oranges and lemons

Last week the folks at Baking Mad got in touch challenging me to recreate a recipe from their website...with an extensive range (everything from how to make pancakes to a divine sounding peanut butter and chocolate cupcake recipe) it was hard to pick something to make but in the end, wanting something light and fruity for the hot weather I settled on the old favourite St Clements Traybake.

I have a love/hate relationship with online recipes, but I have in the past used many from Baking Mad with great success. This was no different and the results were a delight (even if I do say so myself!)

The ingredients list was nice and short, making the recipe budget friendly; something that stops me baking as much as I'd like can be the cost of ingredients. Although the website suggests specific products to use, I didn't have access to them all so used equivalents:

100g softened butter (plus a little extra for greasing)
175g self raising flour (Allison Nature Friendly) sieved
1tsp baking powder
175g Golden Caster Sugar (Billingtons)
2 Happy Eggs
6tsp Just Milk
1tsp pure orange extract.

For the topping you'll need the juice of one large lemon and another 100g of golden caster sugar; plus retro fabulous orange and lemon jelly slices to decorate!

The method was a quick and easy all-in-one job, which is just what I like!

1. Preheat the oven to 180*c, 160*c (fan) or Gas Mark 4

2. Grease/line a shallow oblong tin (approx 18x28cm)

3. Place all the cake ingredients in to a large mixing bowl. Preferably using an electric mixer beat the mixture for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture drops easily off a spoon.



4. Spoon the mixture in to the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.

5. While the cake is baking prepare the icing. Beat together the lemon juice and sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven pour the mixture evenly over the top, then leave to cool.


6. Cut the cake in to 16 squares, them top each one with the orange and lemon slices.

And that's it! This really is quick and simple..and the best bit? It's best eaten WARM, which means no hanging around to dig in!

Have you used the Baking Mad website before? Which recipes have caught your eye?

xxx

Daisy Chain Dreaming: Cruise Fashion

Another week another wishlist, this is becoming a habit!

Alexander McQueen, Acne, Alexander McQueen...all strictly wishlist material with these designer picks from Cruise Fashion another shop freshly on my radar thanks to blogging!

And because Men are so often overlooked, I thought I'd share these wonderful basics (admittedly not as basic prices) by Stone Island at Cruise Fashion

 

To be honest, I wouldn't mind these myself...ladies, get your men to buy them and then borrow them yourself!

What are your designer wishes this week? Ladies stealing bloke's clothes..yes or no?

xxx

Sarenza Shoe of the Week

If anyone was going to create a truly badass flat sandal, you might have known it'd be Jeffrey Campbell...scared of the towering heels of his usual designs? Then the Puffer sandal is for you! It might not be cheap at almost £100, but think of the dignity you will save by not going arse over tit when trying to walk!

I think this'll be a marmite shoe, some of you will love it, and some will hate it. For me personally...and for inexplicable reasons, I love it!

xxx

au revoir

Vest: H&M, Jeans: Oasis, Shoes: Runway Shoes

I've clearly been lucky lately as both the shoes and the jeans were competition wins...I like to think that's a bit of my Nan's influence as she was forever winning things (and often she couldn't remember entering the competition to start with!)

It takes a lot to impress me with jeans, especially skinny jeans. I loathe shopping for them; friends and family will attest to that. These from Oasis have won me over. Perfect length, sit in the right place on the waist...I know where I shall be shopping for denim in the future (and yes, I know it'd be better if I actually filled said jeans, but that, my friends is an active work in progress and when I get there I shall buy several more pairs).

It's become a standing joke now about how many pairs of shoes I own, and this from a girl who used to live solely in trainers. My room, the office and my Brother's room (er, sorry Ben!) have been somewhat taken over and yet the collection grows. At first I wasn't sold on the slipper shoe trend, but after winning these beauts from Runway Shoes you can call me a convert.

Well,
it looks like the sunshine is over for now, I've awoken today (well, pounced upon until conciousness is reached by Mae) to grey skies and the unmistakable sound of rain. It was never going to last, was it?

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, although not a massive fan myself, I am loving the Olympic fever sweeping the nation!

xxx

keep cool, cover up

There is a lot to be said for what is basically a tube of striped cotton when it comes to keeping cool...this maxi dress from H&M pretty much saved me from melting on Thursday afternoon (and allowed me to bare my hairy legs without anyone seeing!). Teamed with faithful Havianas c/o Sarenza I'll probably be living in this kind of thing in Spain (6 days, 6 days....I'm allowed to be over-excited, I haven't had a holiday in seven years!)

I did feel quite sorry for my furry friend, her only way to keep cool was lie in the shade looking cute. Oh, it's a hard life being a cat!

