Yearly Archives: 2012

August in Instagrams

01st September 2012

It is no secret that 2012 has been a pretty rocky year for me (and many). August proved to be the almost perfect remedy to that by being hands down the best month of the year so far ((if you can ignore the downright tragic news I had a couple of weeks ago)).
Highlights, told through my ipod;

1. Mary Berry is my kitchen IDOL so as soon as I set eyes on my Grandad’s copy of this book I had to make it mine too!

2. Mae has kept all of us amused with her antics, this is her “it wasn’t me” face.

3. Favourite mug, which involved a two hour trek round a town in Spain to find the random little shop where Ellie purchased hers. Everytime I drink decent coffee from it I smile.

4. Owl jumper from Asda. I saw this in store just after I got back from holiday but not in my size. I stalked it online to no avail then found it in the tinyest Asda known to man on an offchance. My Nan loved owls and she would very much approve of this. At £10 it was an utter bargain too…and SO soft.

5. I’ve implemented some pretty big life changes in the last couple of weeks. This is my motivational notice board to keep me on the straight and narrow.

6. Fro-Yo!

7. Pipas, an addiction bought back from Spain; although my addiction is nothing compared to that of Ellie’s; she bought home 2kg of the things!

8. New shoes! I have some major love for Clarks right now! (And Leo, who sent me these)

9. £2 well spent.

10. Poolside. Oh how I wish I were back there now!

Was August a good month for you, too? Just from reading blogs it seems that maybe it was! Let’s hope September follows suit.

xxx

Posted in instagram, life

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The French Connection

31st August 2012

Hello new favourite dress, kindly sent to me by French Connection. I can’t get over how well this fits and how good it makes me feel! French Connection is one of those brands I have forever been aware of but at the same time totally unfamiliar with. I wish I had the budget to dress myself in it top to toe, this dress attracted many a compliment at work yesterday!
Worn with New Look tights and Jeffrey Campbell boots and my motivational bangle by Disney Couture.

Bonus shot of Mae perfecting her blogger posing skills!

Finally Friday! Another one of those short weeks that has dragged on by, probably because I have a nice weekend planned, always the way.
Anyone got anything exciting on the agenda?
What item of clothing always makes YOU feel good?
xxx

P.S. BIG HUGE congratulations to Katy, winner of the Matalan giveaway! Stay tuned for more fantastic prizes to be won.

Posted in Mae, outfits

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Ideas for cake decorating designs – Birthdays *guest post*

30th August 2012

Cake decorating is not an easy job. You need to have an eye for detail and skilled hands in order to create a masterpiece from your cake design. Creating perfect flowers, fondant accents and swirls require a lot of time and preparation – but studying useful tips and ideas for cake decorating ideas is the way forward if you want to impress someone with their birthday cake.

Questions you should ask yourself before embarking on a new baking project:

  • How do I ice an immaculate, crumb free surface?
  • What type of icing should I use for my cake decorating job?
  • How do I add colour to my icing or fondant?
  • How do I select decorating bags?
  • How do I add impressive finishing touches to my cake?

If you know answers to the above questions then you have probably got years of experience in professional cake baking. If you struggle to find answers it is probably best you turn to the cake decorating experts such as Dunns Bakery online shop to make sure your cake decorating design has ticked all the boxes. Remember that cake decorating is an art and only patience and devotion will bring the results you are expecting. For example, some consider cake decorating a sugar art and baking contests and competitions prove there are people out there that will do everything to make their cakes and cookies visually attractive. Are you one of them? Or should you maybe take up a professional cake decorating course?

3 Epic Ideas for birthday cake designs from Dunns Bakery

Before you start creating your perfect cake think of the overall look you want to achieve. We already know you do not want a plain cake – so maybe you want your cake to be sculpted to resemble three dimensional persons, cars, gardens or children toys?! Yes, everything is possible! Below you will find inspirational ideas for cake decorating designs.

Basket of flowers – cake design idea for her birthday

The basket of flowers is a classic example of a beautiful and elegant cake. It features decorated roses that can be presented to any woman who is close to your heart.

Toy Story Bed – cake design idea for children

This cake looks just like a funny bed – yes! Using variety of colours and magical characters will make your child very happy!

Football pitch cake design for men

Excellent for football game lovers, an ideal cake to kick off a football season!

Celebration birthday cakes for men, women and children can come in a variety of shapes and designs. As birthday cake forms the center piece of everyone’s birthday make sure you have possessed all the information and skills to create the perfect cake design for your family and friends.

Posted in Uncategorized

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half baked

30th August 2012

Love baking but hate the hassle?  Enter Half Baked, a new and exciting concept in home baking; they make the mix, you make the cake!


“The Half-Baked Cake Co. uses only top-notch ingredients, including free-range eggs, proper patisserie flour and real butter. Simply pop the chilled cake mixture in the oven, wait for the evocative aroma of home baked cake to waft through the house, cool, then decorate with luscious icing supplied.  Serve with pride then sit back and enjoy all the glory and taste of a freshly baked cake – without having to scrub any tins or bowls!“


The Half-Baked Cake Co. range comprises Scrumptious Chocolate, Lemon & Lime Drizzle, Coffee & Walnut and Farmhouse Apple.  Perfect for everyday tea or special celebrations, for treating the family or impressing friends, there is a delicious Half-Baked Cake for every occasion.

Scrumptious Chocolate Cake (600g, RRP £5.00)  – the ultimate comfort food and an all round favourite.  Simply top with the rich chocolate buttercream icing supplied – perfect for birthdays and celebrations.

Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake (490g, RRP £5.00) – a classic drizzle cake, complete with scrumptious zesty zing icing.  Ideal for coffee mornings or a tea time treat.  

Coffee & Walnut Cake (595g, RRP £5.00) – the sublime combination of bold and exotic flavours. This cake mix comes with rich coffee buttercream and walnuts, to add a touch of finesse to your table.

Farmhouse Apple Cake (485g, RRP £5.00) – a mixture of ripe fruit and subtle nutmeg, cloves and cassia spices give this cake a true taste of an English country kitchen. Serve with a pot of tea and good company.

The full Half-Baked Cake Co. range can be found in the chilled food aisle, by the chilled home baking range at selected Tesco Extra stores and Tesco.com from mid-July. 

Price wise, I think these are a pretty good deal; I easily spend that on baking ingredients only to make one cake and then not use the rest of it meaning lots of waste and added expense. The cakes look and sound amazing too…I’m dying to get my hands on the Farmhouse Apple one! 


What do you think to these? Clever shortcut or crafty cheat? I’m all for homebaking, but sometimes time constraints and general laziness prevail; these are perfect for a spur of the moment cake-fest or to make for the office for a birthday (and claim it all as your own, of course!) and it saves both on washing up AND having several bags of unusable flour hanging around.

xxx

Posted in baking

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chop chop

30th August 2012

After months of putting it off, I finally went and booked a haircut…a much needed one and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect after a truly horrible morning at work.

I didn’t have any particular style in mind, just something easy to maintain and that’s what I got! My head feels a heck of a lot lighter minus about 10 inches of hair and half of it’s bulk (the curse of not just thick, but plentiful hair!)
Now the challenge is the upkeep, this is where I usually fail! Feel free to share miracle products and styling tips with me! I’m going back to vibrant red at the weekend.

And don’t forget, there are still a few hours left to win £20 with Matalan, the giveaway closes at 7pm. Chop chop!

xxx

Posted in giveaway, hair, matalan

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