tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14743774883121810032024-03-13T01:26:38.134+00:00hello from emily Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-23876355353209261292016-06-05T15:14:00.002+01:002016-06-05T15:14:34.024+01:00travel diary: Seoul, South Korea (part 2)The second half of my stay in Seoul in a photo diary.<br />
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<b>Deoksugung Palace</b><br />
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<b>Naksan Art Mural Village</b><br />
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This was maybe the highlight of my entire trip. I took the subway a little further out, to Hyehwa station, and walked until I found some signs for the mural village. I'd heard a lot about this place and the huge, beautiful murals that adorn the twisty little village which rises up on the steps of the small mountain.<br />
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Apparently this is a Korean drama filming hotspot, and there were floods of girls with selfie sticks who seemed to recognise a lot of the little buildings. Still, it was easy enough to find some peace and quiet higher up on the walk, where I managed to get amazing panorama views of the whole city.<br />
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<b>Myeongdong Street</b><br />
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Okay, I loved this manic shopping street. I wanted to stock up on some cheap Korean skincare, and it was chaos in the streets. The street was lined with skincare shops, clothing stores and market stalls. The freebies were insane - I went in one shop to buy some face masks, and left with nearly double what I had paid for in free skincare gifts. My face is juiced up for life.<br />
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Some rain hit, so I just looked up and scanned the buildings until I could see a coffee shop, which wasn't hard to find. Coffeehouses are everywhere in Seoul, all with a unique twist in design. A great place to sit down after a long day of walking and wait out the rain.<br />
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Seoul is now one of my favourite places in Asia. I'd highly recommend visiting it - there is so much to do, and I would definitely go back - even though I left my hostel from 10am-7pm every day, I still hadn't seen everything that I wanted to. I probably won't need to go skincare shopping for awhile though.<br />
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Anyoung hee gaseyo!<br />
Emily<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos are taken on my Canon or iPhone. </span></i><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-84111415481244922102016-04-24T06:54:00.002+01:002016-04-24T06:54:54.811+01:00travel diary: Seoul, South Korea (part 1)With Easter holidays looming last month, and a couple weeks off teaching, I decided to book a last minute escape to Seoul. South Korea is a great destination for Hong Kongers, with cheap short flights and a similar blend of city popular culture. I've been wanting to visit the capital of K-pop and fashion since I moved to Asia, so after a few clicks I had four nights booked by myself.<br />
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I stayed at the Lazy Fox Hostel in the Hongdae neighbourhood, a relaxed homely hostel with really friendly staff and a good mix of travellers. I did some research on the neighbourhoods using <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/locations/seoul/neighborhoods" target="_blank">this simple tool from airbnb</a> - this was a vastly useful way to choose the area that I wanted to stay in. You can pick and choose tags such as 'shopping', 'student life', 'famous for food' to find the right area. This helped me to pick Hongdae, which is well known for student life and creative fashion. <br />
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When I arrived, I spent my first afternoon getting to know the area. The thing that stood out the most was the long high street of sorts, packed full of independent fashion shops and places to eat. Dotted along the street were art murals and performers - groups of dancers with impeccable boyband hair, tastes of hiphop and a crowd pleasing sense of humour. All of this was only amplified when the sun went down, drawing huge crowds of young people lit up by the vibrant community.<br />
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I did a bit of shopping and fell in love with Korean style - feminine skirts and blouses with clean cuts that brought it forward in fashion, with pastel palettes and light fabrics. As in Hong Kong, shopping one-size-only stores was difficult - the average Korean dress is built for quite petite and slim frames, and many of the clothes would be too tight around curves. Still, there is something for everyone and a vast amount of choice.</div>
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That night, I met my roommates in the hostel and went for dinner with three Brazilian, Korean and Hong Kong girls. Along with dinner we swapped some drinking games and I learned how to drink soju - a delicious but dangerous fruity spirit - like a true Korean. </div>
