My Last Box - Unboxing Papergang - Box No. 47 - January 2020 Edition - Floral Boho*

I've been debating for about whether or not to publish this post, but since I've got quite a bit of time on my hands at the moment I've decided to go ahead and finish it, because it pretty sums both why I love the concept of Papergang but why at the same time I decided to cancel my subscription .

As I mentioned in my December unboxing post (read it here if you haven't already) I already decided that January's box was going to be last, and even though Papergang offered me a discount to continue my subscription my mind was already made up. My original plan was to cancel my subscription with December's box but the sneak peeks drew me in, and I knew that January's box would be the perfect way to tie up all the loose end and bring my Papergang experience to a close.

As you probably already know, I'm a huge fan of floral prints and the "Boho Floral" design of January's box was right up my street.

The box was designed by photo artist, Siobhan O'Dwyer, who create designs, prints and artwork from photographs.The box itself featured a gorgeous vibrant, cheery, almost flower meadow style, photograph style print.

Tear back the perforated strip and the contents was revealed. Bar a couple of escapees, the bulk of the contents were wrapped in a sheet of pale blue tissue paper.

The first item in the box as per usual was the little information booklet which as well as listing the contents also gave you so more information on the the box designer Siobhan O'Dwyer including her background, her work, and the inspiration for her designs and for this particular box.

A5 Linen Notebook

The first official item in the box, was probably the most beautiful thing in it in my opinion, and it's no surprise that they've used in a lot of images of it in their promotions over the last few months. It's a gorgeous, chunky, A5 linen notebook.

With a smooth, fabric feeling front and back cover, this notebook featured a beautiful almost photograph like print of a wildflower meadow featuring all kinds of flowers including sunflowers, daisies and poppies, with added butterflies. The colours are really bright and vibrant, and they all work beautifully against the turquoise, blue sky designs, which is only slightly disturbed by the word 'NOTES' embossed on the front in copper foil.

The inside of the notebook was lined in contrasting light blue, with a light blue ribbon page market, and lined pages which printed on FSC certified paper and card stock.

I was so, so pleased to receive, I love the colours and the floral design and it actually reminds me a little bit of a photograph I took last summer on the North East coast at place near Hartlepool called Seaton Carew.

This notebook definitely falls into the category of something that is almost too pretty to use but I will use it eventually though, when I can find a use for it that justifies its beauty. This particular notebook was exclusive to this box but similar linen notebooks retail at around £12.95 on Ohh Deer.

A6 Notebook

This next item was officially described as another notebook, but let's not beat around the bush here, it's really another to do list! On a bright blue, sea, sky and floral meadow design background, this pad featured a lighter section which contained days of the week for you to circle off, a section to write a checklist, and a blank section for notes.

Again the quality and the environmental credentials are superb, and the size makes it perfect for your hand bag, but lets face it, it's another organiser / planner. As I've said before I love the concept of Papergang but in the time that I was subscribed I received some sort of to do list pad or organiser in nearly every other box, and that is one of the main reasons why I finally made the decision to cancel. Similar products retail at around £4.50 on Ohh Deer.

A5 Art Print 

Next up an A5 print. Printed using eco toners and vegetable inks, this gorgeous print makes me really miss the seaside. it featured a gorgeous costal scene featuring the ocean, cliffs and rock formations, wild flowers and a rainbow. It could easily be Cornwall but I think it more likely to be somewhere in sunny California where Siobhan O'Dwyer's located.

Although the card wasn't that thick the quality it excellent, and I've already put it on the noticeboard in my office, to try and make me think sunny and positive thoughts, when I'm stuck inside, and to remind me that this whole situation will get better and there will plenty of opportunities to go outside and pick flowers, or walk along the beach, in the future.

It's hard to find something similar on Ohh Deer but their A5 prints generally retail at around £4.95.

Greeting Card

Next up a greetings card, and to be honest since I can't go out at the moment this couldn't have came at a better time. Printed on FSC certified card stock, this birthday card featured a lovely, pastel floral design featuring roses, peonies, and daisies on a pale blue background, with the words "Happy Birthday" embossed in gold foil on the front. The card was blank inside for your own message, and it came with a natural, brown envelope.