Has anyone got Summery weekend plans? I've had to put mine on hold to shift this sore throat/cough virus before my holiday. This, folks, is the one downside to my job. 50% of our patients have this same thing and it keeps getting bounced back and forth between us!

xxx

With Attitude

Cut-out detail dress c/o Glamorous, Studded shoes; competition win from Tribeca Shoes

When Glamorous got back in touch offering to send me one of their new arrivals I knew it HAD to be this dress. As girly as my style sometimes is, I am just as comfortable in something a bit more grungy and this dress is exactly what I've been craving (without even knowing it!)
I fall in love with Glamorous a little bit more each time I browse their website, deffo one to watch!

Now, these shoes. THESE shoes! I was lucky enough to win a twitter giveaway from Tribeca Shoes and chose these. They aren't a shoe for the faint hearted, and I think they will be saved for evenings out where lots of sitting down is involved, but dammit, I love them...and basically the whole Tribeca website for that matter. Hello new shoe heaven on the block, I see a lot more of you in my future.

I am feeling a little pessimistic about my style and outfit photos lately. Perhaps I read too many blogs, and know too many stylish people but I feel drab and un-inspired by comparison. I know this isn't about dressing for others,
I just feel a bit left out of the blogging came, a wallflower if you will who just blends in to the background and is often overlooked.

C'est la vie,
from twitter I know I am not the only one feeling this right now. I'm hoping that my holiday will give me a much needed confidence boost (and blogging break) and I'll come back with a load of confidence and some fresh ideas.

One week till I fly. Cannot wait.

xxx

Summer Loving: the perfect bag

Not that a girl ever really needs a reason to buy a new bag, but how perfect is this Batik Bag from Flights of Nancy? At a bargain £17.50 this screams festival AND beach holiday...the ultimate multi-tasker, especially if you are lucky enough to be heading to both!

What's your go-to Summer bag? Mine must be my Flights of Nancy leather holdall, perfect for on the plane or for a cheeky couple of nights away.

xxx

bright and breezy

Dress- Mango @ Asos, Tights- hiding the fact I have a leg wax booked next week, Sandals- Georgia Rose c/o Sarenza.

This dress was a bit of an impulse buy, suckered in by the £7 price tag I didn't really give it much thought as I added it to my basket.
I'm not 100% sold on the shape of it, but it's made of light, cool cotton, and when faced with working in a boiling hot office, that was quite enough to make me keep it.
I actually do love the colour, I've always loved pink, just not ON me. The shape is less than flattering, but as I fill out a little that will undoubtedly change.

I really enjoyed reading the responses to my question yesterday, they've given me loads to think about.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday, this week has gone super-fast, or at least felt less traumatic than other weeks. The sun cures everything (and we can claim sunbathing is good for our health by topping up our Vitamin D levels!)

xxx

Summer Brights

Wallis top, Primark skirt, Dune wedges c/o Sarenza

Summer's arrival meant Monday I wanted to wear bright colours. Actually, I wore two outfits on Monday (the other to be shown tomorrow) and that was also a bit on the bright side.
This skirt was a £5 Primark bargain, a true impulse buy that will probably be a bit of a wardrobe staple. The top was pinched from my mother's wardrobe (love her!) and the whole lot was finished off with my favourite wedges.

Mid-week already. Thank goodness. I am in full holiday count down mode and in an oddly/constantly chirpy mood. I've been doing a lot of phlebotomy shifts over the last couple of weeks and I am well on my way to getting another skill/qualification under my belt. For someone who wanted to work in Journalism, I am still in shock at how well I've taken to clinical work! It's now my ambition to become a fully qualified Health Care Assistant and I am putting thought in to spending 2014 working abroad. There is something very satisfying about working with patients on a one-to-one basis, reception work is also enjoyable but with it comes a lot of abuse and hassle.

Are you working in your chosen field, or has your dream changed as time's gone on? Has anyone done a year working abroad? Tips and advise welcome!

xxx

one to watch

Thought this was worth a watch for a bit of interesting evening viewing.
Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous sunshine!

xxx

basically

H&M dress (last years, about £8 I think), Clarks sandals c/o Sarenza, New Look necklace.

How cute is my little explorer? I can't stop snapping photos of her! We've finally been able to get rid of her litter tray...the next challenge is the bloody cat flap *sigh*

Love these super flat Clarks sandals that remind me of the summer shoes I had when I was growing up. I swear you cannot beat a super flat leather sandal for everyday summer wearing.

The necklace was a gift from a friend who knows me too well.

Congratulations to Amanda, winner of the Experience Day giveaway...I hope you enjoy your Zorbing if that's what you decide to do!


