yesterday

08th February 2011

Yesterday was a true Monday! Dull, dreary and a touch of the blues…but it’s in the past now so here’s to a more positive day! We didn’t end up going to see Black Swan in the end, we were tired and the film ended late.

Anyway, this is what I wore yesterday…complete with utterly lame posing because there was a repairman downstairs and he already thought I was nuts, without adding taking outfit photos in to the mix!

Jewellery of the day:

I thought I’d lost the cloud necklace but it then randomly appeared on a shelf
*shrug*

I should probably have put makeup on first. I also really need to experiment more with these shorts and get some coloured tights action going on!

Well, time to go to work now,
have a great day all!
xoxox

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Accessories Haulage and Whats in My Bag

07th February 2011

Hello Monday, how did you creep round so fast? I hope everyone manages a decent day! I’m not working but do have blood tests to go for…so it’s not all sunshine and fairy tales here!
Hopefully going to see Black Swan tonight, I can’t remember the last film I saw at the cinema…it was at least two years ago though!

Just thought I’d show some of the accessories I bought on Saturday, I’ll do clothes etc separately as I wear them, though in the end I only ended up with two dresses. I hate when you see so much stuff online only to find your local store doesn’t carry it, or it’s not as nice in real life.

Tights, of course! £1 for the pale pink ones! The little sheer ankle socks were reduced to 50p a pair so I thought I’d get a couple to experiment with socks/sandals when the weather becomes nicer!
I could have gone mad in the jewellery section of Primark, SO MUCH goodness, but I either lose, or forget I have jewellery so I just got the earrings and necklace because they were too cute to leave behind. I was hoping to find an animal ring of some kind, but nada.

How hard is it to photograph belts? I fell in love with this bow buckle one.

Bag, £8, sold. I’ve needed a new bag to fit all my crap in, and although this is by no means the bag I had in mind, it’s cool and it’ll do until I am somewhat richer (seriously, I cannot afford over £40 on a bag which was what all the ones I loved cost!)

Which kind of leads me on to a what do I carry round post…again having seen them crop up on blogs lately, I thought I’d jump on board (whilst my bag is somewhat organised!)

Cath Kidston diary (a.k.a. my brain), cigs (because I am BAD), work rota, Cath Kidston coin purse which holds receipts and crap, Card Holder for loyalty cards etc, Notebook which instructs me on what to do at work (most pages read “ask ***”) and pen, artfully pinched from the hospital over the summer…I have about 20 of them!

Lighter and lipbalm, throat sweets left over from laryngitis, handcream, purse which is looking decidedly empty, ginger chews (for random attacks of nausea + I’m addicted), tissues and keys.

Gingerbread Nakd bar (best bars ever! I always carry one with me, and it’s always ginger or cocoa mint), vaseline and mac tinted lip conditioner because my lips are beyond redemption, nail files and mini perfume.

Phone which has pretty much given up the ghost. Glasses that no-one knows I wear, little bag where the stuff in the above photo lives, apart from the bar which I ate shortly after the photo!

Yeah. I really do carry a LOT. If you’ve done a whats in your bag post, link me, I’m nosy!

xxx

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Makeup Essentials

06th February 2011

I’ve seen numerous makeup posts lately, and find it really interesting to see what other people swear by…usually the products they hate are the ones I love. So I’m jumping on the bandwagon, here are my beauty essentials for every day wear.

My beauty box that seriously needs sorting out and stream-lining!

From L-R
E.L.F. Studio Cream liner in metallic olive for smudging under my lower eye.
MAC eyeshadows in Mineralism, Ploof, Smoke and Diamonds + a GOSH eyeshadow in a smokey metallic brown.
Rimmel The Max bold curves mascara and Shu Uemura ultimate expression mascara (comp win, I can’t afford it normally!)
E.L.F. Mineral eyeshadow primer…in my opinion this works just as well as Urban Decays!
Shu Uemura under base mousse another luxury I wouldn’t usually have but won.
Babara Daly for Tesco oil free foundation. This is one of the only foundations on the highstreet that matches my skin tone perfectly!
Benefit SugarBomb blusher, I had this for Christmas and LOVE it!
MAC studio fix powder. This has lasted me forever and was well worth the money!