Despite a rise in digital communication, I personally think that we will always need cards, I love this particular one, and I've already got a recipient in mind for it. Again this card was exclusive to the January box, but Ohh Deer have a whole range of greetings cards available on their website for every person, and for every occasion you could think of, starting at around £2.50.

Gold Triangle Paperclips

The eagle eyed readers amongst you may have already spotted some of these escapees in one of my earlier pictures, but if you didn't the next item in the box was a lovely floral box which contained 18 gold tone, triangle shaped, paperclips. Paperclips are one of those things that you can always find a use for, even if it is reshaping them and turning them into Christmas hooks ;) These are particular nice ones and unlike some other novelty shaped ones that I've tried, they do actually work. These triangle shaped ones were exclusive to the January box but similar boxes on Ohh Deer retail at around £3.95.

Universal Calendar Card 

The final thing as per usual in the box was the universal calendar card, which featured a floral design in different shades of blue.

Looking back over the Papergang boxes that I've had this one was by far my favourite. I love flowers, and in particular I love daisies, so I fell in love with the wildflower meadow design on sight. The standout item for me was definitely the notebook, but I'll definitely use all of the contents, and even eventually the to do list.

As I said though that is one of the main reasons why the January box was my last box. Since I subscribed to Papergang last May there has simply been too much repetition, and I now have enough planners, organisers and to do lists to keep me organised for the next couple of years at least.

As much as I love the concept, and I've always been so impressed with the quality of the products that I've received, I can't justify continuing my subscription at the moment. I'm going to continue keeping an eye on the contents of the boxes, and who knows I might subscribe again in the future if the variety improves but alas it's goodbye for now.

To the best of my knowledge Papergang boxes are still shipping so if you fancy making your own mind up though, and trying Papergang for yourself then have a little look at their website to find out more x

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A Double Header - Happy New Year And Unboxing Papergang - Box No.46 - December 2019 Edition - Groovy Kawaii*

I guess I should start this post by saying Happy New Year eek - I had only intended to take a few days off over Christmas but unfortunately bar a quick collaborative post, life got in the way again. I spent some quality time with my family, and I got sick! I'm still not feeling quite right, but at I'm definitely feeling a little bit more human than what I was this time last week.

As you know I'm not big on making new years resolutions, instead I have more flexible aims and goals, and one my major ones for 2020 is to be a little bit kinder to myself and to not beat myself for things that I can't control.

Last year in particular I seemed to start almost every blog post with some form of apology, I started so many posts on a downer and that's something that I definitely don't want to continue in 2020. The plain and simple fact is posting regularly is sometimes hard for me at the moment, I'm having more bad days than good days, and I don't think putting loads of pressure on myself helps anyone. I'd rather churn out one decent, well researched, well written blog posts, than 3 or 4 half arsed ones, so I'm going to stop apologising about the lateness of certain posts and instead I'm going to focus on both keeping up, and even improving the standards of the content that I am posting.

That said, January is pretty much going to be a catch up month, and hopefully I'm going to try and get up everything that I wanted to post in December, with a few extra posts thrown in for good measure, so there are some super late unboxings, including the Glossybox Advent Calendar and some long overdue review posts.

So welcome to 2020 on LouLouLand, and I'm going to start off the year with a couple of unboxing, and first up I'm unboxing the December edition of the Ohh Deer, Papergang, stationery subscription box.

December's box saw the introduction of a new style of packaging, the separate, cut out sleeve, and brown cardboard box design, has now been replaced, with a singular patterned box with a tear open strip. This new style of box is apparently safer, more secure, and it will cut Papergang's cardboard usage in half. I personally loved the old style box design but this option certainly seems better for the environment, and Charlie seems to approve, even though he is a little bit too big for the box!

The box itself was pale pink in colour, and it featured all sorts of cute and fun Kawaii style designs including fruit, items of clothing, stationary, plants and much more.

Tear the box open the bulk of the contents were wrapped in a sheet of bright pink tissue paper, but there were a few escapees that didn't quite fit.

As per usual the box contained a little information booklet talking about the box contents and telling us a little bit about the box designer.

The designer in this case is one of Ohh Deer / Papergang's in house designers, Amy Lesko. This will be Amy's last box, so the booklet talks about her decision to go freelance, and about her career, her inspirations and her influences.

