Papergang Box No. 17

          This is perhaps the first time that a Papergang box left me thinking...uh? It is not that the quality of the goods was bad or even that they put in things that I wouldn't use it was just...meh. So without further ado let me get into the box.

          As usual the cover of the box is beautiful and there is the paper origami project on the back. As usual Aramex had covered it with a sticker and I can't put it together.

          So when I unwrapped the package in the middle of the box I kept thinking hmmmm...I wonder why it feels weird.

          So basically, there is one large pencil case (12.95 pounds), 1 washi tape (2.50 pounds), 1 pencil (50 pence), 1 greeting card (2.50 pounds), and one Riso printed calendar all designed by OHH DEER.

          As you can see there is nothing wrong with the items and they are all of good quality I just..I didn't like the design of the pencil case, and I felt like it and the pencil were sort of out of place with the rest of the items that all go together design wise. But that is just my opinion.

Spotlight Stationery

          I'm always excited when it is time to open one of the Spotlight Stationery boxes. I know I'm going to get some interesting stationery of good quality and some really beautiful postcards.  Another thing that I love about the Spotlight Stationery box is that the purchase price of the box includes a donation to Gloucestershire young Carers, which is a charity that provides a range of services for young carers and their families. Check them out at www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk. 

          Now let us get into the box. The theme for the box is "Space, the final frontier". I also love the tag line: "It's stationery, Jim, but not as we know it." My geeky heart was happy. The box includes all my favorite things: notebooks, pens, pencils, and washi tape.

   

          I'm going to start with the beautiful postcards. The lighthouse postcard is by Tilly Gibbs, the mommy wolf and pups is by Naomi Worrell, and the humming birds and Jokers are by Bex Challoner.

          Next up are the pretty, pretty notebooks: DarkStar Collection. They are a pack of 3 pocket notebooks, 1 with plain paper and 2 with dotted paper. They have black covers and creamy colored paper and they are made in the UK.

          I think I am in love with the Cavallini & Co. tin pencil set. The tin has 10 pencils and a pencil sharpener. The pencils are wrapped in vintage images from the Cavallini archives in the USA.

          I've heard a lot about the pen included in this box. It is a Spacetec 0 Gravity pen, and it has a pressurized ballpoint refill. This means you can write upside down, in extreme temperatures, under water, and in 0 gravity and it will always work. The shell of the pen will also accept "Parker-style" G2 refills. This is from a German company.

          Finally, the cute washi tape. It is from Rico Designs in Germany. It is Paper Poetry washi tape gold stars on a pale blue background.

As usual, I'm giving this box a full score!

Holly Journals August 2017

          So this is going to be my final Holly Journals box for a little while. I need to use up all the journals I got from them before I can go back to re-activating my subscription. The theme of the box is Day at the Beach.

   

  

          So I'm going to start with the bonus gifts in the box. The first is assorted Salt Water Taffies (as seen above), and the second is a beach bracelet.

          The box also included an embellishment pack that had paper clips and name tags, journal jewelry and a Le Pen in blue.

          Finally, we get to the real jewel of the box, which is the journal. As usual it has a beautiful cover and an assortment of pages in different textures and types. These journals can be used as diaries, or art journals. I tend to use them as art journals.

Planner Society

          I'm slowly getting into all the interesting things the Planner Society sends me each month. I don't always use them for my planners and that is what makes them awesome. 

          As usual the box had an asortment of items like stamps, stickers, die cuts, glitter or sequens and of course crafting cardstock paper. So let's get into the box.

          The first item to come out of the box is a pack of journaling cards. I've never used them as such but I have cut them up and used the pictures or quotes on them.

          Next up are two cute items that I see myself giving to my little cousins. A little pouch which could be used for a multitude of things like storing pens or make up. Also four hair pins. 

          I always love the stamps, die cuts, memo pads dividers and stamps. I think there are two themes happening here, pineapples and flowers. 

