RAINBOW

Recently, I made this rainbow cake with my flat mate for her boyfriend's birthday. It was so fun to make and surprisingly easy to do the decoration! We just covered the cake in buttercream and then added smarties colour by colour starting in the middle. To finish it off we just stacked chocolate fingers around the edge of the cake. I think for such a simple method it was a really cool cake! You should all give it a go! 

DIY RECIPE - QUINOA STUFFED COURGETTES

I've recently tried this recipe for stuffed courgettes and it's one of my new favourite meals! Quinoa is the perfect substitute for rice when stuffing vegetables and I love courgettes so this recipe is perfect from me. You should give it a try too! Here is how I did it:

Ingredients

2 Courgettes (Zucchini)

100g Cooked Quinoa

1/2 a Red Pepper

1 Shallot

1/2 a Packet of Mozzarella

1 Crushed Garlic Clove

A Few Basil Leaves

2 tsp Lemon Juice

A Sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Seasoning and Olive Oil

Method

1) Start by cutting your courgettes in half and removing the ends. Then scoop out the seedy part of your courgette so they're ready to be loaded with filling.

2) If you haven't already, cook your quinoa according to the packet instructions and add to a bowl.

3) Then finely dice your red pepper, shallot and mozzarella and combine with the quinoa.

4) To this, add your crushed garlic clove, roughly chopped basil leaves and lemon juice and mix it all together. Season to taste.

5) Now you need to put your oven on the grill setting at a high temperature and while thats heating up begin to stuff your courgettes. Place them on a baking tray, pack the filling in to the hole you scooped out and press the mixture down. 

6) Once you've filled your courgettes you can sprinkle them with parmesan cheese for an extra cheesy crunch.

7) Put your courgettes under the grill and cook until they are soft (roughly 10 minutes). Make sure you keep an eye on them and turn the grill temperature down if they are getting too brown.

8) Enjoy!

I love this recipe and think it's a great healthy dinner option. I hope you give it a go!

RECIPE - FLIPPING GOOD PANCAKES

Pancakes are my favourite weekend breakfast treat so I thought I'd share my simple recipe with you all! This recipe is for basic English pancakes so they're more like crepes than American pancakes.

Ingredients:

110g Plain Flour

2 Eggs

200ml Milk

75ml Water

Ingredients of your choice to serve (I would recommend Lemon and Sugar)!

Method: 

Add the flour and eggs to a bowl and stir to create a thick mixture. I would recommend using a fork rather than a whisk as it just seems to combine the two better!

Then measure the milk and water in to the same jug and begin to add the liquid to the flour and egg mixture. Do this bit-by-bit stirring in between to make sure you don't get any lumps. Continue until all of the liquid is incorporated and you should have quite a runny batter

Now put a frying pan on a medium heat and grease it with a little vegetable oil or butter using kitchen roll. This will ensure there isn't too much oil in the pan. 

Once the pan is hot add around half a ladle of batter and use the back of the ladle to spread the batter in to a circle. Once the pancake is golden brown (you will see bubbles forming) flip it over and cook the other side. The pancakes should take a few minutes to cook.

Continue to cook the pancakes until you've used all of your batter. Keep the cooked ones warm in the oven! I would recommend serving them the English way with sugar and lemon but they're also really tasty with mixed fruit, chocolate and maple syrup toppings! They make the perfect weekend treat so enjoy!

DIY: CRATE TABLE

I needed a bedside table for my new flat and really wanted something unique for my room. My Grandparents kindly let me have one of their old crates and that is what I used to make my new piece of furniture. It was a really simple DIY and so I'm going to show you how you can do the same.

YOU WILL NEED:

A Crate (you can find lots of options on Ebay)

Paint (in the colour of your choice)

4 Castors and the necessary screws

Glass Top (optional)

METHOD:

I started by cleaning the crate up and wiping it with a damp cloth so I was painting on a clean surface. Personally, I wouldn't sand the crate as I think you lose its texture. 

