Review: Charlotte’s Web Jewellery part 1

I first noticed Charlotte’s Web jewellery brand years ago when I set up an Instagram account. I must have entered every competition going to try and win one of her new innovative and beautiful spinning rings but alas I never succeeded in my quest! Now CW make spinning rings, spinning bracelets, necklaces, pendants, rings, bracelets and earrings. 

Due to my ongoing root canal saga I have been looking for items to distract myself whilst I have to undergo painful treatment. Charlotte’s Web popped up in my emails offering a discount and then a few days later some free earrings with purchase so I have made several purchases which I am going to separate into mini reviews as each item deserves its own blog post. 

So, what or who is Charlotte’s Web? Charlotte Howarth founded CW in 2005. She is the inspiration, creative director, founder and main force behind the brand. she was inspired to create the jewellery line over 20 years ago during a trip to India when she visited Rajasthan.  She returned a few years later, made friends with local artisans and gem cutters and CW slowly became a reality. Charlotte returns every year to work with her team and source ethically mined and cut gemstones, ensuring that her jewellery is all ethically sourced and well made, so it will last more than a lifetime. Her designs are deeply rooted in India,  are inspired by both Buddhist and Hindu spiritual practices with holistic benefits for the wearer of the jewellery. 

I have made a conscious decision that I will not purchase fast fashion jewellery but only purchase considered pieces which I know haven’t harmed people, animals or the environment. I shall only purchase items from philanthropic eco-jewellery brands.  CW pieces are only made in small batches so are not mass produced or generic items that can be found cheaply/ easily elsewhere. The gemstones and birthstones are guaranteed to be 100% conflict free and are handpicked by Charlotte. The silver, copper and brass is recycled and gold pieces are 24k gold plated onto silver. They do not use nickel, lead, cadmium or cyanide-based chemicals nor do they employ underage workers.  There are medical and pension policies in place for her workers. CW only work with fair trade workshops who only employ local artisans. She visits her teams regularly to ensure that they are being paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions. So CW is definitely an eco-jewellery brand that cares not only about its customers but also about its workers and that is the most important reason why I chose to purchase a spinning ring (and other items) from them. 

 Recently her brand has been undergoing a makeover. Her branding has been redesigned. Sadly the web motif has been replaced by a very understated and elegant pink theme (to reflect the pink city of Jaipur) with a flash of gold (which glows in the sun) for the Charlotte’s Web logo. The new packaging is recycled FSC paper which can be recycled 100s of times which adds to their determination to be sustainable and an eco-jewellery brand. 

 The CW packaging is elegant, discreet and letter box friendly. The jewellery arrives in sturdy cardboard packaging and is then carefully wrapped in CW tissue paper plus a thank you postcard, so no need to wrap it if the item is a gift! 

So that is the introduction to who CW are and I hope you enjoy reading about my purchases in the next few blog posts and enter my competition too!! 

Among other stockists CW pieces are available from:

Etsy- Etsy

Their own website - Charlotte’s Web 

Wolf & Badger - Wolf & Badger 

Not on the High Street -  NOTHS

Book Review: In The Greek Midwinter by Mandy Baggot

  

Set in Athens, Greece, this novel follows the story of Jen who has decided to surprise her boyfriend by visiting him in Athens after they had to cancel a romantic trip to Paris due to his work commitments. When she and her best friend, Bonnie, arrive in Athens (surprise) David isn’t there to greet them. 

Jen is obsessed by Christmas, she is immersed in it all the year round as her business is based upon it! whereas Astro, the Greek waiter she meets via an dating online website detests it! Slowly their relationship develops but will their pasts, especially Astros’s prevent them finding a future together? 

I loved the vibrant and in-depth descriptions of Athens and the green Christmas traditions. I also enjoyed reading the day to day interaction between Astro and Jen as their relationship grew and developed. 

Both characters are complex and they need to deal with the past before they can truly move forwards. The novel has two storylines, one is about the characters finding themselves and the second is their romance slowly developing  with a gorgeous backdrop of Athens at Christmas. 

This is a fun, festive romantic comedy coupled with self discovery for the main characters. A great novel to snuggle up with next to the Christmas tree over the festive period. 

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. 

#win Little Silver Hedgehog: Copper Hedgehog Pendant & Chain

 

I have reviewed and given away several of Little Silver Hedgehog’s wildlife/ hedgehog themed jewellery designs. Little Silver Hedgehog is an Etsy seller who designs, makes and sells hedgehog and wildlife jewellery in recycled silver and now copper to help support her self funded hedgehog rescue. Her latest hedgehog design is made from copper. This Rose gold pendant consists of a tiny recycled copper disc with a cute little hedgehog embossed into it. The disc can be either heart shaped (H1.5cm x W1.3cm)or round (1.6 cm in diameter). The chain is a rose gold filled trace chain, available in 16” and 18”.  The pendant is packaged in a beautiful little box with a hedgehog postcard. 

