weekend wanderings #8

(images from roostblog.com, sfgirlbybay.com, and witandwhistle.com)

• Six-year-old judging books by their covers. Does exactly what it says on the tin, but it's amazing!  I also really like looking at the different covers. 
• One of my favourite bloggers, Rachel Phipps, posted a couple of weeks ago about making these great Innocent Smoothie ice-lollies. I used to love experimenting with ice-lolly moulds when I was little, I'm so tempted to dig mine out and give them ago. I feel like the Americans have some amazing 'popsicle' recipes out there (like these watermelon mojito ones over at Roost) that are just begging me to try them out!
• I've posted a lot of things from the sfgirlbybay.com blog (because I adore it!) but she posts houses and interiors that are my style, right down the plant-pots and cushions. I adore her taste and her eye for detail as well, I don't know where she finds the beautiful images, but each of them make me want to scream. I adore succulents in teeny plantpots, giant windows, sixties dressers, huge pot plants, amazing prints on the walls.. ugh, can I have my own house already?!
• Getting over it is something I need to start grappling with. I am fed up of not feeling confident in my abilities! There is a similar article to overcoming self-doubt at Uncluttered White Spaces.
• Some more interior-decorating for you, but how about a sweet window-art DIY for your consideration? This looks amazing, and all you need is a chalk marker! I have a huge window at uni, I'm definitely going to give this a go.. 
• Amanda over at makingniceinthemidwest.com has such an adorable blog, I can't believe it's taken me this long to post about her! She has amazing posts about clothes and crafts, and lots of tutorials for DIY's. My favourite's though are her Movie Monday posts, where she shares synopses of vintage movies accompanied with beautiful screen-shots. Really perfect for Monday's! 

easy portuguese tarts

The other week me and my mum were eating Portuguese tarts in Cafe Nero and we thought that we should be able to make some. Cue us googling recipes on her iPad.. and we found this recipe which is apparently Bill Grangers, but we kind of adapted it to suit us because we were in a bit of a rush! My brother and his girlfriend were coming to stay, and they are big foodies, but my brother really loved them, so I think this is a stamp of approval! Even I liked them, and I usually hate shop-bought custard tarts, because they're too eggy and claggy and weird.

Anyway, check the link, I take no credit for these but I'm going to repost it here! 

3 egg yolks
115g/4oz caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
230ml cream
170ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g rolled puff pastry (one block)

1. Put egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan, whisk together, and add cream and milk until smooth.
2. Over a medium heat, stir until the mixture thickens. Take off the heat and add vanilla extract. Cover and leave to cool whilst you roll out the tarts.
3. Preheat oven to 200c, grease a muffin/cake tray. The link says to use an 80ml but I you need to make sure that they are not too shallow and deep enough to hold the custard. You could put little foil trays in if you have them.
4. Roll half the pastry block out into a rectangle (we sprinkled the sheet of pastry with cinnamon to give a bit of taste) and then roll up tightly to create a log shape, like you would if you were making a swiss roll. Cut the pastry into 1cm-ish rounds. Using a rolling-pin, roll each round out until it's thin and flat, about 10cm in diameter. If this is confusing, see the original link, they have good pictures detailing the procedure! Press the pastry rounds into the tin, and sort of ruffle the edges. (We gave up this method on the second batch and just used a regular pastry cutter on the rolled out pastry. These worked fine, except the pastry around the edge wasn't quite as fluffy/rustic-looking.)
5. Poor custard into pyrex jug or something similar and pour into the pastry cases. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let them sit in the tin for about 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Whilst I want to say that my photos completely washed these out, they were not that pale in person but I don't think we cooked them quite long enough. they weren't as golden-brown as I would have liked. I would've liked them to caramelise a littttle bit more than they did, but they still tasted amazing! I definitely recommend try these out, and if you don't want to worry about all the faff with the pastry, just use a cutter.

Have you tried something similar? Let me know! 

peaches and cream

Having suffered from acne-prone skin for most of my life now, compliments on my skin is not something I usually recieve. However this week, I have had three! So, this is a huge step in the right direction. Above is just a sneak preview of the new products I have been testing out, on the recommendation from Caroline Hirons (I do SO love her blog and her way of saying things!). I've also been taking fish-oil tablets daily, so I think it is a combination of these things that are helping. I don't want to speak too soon though, so I am going to wait another week or two before giving you a full review! 

