Asda! They were huge too, possibly the biggest fish I’ve ever seen! They did add a beautiful splash of colour to this tropical paradise.

As part of our special visit, munchkin was also allowed to hold some of the animals. This place is fab for allowing children to interact with and hold various animals, they have handling sessions where children can hold snakes and dragons etc. It was a precious moment to see such joy on our boy’s face as he held a little tortoise for the first time.

He also chose to hold the red corn snake, he is so much braver than I am, you wouldn’t find me anywhere near it. I was holding my breath hoping he wouldn’t drop it…hence why I don’t have a pic of him actually holding it!!

I had been harping on about the place have dragons so there was some excitement to holding a dragon…he did ask first if it would eat him. We had to explain that it’s not like the dragons in fairytales, it doesn’t breathe fire or eat people! It latched on to him with his feet though so he was quick to give the dragon back! Yet another failed photo opp grrr!

He loves his bugs and creepy crawlies, so holding a slimy big African Snail was right up his street. So much bigger than I’d expected it to be. I would be squirming at the feel of that sticky, gooey, slimey creature crawling on my hand, but I guess children today are obsessed with slime so not too different to a little tub of dinosaur poo slime!

I still can’t quite believe that he did try to hold this big cockroach!! It tickled so it was a short-lived hold but he did hold it! So impressed with his readiness and total willingness to hold and touch everything he was allowed to, he seemed completely at ease with the animals. I am so glad, because I am a massive scaredy-cat!

So after feeding and handling, we had a little walk around ourselves and I think this here is one of my favourite features. Children can crawl under the meerkat’s enclosure and literally watch them close-up and personal through this dome. Such an amazing idea, these type of things are the features that make it a special day out for children, they really do add to their adventure.

I was quite impressed myself with the weird and wonderful plants that surrounded the place, from giant cacti to this avocado tree, it did give you rainforest vibes. It beat visiting the garden centre, that’s for sure.

And I loved seeing the poisonous and deadly bits and bobs that had it’s own section too. These are called rosary peas, they are toxic, but their vibrance caught my eye. Luckily all poisonous plants and creatures are safe out of reach!

And check out these golden poison dart frogs, so cute but so deadly! Found it quite a calming experience to watch them though. They’re bodies look a bit like plucked chickens, really strange skin, closest I’ve seen to human, apart from them being a bit green!

From one weird-looking creature to the most weird-looking thing I’ve ever seen in my life! Can’t believe it smiled for the camera, so chuffed! This here is the quirkiest creature in this place for sure. It’s an axolotl, a type of salamander. I was mesmerised by it, kooky little thing! Not sure I’d want to touch it or hold it or anything like that but such an unusual creature, you can’t help but appreciate it.

And here’s a good shot of the marmoset, even if I do say so myself! No-one could pull off a funky hairstyle like this, paint the white bits green and you’d have Krusty the Clown! Joking aside, they have the tiniest of faces, the kindest of eyes, and I fell head over heels in love with all four of them.

I loved that there were many interactive parts that helped encourage a child’s imagination, and opportunities for fun and colourful photo opportunities too. Surely everyone needs to have a picture taken being eaten by a venus fly trap?! It is the quirkiest, most interesting plant in the whole wide World, so this totally makes sense in Plantasia.

And this sloth is an amazing feature. We had to pry our boy away from there, he just kept wanting his picture taken as a sloth! Now, I have always joked that I look like a sloth in some pictures , even some from our Wedding Day! Soooo, this had to be done. Sloths are my favourite animal at the moment too, they’re so cute and cuddly.

I think the waterfall is a stunning bonus feature that really adds to the rainforest effect. We of course needed to take a picture of our boy on the top of it. From this view, you get to see the whole place beneath you, I was so focused on getting a good picture of our boy, I don’t think I appreciated it enough at the time. Next time we go, I’ll need to spend more time there taking in what the view has to offer.

And I love that there’s a little tunnel underneath the waterfall too. Felt like a real adventure trail, as if you were in a secret world within a jungle. The imagination put in to this place is stunning, a lot of research must have been done to get the place looking and feeling so authentic.

Towards the end of our walk around, we came across a wishing tree. Our boy’s first wish was to have all the toys in the shop, but after asking again for a sensible wish, he said he wished he could be a sloth. I absolutely love this wish, I love the wishing tree, I think it’s such a special idea, hope it stays there for years to come. We all love a chance to make a wish don’t we?!

Our awesome time out in this fabulous little gem of a place ended in their Canopy Cafe. Munchkin loved his mushroom toastie, it did look amazing, he just keeps asking for toasties most days now! And we had the most delicious stone-baked pizzas. I recommend The Garden Club pizza, tasted just like the ones you get in Italy. It was a real treat and a lovely end to a magical day.

As soon as we left, our boy’s first words were “oh, I miss all the animals, can we go back tomorrow?” This is definitely somewhere we would like to visit again in the future. It’s reasonably priced, and has definitely got the thumbs up from our very busy 4-year old. Seeing our boy’s eyes light up so many times in so many hours was the best thing about this unique experience. We left with a stuffed parrot, stuffed tummies and our hearts filled with memories to treasure.

So Plantasia definitely gets this Quirky Shopper’s seal of approval. For more details re price, location and opening times, please see their website or Facebook page.

If you know of any unusual experience you think we would enjoy as a family, please do let me know. Do you have a quirky or unusual day out for us? Would you like to be featured on this blog? Please do get in touch! We’re all about having amazing adventures now as a family so the more suggestions the better.