Zatchel Haul - Satchel and Barrel Bag

I am very happy to announce that my Zatchel purchase has finally arrived!  

This has been a bit of a fuss to try and get but more on that later, first the super lovely bags. 

Zatchel is a British company (here) which makes beautiful handmade goods, a month ago they held a Birthday Sale with an amazing 50% off.  I was so excited because it brought these bags into my price range.  Although they were still quite pricey I looked at it as an investment purchase.  

They have a great selection of all different bad sizes and shapes in all the colours under the sun.  

I went for a pastel purple satchel, with the added handle and strap protector.  I must say it is absolutely beautiful, so well made and the details are incredible.  It's really sturdy and just screams quality!  

I also went for the pastel pink barrel bag.  I went for pastel colours since I don't really wear light colours but I do love them.  So now I can sneak them into any outfit and give it a pop of pastel!  

This is a really handy size, this summer I'm doing a lot of travelling like usual but in August I'm going to China for a month so I wanted something a bit smaller to use in the city.  

This seems perfect, and it's also my next Gym Count present, Yay!  

Now on to the not so great features of Zatchel...

This took a long time to get here, I mean A LONG TIME. 

When I ordered they're website boasts of 7 to 10 days delivery time since all the bags are made from scratch.  Although in the small print it says up to 30 days. 

I was like fair enough, they are covering their backs and I should have it in a couple of weeks.  

It did not. 

This came bang on 30 days after I ordered it.  This doesn't seem that acceptable for me when I am spending a lot of money with a company - okay it was on sale but it was still a pretty hefty bill at the end of the day. 

Next up was the horrendous customer service. 

Naturally after 3 weeks I was getting a bit angsty about my bag.  I dropped a few emails to customer service - no reply. 

Then I tried to phone them on their number during the times stated on the confirmation email.  No reply.  

So by now I'm freaking out, what sort of company has that shocking customer service- I look on their Facebook and it's filled with people as desperate as me.  I leave a comment, no reply.  

Right now I'm about to open a paypal dispute, knowing it's close to my 45 day time scale to do so.  

Last ditch attempt I write an email to the press office, and explain that I have a fashion blog and I am not happy with my experience with the company and I'm going to be sharing my experience with my followers.  

Surprise surprise ten minutes later I get a phone call from Zatchels and they try and explain the situation.  The man on the phone is very polite and trying to explain, but at the same time I don't feel much sympathy for them that they are struggling because they have had a bit of success. 

Nonetheless at the end of the phonecall I'm reassured that the company is real, and that I'm going to get my purchases by the end of the week.  

Near the end of the week - no sign, so I get emailing again.  But just get a mass, impersonal message about how busy they are.  Again not helping me and the money I've spent. 

Finally it arrives yesterday and they are beautiful but what what an experience!  

Sigh....

Liebster Award

I've been nominated for a Liebster Award, yay!

Big thank you to the lovely Ellie Mae check her blog out here. 
I was really surprised because I didn't realise people actually read my crazy internet ramblings. 

These are a sort of word of mouth award for blogs with less than 200 followers (definitely me, see above) to try and get people recognised.  It defintiely works considering I've checked out so many cool new [to me] blogs because of these. 

These are the rules: 

• Answer the questions set for you 
• Post 11 facts about yourself
• Choose 11 new bloggers to tag 
• Add 11 new questions 
• Tell the bloggers they've been nominated!

My facts:

1. I am a tall tall bean from a tall tall place - 5'11 (actually pretty much 6 foot but I don't like that so stick with 5'11 ;) 
2. When I watch tv shows I get addicted and have to watch every single one ever 
3. I love mint but I'm far too pale to wear it... :(
4. My healthy snack addiction right now is dried apple, so good!  Or sweetened apple to mix it up a bit, tastes like fruit pastels but healthy 
5. I have a little brother - also a tall bean despite being 17 
6. I have teeth OCD 
7. My toe nails are currently painted grey 
8. I can nap in demand pretty much 
9. Currently craving bacon, or a fry up
10. I'm hypermobile so dislocate, it's so painful and not good
11. I like tweed stuff, a lot. Yay tweed

My Answers:

• If you could live one place that's not where you live now, where would you live? 
• Somewhere hot and nice and new, like Dubai or Qatar. 
• You're in a restaurant, what do you order? 
• Since going to university and being poor so eating no meat I now kind of fetichise when I eat out.  So STEAK
• Name your favourite feature about yourself
• Probably my hair, it's nice and long and thick and curly 
• What's your best beauty time saving trick 
• I don't have a great beauty saving regime at all, so probably laziness 
• What's your favourite book? 
• Mmmm, so tricky.  Probably The Wheel of Time series right now, or Life of Pi - mainly because these are the last two books I read.  Currently reading Les Mis, believe me that's a hard slog
• What item of clothing could you not live without?
• My Barbour jacket.  Without a doubt in sunny Scotland! 
• What's your favourite phrase to live by?
• It's drinking time!  I'm joking, but since exams are finished now.... 
• Name three things you can reach right now 
• My phone, a pink pen and my planner 
• What's your worst habit?
• Laziness or bossy-ness, so many.  
• What's your proudest achivement?
• Probably my school exam results or competing at the European Championships last year. 
• What's your favourite memory?
• Mmmm, something by the sea.  Or Venice last year.