Anyway, I'm off for lunch at a friends today, can't wait to have a good gossip!

weekend wanderings #7

(pictures from frecklednest.typepad.com, doorsixteen.com and sfgirlbybay.com)

• I know the Olympics are over, but I'm still obsessed with them..I found these floating around the internet. One has those amazing pictures that Usain Bolt took after he won his race when he nicked a photographers camera (scroll through the pictures, sorry it's in Swedish or something!) The other is comprised of my love for 30 Rock and the athletes; how hurdler Lolo Jones is an Olympic version of Liz Lemon.
• Ombre hair might be over, but the trend is still going strong within clothes. I saw this the other day on tumblr and traced it back to a blog that I read! I think the ombre-drawers are such a great way to brighten up a cheaper set of drawers and add a bit of subtle colour. 
• I posted in an old weekend wanderings about decorating jars with images, but how about making cute hanging lanterns? I think if I was planning a special evening outdoors, these would be so beautiful. I'm not fond of the little beads or the lettering but it's a good DIY that shows you how to make the hanging loop.
• Someone tweeted this this week (I can't remember who, I'm sorry!) but it gave me a good laugh - How to Name Your Fashion Blog. I think I have a pretty weird and unique blog name, but you do see some reoccuring themes, is all I'm sayin'.. 
• I have seen lots of things about juicers, fruit diets and juice detoxes recently and I'm really intrigued by them! Laura at Belles Boutique did a post about her juicer (I've been contemplating getting a blender for a while but a juice seems more practical!) and then I saw this post over at Door Sixteen about a juice detox and I don't really know if they're that sensible, health-wise, but I really love the idea of doing one. 
• Cheating a tad with my blog of the week and it's a tumblr, called Humanae, but I think it's really cool - they have matched peoples skin-tones to pantone colour swatches. It seems to go on forever and it's weird how similar some are. 

seat, dresser, trinket

If you follow me on twitter, you'll know why I've been rather absent from my blog this week - I have been doing the week-from-overtime-hell (official title). I've been getting up at 6/7AM every day this week and I am beyond exhausted now. I had an early start today and then came home  and had a little (well-deserved) nap. I have tomorrow off and then I am back in on Sunday. At least the weather has brightened up for me! It's supposed to get up into the thirties here tomorrow and I'm quite grateful, I want to lounge around in the sun, my body is craving ittt (I'll factor it up though, don't you worry!).

After work (and my nap) I popped into town and had lunch at an awesome little Italian deli/cafe nearby which I adore - it also sells all my favourite kind of fruit drinks from Italy - and then wandered around the charity shops and found an amazing 70's telephone seat going for only £10! They said they would try and save it for me for tomorrow but it's so cool, I think it will look awesome in the hallway at our uni-house where our phone is currently on the floor and we have to sit there to have a conversation! My mum said everyone used to have them in the 70's but I've never seen one. It looks a bit like this, but more solid, and the seat is a bit different. When I've bought it and got it in the house, I will take pictures for you.

But these pictures above, are, as you can probably tell, of my new dresser. I got it from Ikea (because I need cheap furniture!) and I got the mirror there too, and the blue cloth, and the little plant. I kind of threw everything together when I got home but I really liked how it looks. I've had this little gold enamel bowl for a while and I use it to store my jewellery in at night so I don't lose it, and I also have my most-reached for perfumes. Generally, I really love it and feel all ~grown up~ with a proper dresser! I really want to get a vintage glass trinket box to keep some earrings in and then I'll be completely happy with it.

weekend wanderings #6

(images from thelooksee.com, spoon-tamago.com, and seachant.co)

• Let me just throw this out there - I love plants. They don't always love me, but my idea of the perfect bedroom is like, a greenhouse. Haha, whatever. When I found that there is a Plant Journal, it just made me want it so badly. Garden/plant magazines are generally pretty hideous, so this is just right up my street. It looks beautiful! 
• Born in 1990, I feel like a true 90's kid. Being born in like, 1994 doesn't make you a nineties kid! If you don't remember this shit, you're not! 
• Fictitious dishes from famous novels.. is simply awesome - I wish there were more in the series. My favourite is Catcher in the Rye, because I simple adore that book. 
• I discovered An Ode to Summer made by Sea-Chant for Kinfolk magazine via the Creature Comforts blog (that is a long sentence! haha). I'm seriously considering shelling out for the magazine, because it's beautiful, but oh gosh, the video is perfect, I urge you to watch it! It's just.. everything that is lovely about the summer in one video. And it makes me yearn to live in a place where we have proper summers and I can enjoy them fully. Sigh, it kind of makes my heart ache. 
• These furoshiki scarves are one of the most stunning things I've ever seen. I'm a bit of a print-making nerd and I wish I had maybe done something more textiles based with my printmaking, BUT that is beside the point, these are so beautiful! You can actually buy them on the Link Collective etsy page, and they're not extortionately expensive, I think I'm going to get one..! 
• Roost is my favourite blog at the moment, the combination of beautiful photos and amazing food, just makes my mouth water!

