About Me

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hi, I am a 40+ year old who loves jewellery and all things sparkly. I also enjoy trying out and reviewing new makeup products, finding stylish walking sticks, reading and writing book reviews. I will review anything from bird tables/ hedgehog houses to the latest fashion! My Instagram account is @sparkling_magpie

Tuesday 27 October 2020

Review: Disneystore Chip’n’Dale Festive Hanging Ornament


 Chip n Dale aren’t my favourite Disney characters but they are cute and do look appealing in all their Disney merchandise. This festive hanging ornament is £13. 
 The cheeky chipmunks are peeking out of an acorn which also has their names on the back. The ornament measures 8x6x6cm, has a silver tone 2020 charm and a chiffon hanging loop. 
 
I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Disneyland Paris The Rescuers Hanging Ornament

 
Made for Disneyland Paris I saw this hanging ornament when I visited DLP with my mum for her 80th birthday, two years ago. I bought mine then, so this will be in my Christmas giveaway. The Rescuers hanging ornament (12.99) features Bernard and Bianca sitting in a sardine tin. There are lots of glittery accents and the ornament measures 5x8x8cm. It can be either free standing or hung from its chiffon loop. I love the way the two characters are looking at each other, so cute. 

                

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Monday 26 October 2020

Review: Disney Store Maleficent Hanging Ornament


The Disney Store Maleficent (£13) is a combination of spooky Halloween and cheery Christmas. The green flames and Maleficent’s dramatic pose are very Halloween but she still seems to fit in with traditional cheery hanging ornaments. Maybe she represents the Grinch camp! The ornament measures 11x7x8cm. She can be hung with her chiffon hanging loop or left as a free standing ornament.

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Disney Store Bo Peep Light Up Hanging Ornament


The Disney Store Bo Peep Light Up Hanging Ornament (£15) inspired by Toy Story 4 also features her sheep - Billy, Goat and Gruff .  The sheep look very droll and unamused but also adorable. The light up lamp also has sheep on the shade. The ornament can be hung or free standing and would make a great night light.  I did find the switch hard to use. Whereas the other light up hanging ornaments switches went from side to side, the Bo Peep switch had to be pressed into the ornament which I found difficult to do as the switch is so tiny and hard to press down. The ornament measures 10x6x6cm and comes with batteries.

               

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


Sunday 25 October 2020

Review: Disney Store Enchanted Rose Light Up Hanging Ornament


 The enchanted rose light up ornament appears regularly as a part of the Christmas/festive hanging ornament collection and this year is no exception. The light up rose is encased in a  tiny bell jar and the switch to turn it on and off is on the bottom. It is very easy to flick the switch. The rose is a pivotal part of Beauty and the Beast and this tiny ornament is a beautiful tiny replica or tribute to the original. The ornament measures 8.5x5cm and batteries are included. 

                  

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


Review: Disney Store Buzz Lightyear Talking Hanging Ornament


 
The Disney Store Buzz Lightyear Talking Hanging Ornament (£15) features Buzz, one of the main characters in the 4 Toy Story movies. 


He stands in his spaceship box and says all his  main catch phrases including “to infinity and beyond” when you press the button on the base of the ship. The ornament measures 10x9x4cm. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Disney Store Cheshire Cat Light Up Hanging Ornament

The Disney Store Cheshire Cat Light Up Hanging Ornament (£15) goes from cute in the light of day to full on spooky in the dark! It is easy to turn on and off, the switch is located on the base of the ornament. 

The ornament has detailed directions on both the front and back and the cat has the Cheshire Cat grin. It has a purple glow on the dark and would make a great night light. The ornament measures 8x9x5cm and it comes with a battery.      

Review: Disney Store Snow White Hanging Ornament



 
The Disney Store Snow White Hanging Ornament, £13, is  part of the Fairytale Moments Sketchbook Collection. Just like Rapunzel and Belle her silver tone charm has a castle rather than Disney stamped on it. I love the little blue bird and bunny which sit at the front of the ornament and the chair at the back.  The ornaments are so well thought out and detailed. Snow White is looking out of her cottage window with animals sitting beneath her. She is wearing her iconic and instantly recognisable yellow and blue dress with a white ruffle and a red headband. detailed. The ornament measures 10x4.5x7cm and is made of resin with a hanging loop. 

The only downside to this and several other ornaments is the quality control and packaging. I bought two Snow White, one for me and one to use as a prize. The bunny is missing from one of them. So please check them carefully and try hanging them up - the front of my Lady and the Tramp cradle fell off after hanging for five minutes and Lady’s tail had broken off another ornament due to insufficient packaging.

