Christmas with the Cactusmases

It's Boxing day and the Father Cactusmases are feeling a little sad.

Christmas is over and the cheeky duo are concerned for their future. What will become of them? They've spied the Christmas decoration box and I think they are worried they might suffer the same fate as the tinsel and the tree. It's pretty cold up there in the attic so I can understand why they're anxious.

They've had so much festive fun and they really don't want it to end.

Is it my turn yet?

They took a shine to my Lamy Vista and had a selfie session, only it was more me, myself and the Father Cactusmas behind me.

writing cards

They discovered the Christmas cards and couldn't wait to write them out. There was quite a bit of bickering about who's name would appear on the card first. The Wise owl had to swoop in to help, although explaining to the Father Cactusmases that it didn't matter because they shared the same name proved to be quite a challenge. Same name or not, it seemed to really matter to them!

making music - or more accurately, noise

They practised carol singing and even recorded a Christmas album, doing their best to ignore Spongebobs annoying 'I'm behind you' panto tricks. Unfortunately Simon Cowell said it was the worst thing he's ever heard so we won't be seeing it in shops any time soon.

I have to say, I've really enjoyed their company and despite them messing around with my stationery I think I'd really miss them if they were gone. I think even the real Santa has a soft spot for these two as he left them a little present. Some stationery of their very own - a cactus pen!

over the moon

The Cactusmases spines tingled with Christmas glee. They were so happy that they forgot to argue and had fun taking it in turns to test out their new pen.

sharing nicely

What do the Cactusmases love most about this pen? It can be refilled so their fun never ends.

Seeing the Father Cactusmases so happy made me happy so I've decided to let them carry on living on my desk. They've promised to leave my stationery alone now that they have their own and they have agreed to take off their hats until next Christmas.

So now the Cactusmases may look like ordinary Cacti, but we know their secret....sshhhh!.... until next year!

Father Cactusmases in disguise

NoteShel Review - An end to my notebook buying addiction?

I've finally got my mitts on a NoteShel thanks to a competition on the NoteShel Facebook page.

I've wanted a NoteShel for a little while now but with Christmas just around the corner I thought it best to press pause on the stationery spending and start preparing for the big day. It's been tough, like being on a diet. The more I deprived myself the more I craved so hearing the thud as my precious prize dropped through the letter box filled me with excitement. I raced to the door but the Chihuahua had beaten me to it, growling and snapping at my parcel with a crazed look in her eyes. It was then that I realised I wasn't the only one affected by this temporary stationery ban. The dog had clearly missed giving the postman a fright and was making the most of this unexpected visit.

I wanted to savour the moment so I opened it slowly, feasting my eyes on the vibrant colour, feeling the weight of it, running my fingers over the NoteShel logo. Pure Bliss. It's colourful, it's magnetic, it's mine.

The case itself is part rubber, part plastic and I could tell immediately that this NoteShel is durable and built to last. The post it slot is refillable so I can change it up a bit with extra colour. The funky little magnetised pen clings the the NoteShel quite impressively and believe me when I say that no amount of shaking would persuade it to loosen it's grip.That pen knows where it belongs.

So I had this fresh, unopened block of post it notes and I wanted to make sure that the very first mark I made would be an important one. In bursts the boyfriend closely followed by our son, both claiming to feel faint with hunger, insisting that the only thing that could possibly save them was a trip to the McDonald's Drive Thu. On any other day I would have refused to go until they finally wear me down with their nagging or they get bored and start rummaging through the freezer. But this wasn't any other day, this was NoteShel day. So I took down their order and got in the car. Not quite the important mark I was looking for but it would have to do.
With the boy and manchild fed I could go back to giving the NoteShel my undivided attention.

The unique looking ballpoint felt light in my hand and had no trouble with ink flow. The metal parts of the pen look attractive but together with the smooth round shape are slippery customers after prolonged use. But do you know what? It doesn't matter. The pen isn't designed for prolonged use, it's designed for taking notes, for being there when you need it.
I was especially pleased to find that this stylish pen is refillable. My NoteShel and matching pen will remain together, forever.
As I popped the NoteShel in my handbag, smiling at how perfectly it fits into the zipped compartment, I noticed the tatty old notebook in the bottom of my bag and was overcome by a rush of mixed emotions. What would become of it? NoteShel has swooped in and taken care of all my note taking on the go needs. No more dog eared notebooks, no more digging deep for a pen that works. Does this mean I never need to buy another pocket notebook?

Of course not! Once a stationery addict always a stationery addict and if there's one thing a stationery addict is good it, it's finding a use for yet another notebook.

