Buh bye!

See you in a couple of weeks guys :) I'm flying out to Phoenix tomorrow for two weeks, visiting some amazing sights, with a stop at vegas next weekend and then on to San Francisco! 

Hopefully I'll get some photo's as good as these. It's my 23rd on Monday, I've never spent my birthday away from home before. I've been opening my presents and cards every day I've received one instead, so it's been more of a birthday week :)

Have a lovely Easter everyone :) x

Easter Cupcakes!

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all have a lovely weekend, it's set to be a scorcher :D woo! Although I've just got home and it's now raining...typical!!

I made these beauts the other night, they're so yummy! Went for original sponge with butter cream icing. Crushed up a flake to make a birds next style top and popped some mini eggs inside. Easy peasy!

I've made so many, I've been dishing them out to everyone :) haha.

Have a lovely Good Friday whatever you're up to! I am now on holiday for two and a half weeks YAY

I will post probably post again on Saturday before I jet off so I'll say bye then!

neonz

17: Catwalk Couture

Models Own: Fuzzy Peach

Models Own: Nail art pen

Models Own: Top coat

So here's a couple of close ups of the nail design I wore this weekend. I went for some crazy bright leopards for a change. I really love the clashing colours and how well they stood out. I think I might try a flourescent pink and turquoise next! Hmm. So many possibilities :) x

Sweet Monday 029

My dress: Motel (borrowed from a friend)

Leopard shoe boots: Forever 21

Tights: Henry Holland

Rings: both Topshop

01. Bit of a photo montage for you this week! I went out on Saturday for my birthday with all my girls :) It's not actually my birthday until next monday, but I'm away for it so we went out this weekend!

The two rings in my last photo were bought by two of my friends :D how well do they know me eh?! I couldn't have picked better myself! I got lots of other amazing necklaces and nail varnish and nail art. Seriously have loved every present I've had so far! 

02. I'm going to make some easter cupcakes tonight! Not sure what I'm going to do entirely but hopefully they will look cute, so watch this space for a post on them this week!

03. I don't think I have a lot else to report about. Other than I have 3 days left of work and then it's Easter and then I'm off to America for two weeks :D woo!

04. A few to follow this week: Crazy Sweet Life, Jen and Nikki

Metalic Leopard

Barry M: Bright Pink

Models Own: Champagne

Models Own: Top Coat

I actually did these nails last week after seeing Kate's! I absolutely love her nails every week, but my faves are always her gold and pink leopards, so I thought I'd give it a go myself. Except I used champagne instead of gold as I've realised gold is the only colour I don't have :(

I'm going out tomorrow night for my birthday so will be sure to do something similar I think! I'm wearing top to toe black with leopard shoes so I might go crazy with a neon leopard style?! Hmm we shall see! 

Hope you all have a nice weekend, I have work tomorrow til 12 then I am free to enjoy myself :) I have friends coming up from Bristol and along with my friends from home we're all off out to celebrate my 23rd! Ugh how old :'( I don't actually turn it until the 25th but I shall be in Phoenix then so hence why we're going out tomorrow!

Also I just watch Eastenders, haven't seen it since Christmas...can't believe Ronnie's only JUST came clean!!!!!

Plain Jane

Top: Topshop

Skirt: Zara

Espadrilles: River Island

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Bag: H&M

Ring: Market

Nail polish: Models Own 'champagne'

I wore this outfit at the weekend. What a difference a couple of days can make. It was so hot and sunny on Saturday (I even got my legs out!!) What's happened to the weather :( rain is so depressing! Any who, this outfit is aptly names Plain Jane because of it's plainess. Don't think that's a word, but you get me right?! 

I have to say I like the plainess, and mixing colours. Colour blocking seems to be all the rage at the moment. And I didn't expect my top to match my shoes so well but I quite like the fact they did :)

Hope everyone's having a nice week!

It's only 11days til I go to America now! Can't believe how quick it's coming round. And it's my birthday in 12 days so I'm going out this weekend to celebrate with my friends :) as I won't be in the country for it this year. Woo!

Cotswold Wildlife Park

At the weekend my boyfriend and I went to Cotswold Wildlife Park. He lives 2 miles down the road from it, no idea why we haven't been sooner! I think the last time I went, I must've been about 7. So I didn't remember too much of it, but it was such a lovely day out :) Sadly a lot of the animals were being lazy and sunning themselves which meant it was really hard to see the lions and giraffes properly. But we still managed to see the rest, I think my favourites of the day were the meerkats or the world's cutest porcupine!! He was so adorable. My photo of him doesn't do him justice so I left it out, but I never expected them too look so sweet!

If you haven't been before I'd recommend going on a nice day! It's £12.50 and is located near Burford in Oxfordshire if you're ever around the area. 

Sweet Monday 028

01. First up this weekend was the best I've had in sooo long! What is it with sunshine? It brings out the happy in everyone and just generally makes everything look and feel a lot better! I've loved catch up with all of your sunny posts :) they've brought smiles to my face! I hope you all enjoyed the your weekend and caught some rays :)

02. I spent Saturday here there and everywhere! My boyfriend, Chris, lives near Burford in Oxfordshire and there are some really stunning places to visit. I absolutely love the Cotswolds...I hope one day I'm rich enough to afford a Cotswold home. But anyway, we spent the day leisurely walking along the river in Lechlade and then headed to Witney as I'd totally forgot to pack any kind of warm clothing! I shoved my shorts, skirt and tee in my bag and though I'd be fine! Then we decided to go out with his friends for the evening and so I had to buy something warmer. It was fate, I walked into Dorothy Perkins and there was a cardigan on sale for £5! Perfect! So we then spent the evening having a couple of drinks at this really cute pub. :)

03. And Sunday was another fully packed day, we spent it at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, which I won't say too much about as I'll be posting about it tomorrow :) I took so many photo's of the animals and gardens! My camera is still not back from the menders but my iPhone 4, I actually think is better?! The quality is so good on the photos. So yeah, stay tuned for tomorrow!