From L-R
MUA lipgloss, def my go-to lipgloss as it’s not sticky and only costs £1!
Soap and Glory Hocus Focus a.k.a. my saviour!
Burts Bees pomegranate lipbalm, review coming soon
MAC lipstick in Strayin‘ from the Hello Kitty Collection

What are your makeup must haves?

xxx

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outfits

05th February 2011

Glad everyone seemed to enjoy my baking posts, please do let me know if you make anything I’ve posted! It’s also nice to see an influx of baking posts in blogworld, I love finding and trying new recipes…I’m now on the lookout for something for Valentines day as it has been requested I make something for work!
The cheesecake and cupcakes were a hit last night, the cupcakes especially…by the end of the night I had lost count of the amount of times they had been recommended and complimented (that sounds really big headed, non?).
It was nice to get out, and meet all the people that work at the surgeries; I’m still new enough not to have met everyone. It was also good, and a personal triumph for me to go somewhere so crowded and un-familiar! The Doctor who’s house we went to is so lovely and her house is just breathtaking.

I wore my “Paprika” shift dress from ASOS, having purchased it to wear with something under it for now, I realised it looked hideously bulky, but layering with a cardigan over it and a belt looked much better

I never really *do* belts, I always take them off after half an hour or so, but this one was comfortable so I’m going to look for some similar.
I’ve also started taking more interest in my hair…it started at the end of last year with wearing it down and in it’s natural state, and over the last few days I’ve started experimenting with my ancient straighteners and I think I’m getting the hang of it. Normally I only wear it straight if Mum does it for me. I am hair hopeless.

Today Mum and I are heading in to Bristol for some serious shopping! It’s been a long time coming and we have been saving up for ages. I’m hoping to get a few key pieces for Spring and maybe some little treats.

I have serious love for this blouse!

What are you up to this weekend? Have a good one! xxx

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Baking part 2; photo overload!

04th February 2011

As promised, here is part two of my baking epidemic which saw me spend three hours in the kitchen (and another half an hour cleaning up…I’m a messy cook). The fruits of my labour are so worth it though even with the aching arms and flour dusted hair.

First up was the Key Lime Cheesecake. I have no idea where we got this recipe but it’s been stored in Mum’s recipe box for years and gets carted out time and time again…

The Tools:

(side note, condensed milk gets EVERYWHERE.) ((There is oddly no cheese in this cheesecake.))
(((apologies for dad’s cigarettes being in the photo)))

See the rolling pin? That’s for bashing…you could use a food processor but it’s more fun this way!

Ingredients:
75g (3oz) butter
225g (8oz) ginger biscuits, bashed in to itty bitty pieces
1/2 pint double cream
The juice and rind of four limes
218g sweetened condensed milk

+ cream and lime slices to decorate

Method:
Melt the butter and mix in the biscuit crumbs, press in to your tin (we always use a spring form tin as it’s easier to remove the cheesecake). Place in fridge to chill for around 45 mins.

Whisk together all the other ingredients, blending until thick and smooth (I heartily recommend an electric mixer!)

Spread over the chilled base and return to fridge for a few hours to set.

Decorate with slices of lime and serve with cream if you wish.

Ta-da. A super simple but really bloody gorgeous dessert!

Next I made the Malteaser Cupcakes, using this recipe (please note the recipe states it makes 12 cupcakes that bake for 25 minutes. I ended up with 24 that cooked in 12 minutes so be careful when they are in the oven!)

No point in copy/pasting the recipe, it’s easy to click so on with the photos!

My stash of cake cases!

The Russian Doll is my salt shaker

In the end I used the three bags of malteasers in the mix (around 120g) then scavenged another bag for the topping!

My piping bag is older than I am and not the best…so I gave up after half and just dolloped the icing on. When cakes are this good, they don’t need to be pretty!

I made half the quantity of icing that the recipe states and that was enough for the 24 cakes. I also added a tsp of edible glitter whilst mixing it up.

Now the cakes are packed in my stacking cake tins awaiting tonight’s American Supper!

Let me know if you make either of these!

((the cheesecake would also work well with lemon, and experiment with other biscuits for the base!))

xxx

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A Daisy Chain Dream

Monthly Archives: February 2011

yesterday

Accessories Haulage and Whats in My Bag

Makeup Essentials

outfits

Baking part 2; photo overload!