Nivea Face Wash

Ive always struggled with really sore and spotty skin. I eventually ended up going to the doctors about it, but prior to that I'd tried every over the counter method there was on offer. I had extensive collections of blemish remover, treatment facial washes, daily scrubs and cleanser and toner. I even tried natural remedies like tea tree oil, lemon juice and ice cubes (which work if you have one or two spots). So after all these various efforts I went to the doctors and was prescribed a course of medication for it.

Now my skin has completely changed, its pretty much clear. But I am definitely not taking it for granted. I want to keep my skin as soft and clean as possible so it never goes back to what it was. It completely destroyed my confidence. A few months ago I vowed to get in a daily routine with washing and cleansing my face. I went to Boots and there were so very many different variations. I opted for Nivea's 2 in 1 cleanser and toner face wash and Nivea's moisturiser. I was a bit sceptical as I'd had so many problems with these sorts of things in the past.

Firstly the face wash makes your skin feel so clean and beautiful. I use it at night and it's so simple and refreshing to applicate. It feels very clean and different but also very light and gentle to your skin. The moisturiser in contrast is very thick and luxurious. It can look a bit scary as it does turn your skin very white. However this doesn't matter much as I would recommend a night time application (your skin is most absorbent at this time). It's incredibly hydrating and gentle to sensitive skin. Its also amazing value for money. I've been using it for a couple of months now and it barely looks like any is missing from the pot. When waking up in the morning my skin always feels so soft and healthy that I barely wear foundation anymore. I couldn't recommend these two products enough!

Jam tart recipe

Everyone seems to be trying to create the best recipes for puddings and treats by opting for the most complicated ideas. Jam tarts are so simple and delicious, but you can also make them easily with young children and get really creative.

All you need to make the tarts is Jam and pastry (you can make it even more impressive by home-making the both of these). Roll out the pastry and using a large tea cup, press out circles of pastry (you want to save a small amount of to decorate). After doing so heavily grease a tart tin and put in the pastry, put a spoonful of whatever Jam takes your fancy in the centre. You can then choose what you would like to decorate. In-line with my favourite story 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', I normally cut out small hearts and place them on top. Put them in the oven at 180 degrees and check on them after 12 mins, they vary on how thick your pastry is. Leave to cool for a bit and enjoy warm!

Alice in Wonderland - Margaret Tarrant

I am completely in love with 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. I am fascinated and completely obsessed with anything related to the story. About a year ago, I started collecting various different editions of the book (versions with different illustrations for example). As a student I don't have a lot of money for this so I have to keep looking in charity shops, but this actually makes it more fun. There's no better feeling than uncovering an edition you didn't even know existed and a book that's had a history to it.

Today I visited Oxfam books and was lucky enough to spot in the window display a really old looking 'Alice in Wonderland' book. It only contains the first part of the story and not 'Through the looking glass' but it's still lovely. It contains 24 coloured plates illustrated by Margaret W Tarrant. Unfortunately I can't find a publishing date, I've done some research and between 1916-1928 seems fitting but I can't be exactly sure. One of the main reasons I love collecting these is because I love drawing and copying the illustration as a means of relaxation. So this book is going to be absolutely perfect for that!

Blueberry Muffins

They're pretty simple but still one of my favourite cakes:

Ingredients:
60g Butter
142g Plain Flour
50g Sugar
1tsp Baking Powder
Sprinkle of salt
120ml Milk
1 small egg
Vanilla extract
50g Blueberries, Washed(you can really put how many you want in)

This makes about 6 muffins

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and put the cases in the tin.

2. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and vanilla extract with a fork. Beat until thoroughly blended.