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The next morning, I continued my shopping buzz and made my way to Ewha Womens University. This is a famous university known for its number of famous female graduates and sleek modern design, which smoothly slopes into the ground. Surrounding this is a total haven; incredible street food, and shops upon shops of fashion and modern skincare.</div>
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After this, I hopped on the subway and headed towards Dongdaemun, to have a look at the design plaza and find the Gwangjang markets - this however resulted in getting majorly lost until it was time to head back to Hongdae for dinner. Korean BBQ with an American from the hostel soon put things right, followed by a trip to a hidden little bar with more from the hostel. We were taken there by one of the volunteers - an excellent example of how Lazy Fox go out of their way to welcome you to the area.<br />
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The second part of my travel diary will hit on the beauty of Seoul's art culture, the history of Deoksugung palace, the manic Myeongdong street, and the peaceful views from the old city walls in Naksan art mural village. See you soon! x</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All photos taken by Emily on a lovely little Canon EOS.</i></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-65727071501139740912016-03-21T14:10:00.002+00:002016-03-21T14:10:51.944+00:00travel: Macau, in black & whiteA photo series of a day trip to Macau.<br />
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Living in Hong Kong means that it is extraordinarily easy to get across to Macau. A ferry trip takes only one hour, and affordable tickets can be bought 10 minutes before boarding, making for a stress-free last minute trip (as long as you remember your passport). Although I love living on this side of the world, I really do miss Europe and the beautiful city breaks that can be had there. Macau is like Asia's answer to a European town. When you escape from the loud, glittering extravagance of the casinos and grand hotels, Macau offers a very walkable old town. With architecture and local delicacies heavily influenced by Portuguese colonisation, the old town of Macau is a Eurasian mash up and exactly what I needed after eight months abroad. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-67974159952249733362015-01-07T20:56:00.000+00:002015-01-07T20:58:25.840+00:00recipe: Banana and Chia pancakes, packed with protein<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy January!</div>
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I've really been keeping up my fitness and healthier eating since last summer, and after a badly-behaved Christmas, I'm back on track. I like to go to the gym at uni three times a week, plus one or two fitness classes a week, and I always try to eat a balanced diet. Recently I've also been experimenting with My Protein - I know I know, protein shake loser, but I checked out the ingredients in their Whey Protein and it actually didn't look too bad. Definitely eaten more chemicals in a sweet before, and my recovery has improved a lot since. Here's my new and improved banana pancake recipe, with a great new texture thanks to a scoop of extra protein. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3d3TfoKXnp8/VK2b4g4EKVI/AAAAAAAACb0/mMNsAZLXZf0/s1600/IMG_3815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3d3TfoKXnp8/VK2b4g4EKVI/AAAAAAAACb0/mMNsAZLXZf0/s1600/IMG_3815.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ingredients (for 3-4 small pancakes/one large portion)</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 banana (mash with a fork)</li>
<li>1 medium egg</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda</li>
<li>1 scoop of whey protein</li>
<li>sprinkle of chia seeds</li>
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I like to cook mine with coconut butter instead of oil. They come out perfect every time, and the ingredients are so simple! Perfect protein hit for after a workout, and even more delicious when decorated with berries and honey. I like blueberries as an extra anti-oxidant booster with the chai seeds. These fill me up for hours, so I like to have my morning at the gym, cook these, and go to the library to work on my deadlines without worrying about packing more food. Perfect!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-75126574166204387372014-12-30T12:25:00.001+00:002014-12-30T12:25:11.827+00:00product review: LUSH Big ShampooSo I have a new product review today - recently I've been switching up my shampoos in an effort to try and plump up my hair. In the winter months especially a lot of products weigh down my fine hair and make it look super flat and dull, and a lot of shampoos I used to get on well with (like the Garnier Ultimate Blends) can make my hair go greasy quickly. Yuck.<br />
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So I decided to splash out on a LUSH shampoo, feeling like my hair needed a really good scrub once a week. I've been trying this Big Shampoo once a week along with a Pantene shampoo/conditioner once every other day, and I'm really pleased with the results.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-ddLTP3vMI/VKKWMGblF0I/AAAAAAAACbU/ZzL7b-CB_Ik/s1600/IMG_3780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-ddLTP3vMI/VKKWMGblF0I/AAAAAAAACbU/ZzL7b-CB_Ik/s1600/IMG_3780.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Due to my hair feeling weighed down and greasy quicker than it should have been, I was on the hunt for a good clarifying shampoo, preferably with more natural ingredients than parabens and foaming agents. Lush shampoos generally look pretty good, with <a href="https://www.lush.co.uk/products/big" target="_blank">a full list of ingredients on their site here</a>, containing mostly natural oils and sea-themed ingredients like sea water, seaweed infusions and coarse sea salt.<br />