          Finally, the craft papers. Each box comes with an assortment and this one is no different. I always love getting them. 

OwlCrate July 2017

          I'm a little late showing off July's OwlCrate, but better late than never. The theme of the crate for July 2017 is Wanderlust.

          The box seemed to be really full of goodies and at least two things caught my eye the moment I opened it.

A Lord of the Rings inspired backpack, it was created exclusively by the OwlCrate team for this box.

This cute little thing is a Funko keychain of Newt Scamander.

I have a lot of travel bags and this bag tag by mudpuppy is going to make at least one of them stand out!

"As Travars" means to travel. This mirror was inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic and was designed exclusively for OwlCrate by Miss Phi.

A pocket journal from Ooly; there were eight different styles sent out. This is the one I got, what did you guys get?

This art print was designed by Shailey Ann Designs. It has a quote by Francois Rabelais and was also inspired by the novel Looking for Alaska. It is another OwlCrate exclusive.

Finally we have the reason for the box. The book for the month of July is The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. It has an OwlCrate exclusive cover.  From GoodReads.com:"Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy. 

 Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores."

The book came with a cute letter from the author.

A signed bookplate.

And a cute art print map.

All in all, I loved the items in the box as usual, and I can't wait to read the book as I heard a lot about it on BookTube both good and bad.

Indie Book Connect

This is the last package from Indie Book Connect that I am going to receive. I've decided to cancel my subscription for a multitude of reasons, at any rate let us get into the package.

As usual there are two books from independent authors. There was also a bookmark with a quote from Ernest Hemingway.

The first book is The Achilles Heel by Karyn Rae. It is book one of the series and it is signed. There seems to be a book 2 already out of this series too. The author also seems to have a publishing company as can be seen from the information brochure.

From GoodReads: "Annie Whitman's ordinary Midwest life is shattered with the sudden death of her husband Jack. Thirty-five and failing at life as a widow, she turns to the comforts of vodka in an attempt to camouflage the cold sheets of an empty bed. The necessary inebriation helps her to cope with Jack's death, but proves to be a deterrent in recovering any sense of normalcy. After spending several months at the bottom of a bottle, Annie stumbles upon a lockbox in the crawl space of her basement. Opening this box also opens her eyes to the likelihood that Jack Whitman might not have been the honest and doting man she married. Annie embarks on a mission to the Virgin Islands to uncover the truth about her husband's past and seek safety from her brother-in-law, who seems to be the captain of his own sinking ship. While settling into paradise, she meets the wickedly handsome, but surprisingly reserved Kessler Carlisle, who is struggling with his retirement from country music superstardom. With Kessler's help, Annie discovers the heart's uncanny ability to heal, and the possibility that dead men don't always keep their secrets-even if they're buried in the Caribbean waters of St. Croix. The Achilles Heel delves into the formidable fact that everyone harbors darkness, and some will go to the depths of the ocean to keep their secrets hidden." 

The second book is called A Heart of Time by Shari J. Ryan. The book came with a bookmark that has the author's information and it was signed.

From GoodReads: "“Time of death...” the doctor said.

I won’t forget that moment I looked over at Ellie—the paleness of her once rosy cheeks, the blue hue coating her perfect lips—the woman I had been with since we were five years old. My wife. My best friend...and the mother to our newborn baby girl. 

You promised me we would be together forever, I wanted to tell her. She gave me her forever, I told myself. Her forever just ended at twenty-five.

“You need to say your goodbyes...” the doctor said.

How do I say goodbye to the one person in my life I could never say goodbye to? 

My body is numb, and my heart hurts. Hurts like someone just ripped it out of my chest. Which is ironic ...

“We are going to remove her heart now, Hunter. It was her wish to donate,” the doctor said.

She never told me this. 

She never told me another woman would carry on with her beating heart. She never told me this woman knew me but wouldn’t let me know her. 

She never told me if I should follow her heart, or if I should follow mine.

She knew. She could have told me..."

The theme of this seems to be complicated relationships...