Wiro Notebook

Okay, Papergang officially described this as a notebook, but let's be honest, it really isn't, it's another planner / organiser.

Don't get me wrong, it's a gorgeous one, it's spiral bound, hard backed, and it comes in a fabulous pink colourway, with the words "Go with the flow" and loads of cute kawaii style illustrations on the front, but open it up and it's clearly a planner.

Printed on FSC paper, it features a double page design with sections for Goals, To Do, Timetable, Notes, Up Next and Doodles.

The quality is amazing, and the illustrations are super cute but at the end of the day, it's another planner / organiser / to do list. Since I subscribed to Papergang last Spring, I can remember a couple boxes that haven't contained any form or organiser or planner. Yes I will probably use it but I really didn't need it, I would definitely have preferred a proper diary or even a plain notebook instead. There are lots of organisers and planners on Ohh Deer but I can't see anything similar for a price comparison.

Sticker Set - 4 x Sheets Stickers

I've said it before but I do love stickers and I was pleased to see another set of stickers in December's box. This is a pack of four identical sheets. There are lots of stickers on each sheet and again they feature the same kawaii style of illustrations featuring everything from sunglasses, and rainbows, to cherries, plants, and stars, as well as words and phrases. They coordinate perfectly with the planner so you could definitely use them together, or you could stick them pretty much anywhere else you fancy. 

Stickers always make me happy so these were a welcome addition to the box. This particular set is exclusive to this particular box but Ohh Deer sell similar size packs for around £4.95.

Sticky Notes

I definitely think there is something about adhesive, and me - I love stickers and I love sticky notes. I already own loads of them but they are just useful. This pad is particularly cute, containing 85, lilac and purple sheets it's shaped like a flower / sun and features a smiley, kawaii style face. It's useful and super cute, so what's not to love. There is nothing similar on Ohh Deer but different sticky note pads retail at around £2.95.

Universal Calendar Card 

Next up the ever present universal calendar card, and this was a particularly nice one. In various shades of pink, it has a slightly blurry print style, and it features several cute illustrations, as well as white spaces for the month and date, and a it also features a space to write one of your goals for 2020.

4 x Gel Pens

The eagle eyed readers amongst may have already spotted the next final two items in the box because they weren't wrapped up. First a set of 4 fine liner, gel pens. Each subscriber received an orange pen with the words "harness today" printed on it, a black pen with a rainbow design, a purple pen with the words "doing things" printed on the barrel, and a red pen which features a strawberry print.

As you can see from the pictures below, the pens are really nice writers, the ink dried quickly without any smudging or smearing. Whilst there are quite a few different pens on Ohh Deer, they don't have anything similar in their inventory.

Candy Kittens Tropical Mango Gourmet Sweets - 24g

The final item in the box is also something that never made it in to the tissue paper, and it's an unusual one for Papergang, because it something that you can eat. Created by Made In Chelsea alumni Jamie Laing, Candy Kittens is a gourmet sweet brand, that produces a range of yummy jellies and sweets that are predominantly vegan and gluten free, and that contain real fruit juice.

I've tried quite a few flavours from Candy Kittens, and these mango jellies and without a doubt my favourite. They are really fruity, and you can really taste the zingy mango. They really tasty and I will definitely by tracking down another bag. This particular sized bag is only available in a mixed multi pack, but a 108g treat bag retails anywhere between £1.50 - £2 from various retailers including Ocado, Morrisons, and of course directly from Candy Kittens.

So what did I think about this box? Well positives first - I love the design and the illustrations, and a lot of the positive quotes statements, and reinforcements. The box quality as per usual is superb, every item is well printed, and well made and the products inside are well worth the price of the box however again there is the issue of repetition. Since I subscribed to Papergang way back in May I've received numerous planners, organisers and to do lists. The format hasn't always been the same but the purpose nearly always has.