After letting it dry briefly, I began to paint the crate. I chose a really light grey as we had the paint left over and it goes with the colour scheme I am going for. However, I think that a darker colour would work just as well. I also chose to give my crate a wash of colour rather than completely covering it but this is also your choice. 

After painting the visible sides of the crate I turned it upside down to reach the unpainted sides more easily.

I let the paint dry completely and then chose which side I wanted to be at the top. After deciding, I turned the crate bottom side up and I placed one castor in each corner. I screwed them in gently being careful not to push through the wood (I would recommend a short screw as the wood in your crate may not be very thick). 

Here is the basic crate table!

At this stage I decided to add a glass top so my things don't slip through the slats and to give the table a more finished look (it is still great without doing this). I got the glass cut for the size of the table and held it in place by affixing a plastic glass dot on each corner. 

Im really pleased with the finished result and if you want a unique piece of furniture without spending lots of money this is the perfect DIY for you!

DIY - ORANGE & HONEY FACE MASK

If the colder weather is making your skin feel a little tired then this is the perfect mask for you. The orange gives an uplifting scent and rejuvinates your skin whilst the yoghurt moisturises any dry spots.   This zesty DIY product is perfect for uplifting your rainy days.

Method

Combine 4 tablespoons of natural or greek yoghurt, the juice from 1 orange, 4 tablespoons of rolled oats and 3 teaspoons of runny honey in a small bowl. 

Then simply stir all of the ingredients together to create a creamy, moisturising mask. 

To apply just smooth the mask on to your skin (you can rub the oats in to gently exfoliate any blemishes) and leave for 10 minutes. Then gently wash the mask off for a smooth and bright complexion. You can store the mask in a sealed container in the fridge for around 5 days! 

Enjoy!

RECIPE - THE ULTIMATE BROWNIES

I searched the internet for the perfect chewy chocolate brownie recipe and have latched on to this recipe at Inspired Taste. I've made these brownies several times and, as you can see, this time I made quite a big batch! I trade the nuts for white and milk chocolate chips to make the ultimate chocolately treat. You can also try adding a bit more salt to make them perfect with ice-cream for dessert. If you love fudgy brownies then these are definitely for you!

Helpful Hint - If the mixture looks split at any time don't panic! Once you add the flour you'll have the perfect gooey batter. 

Head over to the website for full details and a really helpful step-by-step photo guide. 

FASHION DIY - BLUE JEANS

You may remember the ripped jeans I found when shopping in the summer so I thought I'd show you how you can recreate the look without paying too much! I've had an old pair of jeans in my cupboard for ages and I thought instead of throwing them out I'd experiment to see if I can reinvent them. If you don't have a pair of old jeans you could always head to your local charity shop for a bargain - I think baggier jeans would also look great with this look. 

Here is how I recreated my simple pair of jeans…

Firstly I put the jeans on and using a pencil roughly marked where my knees were so I knew where to cut. Then I found some inspiration for the project so I could get some ideas on what I wanted my jeans to look like! I decided that I wanted a gentle rip (don't forget it will expand over time) just above the knee. To protect the back of the jeans I placed a rolled up notebook in the leg of the trousers but you could use anything with reasonable thickness. Then, using scissors, I made a few incisions in the trousers and lightly pulled them to rip them further. The next think I did was use a fine grater to create a more worn look around the rips - I also used the grater on the pockets and hems. After doing this you can pull the threads around the incisions and holes to create the desired effect. If you want a really worn look you can put your transformed jeans through the wash and the rips will fray even more!

I hope you like my DIY and that I can show you the finished product as part of an outfit soon! Enjoy! 

SUNDAY DIY UPDATE

I just created my DIY bracelet but here's an update! After getting the hang of it, I started to experiment with a range of beads and connecter charms but this is my favourite! I think that this works well because it adds glamour to an otherwise simple bracelet. 

If you want to look at the original post click here and learn how to make your own jewellery!

I hope this gives you all some inspiration. Enjoy!