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I love how salt water affects the hair, giving it lots of volume and texture even if you do smell like a fish, and the idea of applying a scrub to my hair sounded pretty fun, but definitely something I do just once a week at £12 per 330g tub.<br />
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On the days that I use this shampoo, I take a small scoop of the product and take the time to massage it in until all the salt has dissolved. I then rinse it out thoroughly - it takes awhile, and my hair feels oddly waxy (due to the lack of foaming agents etc that make shampoos feel smoother, but can actually be damaging to your hair and skin) but once it's dried it feels AMAZING. So soft, smooth and with lots of bounce.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N9zeaj-EP7c/VKKWS7yUNPI/AAAAAAAACbk/XPzseyTrB9k/s1600/IMG_3125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N9zeaj-EP7c/VKKWS7yUNPI/AAAAAAAACbk/XPzseyTrB9k/s1600/IMG_3125.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
After a couple weeks of LUSH and Pantene, my hair looks lovely and shiny again once the light hits it. I do really like the Pantene as a general (and cheap) shampoo, but I definitely think that using LUSH as a weekly treatment has given my hair some extra oomph. Definitely recommend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-38084695423091408132014-10-28T14:33:00.003+00:002014-10-28T14:43:35.605+00:00Farfetch LFW Street Style shotsSo the other week I was contacted by Farfetch, an online shop sourcing some gorgeous high fashion boutiques - check it out <a href="http://www.farfetch.com/uk/" target="_blank"><i>HERE</i></a>. They had a big ol' folder full of really beautiful street style from LFW, PFW, NYFW, MFW and asked if I'd like to feature some on my blog for all you lovely readers to see. Er yes please! I've taken a selection of my favourites from LFW, with some great AW14/15 inspiration here.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNLeq8deuJ8/VE-eC7Qv--I/AAAAAAAACXU/q6FnH7hLpDw/s1600/IMG_7665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNLeq8deuJ8/VE-eC7Qv--I/AAAAAAAACXU/q6FnH7hLpDw/s1600/IMG_7665.jpg" height="640" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the pairing of the colours with a black leather jacket and accessories.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wJKKdxKQy_Q/VE-flf_y_uI/AAAAAAAACYQ/pnp8_7yFn_U/s1600/IMG_8607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wJKKdxKQy_Q/VE-flf_y_uI/AAAAAAAACYQ/pnp8_7yFn_U/s1600/IMG_8607.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful way to style red plaid!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yg8HL_i-HUM/VE-d_UY1SuI/AAAAAAAACXM/z9aK3Eo-SHU/s1600/IMG_7680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yg8HL_i-HUM/VE-d_UY1SuI/AAAAAAAACXM/z9aK3Eo-SHU/s1600/IMG_7680.jpg" height="640" width="370" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HiWIlhMxo6c/VE-eDNuyn1I/AAAAAAAACXY/d_Z63m76tT0/s1600/IMG_7626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HiWIlhMxo6c/VE-eDNuyn1I/AAAAAAAACXY/d_Z63m76tT0/s1600/IMG_7626.jpg" height="640" width="444" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7iRza9Gzia8/VE-eHqeF6AI/AAAAAAAACXk/eiYwNQWlTnY/s1600/IMG_7687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7iRza9Gzia8/VE-eHqeF6AI/AAAAAAAACXk/eiYwNQWlTnY/s1600/IMG_7687.jpg" height="640" width="410" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous autumnal colours! I love the burgundy in the middle coat, and the pairing of black leather with tan on the right.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUssMGZNDqg/VE-eQNv5AFI/AAAAAAAACYE/8zOUBZKiT4A/s1600/IMG_8046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUssMGZNDqg/VE-eQNv5AFI/AAAAAAAACYE/8zOUBZKiT4A/s1600/IMG_8046.jpg" height="640" width="401" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-04oOs3QMBGs/VE-eKOupyII/AAAAAAAACX0/FCl5lT9w-es/s1600/IMG_7808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-04oOs3QMBGs/VE-eKOupyII/AAAAAAAACX0/FCl5lT9w-es/s1600/IMG_7808.jpg" height="640" width="402" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colour-blocking is such a fun way to inject some colour in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6cRvzDtLg_U/VE-eJYhLkdI/AAAAAAAACXs/O-amWxY5RGU/s1600/IMG_7788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6cRvzDtLg_U/VE-eJYhLkdI/AAAAAAAACXs/O-amWxY5RGU/s1600/IMG_7788.jpg" height="640" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ughhh serious envy! Need to find myself a lightweight sweater to tuck into a miniskirt. Lovely!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMeA66BcJpg/VE-eN8lQsuI/AAAAAAAACX8/-RYkT0eZjHI/s1600/IMG_7958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMeA66BcJpg/VE-eN8lQsuI/AAAAAAAACX8/-RYkT0eZjHI/s1600/IMG_7958.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T8AGMQUg2K4/VE-ovRLJcKI/AAAAAAAACYw/IdHyLhT1-MU/s1600/IMG_8303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T8AGMQUg2K4/VE-ovRLJcKI/AAAAAAAACYw/IdHyLhT1-MU/s1600/IMG_8303.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0xTi0-qph0/VE-ouKbEocI/AAAAAAAACYo/cTIpp6As8a0/s1600/IMG_8423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0xTi0-qph0/VE-ouKbEocI/AAAAAAAACYo/cTIpp6As8a0/s1600/IMG_8423.jpg" height="640" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, some statement trousers & I love the chunky loafers with the bright blouse! Such cute workwear.</td></tr>