As much as I love the designs and the whole concept and design, I wouldn't go out and buy as many to do lists, and planners as I've received in the last 8 months, plain notebooks and pads, yes but certainly not something with only 1 or 2 uses so I've  therefore made the decision that January's Papergang box will be my last. It's not to say that I won't buy the occasional box again in the future, but at the moment with the repetitive nature of the boxes I just can't justify continuing my subscription :( I'd love to know your thoughts on this box and the whole idea of repetition in subscription boxes? Is it really inevitable or is it just lazy and ill thought out? Let me know and if you fancy trying Papergang for yourself then use my link to find out more x 

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Unboxing Papergang - Box No. 45 - November 2019 Edition - Hygge*

I don't know about where you are the moment but I'm debating on whether or not to start building an ark. I can't remember when we last had a day without rain. I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I would definitely prefer cosying up and watching the snow fall to having to go out in that horrid rain that wets you! So that's why I am totally on board with the snowy, wintry festive, cosy, Hygge theme of November's Papergang box.

From what I gather this November's box is the last one that will feature the cut out cardboard sleeve, December's box will apparently feature  new and more environmentally sound packaging that will reduce Papergang's cardboard usage by up to 60%. As much as I love the cut out design I can see why they're making changes, and I can't wait to see the new design.

The outer sleeve on November's box features a very wintry, almost festive, alpine like village scene with wooden houses, fir trees, mountains and lots of snow. The reverse side of the sleeve features a cut out and make reindeer model, and underneath the sleeve as per usual, is the original brown cardboard box.

When you open the box the first thing that you see is a "Merry Christmas or whatever." Christmas gift catalogue from Ohh Deer. They have some lovely Christmas cards, some really nice decorations and a whole loads of really unusual and quirky gift ideas from cactus socks to hatching dragon candles, and politician dog toys, for the person in your life that thinks they have everything.

The contents of November's box came wrapped in a sheet of white tissue paper, I always reuse my tissue paper but in this case, it was all ripped when it arrived which was a real shame, as a nice wintry white, would be ideal for Christmas, never mind x

As per usual the box contained an information booklet which lists the box contents, and talks a little bit more about the artist and designer of box, who in this case is Kong-Yew Wong, and their career, methods, and inspirations.

6 x Christmas Cards 

Something I think we're getting out of the habit of in this country, is sending Christmas cards. I know I don't send as many as I used to, and to be honest I think it's a real shame. Nowadays it's all about emails and messages, yes messaging is practical, and quick but it is a little bit impersonal. Personally I love receiving a hand written card, I think it's such a nice feeling to know that somebody has taken a minute of two out of their day, to think about about you x 

November's box contained 6 small Christmas cards, and envelopes, in 3 different designs, all embracing the same cosy, wintry, Hygge theme as the outer box sleeve. two cards featured a skiing Santa design, with words, "Be Merry" embossed in gold foil, the box also contains two cards with a snow globe design featuring a wooden house, and snow covered trees, and the words "Be Cosy". The final two cards featured the words"Be Jolly" again in an embossed gold foil, and a seal / sea lion, and Christmas presents design.

Printed in the UK onto FSC certified card stock, the cards are blank inside for your own message and they each come with a rustic, manilla style brown envelope. These aren't the biggest Christmas cards out there but they are super cute, and the designs are lovely so they would be great for work colleague, school friends, or you could even use them as gift tags, on large presents, and given the small size they would also be quite cheap to post.

These Christmas cards are exclusive to this box but as I say Ohh Deer has a huge range of Christmas cards, ranging from traditional, to funny, to cute, so you should find a card to suit most people in your life.

A5 To Do List

Seriously another organiser / To Do list? As cute as this one as with it's icy, washed out aqua colour way, and pretty alpine village design, I really don't need another planner style pad. Since I got my first Papergang box way back in May, every other box seems to have included something to help you get organised. I'm really starting to think that Papergang are trying to tell me something.

Don't get me wrong it's a nice pad, it's made in a factory when 95% of the waste is recycled, the design is sweet, and the quality is there, I just would have preferred a plain notebook, or even a proper 2020 diary.

Again this specific design is exclusive to Papergang, but there are a wide range of To Do lists, organiser pads, and planners, for sale on Ohh Deer at various price points ranging from £5.95 to around £7.95.

1 x Sheet Gift Wrap

Have you started your wrapping yet? Have you even bought any Christmas presents yet? I've definitely started my shopping, and I'm actually going to do some wrapping this afternoon go me - If you haven't done anything yet, don't worry I'm sure you'll manage what ever you need to do in the next four weeks. Now I always try to theme, or at least go with some sort of colour scheme, for at least some of my wrapping and whilst this next item doesn't exactly work with this years planner, I'm going to use this for a couple of special presents.