Swarovski Crystalline Lady Butterfly Ballpoint Pen Review

Who loves a bit of bling?
I'd like to say me but it wouldn't be true. I'm not a girly girl. You only need to look at my battered canvas pumps and last seasons handbag to see that shopping isn't my favourite past time. I like diamonds but they are more of an acquaintance than a best friend and if you do ever happen to catch me wearing a dress it's probably because I'm on my way to a wedding. But show me a pen that dazzles and delights and I'm putty in your hands.
When House of Fraser offered me the chance to review the Swarovski Crystalline Lady Ballpoint Pen I jumped at the chance. What's there to think about? We all need at least one bling thing in our lives right? Be it bags, shoes, diamond rings or in my case, a gorgeous pen. Pen bling is the only kind of bling likely to turn my head and get my heart racing.

No matter how hard I tried I could not capture the true colour of this pen with my camera

When the Swarovski pen first arrived I sat by the window for a good long while turning it over and over, admiring the shimming pink crystals in the sunlight. There are around 140 Swarovski crystals neatly arranged within this pen and it's fascinating to look at. The body of the pen has a beautiful pearly shine to it. I'm undecided on the colour. I can't decide if it's pink or purple or both or neither. It depends on the light and which angle you view the pen from.
I knew this was going to be a pretty pen but I wasn't prepared for how quickly I would fall in love with the butterfly charm. If I had been presented with this very same butterfly dangling from a silver necklace I'd have been over the moon. Three of its wings are decorated with approximately 20 clear crystals and the other wing is rose gold metal plated and is so ridiculously shiny that I could see my face in it. This is definitely not your average pen charm.

This charm is good enough to be worn as a necklace

Not only does this pen look great, it feels luxurious too. Here's where you're going to think I've completely lost the plot. The most comfortable position for holding this pen is above the cone shaped tip, a good 20mm away from where the pen meets paper. You may have noticed my many ramblings about various pens with grips too far away from the tip and here I am, with a pen which has no grip and I'm happy about my finger positioning which may as well be miles away from the tip for all the moaning I've done in the past.

Uses the twist mechanism to retract the ballpoint

But it works. I think the pens slim frame and evenly balanced weight is a huge factor. It's the perfect fit for my fingers. As I write, the butterfly swings from side to side which originally I was sure would become a nuisance but in fact it amuses me slightly. Even the rhythmic tip tapping of the butterfly against the pen as it swings is endearing rather than irritating.
I noticed that during extended writing sessions slipping was only a minor issue. There may not be a grip but being able to hold the pen loosly without a battle with gravity meant the pen stayed put for the most part. Look at me gushing over this pen. Maybe the butterfly has hypnotised me into only being capable of paying compliments. I'd better find the boyfriend, it's been a while since I paid him a compliment, he'll love this.

Ok so I've made my point, I like the pen but will this ballpoint fall at the final and most important hurdle? It's time to test it's writability.

Writing sample

I've tossed my scribble pad aside for the time being as this pen has been producing ink, first time, every time so it's a great start. With a ballpoint I've come to expect a certain amount of skipping but actually, the refill in this pen isn't bad. Yes some letters appear a touch lighter than others but the ink never gave in and all my letters are complete. I really have nothing to complain about.
Those dreaded ballpoint blobs and gloops are nowhere to be seen, the pen is easy going on paper and writing is non eventful in the good sense.

Refillable

The pen uses Schmidt mini refills. So maybe I'll need to change the refill a little sooner than usual but that's ok, it's the way it has to be if I want to keep the pink crystals. Schmidt isn't a brand I've used before and I have to say I'm impressed. I'll definitely bear Schmidt in mind when refilling my ballpoints in the future.

The clip proudly displays the Swarovski name and so it should. Swarovski is a name I'd previously associated only with jewellery but it's clear they have so much more to offer. The clip has a small amount of flex in it. It's enough for me to be able to clip it to my pocket or notepad easily but not enough for it to be easily knocked off and lost. I'd have no choice but to walk the streets pinning LOST PEN signs to every lamp post if that were to happen.

I really wasn't expecting to be so excited by this pen. The more I use it the more I love it. This Swarovski pen is elegant, feminine and sylish and has used it's sparkly charm to bring out the girlier side of me which is something many have tried and failed to do.

Christmas is closer than you think so if you know someone who would love this pen then you can find it over at House of Fraser.

Thankyou to House Of Fraser for providing me with this pen for the purpose of this review. All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Troika Construction Pen

I'm a sucker for multi-functional pens so when I heard about the Troika Construction pen with its ruler, stylus, screwdrivers and spirit level it went straight onto my wish list. It's good to be prepared for every eventuality right?

Troika Construction - Not just for men

From looking at the packaging you would be forgiven for thinking this is a mans pen, for builders, engineers, hard hat wearers and the like. It certainly looks like it belongs on a building site, clipped to a tool belt or nestled behind an ear. I don't do any DIY and I haven't a clue what half the tools in the shed are for but I'm pretty sure I can still make good use of this pen.

