Monthly Archives: November 2016

Handmade Gift Guide: Clorty Cat Crafts

06th November 2016
My list of favourite sellers on Etsy grows larger quite literally by the hour at the moment and for the next installment of my handmade gift guides I am showing off yet another of my fabulous finds. Actually when I made a purchase from this particular shop- Clorty Cat Crafts it was for something entirely different (and something I can’t show on the blog this side of Christmas). I was so delighted with it that I decided there and then that I wanted to contact shop owner Shannon about featuring her on the blog and it was then I discovered the exciting news that she was releasing a line of enamel pins- a.k.a. my new obsession and THE perfect stocking filler gift.
I was so taken with the pins (current range of six designs shown, but watch this space as there are more on the horizon which I’m super excited for- my bank account less so!). I’ve had the David Bowie pin and the Purple Rain cloud on pre-order since they were first announced and can’t wait for their arrival which should be any day now.

Incase it had somehow escaped your notice enamel pins are big news right now and the ones on Clorty Cat Crafts are definitely on the reasonable end of the pricing spectrum. I’ve seen them go elsewhere for £10+ or have extortionate p&p (Shannon charges a very fair £1.50). I’ve pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping now but I am kind of wishing I had held back a little bit as I know I’m going to want to buy any new designs from the shop as soon as they arrive. This could work to my advantage though, surely if I don’t need to buy anything else for anyone else I can justify a gift or two for me?

Have you caught on to the pin craze? What designs would you like to see next from Clorty Cat Crafts?

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Posted in christmas, etsy, gifts, inspiration, shopping, wish list

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Life in the Fast Lane- Ireland’s most dangerous roads*

05th November 2016
Yeah, it’s another one of those “but WHY are you posting this Laura?” kind of posts, we all know I can’t drive (but I will be by my 30th Birthday, it’s my one of my two goals). Anyway, I thought this infographic on Ireland’s most dangerous roads was pretty interesting- it’s already had some coverage in national newspapers and on the radio and if it’s good enough for them it sure as heck is good enough for me.
I’m not a nervous passenger when it comes to being driven around (not unless there are bridges involved) but after seeing this I’m not sure how I’d fare being chauffeured around Ireland let alone driving there myself. I’m yet to visit Ireland but it’s on my more immediate travel bucket list, it looks so beautiful and I have a real soft spot for the accent! I think that perhaps when I do go I’ll stick to public transport or at least make sure whoever I’m with is a highly competent driver- best friend, I’m looking at you! When I first started learning to drive I’d say I was overly confident but when I started my second round of lessons ten years later I found that bravado had long ago departed me, I’m a coward on a road that’s even a tiny bit narrow let alone blind spots and hair-pin bends!
Have you been to Ireland, or have any experience of driving on the roads over there? I seriously do plan to visit, hopefully in 2017 so any top tips of where to go and what to see would be greatly appreciated!

This infographic was commissioned by Chill car insurance – it might seem like an odd topic for me to cover but I personally found it super interesting and a bit of an eye-opener!

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Posted in infographic

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From Milan to Mainstream: Moschino’s rise to fame*

05th November 2016
There’s a serious shift going on in fashion within the UK right now. Now more than ever people such as myself are saving up and splashing out on designer items rather than fast fashion. It’s though that this is an effect of increased celebrity endorsements and the continual rise of reality TV. As a result fashion designers are having to fight even harder to stay relevant and make themselves stand out and there is one label that is still as strong now as when it first appeared on the fashion scene back in 1983- Moschino.

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The Origins:

Founded by Franco Moschino in Italy the brand is known for it’s somewhat zany and outrageous designs which are loved by celebrities such as Miley Cyrus. Based on the concept that women should wear what they want and not what they “should” it didn’t take long before the brand had the encouragement of Gianni Versace who’s encouragement helped launch Moschino couture in 1983.
Leading on from the success of the first shows the couture line was soon followed by Moschino Cheap and Chic and Moschino Jeans (now known as Love Moschino). In 1994 Franco Moschino designed his last collection- Ecouture made from environmentally friendly materials.
Following his death in 1994 Franco Moschino’s beloved business was taken over by close friend and collaborator Rosella Jardini. She launched Moschino boutiques all over the world and help build the brand up before it was taken over by Jeremy Scott who is still head designer to this date.

The Style:

Right from the start Moschino has been about bold and “excessive” designs- it has never been afraid to stand out and push boundaries. Early collections memorably featured cow prints, question marks and a hefty dose of satire and there have been numerous publicity stunts too- Jeremy Scott throwing dollar bills printed with his own face at a show named ‘American Excess’ particularly stands out.
In recent years the brand has experimented with some particularly loud and memorable designs featuring teddy bears, Looney Tunes characters and also encompassed famous brands such as McDonalds and Coca Cola. These pop-culture references and instagram worthy designs have turned heads and captured the attention of both celebrities and bloggers.

Why Wear Moschino?