As hoggies are now in hibernation of hibernation as Winter gets closer (or as in my resident hogs’ case they don’t hibernate but expect and get fresh food and water 365 days of the year), they really need people like Emma who understand and care for these precious little animals. That is why I continue to buy her jewellery because not only is it beautiful and unique but it helps these beautiful and unique little animals, who look so tough but are, in fact, so fragile, and may well die out in the next 20 years thanks to humans destroying their territories and access to food sources. 

2  Competitions 

I will be running competitions throughout the year on my Twitter handle - @susan1375 to win a piece of her jewellery (purchased by me) every month. The first piece will be the copper hedgehog pendant and chain. All my competitions are open worldwide So if you enter, good luck. 

The Link to my twitter competition.

This page’s competition - as several people have commented here I have decided to run a competition here to win a hedgehog pendant. Just comment and I will draw a winner along the same rules as below. Good luck!  

Rules

Open 11.59pm GMT 31 December 2023

Closes 11.59pm GMT January 2024

I purchased the item myself in order to support the rescue so any questions about this competition please contact me.

Open worldwide 

Must follow my twitter account. 

Good luck! 

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

Book Review: Lady Amelia's Scandalous Secret by Eva Shepherd

Set in Victorian England Lady Amelia Lambourne secretly owns and writes for the magazine The Ladies’ Enquirer, a magazine aimed at educating women. Her Aunt gave her the money to set the magazine up but now she is in need of extra finance. 

Amelia’s father wants her to be married and keeps escorting her to dinners and debutante balls, on one such octahedral meets Leo Devenish, a self made man who wants to buy her magazine. He isn’t aware she owns it. She becomes his friend influenced by the premise jeep your friends close and your enemies closer! Soon a gentle romance develops but will this be jeopardised when her secrets are uncovered? 

This is a well written book that gives an insight into his restricted life was for women in Victorian England. The book, however, does lack a wow factor and I wouldn’t rush to reread it as it drags slightly in the latter half of the book.

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Rivals At The Royal Altar by Julieanne Howells

Rivals at the Royal Altar is a Mills & Boon Modern novel written by Julieanne Howells. Queen Agnesse has just become Queen after the death of her father. She is the first woman to hold this position in her own right and is concerned, to the point of having panic attacks, that she won’t live up to the job. Prince Sebastian is part of the royal family of a neighbouring country,    They vaguely know each other. He accompanies her to a gala as a favour to his cousin, the one person in his family who made him feel welcome in his family as he had a lonely childhood. 

As he is the second son of the second wife he will never become king and so he has trained in mental health. He helps Agnesse when she has a panic attack at the gala. 

They have a ONS, there is a pregnancy, marriage then sadly a miscarriage.

Whilst most of the novel’s storyline is predictable I do like the fact that it is the heroine who holds the major role as Queen. I think this is also the first M&B book that has mentioned mental health and the affect it can have and so for these two points alone I would  recommend this book. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Review: mookaitedecor 6cm Large Natural Rose Quartz Crystal Palm Worry Stone

I am currently waiting to get a root canal procedure. As I hate sitting still I wanted to find something I could worry with as I undergo a hopefully successful operation. 

I found this rose quartz worry stone (£12.99) on Amazon. It is made by Mookaitedecor. There are a variety of stones, rose quartz, turquoise, tigers eye etc, to choose from and it comes in a branded gift pouch. I chose rose quartz and the stone measures 60x40x20mm. The stone is very smooth, very tactile and is substantial. It doesn’t feel or look cheep and is good quality. What I failed to consider, however, are my tiny hands. The stone is too big for my to turn it over in my palm! I should have selected the 2 pack as the stones are slightly smaller. 

Despite my order error I would still recommend this stone. It is beautiful to look at, tactile, and would be a suitable gift for anyone who coljj kg extra stones, has anxiety and wants a worry stone or someone interested in reiki.

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

Book Review: A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is the third novel in the Last Chance Scoundrels series.  This is a second chance at love novel. Set on a deserted Scottish island in a house party castle Willa and Dom meet for the first time, a year, after he abandoned her at the altar on their wedding day. Obviously she is not pleased to see him again as she is still distraught and humiliated! Now they have nowhere to hide and surrounded by her brothers, their wives and their friends  must address the issues that caused the wedding to not go ahead. 

Dom is handsome and rich and had only ever loved one woman - Willa. Due to his past he feels unworthy of her love and so he jilted her at the altar. This may seem slightly extreme to the reader but for them to get their HEA he will have to face up to his past and tell Willa what he has done. Willa is conflicted about giving Fom her heart and trusting him again after their disastrous wedding day. 

Slowly The characters go from hating each other to being friends and finally a very steamy reunion, much more explicit than most historical romances! 

I enjoyed this book, I enjoyed reading about the setting, the design the castle and the island.the humorous interludes between the main characters and the secondary characters. There is also a more serious side to the novel when Don has to address his past. I would recommend reading this novel on a cold wintry night as it seems more of a winter time romantic read!

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted