You’ve gotta love the big department stores.  They do their best to keep up with fashion trends and to be fair to them, sometimes they hit the nail right on the head!  Here are some great fashion finds for summer, but at tiny department store prices:

A: Striped Jersey Top by Great Plains at House of Fraser, £25.00 (GBP)

B: Large Square Sunglasses by Fiorelli at John Lewis, £25.00 (GBP)

C: Khaki Shorts by Red Herring at Debenhams, £14.00 (GBP)

D: 9ct Gold Multi-Charm Bracelet at Argos, £119.99 (GBP)

E: Yellow Jankle Flip Flops by Faith at Debenhams, £20.00 (GBP)

F: Stripe Canvas Bag at BHS, £12.00 (GBP)

I don’t know about you, but after awhile I get quite sick of plain, boring, uniformly shaped milk jugs, teapots and plates. Perhaps that’s why I’m finding myself increasingly drawn to unusual designs or shapes – particularly if they make you look twice! Here are some of the best tableware designs I’ve come across recently:

A: Sexy Legs Milk Jug by Tina Tsang Undergrowth Design co., at The Shop Floor Project, £37.00 (GBP)

B: Earl Grey Elephant Teapot at Anthropologie, £12.54 (GBP)

C: Takeaway Milk Carton Jug by Seletti at Heal’s, £8.00 (GBP)

D: White Cow Creamer at The General Trading Company, £12.95 (GBP)

E: Chamomile Camel Teapot at Anthropologie, £12.54 (GBP)

F: A Measuring Gaggle at Anthropologie, £14.63 (GBP)

Once again, I’m off to Edinburgh for a few days (don’t fret, I’ve scheduled some posts in my absence so you won’t miss out on any fun finds).  Yesterday as I was browsing through the Etsy universe and beyond I started to notice a new theme popping up – transportation inspired jewellery:

A: Up Up And Away Necklace by Eclectic Eccentricity at Etsy.com, $23.00 (USD)

B: I Like To Ride My Bicycle Necklace by Luxe Deluxe at Etsy.com, $32.00 (USD)

C: Migration Out to Sea Necklace by Paraphernalia at Etsy.com, $25.00 (USD)

D: Jeepers Creepers Necklace by Dolls & Molls at Etsy.com, $18.99 (USD)

I love kitchen bits and bobs. If it has a button or makes a noise I’m bound to want it. If it is an unusual shape or is different to everything else I’ve ever come across, I’ll definitely want it. Pity I don’t yet have my own kitchen to put these things in:

A: Cookie Cutters by Nigella Lawson at House of Fraser, £16.00 (GBP)

B: Wine Thermometer by Jacob Wagner at Bodie & Fou, £16.50 (GBP)

C: HOT Trivet* by Moradabad at Biome Lifestyle, £18.00 (GBP)

D: Parrot Corkscrew by The Conran Shop, £23.00 (GBP)

I guess a large amount of retailers are feeling the pinch of an unstable economy at the moment, because there are loads of great sales about. Here’s my pick of the shoes – get them while they’re still in stock (and in your size)!

A: Leather Asymmetric Strap Sandal by ASOS, £19.00 (GBP) on sale

B: Leather Button Cuff Shoe by ASOS, £23.00 (GBP) on sale

C: Black Block Heel Sandal by Miss Selfridge, £17.00 (GBP) on sale

D: Dakita Wedge Heel by Faith, £25.00 (GBP) on sale

E: Sinatra Premium Wrapped Sandal by TopShop, £40.00 (GBP) on sale

F: Stash Side Bow Pump by Schuh, £15.00 (GBP) on sale

Apologies for posting two shoe features in a row – I’m an addict, I can’t help it! More homewares coming up next!

One trend I’ve noticed has been sneaking into shoe product ranges lately is the coloured heel and sole. Some brands are going with the block colour whilst others are going for all out rainbows and stripes. Either way, I wouldn’t mind having a pair of any of the below in my wardrobe for a rainy day (a girl can never have too many oddly coloured shoes, after all!):

A: Rainbow Court by Irregular Choice at Schuh, £54.99 (GBP)

B: Scarlet High Platform Shoes by TopShop, £65.00 (GBP)

C: Latvia Heels by Red or Dead at Schuh, £99.99 (GBP)

D: Dip Dye Peep Toes by New Look, £20.00 (GBP)

E: Rainbow Hi Eva Sandals by Fued at Office Shoes, £60.00 (GBP)

F: Sky Fox Toe Post Heel by Irregular Choice at Schuh, £79.99 (GBP)

I love this Solar Powered Windmill Kit. Not only is it quite cheap, it’s a great gift for anyone who is interested in the environment. I can picture this being used in classrooms, at home with the kids, or even sitting in your front window for the whole world to see. The kit includes the motor and the solar panels and comes with detailed instructions as to how to put the windmill together. What an excellent way to teach your kids about solar power and wind power! (Plus, how cool would it be to have sitting in your kitchen and lounge-room, twirling away happily without any use of mains power?)

Kudos to Biome Lifestyle for stocking this great little find.