What's on my shelf?

This is a post dedicated to the curious people out there who love nothing better than a nosy peep at the random possessions that people choose to have in their lives - call it a twist on the 'what's in my bag' style posts, or, if you're an oldster like me, a take on Through the Keyhole: Now, who would live in a house like this...?

...well not the most organised person, that's for sure. But nevertheless, let me take you through the items on my bedside shelf:

A copy of Elle Magazine:

I got this free with a beauty order from an online website in March; I can't remember which one, but I kept it in case I fancy staring at lots of beautiful things or finding ideas. I don't tend to buy too many magazines, unless I'm lured in by free gifts, so this was nice to receive.

My teacher's notebook:

I use this to keep notes from meetings etc. 

A selection of books:

You can see quite a range of genres here, from light reads to works of fiction. I have read a couple of these, namely Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler and Tiny Acts of Rebellion by comedian, Rich Fulcher, both of which have been in previous favourites posts (click the titles if you fancy knowing more about why I liked them).

Some cute stationary:

I have an amazing polka dot journal that my brother gave me, which I'm saving for a writing project or to make blog post notes. Aside that, my friend bought me a book of sticky notes with cute patterns. I will probably use these in the new term to get myself more organised. Next to these is an Orla Kiely set of notecards and envelopes. I love writing letters and I find it quite sad that the new generation don't tend to have the experience of composing hand written letters and being excited about receiving a reply in the mail.  When I was about nine, I used to be part of Hola! (a pen pals society for kids) which got me in touch with a penpal in Australia called Maki- it used to be so much fun! Perhaps we should bring it back and set up a pen pals club?

Parker pen:

My brother also gave me this pen. I will be using this for writing at home, not at work. If a pen comes in such wonderfully posh packaging as this, it's telling you it deserves respect. No marking or writing minutes for this bad boy; this is reserved only for serious writing projects, signing autographs, or important documents!

Kate Rusby CD:

I bidded on ebay for this ex-library copy of the album Awkward Annie as I wanted to give her music a listen. Rusby is a folk singer from Yorkshire in the UK. Her voice is really beautiful and mellow. I've just uploaded this onto my itunes and have mostly been listening to the song, John Barbury, which is a version of a traditional folk song called Willy of Winsbury. I love the storytelling in these pieces of music; they remind me of being read fairytales as a child.

Jonathan Creek DVD:

This comes from the boxset I own. I'm one of those infuriating people who don't put CDs and DVDs back in their cases!
I love this 90s TV series- it's a perfect mix of murder mystery and comedy.

 

A jar of lip balms and hand cream:

I can't function with dry, chapped lips, so I have this array close by. Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is also great for any skin issues. I use it on my cracked cuticles and on my lips.
Like most of my acrylic storage, I found this jar in TKmaxx for a few pounds. The lid makes it look quite pretty, however sometimes I'm too lazy to replace it after I've raided the jar in the middle of the night!
So, there we have it: the contents of my shelf!
What do you keep on your bedside shelf/ cabinet?