My blogger picks: Some might have more than 200 total followers, I was just going by one of the count totals on their page 

• http://lifeintechnicolour.typepad.com/nom_nom_nom/
• http://www.paintbynumbers.me/  
• http://effytalkslife.blogspot.co.uk/
• http://firstpersonshopper.blogspot.co.uk/
• http://princesspinkglitter.blogspot.co.uk/
• http://misellyre.blogspot.co.uk/
• http://janafromalabama.com/
• http://frombeauty2fashion.wordpress.com/ 
• http://www.bambi-bell.com/
• http://www.sammi-jackson.com/

My questions:

1. Who was the last person you spoke to?
2. Scarves or hats? 
3. Festival or beach holiday? 
4. In front of the camera or behind it?
5. Any siblings? 
6. Drink of choice on a night out? 
7. Do you wear any jewelry all the time? 
8. What colour are your nails painted? 
9. Can you run quickly? 
10. City or country life and why? 
11. What's your worst fashion faux pas? 

Post your answers below, I would love to see them :) 

Quick Apologies

Just a quick post to say sorry for not posting in ages.  I am thoroughly in scary exam mode now.  
So it'll be over by the 18th and I'll get back to posting. 

Again so sorry <3 

Not An Exciting Post For Anyone But Me

So tonight was a big night for my university, it was our annual awards presentation for sports achievement! 
I know that this is totally different from my usual post and probably won't interest anyone but I wanted to share. 

Tonight was a really great evening for our clubs, and we had people getting blues, half blues and continual achievement awards.  We were even shortlisted for Team of the Year and we'll find out at the sports ball soon.  

But excitingly for me I was also awarded an international blue!  I was also nominated for Athlete of The Year (which I won last year so didn't expect to win) which went to a great waterpolo player.  And I was also nominated for the Sir Menzies Campbell award which went to one of our golfers.  

Yay!  So it was a good fun night, pretty formal but was good fun. 

But now I am in the library, and look minging (I got changed in the toilets) so here is a very close picture of my eye. 

Black Milk Photo Challenge Catch Up

I have missed loads of BM Photos, so here's a big catch up combo post! 

12th of April - Random Fact About Me 
This is Black Milk I Eat Mice Leggings. 
And my fact = I didn't do my ombre hair myself, I made boyfriend do it because I was scared.  The only other time I have dyed a streak (yes I have virgin hair) it was also done by a guy.
Apparently my trust issues about my hair can be overcome by bullying by a boy with either bleach or blue dye... 

13th of April - With Another Sharkie 
Don't have any :( 

14th of April - Night Out 
I don't wear BM too often on nights out, they're my precious :P  But my favourite one for going out is White Wallpaper Dress! 
Yeaaah, love it

And this can count for the 15th of April - Black and White 
Obvious reasons really 

16th of April - A Song 

Rocketeer by the Far East Movement.  
Because it's space yeah? 
With Purple Galaxy legs

Think that's me stuck for tonight!

Join in-

The Deal With My Custom Dresses

A few of you might know that I have some awesome custom print dresses, so I thought I would write down what the deal is with them because people always ask me about them. 

Firstly here they are:

Aren't they awesome?  If you want to check out full shoots of these dress or them styled you can look here, here, here or here.  So many links!  

First off these are done by a company called CM, this is a British based company ran by the lovely Claire Maley.  She decided to set herself up designing her own clothes and her own print designs, and she's mightly good. 

Every so often Claire opens up custom runs (gotta keep your ear to the ground because you don't want to miss them) and when they do it is goooood!  

You can pick any copyright free image and get it on a variety of great quality clothing.  Unfortunately I have only the two pieces (poor student syndrome).  

Now on to the images:- these are both really special to me because they are my boyfriend's photos.  

Boyfriend is a photographer, you can see his Facebook here, and these are both his images.  

It is really amazing to see a photo you love getting transformed on to something for you to wear.  

My black and white dress is from a picture Boyfriend took in the street in Pilsen in the Czech Republic.  

Whilst the other one is from our holiday in Venice last year.  It was such an amazing holiday and I love the city, so it's so nice to have a reminder ON MAH BODY. 

It's such a good feeling to see the process and it looks amazing!

But definitely check out the boy's photography page and CM.  

Ooh!  And CM has a sale on right now, like some crazy stuff.  50% off on some great leggings, tops and dresses. 

Check it out guys! 

I had a test today.  It was hard and bad.  
Bad. 

Kxx