4. Add the butter, the milk mixture and the blueberries to the flour and mix.

5. Put even amounts in the cases set out. Then sprinkle sugar over the top of each.

6. Bake until golden and risen for 18-20 mins and then enjoy them hot or cold!

Chocolate torte

So I was asked to make two deserts for my mum's dinner party, I decided to make a chocolate torte. I haven't made a torte before but as I love cooking I thought i'd give it a go. The recipe I used can be found on:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2602542/Food-Dark-chocolate-Easter-torte.html

I made a couple of changes along the way; using Kahlua rather than rum to really coordinate with the chocolate taste. Also the glaze isn't very runny, in fact mine completely hardened (which actually tasted lovely in contrast to the soft torte), so I would suggest adding something to the chocolate if you're insistent on it being drippy. For my decoration on top, I simply shaved milk chocolate.

Tie Dye

One of my favourite things to do in the summer is tie dying. Ive being doing it for quite a while now. It started with just pyjama t-shirts but I soon moved on to dying my bed linen and other clothes. My tie dye bed linen recently became threadbare so I thought it would be a good idea to share some advice whilst I do it.

You can pretty much buy clothes dye from anywhere. I personally find Dylon is the best to use, as they have very bold and striking colours. The cheapest place to get this is probably on amazon, prices vary colour to colour. The one I'm using is Bahamas Blue, it clashes with the rest of my room but it looks like such a beautiful colour. Previously Ive used Powder Pink to dip dye shorts, Flamingo pink to do clothes and bed linen and also tropical green. These four are very bright and bold colours but if that's not your style you can always use less dye to make it a lighter shade. With this in mind, I think tie-dye works best bold.

There are lots of different patterns you can make, I'm going to share three of my favourites:

First is the flower pattern. I normally do this on my bed sheet. You have to find a lot of elastic bands for any tie dye but you need a lot for this pattern. You simply just take a golf ball underneath the sheet and then tie an elastic band around it and the sheet on the top side to form a bobble. Do this lots and lots all over the sheet to create the impression of flowers as the finished result.

Secondly is the bulls eye pattern. To achieve the impression of a dartboard target you have to find the middle of the material, pinch it, and then pull it up. Then going down, tie rubber bands in different sections, I think more looks better but that's just personal opinion. You should be left with your material is a sort of rigid column.

Thirdly is my personal favourite, the spiral. This is a bit more tricky so i'd start with practising the other two first. You have to make your material wet first so it holds its shape when working with it. Next pinch the middle and start twisting it round, the material should spiral around the bit you pinched. After doing this you might have to tuck in little bits or just help them round at the side. Once you've made this, you should have almost a little parcel of material. Its important to secure this around the edge with rubber bands, two or three should do it.

On the packet it says to do this in the washing machine, but for tie dye you do not want to do this. You will be tying things such as golf balls in your material so it'll break the machine. You want to do this in a bucket outside. You also need to buy some cheap salt to put in the bucket as well. Firstly boil the kettle fully. I normally do two loads of boiling water from the kettle and then fill the rest up with a hose. After this mix the salt in until its dissolved and then put the dye in. I use an old wooden spoon to do this, you can use whatever but it will get ruined.

You're finally ready to put your material in the bucket. Carefully place it in and then leave it in the bucket for one and a half hours. Keep coming back to agitate the dye with the wooden spoon, this is important if you have more then one thing in the dye.

Once the hour has passed you can take it out. I usually take all the rubber bands off and then hang it to dry outside for 30/40 mins. This just gets all the excess dye to drip on to the grass and dry slightly. I would also highly recommend rubber gloves at this point, the dye is highly irritant and does not was off your hands. After this you need to wash it in the washing machine with no powder, this needs to be done on a low heat wash. If you want to be really cautious you can wash it again before use with powder. Then you're ready to use it!

Afternoon tea at the Norfolk Hotel

After a family day out on the beach in Bournemouth, we decided to head over to a restaurant for afternoon tea before heading home. I'd planned to go to the Norfolk Hotel previously but my plans fell through so this was the first time I had been there.