November's box came with a large sheet of gift wrap. Featuring the same design as the outer box, this sheet of gift wrap is printed using eco toners, and vegetable based inks onto a 100$ recycled paper. It features the same winter design as the box sleeve featuring a snowy white background with Scandinavian style wooden houses, snow laden trees, snowmen, skiing santas, and reindeer's.

This a nice sheet of good quality gift wrap - it's nice and thick and it's much better quality then you would find on the average roll or even on a standalone sheet. The is fun and festive but at the same time classy enough, that you could give it to someone of any age or gender. Ohh Deer sell a lot of gift wrap starting at around £1.75 a sheet but they don't seem to have anything else quite like this. 

3 x Gift Tags 

To coordinate with the sheet of gift wrap, November's Hygge themed box contained 3 matching gift tags - A pale aqua coloured tag featuring a snowman and some fir trees and the words "Be Merry", a white tag, featuring a snow covered house and the words "Be Jolly", and finally a charcoal, grey tag featuring a reindeer, and the words "Be Cosy". Again the quality is excellent, and the gold foil embossed text, gives a simple design, a more luxurious feel.  There are a couple of similar tag sets on Ohh Deer that sell for around 95p for 3.

Coaster 

When it's cold outside all you want to do is snuggle up under a blanket with a warm drink and a cat, so to avoid spillages and stains, the November Papergang box contains a useful and practical drinks coaster.

This cork backed coaster features the same snow covered village, fir trees, reindeer, and snowman design as the outer box, with the words "Stay Cosy" in the middle. Whilst it doesn't seem to be coated in a resin or a plastic, the coaster has a matte finish so your mug should stay put.

Everyone needs a coaster, so this is a nice addition that works really well with wintry, cosy theme. There are a large range of coasters available on the Ohh Deer website starting at around £2.95

Gold Washi Tape

You should know be now that I love anything stationery wise that sticks, so I was really pleased that November's box contained another roll of washi tape. I love me some washi tape, and this roll of gold sticky tape will be idea for a bit of festive crafting.

Washi tape is basically tearable and depending on the surface, re positional, paper tape. This tape is in a gorgeous gold tone, and it has a slightly textured finish.

This particular colour isn't available on Ohh Deer but a similar roll in a copper tone retails at around £2.50.

Universal Calendar Card 

Finally the ever present universal calendar card. This time it features two blue tones, a pale aqua and a deeper, more teal blue, and a star, snowman, and reindeer design.

Right, what do I think about this box? well I like it, I love the design and the concept. Given that Christmas is on its way the majority of the contents is really useful, and I definitely be using the cards, wrap, tags, and washi tape over the next few weeks but really? another planner? I'm probably one of the most disorganised people on planet earth and I'm all for being organised but even I don't need quite as many planners and organisers, as Papergang seem to have sent out to subscribers over the last 6 months or so.

As much as I love the concept, this constant repetition is really making wonder about whether or not I can continue to justify my subscription. I love the idea of the next months Groovy Kawai theme, but after that we'll see x Let me know your thoughts, and if you fancy trying Papergang for yourself and getting your hands on December's Groovy Kawaii themed box then please click this link to find out more x 

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Unboxing Papergang - Box No. 44 - October 2019 Edition - Papergang x blurt *

Right after a couple of rubbish weeks,  I've actually had a busy but productive week - on Tuesday we celebrated my Godmothers birthday,  I managed my first trip to the Metro Centre in months and had a meal with Mummy Lou, and I've also managed to do quite a bit of blog prep. I've got a haul post, a super rare outfit post, a kitchen review, and a high end beauty review to come but first I'm going to play catch up and get on with my October unboxing's, minus the furry photo bomber ;)

As well as their usual involvement with Tree Add, Octobers Papergang box was produced in association with The Blurt Foundation. Although charity is a really personal thing, The Blurt Foundation is a charity that's quite close to my heart. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for many years now, and The Blurt Foundation is a charity that's dedicated to spreading awareness and understanding about depression and mental health, and £1 from every October box sold was donated to The Blurt Foundation, you can find out more about the charity and their work here.