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Definitely tempted to do a bit of an Autumn revamp on my wardrobe now. Don't forget to go check out <a href="http://www.farfetch.com/uk/" target="_blank">Farfetch </a>for some more high fashion inspiration!</div>
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<i>All photo credit to Farfetch's photographer.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-83516625907454755972014-09-27T18:02:00.001+01:002014-09-27T18:02:20.700+01:00recipe: Vegetable rice and pesto salmon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One really quick and easy meal I love to make is salmon with rice. This entire dish takes about 15 minutes if you time yourself well, and it's deliciously healthy. I love salmon fillets - at home I get the best quality from my dear mother's shopping list but if you're on a university budget it's a good idea to check out the local fishmongers or the supermarket freezer section - Asda do bags of decent quality frozen fish fillets that are really good value and still yummy. </div>
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If you find rice boring, a brilliant tip is to cook it in stock water rather than plain. This gives the rice a little colour and herby flavour - vegetable stock is the most delicious. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jVOtuMbTqfE/VCbqgkOK-QI/AAAAAAAACV0/W27gq3Ut2GA/s1600/IMG_2229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jVOtuMbTqfE/VCbqgkOK-QI/AAAAAAAACV0/W27gq3Ut2GA/s1600/IMG_2229.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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INGREDIENTS (serves 1)<br />
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<ul>
<li> 1 salmon fillet</li>
<li>spoonful of green pesto</li>
<li>half a cup rice</li>
<li>one cup water</li>
<li>half a vegetable stock cube</li>
<li>mixed veg - I chose yellow and orange peppers, and green peas</li>
<li>handful of mixed salad</li>
</ul>
<div>
METHOD</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius. Prepare tray with tinfoil (easier to clean up).</li>
<li>Lay salmon fillet skin side down, spoon a little green pesto over the top. Bake in oven for 10 mins.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, dissolve stock cube into one cup of hot water. Pour over half a cup of rice and cook until all the water has disappeared. A rice cooker is best, I have a microwave rice cooker, but you can also do this in a pot on the boil. This will take between 7-10 mins - keep checking and stirring every 2-3 mins.</li>
<li>When very little water is left, you know the rice is almost done. Add chopped vegetables and stir into rice. </li>
<li>Take the rice and veg off the heat once the rice is cooked, and serve.</li>
<li>Serve the salmon on a bed of salad. I love baby leaves and rocket with my fish! </li>
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So easy, so quick, and it looks impressive too. Student dinners don't always have to be pasta or beans!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-23418291900848510082014-09-18T14:31:00.002+01:002014-09-18T14:31:37.871+01:00recipe: Creamy Chicken CasseroleOne of my favourite comfort foods is a warm casserole with rice. It's the perfect dish for colder nights and it's so easy to make - one of those recipes where you just toss everything into a pan. Chicken thighs are my favourite for these kind of recipes as it will turn really tender and tasty in the sauce. YUM.<br />
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This recipe is great because it doesn't really need exact measurements - you can just go by sight and taste. You can add whatever vegetables you have - root vegetables are particularly yummy.<br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
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<ul>
<li>7-10 whole chicken thighs</li>
<li>2 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock dissolved into 700ml water (or as the packet instructions dictate)</li>
<li>splash of single cream</li>
<li>vegetables of your choice</li>
<li>rice</li>
<li>salt, pepper and mixed herbs for seasoning</li>
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METHOD</div>
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<ol>
<li>Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Arrange the thighs skin side down and fry lightly for 10 mins.</li>
<li>Place chicken thighs into a large pot or casserole dish (I used a lovely, big cast iron pot) and cover with the stock water. </li>
<li>Bring to the boil and then bring down to simmer for 35-40 mins. About 20 minutes before the end, add rougly chopped large chunks of carrot, butternut squash and onion. Approx 10 minutes before the end, add broccoli.</li>
<li>Remember to have rice cooked in time. For a portion for four people, allow 20 mins cooking time, for smaller portions leave around 10 mins cooking time.</li>