The Hotel is situated out of the business of the main town so the atmosphere was very chilled and relaxed. We sat ourselves in what seemed to be a lounge area, it had a very old and timely tearoom feel about it. I decided to opt for the cream tea as i was still relatively full from lunch and could not face the substantial size of the full afternoon tea.

The china the tea was presented in wasn't as delicate as i'd hoped, it was white and basic. But still the teapot held around three cups of tea which was good value for money! The cream tea features two scones, two pots of jam and a dish of clotted cream. The scones had been freshly baked at the hotel so they were deliciously hot, and a good standard size. The cream was lovely as well, there was plenty of it to lavish upon the scones. The staff were also very friendly, we didn't realise how important pre-booking was at this hotel but they were very helpful to ensure they could provide the best of what they had.

At £6.95 the Norfolk provided an afternoon tea that was incredible value for money. I would happily return and be eager to try the full afternoon tea that they have on offer.

Click to visit the website

Highcliffe Castle

Bournemouth beach is absolutely beautiful, but for me one of the most perfect stretches of beach is just a little further round. Past Mudeford beach is Highcliffe Castle. Highcliffe Castle is a building situated on top of a cliff further back from the beach. Its a beautiful old stately home that's positioned in enchanting gardens. There's car park spaces provided which you can use before you embark on the coastal path that leads straight down to the golden sandy beach.

The Beach itself is breathtaking. Its a lot quieter than Bournemouth as people don't tend to walk round so far. If you walk in either directions you soon come across cafes for refreshment, or you can walk back up to the castle and have one there. This stretch of beach is so peaceful and lovely, that its definitely one of my all time favourites. 

The Captains Club

Each time we go to Bournemouth, we've adopted a tradition of stopping for lunch at the Captains Club hotel in Christchurch. It's obscure location means it's not very well known but that doesn't make it any less special! 

We've actually stayed at the hotel on a number of occasions, but more recently we tend to just stop for lunch. As it's a four star hotel it's very expensive but it's truly been delightful each time I've visited. 

On today's visit I decided to go for the charcuterie platter. This includes a selection of Italian meats (Parma ham, chorizo, salami etc), focaccia bread and green olives. I think this dish was actually intended as a starter to share but it makes a perfect lunch option. It was absolutely delicious.  The dish was presented beautifully on a wooden board, with the bread all stacked and then the olives and a sauce in separate dishes. The selection of meats was given in generous portions and was incredibly tasty. 

The views from the hotel were very picturesque. The lounge/restaurant overlooks a glistening river that seems so clear and blue, it belongs in a fairy-tale. Watching the sailing boats bob up and down in a perfectly serene manner is really mesmerising. It suits the whole calm tone of the restaurant. I wouldn't say there's a strict dress code but smart casual seems most appropriate and fitting as it's a rather sophisticated atmosphere. 

My only slight complaint is that the service is slightly slow. Everything was relatively prompt until the slightly prolonged gap between receiving our drinks and food. But that's being incredibly picky! Other than that, everything was superb! I would urge anybody to go there, it's a really lovely hotel that has so much charm and atmosphere. 

http://www.captainsclubhotel.com

Waterfall Braid

To be honest, despite being pretty good at plaiting now, I can barely do them on my own hair. It took me ages to achieve an average looking fishtail on my hair. However a surprisingly simple style is the Waterfall Braid. Most people seem put off by them as a lot of the tutorials aren't very good explanations. But I've tried to devise one that's understandable on everyone's level. Its basically a plait that reaches all around the back of your head. Then you can manipulate it into another plait, ponytail or bun, it looks good even leaving it loose. Leaving it loose can look very elegant and pretty for an evening event whereas during the day time, its brilliant for pulling the wispy parts away from your face.

So in my instructions the different colours represent different chunks of hair. The plait starts just above the ear on the side of the head. You then just keep adding bits until you get to the other side. Oh and as you can probably tell by the photograph, wet hair is easiest as the sections of hair are more defined.