   I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Friday 16 October 2020

Review: Disney Store Winnie The Pooh Hanging Ornament


 
From one of the newer Disney characters to one of the classic and instantly recognisable- Winnie the Pooh. In this ornament he is dangling from a balloon which he is holding.  This can’t be a free standing ornament unless you cut through the string and just have Winnie sat with a bumble bee on his nose. The ornament measures 11x4x4.5 cm. the shiny blue balloon and Winnie are made from resin and the balloon is attached with string. The 2020/Disney silver tone charm is attached to the hanging loop. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Disney Store Elsa & Nokk Hanging Ornament Frozen 2



 I am probably one of the few Disney fans who hasn’t seen either Frozen or Frozen 2, it just leaves me cold for some reason. I bought this ornament just for my Christmas competition - I give hanging ornaments away from now weekly then hourly during the Christmas period. All the ornaments will be given away but I bought some just for me and this just didn’t make the cut - I don’t like the theme and it just seems plasticky. The concept is nice. Elsa is stood on a snowflake with her horse, Nokk. The ornament measures 10x9x8cm and looks very blue and icy. I am sure any Frozen fan would love it. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Disney Store Mickey & Friends Hot Air Ballon Hanging Ornament


 
This ornament very much reminds me of the huge hanging display in the World of Disney shop at Disneyland Paris, expect here the ballon is Mickey’s hand and at DLP it is a ship. This ornament is £13 and includes Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. It can be free standing or hung up. It is made from resin and measures 13x5x7.5cm. There is a silver tone 2020/Disney charm on the hanging loop. 

              
 I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 



Review: Disney Store Pascal Light Up Hanging Ornament



 I do like a light up hanging ornament. They bring warm to a room and look so festive. My favourite film is Tangled and I love Pascal so I was pleased to see he was included in this year’s collection. 

The ornament(£15) measures 9x3.5x5cm and the lantern lights up. There is a Disney/2020 silver tone charm on the hanging loop. The lantern is so bright when turned on. I love that Pascal is so detailed and that his tail curls just the way it does in the film.  Batteries are included with the ornament and it is quite easy to turn on and off. 





I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


 

Wednesday 14 October 2020

Review: The Aristocats Legacy Hanging Ornament

This Aristocats/ Aristokittens £13)  Hanging Ornament celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of the Aristocats movie. The ornament features Marie, Berlioz sand Toulouse. It is part of the Legacy Film Anniversary Collection and has a 50th gold tone medallion hanging from the loop. The ornament can be either hung or left free standing.

       

 As I have a large collection of Aristocat/Disney cat hanging ornaments it will live free standing on a shelf.  It is nice to see other cats rather than just Marie featured in an ornament but Toulouse’s eyes are the wrong colour and his face should be round like the other two aristokittens! Other than those two minor details it is a gorgeous ornament. 
I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Review: Disney Store Dumbo Hanging Ornament

 
The Disney Store Sketchbook Dumbo  Hanging Ornament (13) is adorable and he looks so happy flying along in the clouds!  Made from resin he is so detailed. The one down side is that he cannot be free standing as some of the other ornaments can. The hanging loop has the 2020 silver tone charm and the ornament measures 31/2”. I love that the clouds change tone when in the sunlight!

Review: Disney Store Hanging Ornament- Belle

 The  Belle Hanging Ornament (£13) is part of the Sketchbook/ Disney Store range. She matches Rapunzel with a yellow sparkly skirt and stands under an arch. She could be hung as an ornament or stood up on a flat surface - I keep a lot of my ornaments on display all the year round stood on a shelf. The ornament measures 10x4.5x8cm and is made from resin. There is a little silver tone 2020 charm on the hanging loop which has a castle - the same as Rapunzel on the other side. 

                  

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


Tuesday 13 October 2020

Review: Disney Store Rapunzel Hanging Ornament

The next review in my mamouth festive hanging ornament haul is the Rapunzel Hanging Ornament (£13). Part of the fabulous Tangled animated film Rapunzel is wearing a sparkly purple gown and posing with a mirror. 

 
Made from sculpted resin, the ornament measures 9.5x5x10 cm and has the silver tone 2020 charm tied through the hanging loop. As with all the ornaments this is not a toy and shouldn’t be given to children under 36 months.