<li>Lower the heat and stir in enough single cream for the sauce to slightly thicken and season to taste.</li>
<li>Serve casserole with rice. Dish out plenty of sauce to soak through the rice!</li>
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This is such a simple recipe - you could start frying when you come home from work or lectures, leave for half an hour while you change into lounge clothes and relax, and then just add the veggies and enjoy. Perfect for cold evenings!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-44156281929983328652014-09-06T17:58:00.000+01:002016-03-20T15:01:48.419+00:00beauty: YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstickLast month I turned 20 (no longer a teenager! sob) and decided to treat myself to one special thing with my birthday money. Ever since swatching in a Duty Free, I've wanted a YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick, which are fast becoming a cult beauty favourite - and for good reason! I had a £5 reward with my Debenhams Beautyclub card, so off I popped.<br />
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YSL do some amazing vibrant colours in this range, but I wanted an everyday shade that would go with everything. I tend to only wear darker, bolder colours on a night out - and there's no bloody way I'd ever take such an expensive lipstick out in my battered clutch with me like that! After a lot of deliberating I settled on Corail Intuitive (#15). I have yellow toned skin, so corals really suit me more than nudes and baby pinks.<br />
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Corail Intuitive is the most lovely peachy, pinky coral and literally the most perfect shade I've managed to come across (which is lucky, because it cost so bloody much).<br />
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The formula is unlike any other lipsticks I've tried - I get dry lips easily, so was impressed by the likes of Revlon's lip butters and so on, but this YSL baby is flawless! It covers any dry patches with a decent amount of pigmentation, lasts about 3 hours, and is soooo so so moisturising. I adore the finish, and would happily replace every lipstick in my collection with these beauts.<br />
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Have you tried the YSL Rouge Volupte? Comment below & I'd love to see any of your swatches! Obsessed.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-8325684486947807432014-09-03T16:02:00.001+01:002014-09-03T16:02:21.606+01:00home: Woodland Ring DishesIT'S ALMOST TIME TO MOVE BACK TO UNI!<br />
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During term time I share a house in Leicester at uni, but during the holidays I always move back home to Birmingham for a bit. Around this time, when I start to count down the days til it's time to pick up the keys, I tend to get a bit 'nesty' - forever looking for new bits and pieces to make my student house more of a home. I never thought I'd get so excited about a new frying pan, but here we are.<br />
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After my birthday in particular, my jewellery collection has been getting prettier and prettier, and I always feel it's such a shame to shut away lovely pieces in dusty boxes. I spotted these adorable ring dishes in Home Bargains for a mere £1.99 each, perfect!<br />
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I love the little bird and bunny - really cute little touches for a girl's bedroom. I love that they're a glossy white, it makes my coloured jewellery really stand out - I've displayed my favourite bracelets on the bird, and a few of my prettier costume rings on the bunny (along with a delicate necklace that aaaalways gets tangled if I just toss it into my messy jewellery box).<br />
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You could really use these little babes for anything - spare change, keys, earrings. I think it's so cute being able to see my pretty every day jewellery out on display - this way I won't forget about certain bracelets and rings and I'll be more inclined to wear them. And at £1.99 each from Home Bargains, they're friendly to the student budget!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-49466509703096210852014-08-14T16:54:00.002+01:002014-08-14T16:54:33.063+01:00travel: Barcelona, SpainI was lucky enough to go away two days after getting back from Norway, this time to the capital of Spain - Barcelonaaaaa! I went with one of my old school friends for five days with the main priorities to relax, catch some sun and drink some cocktails. Nothing too taxing ;)<br />
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We stayed in Amistat Beach Hostel which had a lot of good reviews and seemed to be a party hostel in the area of Poblenou. We were in a six bed dorm that was a bit cramped, but did the job, although the shared showers were a bit rank. However, the location was great with the beach and a metro station less than ten minutes walk away, as well as loads of great local restaurants and cafes. The hostel also organised a different bar crawl each night - tick tick tick. All of our requirements fulfilled.<br />
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We went on two of the bar crawls as within a hostel they're great for friend-making - and we did carry on seeing the people we met on it, which was great. I have to say though, those clubs need more air con. The highlight was definitely a huge cheesy club called Razzmatazz, where I have a vivid memory of climbing onto a platform and performing my special dance routine to Barbie Girl to the crowd. Great.<br />