The theme of October's box is happiness, and that's reflected in the very Max friendly, colour palette, and the cheerful, brightly coloured, almost doodle style design of the outer box sleeve.

Underneath the jazzy, sleeve you find the usual brown cardboard box, and the contents inside the box is wrapped in a sheet of bright orange tissue paper.

The first item in the box as per usual, is the information booklet. October's booklet focused on the work of The Blurt Foundation, and the work they do in drawing attention to mental health issues, and as per usual it also included a designer profile, of the creator of October's box Melanie Johnsson.

Competition Colouring Poster

Now, normally the outer sleeve of the Papergang box contains either something to cut out and make or something to cut out and use, October's box though, didn't. In this crazy world, that we live, it's really important that we all take some time out, to chill out, to relax and to regroup, and one of the biggest trends in the last few years has been colour or colouring therapy. Adult colouring books are huge at the moment, and a lot of people find it a good way to regain focus.  So instead of the cut outs, October's box contained a poster, that you can colour in and decorate in any way that you wish. 

Not only that but if you share your finished creation with Papergang, either via email, or via social media before 28th November 2019, then one lucky winner, will receive a 6 month subscription to Papergang.

I haven't started mine yet but I've got a few ideas what I'm going to do, i just need to make some time to do it.

Happiness Planner 

Next a gorgeous, fabric backed book featuring the same eye catching doodle style, squiggles, crowns and stars, as the outer box sleeve, only on a off white coloured background, and with the words "HAPPINESS PLANNER" embossed on the front in a metallic, copper orange.

Featuring a ribbon page marker, and a sheet of coordinating stickers, it's a sort of organiser / planner but instead of being a conventional diary it contains space to write down happy things, and to highlight the positives in each day. It also contains pages with motivational / positive statements and phrases.

I know things like this aren't for everybody, but I'm a firm believer in trying to find the positives in life. Last year I did the 365 days of happiness tag on Instagram (I'm @LouLou699 if you fancy a follow), where every day for a whole year I posted a picture of something that made me happy, or of something good that had happened that day. I know it doesn't always seem that way but I do think that there is something good in each, no matter how small, it's just that sometimes it takes a bit of finding, and hopefully writing things down in a planner like this might help us put things into perspective, and help us find the positives. As per usual with Papergang the quality is excellent, it's a well made nice thick book and it contains STICKERS!! Unfortunately I can't find anything similar on Ohh Deer so I can't give a price comparison.

Scratch & Reveal Postcards

The next item is actually 6 items in one, it's a set of 6 scratch and reveal postcards. Using the same colour palette, and doodle style design, they aren't just plain postcards, every one has a scratch off section, like a lottery scratch card, that features a motivational quote or a phrase. The postcards include quotes and phrases on Live, Trust, Dream, Do, Nurture and Listen.

I've only scratched off one, all be it a little too vigorously, but I love the whole concept, either to reinforce self belief, or to let someone else know that you are there for them.

These particular postcards are exclusive to this kit, but plain, non scratch postcards, retail at around 75p each on Ohh Deer.

Dual Tip Art Pens 

Next up a set of pens. Now although you only get 4 pens, they are actually double ended so you actually get 8. You can a yellow, and an almost neon orange, blue, and pink. As I say each pen is double ended, one end is a fine liner pen that's ideal for handwriting, the other end is almost a brush marker style, felt tip.

The colours are lovely, and so cheerful. The pens have a nice angular feel, which makes them easy to hold, and they almost seem to taper slightly towards the fine liner end, which it makes the pen easier to control, and to write with. Again the pens are exclusive to this box, and there is nothing similar on the Ohh Deer website. 

Universal Calendar Card

Finally the ever present Universal Calendar Card, which coordinates perfectly with the rest of the box, and features the same crown, triangle, swirl, and splat type design, only with a slightly blurry finish and in much brighter almost neon tones. 

Although I've had Papergang boxes with more items in them, I still really liked this box, and the whole self care theme, and I can't wait to start filling in my happiness planner, and colouring in my poster. If you fancy trying Papergang for yourself, you've still get time to get your hands on November's winter, Hygge, themed box, so please click my link to find out more x 

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