Since featuring Spoilt Rotten Gifts this time last year, I’m so pleased to see this fabulous website has gone from strength to strength. Owner Nichola is just about the nicest person in the small business world and I simply love her collection of vintage, retro and intrinsically British gifts. Her handpicked selection has now grown to include some of my favourite designers including Sass Belle, Anorak, Orla Kiely and Nicky James! It perfectly suits Nichola’s eclectic style and is testament to her background in buying for the likes of John Lewis.
Spoilt Rotten Gifts is the perfect destination for unusual stocking fillers that will transport someone back to their childhood, offer a solution to something they’ve often whinged about, or for children’s gifts that are sure to be coveted well beyond the excitement of Christmas. Here are just a few of my favourite things:
Clockwise (left to right): VW Campervan Shaped Mug £5.99 each / Kate Garey Sausage Dog Day Bag was £55.00 now £49.50 / Wall’s Ice Cream Satchel £25.99 / Nicky James Blue Owl Satchel £25.99 / Rusty And Friends Set Of Three Suitcases £20.99 / Magpie Birdy Robin Cushion £16.99 / Disaster Designs Beatles Alarm Clock was £15.99 now £8.99 / Orla Kiely Gardening Gloves £12.99 / Sass Belle Baby Fox Cushion was £15.99 now £12.79
I was literally spoilt for choice when choosing something to review this time around. As my Craigy is a bit of geek, he’d be happy with absolutely everything on the site, and there are also some seriously scrummy baby outfits that Heidi would have looked gorgeous in. But given I’m a selfish mare, I actually treated myself. This seems to be happening far too often at the moment - the kids faces are a real sight when the postman coming knocking with parcels for mummy and not them!
I plumped for this adorable Sass Belle owl doorstop in pretty green, pink and white printed fabrics. Given everyone is so ill at the moment (I’m actually writing this very post from a stuffy room on the children’s ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital - poor Dex has been struck with bronchitis) Craig is sat at home with Heidi helping her get over her latest tooth, and airing out all the rooms. Rose the owl has therefore been tasked with the very important job of stopping doors from slamming and frightening Heidi. In fact, Heidi seems quite enamoured with Rose and loves babbling away to her.
Rose is nice and heavy and carries all her weight in her bum (don’t we all!) so sits up against doors perfectly (no laying down on the job!). The hand-stitched felt appliqué eyes, wings and feet are such a sweet little detail, and the fabrics all go together beautifully.
Rose is also performing night duties at our house and propping open the lounge stair gate at night to save mummy and daddy from nightly meltdowns. At £9.96 (reduced from £12.45) she’s a fab little Christmas gift for a vintage interior addict.
I also ordered a gorgeous wash bag and make-up bag from the retro Wren Birdy range. In sky blue and lemon shades and featuring a blue tit and yellow wagtail, this beautiful set of printed PVC coated canvas bags are very 70′s. Lined in nylon, they’re easy to wipe clean if you have any spillages, making them fab for the frequent traveler or make-up fiend. The cute make-up bag measures 215x140mm so is also the perfect size for popping in your handbag, to protect its lining from loose powder and rogue lipsticks.
The heart-shaped Wren zip pulls are a neat little contrast against the fabric and will withstand a fair bit of tugging when you’ve overfilled the bags. At 310x200mm you wouldn’t think you’d run out of room in the wash bag, but I’m the last person in the world who will criticise you if you do! This is currently housing all my daily lotions and potions and I love its cheerful design when I delve in every morning.
At £16.99 its such a lovely gift for a special lady and in true Mary Poppins style, they’re practically perfect in every way!