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Food is always a big factor when I go travelling - I needed tapas and paella in me, <i>quick</i>. On our first full day we found a great local place where we shared some calamari, patatas fritas, mixed seafood and crusty tomato bread. Yum. We also shared some great paella with huge prawns, as well as enjoying some fresh mussels on the seafront.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full mouth shot<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Magic Fountain (<i>Font Magica</i>) during the day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocktails on the beach, yes!</td></tr>
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One of my favourite parts of Barcelona was the Gothic Quarter - amazing architecture that provided shade from the strong sun, and two impressive cathedrals. We only went inside one (Santa Maria del Mar), because the very main one wouldn't let us in due to our shoulders showing. So we went and bought thin scarves for a couple of euros to wrap around our shoulders - still no entry, our knees were showing, heaven forbid! They wanted us to wear another scarf around our legs, at which point I called absolute bullshit, because men with shorts were waltzing in, but they wanted us to wrap up our ankles and waddle around in 28 degree celcius weather! No building is worth that level of the sweats. Unimpressed. Still, the surrounding area was very pretty.<br />
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One of the attractions we really wanted to see was the Magic Fountain. We went during the day on a Tuesday (pictured above), only to find out that the light shows they host are only after 9pm from Thursday-Sunday. So on our final night, we somehow rounded up 11 people form our hostel after a big family dinner, took the metro and caught the 11pm show, which was beautiful! Soft gentle music, pretty colours and impressive huge fountain jets (we sat pretty close and got a good spray every now and then, a blessing to the sweaty).</div>
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On our last day, we had hours to kill as we checked out at 11pm but our flight didn't leave til 8.30pm. So we spent the day with two lovely Aussie girls from our room, and visited the Mercat de la Boqueria, an amazing food market.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crazy chocolatiers</td></tr>
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Barcelona is great for a mini break where you want a good dose of sun, culture, and partying. It's always alive and awake! The city was just buzzing and although we were told to beware of pickpockets everywhere, if you're sensible and aware then it's all good fun - we felt very safe the whole time that we were there, but other people in the hostel had experienced some petty theft. The beaches were beautiful, the weather was hot and the food was yummy and fresh. Perfect minibreak!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-58475553369347840102014-08-13T23:30:00.001+01:002014-08-13T23:37:21.239+01:00beauty: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So after my two weeks of blazing sunshine and high-20s weather in Norway and Barcelona, I got a beast of a tan, and that meant I had the task of finding myself a new foundation when I got home (a foundation that used to be too dark for me, was now many shades too light!). My tans tend to last quite awhile before fading, so it was worth the investment.</div>
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I have super dry skin around my nose, which foundations always cling to, but I'd heard many good things about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - the liquid foundation I already owned, and I didn't get on with it well, but the serum version is a 'gel foundation', and it's amazing! It glides over my dry patches and has brilliant coverage. The finish is meant to be matte, and maybe it's just leftover shimmer on my foundation brush, but I find it gives a very subtle dewy finish which is much nicer looking.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost flawless finish! You can see hints of a blemish between my eyebrows and on my chin - I'm pleased with the coverage though!</td></tr>
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Well, the only issue is I was pressed for time in Boots and ended up getting a shade too dark - weirdly it blended in perfectly with my tanned forehead, but not so much on the rest of my face, so there's risk of tidemarks if I don't blend well. </div>
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However, it's easy to combat this with a light powder, and I blend this in with a Real Techniques brush, not quite going all the way to the outer bits (?!) of my face, so it just about blends well. I can kind of pass it off as bronzer, but I might buy a lighter shade to mix this one with. Still, the formula cannot be faulted!</div>