Fego Caffe

I've become somewhat of a regular at Fego Caffe. I absolutely love going out for breakfast and as I have a Fego's so close to me its incredibly ideal. The food on offer is completely delicious! whether you're having cakes/pastries or a full on meal, it doesn't fail to disappoint! Usually I opt for a pot of English breakfast tea and eggs Benedict but today I decided to mix things (ever-so-slightly) up.

I was meeting a friend for lunch today and decided to choose something more lunch time appropriate. The fab thing about Fegos is they have such an extensive menu. There are breakfast menus, all day brunch sections,a deli section and then a more substantial meal section (for burgers/pizza/salad etc). I stuck to my English Breakfast tea but chose to eat 'Buck and Bunny Rarebit'.

Until I started as a waitress in a different tearoom, i'd never actually heard of rarebit and the numerous variations of it. For those who don't know it's essentially fancy cheese on toast, 'Buck Rarebit' is served with eggs on top. Fegos variation of the dish also came with two rashes of bacon upon each slice. The meal was very filling but so delicious! it's the definition of comfort food.

Fegos is always busy so it has a very lively atmosphere, but this creates no delay on your food. Of all the times I have been there, I am never waiting long between my order being taken and delivered to me. The staff are always very friendly and helpful as well which I think really makes a restaurant. The food is always incredible value for money. For example, as I mentioned we were in there today. On top of my order my friend chose a ham and cheese panini, a side of chips and a diet coke. Everything we ordered came to £22.05, so just over a tenner each. To be perfectly honest that's incredible value for money and definitely one of the main reasons I keep going back!

Fego's is probably one of my favourite places and I would urge anybody to visit.

Click and visit the website here.

The Pretty Reckless Gig

Recently I was able to see The Pretty Reckless support Fall Out Boy on their tour. I'm always going to gigs as I absolutely love music. The atmosphere, the loudness and the crowd mentality just create the perfect setting for me! So when the offer of a Fall Out Boy ticket arose, I jumped at the opportunity to see one of my favourite bands. Closer to the event I was ecstatic to learn that the Pretty Reckless would be supporting them.

I was supposed to see the Pretty Reckless at Reading Festival 2013 but there was some last minute change to the line up, I don't know the details but they weren't there. I was really gutted because I've always been a fan of Taylor Momsen. Particularly her style and I'd loved The Pretty Reckless since their debut single 'Make Me Wanna Die'. The fact I was going to see them at Fall out Boy was perfect!

The gig was at Wembley arena which is actually a pretty big venue, and when you have a venue so big the atmosphere really creates a difference. From where I was standing they were able to do this effortlessly. They opened with 'Follow Me Down' off their new album 'Going To Hell' and it was incredible, I don't think anyone had really heard it before as I couldn't see many singing along (I certainly didn't know it!) but it got everyone moshing and jumping, creating a really exciting atmosphere. The rest of the set list seemed to be also off their new album, I really liked it but my boyfriend dubbed it as a bit same-y. A Particular highlight was 'Heaven Knows', I didn't realise this was by them. Id heard it several times before and it seemed there were several others in the same position. Of course 'Make Me Wanna Die' was the finale, everybody went crazy. It was a fantastic set list.

The light show was good, lots of different coloured filters and single strobe flashes. It really highlighted the background which figured the cross but an arrow also pointing down south (to hell). And of course Momsen looked incredibly cool, but that's just my inner fan-girl.

Overall it was a great supporting act for Fall Out Boy (who were also amazing but everyone already knows that!) and I'd definitely take any opportunity to go and see them perform a whole set list.

Fruit Tea Infusion

I'm a real fan of tea. Whether its part of afternoon tea or to relax and go to sleep or even to be social with friends, I absolutely love it! But recently I discovered the joy of herbal tea. When I first caught on to this phenomenon I tried Chamomile, purely for the health benefits. However I soon learnt about the 'fruit tea infusion' range offered by Twinnings, at only 4 calories a cup it seemed incredibly intriguing.

