Dotty About Paper Stationery Products Review

Reviewed by Rachel Cassey-Holland

Now I am the first to admit that I am a stationery freak! I love all kinds of stationery and can often be found in stationery shops looking at all the different products for hours on end. I love stationery. My first job after graduating was working in a high-end stationer in New Bond Street and I was totally in my element, so I was pretty excited to get the chance to review some stationery products from Dotty About Paper. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to get.

I was really excited when the box arrived, very quickly it must be said, in the post. I opened the box and started salivating – the contents were wrapped in very pretty dotty tissue paper with some very cute pastel cardboard dots sprinkled throughout. The first win of the experience, such a nice touch!

I was thrilled to receive such a lovely pile of goodies and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I will review them one by one below:

Got To Dash “Things To Do” List Pad

At first glance I wasn’t crazy about the pattern of this because I am not really a chrome fan and I feel it is quite in your face as a design, however a quick glance at the Dotty About Paper website shows you that this is not the only design available and I really liked some of the others. More important for me is the functionality of this product, however, and it didn’t let me down. Firstly, it has a cover that is sturdy and covers (both front and back), therefore protects, the pad of to do sheets within the pad. This means that I can carry it about in my handbag without ruining it. My handbag is big, full and messy and full of all-sorts so this is important to me. If you don’t like the cover then that’s fine too as it has a serrated line that allows you to tear it off easily without destroying the look of the pad.

There are plenty (loads!) of sheets in the pad too so it’s going to last for ages. The lines are well spaced out and there is a handy tick box at the end of each line so you can tick off when you have completed your task. The paper is of really excellent quality too, it’s nice and thick, won’t tear easily and you won’t go through it with your pen. Each list is also easily tear-able so you can start the next list afresh and it looks like new. I absolutely love this pad, it’s brilliant and it already has pride of place in my kitchen. All in all this is a very apt product for a busy Mum (or Dad!) who needs to get some order in their life. Would I buy this if I needed a good-looking To Do List in my life again? Yes, definitely! 5 stars.

Pinking Out Loud A5 Exercise Books

I am 43 years old but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these exercise notebooks and they filled me with such a happy feeling. According to the website they come in a two-pack and they are so, so pretty and cute to look at. They are girly and sweet and such gorgeous colours. Did I mention I love them?! That’s just from the look alone. They appeal to my taste so much – they come in two pastel colours – pink and blue with little white dots. The inside of each is of the alternative colour, so the one with pink on the outside has blue on the inside and vice versa. The covers are made of strong cardboard and, again, the paper is of superior quality and thickness. They will stand up well to the rigours of my handbag. There is no fear of your writing showing through on the reverse side of the page and the lines are beautifully spaced apart. Everything about these exercise books screams quality. I love them so much I don’t want to use and therefore spoil them and will probably just look at them lovingly instead. They will definitely appeal to Mums who are into pastel and pretty things and need to make notes or like to have a nice book to write their own recipes into, for example. If my sons had bought me these as a Mother’s Day present or even an alternative Easter present I would have been thrilled! It would also make a lovely present for a teenage girl. If you’re not into pastels or the design there is a whole host of other very lovely cover designs to choose from and, at £6 for two books, I think this is a steal. It’s 5 stars from me!

Sweet Sherbet Dreams Desk Planner

I love planners and like to have them in several places – kitchen, upstairs by the computer and in my dreaded handbag, so I was very happy to receive this, as I don’t have one for next to the computer. I shall use this very happily.

Again, there is a choice in design – I received the “Sweet Sherbet Dreams” design, which is really pretty. For the whole review there is only one negative I can find and it is about this product – I feel it needs a cover similar to the “To Do” list pad. When I removed the planner from the box the top sheet had already come away from the glued binding on the edge so was loose. I have three fairly young sons and I am certain that they will play or touch this pad a lot when they are using the computer and I feel that the pages of this are going to come loose very easily, which I am a bit sad about as it’s otherwise very lovely and of the same quality as the other products sent to me. There is a lovely and thick cover on the back to protect it, so I feel the cover on the front would make all the difference.

Apart from this one point, yet again the layout on the page is amazing. It’s in Landscape and the lines are so well spaced out allowing for my messy writing, lots of lines for each day and the days are all spread apart perfectly. At the bottom of the page there are separate boxes for notes, reminders and any weekend specific info to keep this set apart from the rest of the list. At the top of each page you can write in the date, so you know which week you are in. Visually this is extremely appealing, and it will be invaluable to me. At £7.50 for this planner it is a very good price for a lovely product and again – what a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. I am giving 4¾ stars for this; the final ¼ missing only because I think it would be perfect with a cover.

Time to Shine White Glitter Wedding Journal

And finally – the pièce de résistance! When I found this at the bottom of the box my heart might have skipped a beat or two. This is simply exquisite.

The website refers to it as a “Wedding Journal” and I totally get that and can imagine using it to list and detail everything whilst planning for and for the memories after my wedding, but it doesn’t have to be just for that. It’s definitely special and it’s not an everyday journal, but I think I am going to fill mine with keepsakes, pictures, jottings and mementoes of my three boys. In Size it is 195mm x 255mm, so bigger than an exercise book. The cover is very sturdy and a beautiful glittered ivory colour.

When you open the cover the first page is blank so unlike an exercise book, meaning that the first page of your writing is covered and protected. The paper inside is of the same lovely and thick quality and is cream in colour. There is a white ribbon to mark the pages, which is also of very good quality (pretty sure this ribbon won’t fray or end up looking tatty) and very easy to find. Again, the lines are beautifully spaced apart to allow for neat writing. This journal oozes class. It is £20 but it is definitely worth it because it is so special. I would definitely give this to a bride-to-be or a new mum and I would be so thrilled to receive this as a present myself. 5 stars from me.

In conclusion I was so thrilled to receive this box of delights from Dotty About Paper. Your products are beautiful and unique and classy all at the same time. If my sons bought me any of the products on your website as a Mother’s Day present (I sadly can’t eat chocolate!) I would be a very happy Mum indeed. Having had the chance to review a sample of your products and look around your website I will most definitely be a future customer as I like to get something different and your prices are really reasonable. I can absolutely see why you are rated 5 stars in every area on Feefo (as detailed on your website). Thank you for sending your beautiful products to me, I shall be recommending you to everyone I know.

For more information or to buy visit www.dottyaboutpaper.co.uk.