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This foundation costs £10.99 in Boots and is PERFECT for drier skin types! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-38282131348063733652014-08-09T15:46:00.000+01:002014-08-09T15:46:08.946+01:00travel: NorwayWow so this blog has been pretty quiet for the past couple weeks or so and for good reason - I've been off travelling again! At the end of July I spent a week in Norway on an Oak Hall trip with my mum and grandma. I'd never heard of Oak Hall before, apparently it is quite a well known Christian group that organises expeditions out around the world. I'm actually not Christian myself so the evening bible talks were a bit awks, but my grandma booked it and asked if we'd like to come along, and crikey I was not going to say no to Norway!<br />
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We landed in Stavanger and joined a group of about 50 people of various ages, with loads of people in my age group including people who turned out to live 5 minutes away from my student house in Leicester which was pretty ace! We stayed in this amazing remote cabin by the Skanevik fjord, right up in the mountains and a couple hours drive from anywhere, with huge grounds leading down to a pontoon for swimming and kayaking in the waters as well as access to trek over to a little nearby island. We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather throughout our trip with only a little rain - but mostly sunny hot weather!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from our cabin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lazing on our pontoon...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting to take a dip in this glacier lake after a hike!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deceivingly cold water.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the fjords in a ferry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The warehouses of Bergen </td></tr>
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We were kept busy with a few excursions - to Haugesund to pootle around the Viking area, to the second biggest city Bergen to investigate the fish market and check out the colourful waterfront warehouses, and a hike up a mountain to see a glacier and to swim in the glacier lake if we were truly Viking enough (freezing water but brilliant after a sweaty hike in 25 degrees C weather!)<br />
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Norway is an expensive place to visit, but it was manageable with this all-inclusive group holiday. Honestly the mountains were the best part of it - the cities weren't really anything overly special and quite expensive, so it was far better to stick around the remoter parts and soak in the amazing landscape.<br />
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I'm not sure if I'd partake with Oak Hall again - I mean it is a Christian holiday group and I felt pretty awkward missing the evening bible readings, but too uncomfortable sitting there for an hour listening to things I didn't necessarily agree with. That being said, I met some really lovely people and made a bunch of new friends which was cool - spending a week together with kayaking, hiking around islands, a hilarious barn dance and sitting out on a pontoon at 1am in the pitch black is a pretty good way to bond!<br />
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If you ever have the chance to see the Norwegian fjords, do it! The scenery is beautiful and you can have some amazing experiences out there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-38361434616483643362014-07-19T11:32:00.002+01:002014-07-19T11:32:22.061+01:00recipe: Chilli Seafood and Apple SaladHello!<br />
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Another yummy salad recipe for the summer - I love making massive salads with loads of flavour and mixtures of spicy fillings, bitter leaves and sweet fruits (apples, pears and grapes in particular). I've been leaning more towards seafood than meat recently, I just can't get enough prawns or mussels in me!<br />
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This recipe was so quick to literally just throw together for a really filling lunch. I used a couple handfuls of mixed seafood, lightly fried in chilli powder and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. I then roughly chopped up an apple into small chunks and mixed with some fresh salad - watercress, rocket, pea shoots. That's it!<br />
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DELICIOUS.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-19257209368733670192014-07-14T16:04:00.002+01:002014-07-14T16:04:41.563+01:00beauty: Lisa Eldridge's Alexa Chung tutorialHello!<br />
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Sorry for my absence... this weekend has been insane, as I actually had laser eye surgery a few days ago - all a success, amazing, review to come soon! - and I've been on eye bedrest as my eyes are so light sensitive recently. I also can't wear makeup for a week, HOWEVER, last week I did manage to take a few snaps of my version of the Alexa Chung tutorial by Lisa Eldridge. I love her tutorials and watched this one last week, instantly liking the idea of fresh dewy skin and a very simple winged liner. I even had the exact same shade of Rimmel lipstick used on Alexa in the video, so it would have been a crime not to try it out for myself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the before and after: link to the YouTube video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2D7RtPEVwI" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
