My Friday Five (9 November 2012)

Each Friday I am going to pick five items that have caught my eye on WowThankYou – we have had over 10,000 items listed since we started, so there’s always going to be a few that jump out and demand that I buy them … and yes, ok, I probably do go on to purchase them … it’s not favouritism, it’s just personal preference (and I confess, I’m a shopaholic!) I’ve not necessarily bought the following five ‘picks’ (yet), so if you’re quick you can beat me to it! I’ll include links for you!

My first pick was an obvious one for me – these fabulous Lemon and Lime Soaps by ScENT.

I do own some of these – and they are a.m.a.z.i.n.g! They look SO realistic and they smell gorgeous. I swear, if you didn’t know in advance that they were soaps, you’d attempt to use them as decoration in your G&T! I love them and the presentation is excellent, making them ‘ready to wrap’ gifts – but there is more to it than this. ScENT is a husband and wife team – the wife (Carla) makes and the husband (Garreth) markets and promotes … and he’s such a lovely chap! It’s nice to know that you’re buying something from a genuinely decent and friendly pair. Did I say pear? You really should check out the pear soaps …. Wow!

My second pick isn’t so much of a single item, but everything they’ve ever made! I’ve bought three of these myself …. My current favourite on WowThankYou is this fab bracelet by Clarice Caine.

What I like about these bracelets are that they can be worn as ‘casual’ jewellery … but they can be dressed ‘up’ too when the opportunity arises. They’re also rather trendy – and as I’ve recently hit that dreaded 4-0 mark, it’s these little things that help me feel less geriatric when queuing outside school with all the whippersnapper mums! They all admire my bracelets, so I don’t feel so left out of the conversation!

For my final three picks I thought I’d chose some festive items, as Christmas is really not that far away now (we can’t avoid it any longer!) This knitted owl by Kozmic Dreams is adorable!

It’s the perfect Christmas decoration or stocking filler … and owls are so ‘in’ at the moment! Over the summer I bought three knitted owls from Kozmic Dreams – gifts for the children for when we visited the Olympics. My son had a pirate owl, my daughter a Union Jack owl and our Canadian friend, a Canadian owl! They loved them – and still do! Laura, aka Kozmic Dreams, is also the perfect coffee shop companion who loves a good natter in Starbucks J

Next on my list is this simple, yet quirky, tree decoration from Cedar Cottage Crafts. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve got one for my baby niece who will be celebrating her first Christmas next month.

This is something that will stand the test of time – it’s robust – and it’s inexpensive for a personalised item. I love it!

Last Christmas I bought a box-load of biscotti from The Biscotti Kitchen.

Oh wow was it well received from all the family and friends who dropped in over the festive period! In the end I only managed to have one piece myself as everyone else cleared the plate … Coffee is another love of mine, and this year I have a new coffee machine to show off, so I’ll be stocking up on biscotti once again – but this year I’ll keep some back for me!