If you’re in to fashion it’s pretty much a given that you’ll be aware of Moschino- they are near impossible to ignore. With a specialism in irony that almost mocks the world of high fashion whilst capturing the imagination the brand certainly knows how to make a statement. All this whilst preserving the original high quality, beautiful craftsmanship that we associate with any luxury designer brand. Moschino keeps the fashion world in suspense wondering what they will come up with next.

Where to buy Moschino:

The brand’s collections sell out fast so you need to be quick off the mark. In the UK you can get your hands on the latest launches through luxury fashion retailer Garment Quarter… race ya!

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Posted in brands I love, designer, fashion

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Baking with Macabella

04th November 2016
It probably hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that baking is one of my hobbies and one of the only upsides of having been off of work for so long now is that I’ve been able to indulge my love of whipping up cakes and cookies for my friends and family. Over the last few months I’ve tried many a new recipe or ingredient and when Macabella got in touch asking if I’d like to try out their amazing sounding chocolate and macadamia spread and come up with some recipes using it I was ready for the challenge. I’ve actually been itching to try this spread since seeing my good friend Amy’s review of the crunchy variety so there was definitely excitement in the air when my goodies arrived.
Nestled in a swanky gold box were four jars of Macabella spread- two velvet ones and two of the crunch variety. After having a good old think about things I decided on baking two recipes using the products- one cookie and one cake.
For the cookies I used my tried and tested Rolo cookie cup recipe and followed the instructions up until the point where the biscuits came out of the oven. At that point instead of pressing rolos in to the still hot cookies I poked holes (using the end of a clean makeup brush for want of a better tool) and allowed the biscuits to cool slightly. I briefly considered using my thumb to make the indents but quickly dismissed that idea once I realised how stupid it would be to poke my own skin in to a red hot cookie! Whilst still warm I took teaspoons full of Macabella crunch and placed it inside the holes I had created…I found softening the spread for 15 seconds in the microwave made it easier to work with. As you can see, the end result is a lovely soft baked cookie that oozes chocolate-y macadamia goodness when you bite or cut in to it. These proved a massive hit with my Dad and his colleagues and took under an hour from start to finish to make.
For the cake I tried a new to me recipe that I modified by swapping the 100g of nutella for 100g of velvety smooth Macabella. This cake uses the all in one method so is really quick and simple to do and results in a wonderfully light but decadent sponge.

I filled the cake using the rest of a jar of Macabella crunch (make sure you do it whilst the cake is still warm) then topped it with Macabella velvet and a pot of chocolate curls. So simple and yet so effective and the true testament to what a wonderful cake you get when you use Macabella is how fast it disappeared when I dropped it in to work!

Neither of these recipes are complicated, nor do they take a long time to whip up and both were ultimately enhanced by the use of Macabella spreads and there is already demand for more!

Have you tried Macabella spread before? Either as a spread or in baking? What baked goods would you use it for? I strongly suggest you hot foot it to your nearest Sainsburys (the only UK stockist) and get some of this goodness for yourselves and get experimenting. Visit the Macabella website for more about the spread and for more recipe ideas.

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Posted in baking, food, recipes, review

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Gift Inspiration: Burt’s Bees and Tangle Teezer

03rd November 2016
When it comes to Christmas shopping one of my favourite things to search for and buy is stocking fillers. Building up the perfect bundle of gifts for a friend or loved one gives me great pleasure and today I am featuring a couple of items that would be just perfect for the beauty lovers I know (including myself) and will hopefully serve as inspiration for anyone else in the midst of their shopping too.
First up I bring you the new and limited edition Ginger Spice Lip Balm from Burt’s Bees* (£3.99). The abundance of gingerbread flavoured products at this time of year fills me with joy, I’m currently addicted to gingerbread men and this lip balm manages to embody the scent of my favourite baked good perfectly whilst delivering the excellent TLC one would expect from a Burt’s Bees product. As with all of their lip products this is 100% natural, super moisturising and contains no parabens, phthalates, SLS or petrolatum (and uses recyclable materials in it’s packaging too). As these are limited edition I fully plan to stock up for the next few months and I strongly suggest that you do too, be it for yourself or as a gift.
Second up are some goodies from Tangle Teezer* who kindly sent over two of their compact styling hairbrushes- the Hello Kitty edition and Lulu Guinness lipstick print one. Tangle Teezer is pretty much the only hair brush brand that I use these days. Having really thick hair with a tendency to curl and then knot these are the only brushes that have managed to de-tangle my locks without wreaking havoc in the process. The compact stylers are perfect for popping in to your handbag for sorting out hair nightmares on the move. I kept the Hello Kitty one for myself and gave Mum the Lulu Guinness one and although I can’t speak for her I can confirm mine has come to my rescue several times already.

I think these would make a lovely gift for a hair/beauty obsessed friend and there are so many colours and designs available that there’s bound to be the perfect colour or print for everyone. The compact stylers cost £12.50 for a plain design and £13.50 for the designer ones.

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*post contains PR samples gifted for blog consideration*.

Posted in beauty, christmas, inspiration, review

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