04. I've finally updated my header so it's a little more summery. One of these days I might actually design something nice and fitting with my blog, but for now a beautiful blue sky will do.

05. A few to follow this week: Amelia, Claire and Eliza

Flapjack Cupcakes

Makes 12

80g butter softened

80g caster sugar

2 eggs

80g self-raising flour

Topping:

40g margarine

40g demerara sugar

1tbsp golden syrup

55g oats

I made these beauts last week, sorry it's taken so long to post about them! I found this recipe in the cupcake book my Mum got me first Christmas. I love flapjacks and I love cupcakes, so what better than to put the two together?! :D

They're so easy to make. You simply make the cake mixture like normal...mix the butter and sugar together, add in the eggs, and sift in the flour, then put a dollop of the mix into the cupcake cases. You then make the flapjack mix by melting butter in a pan, then add the sugar and golden syrup. Bring off the heat and stir in the oats. You then sprinkle the flapjack mix on top of the cupcake mix in each case. Then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for roughly 20 mins or until golden brown. And hey presto! You'll have flapjack cupcakes!

I also made a whole load of flapjacks by doing the exact same way of making up the flapjack mix, except doubling the quantities of everything. And then greased a baking tray and laid the mixture into it. Again I baked it in the oven for about 15mins, until it was going brown on top and then ate far too many straight away (I love them when they're warm and sticky) :)

I hope you enjoy my cupcake recipes and if you have a go yourself and/or ever blog about it, please let me know! I'd love to know if you've tried making some!

Paisley Girl

Dress: Topshop

Cardigan: Republic

Bag: H&M

Headband: River Island

Rings: Market & ASOS

I wore this outfit last weekend after buying this dress in Birmingham the weekend before! On our way back to the car, walking through Selfridges, it's amazing array of colours caught my eye. I knew I had to have it. The red is so intense in person, pretty much infra red! You can see me coming a mile away ;)

Can't wait to wear it with some sandals in the desert of America, catching some extreme rays...gettin' my tan on! This weather has got me so in the mood for holidays :D

Shock horror about this outfit post...I just realised I'm not wearing any nail polish! That's gotta be a first :O

Anywho, hope you're all having a nice week, soaking up the sun if possible! I'm so glad it's meant to be nice at the weekend, woo! That's the only trouble with working full time now, you miss all the good weather, this summers going to suck working!

Rocky Road

Makes 12

2 tbsp cocoa powder

115g butter

115g caster sugar

2 eggs

115g self raising flour

Topping:

25g chopped mixed nuts

100g chocolate

115g mini marshmallows

40g glace cherries, chopped

I made these beauts last week but only just got around to blogging them, sorry! 

They are scrumptious to say the least! It's like a cake on top of a cake. Very yum!!

Here's the recipe if you'd like to make some of your own :)

Preheat the over to 180 degrees and set out the paper cases on a baking tray.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, gradually beat in the eggs and then beat in the cocoa powder. Sift in the flour and fold gently into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.

Bake the cupcakes in the oven for about 20mins or until risen. You can check by poking them, if they spring back to life they're done!

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Now to make the topping, melt the chocolate and then stir in the nuts. Add a little of this mixture to the top of each cake once they've cooled. Then with the rest of the mixture add the marshmallows and cherries. Then spoon a dollop on top of each cake. It will stick to the little bits you put on the cake first. It can get a little messy and you make have to get your hands involved to stop it running of the top of the cakes! And if like me, you'll find you have a few marshmallows and cherries left over...all the better to eat whilst waiting for everything to cool and stick together!

Have fun baking :)

Sweet Monday 027

01. Happy Monday to everyone! The start of yet another week. I can't believe we're into April already! This year is flying by. And it's now only 20 days until I'm off to America. It's coming round so quick now :)

02. Hope you all had a good weekend, I had a lovely one with the boyfriend. We went for a spot of shopping in Cheltenham on Saturday and I'm so proud of myself for not buying ANYTHING! It's a first.

03. Did everyone's Mum's have a good Mothers Day? I think mine did :) I bought her a lovely top from Debenhams, a hand bag and some flowers (pictured). We spent the afternoon visiting my grandparents, which was nice as I haven't seen them for a while. Conversation always seems to turn to banking, and bonuses and awful interest rates though. Because I now work in a bank, everything is my fault and I should have the answers to everything haha. Good times! Oh well, I give as good as I get ;)

04. My few to follow this week starts with a CONGRATULATIONS to Danielle for winning the Yayer blog comp. Very jealous!

And also Alix and Fee :) x

P.S I'm selling a few things on eBay, please take a look!

Stolen Thunder

This is a bit of a late post, but I received this gorgeous ring from Stolen Thunder last week :D I love it! I've never owned/worn wooden jewellery before, but I really love this ring. In fact all of their stuff is so unique and intricate, really pretty! If you haven't heard of them before, go have a peak at their items :)

So thank you ladies, it's fit nicely at home with the rest of my ring collection. 

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend, and you've all treated your Mum to a happy Mothers Day! x