you can't always get what you want

grey jersey knit boxy tee, £16

navy jersey knit boxy tee, £16

charcoal knitted cocoon top, £18

white knitted cocoon top, £18

dark blue and burgundy jumper, £14.99

true black pure body scoop gown, £24.95

heather grey pure pullover hoodie, £29.95

russian navy pure pocket v, £24.95

black eva ballerinas, £30

black patent loafers, £25

I'll state it right now that I am just fed up of this summer. As someone who really craves sunshine, the rain is mostly doing my head in. I went shopping on Monday and I think the shops know that I am fed up. They were full of light knits and plain, simple, oversized shirts and vests and things that make my heart sing. I just want all of it.. I don't think that's appropriate. Here's a list of things I found that I adore, I'm really lusting after simple, oversized silhouettes in basic colours. Grey, navy, black and white. Pair with black leggings or jeans, and shiny patent loafers or flatforms and it looks really classic, in my opinion. 

I want all of this! Unfortunately I don't have £230 to blow on it, sigh. In fact, I barely have any money. I think I'm going to bribe my mum into getting the loafers for me (for uni..) and one of the dorothy Perkins boxy tee's (the grey). 

I went into Gap the other day (something I very rarely do) and I really enjoyed their selection. I snagged a super comfy white jumper in the sale for half price, and having a look online, they have some things that I really enjoy - like their Pure range which is just a load of oversized basics which is what I'm after.

As for the shoes, although I love the flatforms, the loafers are way more appropriate for uni, cheaper and something I've been after for a couple of weeks! I found some beautiful ones in Russell and Bromley, Kurt Geiger and Dune, however, they're all shite in that they don't go past a size 9. I messaged Dune on Twitter about this, and they said there is "no demand", which is, frankly, bullshit. I know many girls with feet larger than mine, and to say there is no demand is pretty stupid. I didn't even dignify them with a response because they obviously didn't take me seriously. THAT however, is beside the point. I found these pretty loafers from Next, which are in my size, and much cheaper! I think they'll be good for uni, so I'm excited to get these.

Have you picked up any bargains recently? Let me know! 

fake outfits

This is a bit of a cheating outfit of the day (please excuse the mess in the background!). I got this mirror from Ikea the other week, because I was lacking one in my room, since I have redecorated. On Friday last week, me and my friend wanted a day out, so we planned to go see Downton Abbey (lol). Unfortunately it was shut, but we didn't let this dampen our spirits, and instead had a nice wander around Winchester, drinking amazing iced-coffee from a little coffee-shop, wandered around the cathedral, watched Escape to the Country on a large screen in the church-yard? Yeah, I don't know! We perused the Oxfam bookshop which is amazing, and had a nice day. It wasn't what we had planned, but it was very sunny which kept our spirits up!

Anyway, I recently purchased this dress from ASOS and I am in absolutely love with it, it's the perfect length and weight (it's a fine knit) and looks casual and dressy at the same time. I love it! I got it on sale for £24.50 and I am so happy with it. I can really picture me wearing it to private views and the like for uni, as well as to dinner, or just regular days out.
I've had a really lazy day, just watching the Olympics and chilling on the sofa, but I'm quite content with this! What've you been up to? 

weekend wanderings #5 (olympic edition!)

(picture from boston.com)

• 33 things to love about water polo..! A bit of a cheeky one. There's also 32 pictures of the German gymnastic team, how could I NOT post this? 
• On a similar (pervy) note, this entire tumblr!
• The Big Picture, Olympics edition - I've set it to start at photo number 27, which is my absolute favourite thing at the moment - the female athletes nails! I love them, I think it's amazing that they've nearly all started doing this. I was watching the weightlifting and you get a lot of close-ups of their hands and it was pretty awesome to see the variety!
• A bit of a dirty one, I'm afraid - apparently the Olympic village is something of a brothel..
• Everything you ever needed to know about race-walking.. if you cared - I thought it was an interesting read.
• I've seen these floating around Tumblr all week, but this has them all in to one place: Olympics of Gay Porn?
• I spotted this on my travels, too, it's a video of one of the American gymnasts parents' watching her routine on the uneven bars and  I thought it was just hilarious, I imagine watching it must've been so painful for them.

(Apologies for the late post, had a busy day of cake making and eating thai food.. I hope you forgive me..! Also apologies that this post turned out to be a bit weirdly sex-orientated? Oops..)

insect dilemmas

With the hot weather we had last week, I faced a huge dilemma. Do I leave my lights on and windows open, and face the onslaught of moths? Or do I shut the windows and slowly melt and suffocate to death? 

Well, if you too suffer such dilemmas, fear not! I ended up just lighting loads of little tea-lights all over my room, particularly along my windowsill, and the strong scented ones really kept the moths and other insects at bay! These little lovelies are from Ikea and you can buy them in big packets, and they smell amazing. I'm not really sure of the scent, it has like papayas and passionfruit on the image but they just sort of smell fruity. I snapped these pictures with instagram, but I thought they were kind of pretty.