National Stationery Week | Calling all stationery addicts...

I always seem to have National Stationery Week earmarked in my diary - shows how much of a stationery addict I am! I love writing in my diary, writing letters and writing in an actual notebook - that also provides me with plenty of reasons* (*excuses) to stock up on pretty stationery!

National Stationery Week: In the diary!

National Stationery Week rolls around once a year, and runs from 27 April until 3 May, with the aim of celebrating the written word and all things stationery. The organisers say, 'writing by hand and being able to write by hand is as important as ever. It matters, and is one of the cornerstones of how we communicate with one another.' Further, their mantra is 'you can never have too much stationery!' and I couldn't agree more! On a serious note though, 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta - celebrating and reminding us how handwriting has stood the test of time, remaining as important now as it was then. Wednesday 29th April is World Stationery Day - what better way to mark this occasion then by putting pen to paper and writing a letter or card to the special people in your life, if only for one day instead of the usual email, text or whatsapp. Through celebrating stationery, the week hopes to get more people writing, more often - especially children - whether it's a little notecard, letter or postcard, or even just writing a diary or journal (all of the above for me!).

What better reason/excuse to celebrate National Stationery Week then to stock up on some new stationery? My edit of current stationery favorites is below.

 Anya Hindmarch Sticker Notebook, £18, Exclusive to Selfridges

Vintage Floral & Butterfly Notecards, box of 8, £5, Paperchase

Kraft Thank You Cards, pack of 10, £4, Paperchase

Teal & Gold Foil Tile Notecards, pack of 8, £4, Paperchase

Bon Voyage Journal, £14.95, Rifle Paper Co, Selfridges

Bang Boom Pow Notecard Set, set of 6, £6.50, Meri Meri at Quill London

XOXO Notecard Set, set of 6, £12.50, In Haus Press at Quill London

Portobello Rose Writing Set, £6, Paperchase

Don't just buy in vain though - make sure you write that card or letter and remember to pop it in the post!

Whilst we're on the subject of writing, a special shout out goes to TK Maxx for the fabulous notebooks available there - it's always worth popping in to have a look at the selection they have on offer at brilliant prices!

Love this 'dream' notebook from TK Maxx!

To celebrate National Stationery Week, Aspinal of London is offering complimentary personalisation on a variety of their collection until Sunday 3 May - the perfect opportunity to get a really special gift for someone!

How will you be celebrating National Stationery Week? For more information about National Stationery Week visit nationalstationeryweek.com.

Accessories | Sunnies Delight

Whether the sun is out or not, I've steadily been building up a little sunglasses collection (or should that be obsession?!) over the last few months. I'm the type of person that always likes to have a pair of sunnies in my bag and in the car. A good pair of sunglasses can (aside from the obvious sun protection element) make or break an outfit plus they are ideal for covering up eye bags telling tales from the night before (whether you've been on a wild night out or been up with your baby!) as well as being handy to throw on if the sun decides to make an appearance. I love wearing sunglasses whether it's sunny or not - often when I haven't quite woken up and I'm not quite ready to make eye contact on the tube in the mornings!

There are some great sunglasses on the market at the moment, and you'll be happy to know you won't have to spend a fortune on them. On the high street check out & Other Stories - my absolute favourite place to shop for sunglasses - they have a great selection of different shapes, sizes and styles, some trend led, some classic at purse friendly prices. I also love ASOS, Topshop, Monki and New Look. Other reasonably priced brands that offer stylish sunnies include Le Specs, Jeepers Peepers, Cheap Monday, Spitfire and Whistles.

Favourite sunglasses trends to try this spring/summer: Round (classically chic), coloured or mirrored coloured lenses (hippy festival vibes), cat eye (glamorous chic), aviators (sporty, traditional yet modern, updated this season with mirror lenses) and semi rimless (half framed sunnies as seen at Miu Miu and Opening Ceremony are fresh and youthful).

My latest sunglasses purchases!

L-R: & Other Stories, Whistles, ASOS

Latest sunglasses to my collection:
Black with metal nose rim - & Other Stories
Red cat eye with metal nose rim - & Other Stories
Navy - Suki Square Catseye - £75, Whistles
Marble effect - Handmade Oversized Retro - £35, ASOS

I also just picked up a couple of pairs of round sunglasses - to trial the trend and style shape for my face - from New Look at a bargainous £5.99 each (black and tortoise) I love them - the hubby not so much! Says I look like Harry Potter! 

What shape are your favourite sunglasses from?

Interiors | Gallery Wall Dreams

I've been obsessing over gallery walls for the longest time, whiling away many hours on Pinterest and interiors blogs in order to gather inspiration for creating my own. The beauty of them is that you can quite literally frame anything and cluster a few frames together to achieve the effect. Whether it's prints, your childrens' lovingly created artwork, postcards, wallpaper samples or napkin scrawls - anything goes!

J Crew is as well known for its gallery wall installations within its boutiques as it is for its merchandise. Here's a snap from the newly opened Paris store and another from its revamped New York Fifth Avenue boutique. Read about how the Fifth Avenue boutique gallery wall was created here.  I love the eclectic mix of art, prints and posters in frames of different colours!

J Crew Paris*

J Crew Fifth Avenue*

Here are some of my favourite gallery wall inspiration snaps from Instagram and Pinterest...

Monochrome gallery wall*

Love this washi tape print gallery wall!*

Love this mix! Spotted on Instagram, think it's from Kate Spade*

Love the borders, frames and neatness, framed by the dramatic lighting*

Love this entire wall - such a lovely mix!*

Simplicity - black & white - gorgeous!*

In preparation for my own gallery wall, I've been collecting postcards, greeting cards, wallpaper, prints - anything and everything really! One of walls will be New York themed, an ode to our favourite city after London - I picked up some lovely NY greetings cards when I was last there and managed to frame them last week:

New York Greeting Cards in IKEA RIBBA Frames

I've also gathered together all my Fuji Instax Wide prints and tacked them up on the wall for now, I may decide to put some of the photos in frames and intersperse them with prints, but for now I love this grid formation:

Fuji Instax Wide Shots Wall

I'll keep you posted on how my gallery wall(s) preparation is going and of course post pictures when they are up!

Are you a fan of gallery walls?

*All photos from Pinterest or Instagram