What were your childhood sandals like? How is your week shaping up?

xxx

Daisy Chain Dreaming: Evening Wear at Goddiva

In my little dream world I have a social life, one that requires glitzy dresses and a non-stop excuse to dress up in evening dresses,
enter Goddiva and their selection that are allowing me to virtually live out my dream!

My top picks include the fierce studded shift dress, a bargain at £38! And from the slightly more expensive Luxe range I have my eye on the pretty in pastel crochet strapless dress (£65) and the twenties inspired Gold and Glitzy flapper dresses (£85 for the blue, £88 for the white/gold)

Whilst your there, you may as well check out the epic Summer Sale too, with up to 70% off, there are bargains to be had...

Which dress is your favourite? Where do you shop for evening wear?

(Anyone else a total social-phobe like me?!)

xxx

Sarenza Shoe of the Week

The sun is out and that has totally influenced my pick of the week from Sarenza; how fabulous are the Winonna by Steve Madden wedges? They cost £84.99 and I dare say are worth every penny...you can't put a price on cheerful feet!

What's your favourite summer footwear?

xxx

Loco for Cocoa

I've had the pleasure of sampling Cocoa Loco chocolate once before, and after seeing on their Facebook plans to launch some frankly amazing sounding handmade chocolate bars I re-kindled my contact with the brand (I actually wanted to know if they needed any official taste tester, but you know!) and they ever so kindly sent me a box of their new look chocolate buttons. Result!

Coming in a Dark, White and Milk varieties, the 100g bags are perfect for sharing (if you want to) and make a tasty treat straight from the fridge or at room temperature (a great divide in our house, the temperature at which chocolate should be served...anyone else?)
These are beautifully rich, perfectly sweet and dangerously moor-ish. There is something pleasingly nostalgic about eating chocolate buttons at any age, often a child's first taste of chocolate I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't like them!

Everything on Cocoa Loco is handmade and organic, and they are proud winners of numerous awards including Sussex Food Producer of the Year.

If your looking for a gift, or a special something for you, you can't go far wrong!

sunshine and shades

New Look Midi Dress, Matalan wedges, Raybans c/o Smart Buy Glasses

FINALLY!
An excuse to pull out a summer dress (picked up a couple of weeks ago when New Look were selling selected dresses at a tenner each), sandals and shades! I finally have my much lusted over Raybans thanks to Smart Buy Glasses too.

I can't even complain about being ill over the weekend, it provides the perfect excuse to sit out in the garden and do not very much at all...silverlining and all that jazz! Mae loves the sunshine, or rather the insects it encourages, after years of being used to Flash and his lazy ways, it is a joy to see Mae prance around after anything that looks vaguely edible.

How are you spending your weekend?

xxx

P.S. there is still time to enter my giveaway to win an experience day here.

my skin saviour from Jergens

A few weeks ago I was sent a tube of the brand new moisturiser by Jergens; Ultra Healing. Designed for extra dry skin and promising to nourish and heal I had mixed hopes. Could this product succeed where others have failed to make a difference to my extra, extra dry skin?

In short, yes.

I have a love hate relationship with moisturisers. I buy the latest wonder product hoping it'll ease the itch and give me the super soft skin I covet only to discard it after a couple of uses because it's too greasy/smells funny/hasn't made the slightest bit of difference.

This is different. I'm already half a tube down (I don't ever get that far!). The perfect non-greasy, fast absorbing formula with a heavenly scent, this is a hard worker and I love it!

Keep your eyes peeled in your local Boots.com and Superdrug stores for the new look range.

As an aside, the new look packaging for Jergens products is fabulous, don't you think?

Give me a shout if you've seen this anywhere, and also...share your skin saviours!

xx

P.S. you can also enter Style Your Skin, a competition on Facebook which could lead to you being in an issue of Marie Claire magazine!

birds and bees

The second I saw this Dorothy Perkins on Char I wanted it! When she mentioned it was a bargain sale purchase I didn't hold out an awful lot of hope, but a few clicks later and it was en route to me. At under a tenner (thanks DP for your NHS discount) this is one of those dresses that can be worn for work and play depending on what accessories/shoes etc you put with it. Yesterday afternoon was most certainly play and I wore it with lilac tights from Amazon and some Next ballet flats; I love my heels but sometimes a girl needs comfort!

Everything seems quite literally brighter now the sun has made itself known, although I have the start of a summer cold, of course!
I'm looking forward to clocking off work around 5:30 and letting the weekend begin.

What are your weekend plans?

xxx

One, Two, Three Floor

I just wanted to share this stunning video of Three Floor's SS collection. For those who don't know, Three Floor are a new brand showcasing individual and creative style at an accessible price.





Let me know what you think...I'm a regular window shopper on their website, drooling over the incredible dresses especially!

xxx