After trying a few I have now discovered the best fruit tea, Cranberry and Pomegranate by Twinnings. There were several factors that appealed to me about this tea (or infusion), firstly the colour. Its superficial but its so vibrant and pink! its a beautiful colour that reminds me of the drink me potion from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. It'd be perfect for tea parties or homemade afternoon tea.

Secondly, the smell. Its comforting and relaxing, its fragrant but not over-powering. Its smells tart and tangy which makes it even more inviting. The first sip floods both sweet and zesty flavours that propose the lively feel of a summers evening. Interestingly enough Twinnings also recommend allowing it to cool and serving it over ice, not something I've been adventurous enough to try but it could work!

Truthfully, its absolutely lovely!

Pressing Flowers

As Spring has recently arrived and the weather has somewhat improved, I thought I would write an entry on pressing flowers. The process of pressing flowers basically is a way of preserving them so they last forever. Once pressed they can be used in art form such as scrap booking, card making or just as a keepsake if they were a present from someone special. I was actually really successful with these methods so I thought I would share them

So the first method I used was to completely press them. To do this, you need a really heavy book (I used a dictionary), grease proof paper and kitchen roll. Firstly, open the book near the middle and cut a piece of grease proof paper that will stretch across both pages. By doing so, no flower juice gets on the pages and ruins it! Next place a piece of kitchen roll on the right side, on top of this goes the flower and then another piece of kitchen roll. The kitchen roll will help dry the flower out. After this you can close the book. The time-span of each type of flower varies but it shouldn't take any more than a week. With my first attempt I left it slightly too long and unfortunately my flowers went mouldy, the time frame between perfectly pressed and mouldy is very slim, so my advice is to keep checking. I also placed a crate of drinks on top of the book just to really squish it. Once the pressing process is complete I left my flower in a sunny window. You want all the moisture to be gone from the flower so it doesn't go mouldy, this proved to be sufficient.


The next method doesn't give you the conventional pressed flower. It uses the same process of drying but you are left with the flower shape. To do this, you'll need a piece of ribbon or string and an airing cupboard. All you need to do is pull the leaves and the already dead petals off the plant. Then turn them upside down and tie a very secure, tight knot around the stems. After this tie the other end of the string onto a pipe or similar structure in the airing cupboard. Try not to tie it too near the front otherwise they keep getting knocked by clothes and things which damages the plant. This doesn't take as long to dry but again it varies from plant to plant. Once satisfied you can untie the flowers and you'll be left with the same shape. They will be completely dry so there is no need to leave them in the sun.

I think I prefer the outcome of the book pressing method, but that's probably because its then easier to use in art. The airing cupboard method works best if you're trying to preserve the flower as a keepsake. You can actually buy special contraptions to press the flowers from art shops but you honestly do get the same results as using a book. I think I might try and press flowers from a variety of special places and then make it into a journal.

Laduree Macaroons

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to be taken to Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. I've been several times before but I tend to stick to what I know and go to the same restaurant each time.

However after my cream tea in 'The Tearoom' I decided to head down to Laduree to buy takeaway macaroons. The restaurant itself is located in a much quieter part of the shop but is still wonderfully atmospheric. Laduree actually offers an extensive range of meals, afternoon tea, sandwiches, drinks, cakes and of course the signature macaroons.

Despite feeling tempted, I stuck to what I went in for and opted for the macaroons. Upon being presented with an array of colours and flavours I decided on a rose petal, a vanilla, and a strawberry and marshmallow macaroon.

The cost of three came to nearly six pounds but i have to admit, they were absolutely delicious! I completely see what all the fuss is about. Particularly the rose petal flavour. I even think i might have a new restaurant for my next visit!


Harrods/Laduree web page

First Entry

So I have wanted to create a blog for quite a while now, for myself and also as i have so much inspiration and creativity i want to share. Therefore I've created this with the idea of recording my bucket-list completions, showing my favourite things and generally creating an expression of who i am.