★☆ What I Got For My 26th Birthday ☆★

Where does a month go? That’s the question that I find myself asking as we head towards the final days of March. I celebrated my 26th birthday on the 27th of February, over a month ago now. I had an absolutely incredible time, which mostly involved spending time with loved ones over an extended timeout from work.

I decided to share some of the gifts that I received, since I have enjoyed reading these types of blog posts in the past myself. You should know that I didn’t actually ask for anything in particular for my birthday, so I had plenty of surprises, which also served to prove just how well everyone knows me.

I’m extremely grateful for everything that I unwrapped but, first and foremost, I have to acknowledge my one-of-a-kind birthday cake. My mum had been working away at it for days prior to the BIG REVEAL, so I really appreciated the time and care that had gone into it – plus, it tasted delicious too!

As I received the movies for my birthday, it was a ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ themed cake and included 26 hand-crafted fondant icing trees. Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t pick up all of the glitter that made the snow glisten and sparkle. AMAZING!

Speaking of presents…

Mickey & Minnie Mouse Special Edition Plush Toys

I might be in my mid-twenties but I’m of the belief that you are never too old for Disney-related ANYTHING. I own quite a few (understatement of the century) Disney plush toys but I particularly liked this “Special Edition” set because, if there’s one thing that I don’t have, it’s Mickey and Minnie mouse dressed for the beach and that is surely a necessity of life.

BaByliss PRO Volare Ferrari Hair Dryer

You might recall that I featured this product in my ‘October Favourites‘ last year, citing it as the best hairdryer ever. To add further credibility to that statement, I received this as a present for my ever-growing collection of “bottom drawer” items. The hairdryer contains a Ferrari designed V/2 engine to support the six heat/speed settings and “turbo shot” instant boost. Quick, stylish and effective!

A Selection Of Beauty Products

To be more specific (left-to-right): Barbara Daly Lip Collection (Sheer Lip Melt – Shade Bold/Velvet Cream Lipstick – Shade Stylish/Liquid Lipstick – Shade Blush), Sleek Eyeshadow Palette (Vintage Romance), O.P.I. Nail Lacquer (The Sky’s My Limit) and Marilyn Monroe ‘Bombshell’ Fragrance Set. I have really enjoyed trying out all of these products and I would HIGHLY recommend the Sleek palette, which I’ll be featuring in another blog post soon – watch this space.

Betsey Johnson ‘Cray Cray Creatures’ Bear Clutch

Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs, I own a number of jewellery pieces from her range but this is my first bag and I think it’s super cute. It has a long gold chain, which can be removed so that it can be worn as a cross body, shoulder or clutch bag. The leather, gold-studded eye-patch makes it a bit more ‘edgy’ (well, as edgy as a teddy bear bag can be) but this can also be removed.

Nour London Crystal Teddy Bear Necklace

Being an arctophile, this necklace has my name written all over it… Well, not literally, my name isn’t “Nour London” – but that is the name of one of the most innovative jewellery design companies in the UK. The piece is understated with its delicate nature and unassuming colours but it still has enough sparkle to draw the attention of the eye. Quite unique!

‘Route 66’ American Diner Mug

These mugs have become another bottom drawer item, I really like the design of them, especially since I dig the whole 1950/60’s American diner vibe. Over time I have collected quite a number of retro-looking pieces as I really hope to introduce this theme into my future kitchen. My morning cup of joe has never looked better!

007 Royal Doulton ‘Jack the Bulldog’ (Spectre)

Being a self-confessed cinephile, I was absolutely thrilled to open this 007 collectable, it is certainly one of my most memorable gifts. In case you missed it, Jack the Bulldog is famous for his cameo in Skyfall (2012), but returned to the screen once more in Spectre (2015). The Royal Doulton figures are hand-made and hand decorated by skilled ceramic artists. Unfortunately the photo doesn’t do the piece justice, it is an extremely detailed reproduction of the original model.

Tomorrowland Pin Badges (1964/1984)

Now to combine two of my favourite things: Disney and movies. These Tomorrowland badges are wonderful replicas, cast in real-metal with bold colours, they look exactly like the lapel pins featured in the 2015 movie. Now you might be wondering whether it transported me to the futuristic cityscape… but that would be telling!

Blu-rays Galore

Just in case you were ever in doubt about my movie/television obsession, I received a heap of Blu-ray’s for my birthday, after all they’re always a safe bet. Since I already have an extensive collection, a lot of the titles here are quite new as it is a little easier for family/friends to keep track of whether or not I own recent releases (rather than back catalogue titles). There are a few that I haven’t watched here, so I’m looking forward to checking them out.

A Collection Of CD’s

I have an eclectic music taste, so I’m always happy to update and refresh my CD collection, I’ll give anything a listen once! However, a couple of these choices have been on my wish list for a short while. Understandably so, all of the discs have been on a constant rotation through my Hi-Fi this past month.

Once again, I just want to extend a huge thanks to everyone that sent birthday wishes, cards or gave these wonderful gifts to me. I feel well and truly spoiled!

Do you have any birthday celebrations coming up?

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