The ruler with its 4 different metric ratios (1:20, 1:25, 1:50, 1:100) is the pens most obvious feature. I may not be the one with the DIY skills in my house but now when I'm asked to fetch a 40mm screw I no longer need to fetch the whole tub. I'll get it right first time and maybe even do a victory dance while I'm at it.

Troika Construction - ruler

The stylus was the next thing to grab my attention. Conveniently positioned at the end of the pen it's handy to use at any given moment. I don't know about you but I don't find texting on a touch screen as easy as the teenagers make it look. I'm forever catching the wrong letter, adding the wrong contacts and pressing send before I've even finished composing. Using a stylus prevents any more embarrasing text typos. The stylus on this pen works perfectly on both my phone and tablet. I love how the colour of the stylus blends in with the pen. I can see it's there but it doesn't look out of place or stand out too much. It's a stylish stylus. The pens comes in a few different colours and the stylus on each pen matches it's colour. 

Troika Construction - Stylus

Neatly tucked away under the stylus is another of the tools cleverly incorporated into this pen, the double ended screwdriver which is revealed when the stylus is unscrewed.
Once I'd chosen which end I needed (Slotted or Phillips) I found it slotted easily and firmly in place. The screwdrivers are really only suitable for small screws but I managed to find many more unconventional ways to use them. The slotted side made a great letter opener and the TV remote that is usually a pain in the backside to prise open is now a piece of cake. It's also good for slicing modelling putty.
The Phillips is handy for those pesky toys that require you to unscrew several tiny screws in order to access the battery compartment. The RC car for example, the one that sends the dog into a barking frenzy and then runs over your toes painfully removing three layers of skin resulting in you  confiscating the stupid thing for the rest of the week.

Troika Construction - Screwdriver

Next up is the spirit level. Now occasionally I'm known to hang a picture or two and usually the stand back and admire from afar method works for me when judging if it has been hung straight or not. Now I can be absolutely sure that my handy work is spot on thanks to the spirit level very cleverly installed in this pen.

Troika Construction - Spirit Level

My boyfriend tried the spare bubble trick on me which I didn't fall for much to his disappointment. I think he's hoping I lose interest in finding clever and unusual ways to use my Troika tool pen and end up handing it over to him. Hmm, I think not. Nice try though.

The Troika Construction pen has already been useful to me in so many ways and that's before we've even been near a piece of paper. It is after all a pen, to be used to write with, a fact that can easily slip your mind when you're busy tinkering with household items.

Troika Construction

The body of pen is a hexagonal shape and is made from lacquered brass and is retractable using the twist mechanism. It's a hard wearing pen that will withstand quite a few drops and knocks. Weighing in at 40g it's one of the heavier pens in my collection. There is no real grip on this pen but if there was a grip where would it go without obstructing the ruler? On this occasion I'm willing to sacrifice comfort for novelty factor. I don't have any other pens that can be used in as many ways as the Troika Construction so that definitely counts for something.
The pen itself feels ok to hold in terms of finger positioning but the lack of grip combined with its weight and bulk forces me to tighten my grip causing aching hands and makes writing feel clumsy at times.

The ink inside this refill strikes me as a little weak. It appears more grey on the page than black and on closer inspection my lines are not as solid and sharp as I'd like them to be. The ballpoint is however smooth on the paper and the refills reluctance to give me any more ink than is necessary means my writing has been blob and smudge free.

Troika Construction - Writing sample

Changing the refill is quick and easy. The pen pulls apart as pictured below and the refill can be unscrewed.

Troika Construction - Refillable

The Troika Construction takes D-1 refills which are smaller than the average refill but the alternative would be no spirit level so again I'm happy to compromise this time. Frequent refilling gives me more opportunities to experiment with a few different refill brands and colours until I find my perfect match. Every cloud had it's silver lining!

Silver was my colour of choice. I thought it looked the most sophisticated but for those of you who love your pens to stand out from the crowd and reflect your personality the Troika Construction pen is also available to buy in yellow, black, blue and red.

As a pen collector I somehow manage to find something interesting about each and every pen I own but this pen is definitely one of my most interesting ones. It may not be the right pen for long letters or essays but when it comes to general note taking or list making it's more than capable. If I had to choose one pen to keep with me at all times it would be the Troika Construction. Half the fun is finding weird and wonderful new ways to make use of this pens fun features. I can't wait for that moment when someone asks "Anyone got a spirit level?" so I can whip my Troika out of my bag and go Tah Dah!

I kind of wish I'd kept this pen a secret from my family because the yellow or black version would have made an amazing novelty stocking filler for my boyfriend next Christmas or birthday but he's seen it now so maybe I can find it in me to let him borrow mine from time to time.

Thanks to Executive Pens Direct  for providing me with this fun pen to review.

All opinions in this review are my own.