DIY FASHION - DETAILED WOVEN BRACELET

Here is my first fashion DIY. I made these bracelets yesterday and after some trial and error I was really pleased with them! It didn't take much time and the materials were easy to source from the Beadworks shop in Covent Garden where you can also shop online! I think these bracelets are a perfect way to add simple detail to any outfit and are a fraction of the price you'd find on the highstreet! Enjoy!

Materials:

4 yards of waxed cotton cord (this works best as it doesn't slip)

1 connecting charm (whatever you like!)

Scissors

A needle

Sellotape

Method:

Measure out four lengths of cord (2 x 20"  2 x 30")

Using a 20" length of cord halve it and loop it through the connector charm. 

Then put the remaining cord through the loop.

Repeat this on the opposite side.

Tape down one side of the bracelet to prevent it from slipping whilst you're braiding.

Lay one of the 30" pieces of cord equally underneath the central cords.

Then take the right side put it over the central cord and under the left side.

Then put the left side under the central cords and through the loop on the right.

Pull the knot hard.

And slide it upwards towards the connector charm.

Now repeat this but starting with the left side first. So left over the central and under the right side. Then right under central cords and through the left hand loop. 

Now continue braiding working in the pattern right, left, right, left until you have the desired length.

Tie basic knots at the end of the braid and repeat it on the opposite side. And voila! You have your bracelet!

It might take you a bit of time to get the hang of it but you will and after several attempts you are guaranteed a great result!

HABERDASHERY

To prepare for a fashion DIY, today I went shopping for some materials! My first stop was Beadworks in Covent Garden where I got waxed cord and some beads for my DIY project. The thing I love most about this shop is its amazing range of beads and materials to make great DIY jewellery - they're really helpful and hold jewellery making classes too! 

I also went to London Graphic Centre which, although sometimes limited, stocks all the great essentials for DIY projects and also loads of inspiration in their range fashion books and journals. They also sell a great range of art and craft supplies. 

I'm really excited to share my new DIY trial with you tomorrow!

DIY BEAUTY: CHOCOLATE FACE MASK

When dieting we all try to avoid chocolate like the plague but I've got good news, it's great for your skin! Chocolate is full of anti-oxidants and also has anti-ageing properties. Not only does the chocolate make your skin glow but the other ingredients in this fabulous face mask also have benefits. The manuka honey is great for spots and blemishes and the yoghurt is a natural skin brightener and moisturiser! As well as working wonders on your skin, this face mask also smells incredible so to create it follow the steps below...

Mix together a tablespoon of cocoa powder, manuka honey and natural yoghurt until you have a smooth paste...

Apply a thin layer of the face mask on to your skin using a clean make-up brush being careful to avoid the eyes and mouth area.

Gently remove the face mask and moisturise for soft and glowing skin!

Enjoy!

DIY Decor: Tissue Paper Flowers

I have used these tissue paper flowers for several events such as hen parties and summer balls and have found they are perfect every time. They are simple and cheap to make and have a cute almost retro finish. You can make them in several colours and even spray with glitter to make them evening appropriate! By attaching them to string or twine you can also make flower bunting. I think that they are a great alternative to fresh flowers especially if on a budget for decorations! These flowers are great for the home and special occasions.

Step by Step Guide

Tools:

Tissue paper (at least six sheets) in colour of choice

Scissors

Stapler

Masking tape

(Glitter hairspray if wanted)

Method:

Layer 6 sheets of tracing paper approx 10x10cm and fold in half

Cut a semi circle from the folded edge and open to create a circle

Fold the circle in to quarters and create a scalloped edge with scissors on the curved edge

Staple the folded corner and open out

Now begin to gather the layers one by one scrunching the base of the layer towards the centre (be careful not to squash the fluffy petals

Repeat for all layers

Finally gather the bottom of the flower and secure with masking tape

(If you want you can spray the flowers with glitter hairspray for a shimmer effect)

You now have a beautiful tissue paper flower!

Enjoy.