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Monday 12 October 2020

Review: Disney Cat Inspired Face Mask



I saw this Disney Cat Inspired Face Mask  when I was browsing Etsy UK. I wanted some more masks/ face coverings with adjustable earloops and this one does and has the bonus of being a Disney cat print. It is £5.50 plus £1.80 postage. I have dexterity problems and have found the toggle on this mask to be the easiest to grip and adjust. The seller is CooksCraftyCorners. 

 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


Review: Eco Chic Reusable Face Coverings


 I saw these reusable face coverings (£4.99 each) when buying my bird food from the RSPB online shop. I was intrigued as the coverings have little plastic bobbles/sliders/ on the elastic which makes it easier to tighten/ adjust. I chose the smaller sizes bees, wild birds and British wildlife. There are also pockets in the face coverings where you can pop in optional replaceable filters. 

The patterns are really fun. I love that the wildlife version has hedgehogs featured on it and it he bird covering has all the most well known birds printed across it. The coverings are washable and I shall keep mine in the resealable bags which they came in. The elastic is soft around the ears - especially important as a glasses wearer - and I love the adjustable ear loops. 

   


I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Sunday 11 October 2020

Review: Disney Cats Washable Face Covering


I purchased a Disney Cats Washable Face Covering (£4.75) from  BitsandbatsShop. Just like the Miffy face covering on the previous review this item is well made, cute and makes me smile when I put it on! The covering is reversible and when it came out perfectly after being washed. 

I enjoy buying from Etsy because I feel as though I am helping a small business. The customer service in this case was great. I received my items within a few days and I would recommend this seller for both quality of her product and price. 


I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Review: Holiday Miffy Double Face Covering



This is the first of two reviews of face coverings I purchased from the Etsy seller Bitsandbatsshop. The Holiday Miffy Double layered washable face covering is so cute! This is an adult sized face covering so I need to tighten the elastic quite a bit! I love the pattern, it is so colourful and such a fun print. The pattern is the same on both sides.  It cost £4.75 including postage, so very reasonably priced. There are lots of different face coverings available. She also sells Lego key rings and kitsch but cute key chains. 


I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 


I purchased this item myself and the v

Review: Fossil Virginia Watch



 
I was lucky enough to be selected by Insiders UK to review the Fossil ES3282 Virginia analogue watch (£67). The watch is stainless steel and quite chunky with the dial measuring 30mm diameter. The width of the bracelet is 7mm and it is adorned with clear, sparkling zirconia crystals, as is the watch face.  The watch is water resistant up to 50m and the strap doesn’t need to be taken to a watch maker/jeweller to be adjusted, it is easy to do your self. Just lift the link and remove. The numbers are Roman numerals and the clock hands are fluorescent so can be seen in the dark. The tin it comes packaged in is cute but I don’t like the brown watch display holder - it looks cheap in comparison to the watch and tin.  

 The watch is quite heavy and bulky on my small wrist. I don’t think I would wear this as an every day watch but would use it as a grown up going out 

Saturday 10 October 2020

Disney Store Minnie Mouse Classic Ears Headband Ornament


 I first saw the Disney Store Minnie Mouse Classic Ears Headband Ornament on eBay last year (it hadn’t been released then in the U.K.) but the shipping was astronomical. I was pleased to see it appear in this year’s Christmas hanging ornament selection. There are two more colour ways but I prefer this one. I intend to use this in my Disney flatlays and Disney jewellery posts. The miniature headband is perfect. The sequin red bow congrats perfectly with the black satin hanging ribbon and headband. The sequins shine and flint so perfectly and it is a great size to show off necklaces.  As a festive ornament it hangs very well. It measures 4x4.5” including the bow. 


I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own 

Disney Store Festive Mickey Hanging Ornament




  Disney Store have just released their 2020 festive hanging ornament collection which comprises of sketchbook, limited edition and Disney Parks items. I went rather click happy as I shall be tuning my traditional weekly and Christmas period hourly giveaways of all of them. There will be lots of photos and reviews over the next few weeks to give you some idea of what you can win! 

 The first ornament is from the Sketchbook Collection and is this gorgeous marionette style Mickey Mouse. There is also a Minnie but she is currently out of stock. He is made out of resin and measures 10x7x5 cm and wears a painted scarf and hat. There is a tiny silver tone charm attached to the hanging ribbon which is dated 2020 on one side and Disney on the other. Remember he is not a toy and not suitable for children under 36 months. 

He is a lot cuter in the flesh than in the official photos. He hangs beautifully and doesn’t spin round. The back of the ornament is just as detailed as the front. 


I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in my blog are my own