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In the tutorial, Lisa Eldridge creates a simple dewy base of foundation and liquid blusher, placing more focus on the brows and eyeliner and balancing this with a 60's nude lip. I paid a little more attention to my own base, as I need a bit of bronzer to contour my round face! I also added a touch of white liner on the waterline as it's just my habit now, to try and wake up the eyes a little more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">weird blotchy pupils.</td></tr>
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Face:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Max Factor CC concealer</b> in green, for red spots</li>
<li><b>Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation</b>, mixed with <b>Soap and Glory Hocus Focus illuminator</b>, these two mix so well for a subtle dewy finish</li>
<li><b>Benefit Hoola </b>bronzer, for contouring the temples and cheekbones</li>
<li><b>Etude House Water Color blusher </b>in Apricot (similar to the Rimmel Stay Blushed used in the video)</li>
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Eyes:</div>
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<li><b>Rimmel Scandaleyes kohl</b>, for the tightline</li>
<li><b>Barry M kohl</b> in white, for the waterline</li>
<li><b>L'Oreal Superliner</b>, for a quick winged flick</li>
<li><b>YSL Babydoll mascara</b> on top lashes only</li>
<li><b>MUA eyeshadow in Shade 19</b>, applied with angled brush to fill in eyebrows</li>
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Lips:</div>
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<li><b>Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 'Nude Delight'</b></li>
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I love this look for a 60's inspired daytime face. I don't wear nude lipstick enough - very much a pink and coral girl - but hopefully this will make me remember to dig it out more often!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-13800611129241070992014-07-08T16:58:00.003+01:002014-07-08T17:00:45.949+01:00recipe: Banana & Cinnamon pancakes (healthy, clean and guilt free!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-THWXYtwlmRg/U7wTPhHBhWI/AAAAAAAACLI/YhOpnHdnY2g/s1600/IMG_1657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-THWXYtwlmRg/U7wTPhHBhWI/AAAAAAAACLI/YhOpnHdnY2g/s1600/IMG_1657.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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I LOVE PANCAKES. However, regular pancakes are a bit of a faff and not entirely good for your bikini bod. So recently I've fallen in love with clean eating, and I found a superb recipe that only uses THREE ingredients for perfect, naturally sweet and fluffy pancakes!</div>
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INGREDIENTS (for one portion/two medium pancakes)</div>
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<ul>
<li>one banana (the riper the better - brown bananas mash easier and are sweeter)</li>
<li>one medium egg</li>
<li>teaspoon of bicarbonate soda (or baking powder)</li>
<li>optional: pinch of cinnamon</li>
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METHOD</div>
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<ol>
<li>Mash the bananas (I just use a fork)</li>
<li>Beat in with the egg and baking powder</li>
<li>Add any optional extras - like blueberries or even indulgent chocolate chips</li>
<li>Fry over a medium heat</li>
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So easy, so quick, and absolutely guilt free - who can fault eating fruit and protein for breakfast?! The pancakes are a PERFECT texture and are naturally sweet, without being overpoweringly banana-y for those of you who aren't keen on bananas. </div>
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I love mine topped with fresh fruit and honey or maple syrup - but these are so versatile, you could perhaps top with natural yoghurt, or peanut butter, whatever you like!</div>
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<i>Wanna make these yourself? Post your photos on instagram and tag me in them so I can see! <a href="http://instagram.com/peddleface" target="_blank">@peddleface @peddleface @peddleface</a> </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-220794108818300262014-06-26T22:37:00.004+01:002014-06-26T22:37:59.046+01:00recipes: smooth breakfasts for smooth peopleHi lovelies,<br />
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Aaagh slipped on my blogging routine! It's been a hectic few days of moving home from uni and doing up two rooms - I've built so much furniture this week, I'm feeling like a strong independent woman who don't need no man! Anyway, one thing that HAS entered my routine are these delicious and healthy fruit smoothies for breakfast. I try to remember to do this at least once or twice a week as a good shot of vitamins and those all-round good feelings you get from clean eating.<br />
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These smoothies are so versatile and easy to whip up. I take a break from dairy by mixing my selection of fruit with almond milk or soya milk, some people don't like the flavours of these dairy alternatives but I find that the sweetness of the fruit totally masks it anyway and makes it a yummy low fat alternative.<br />
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I also like to keep a bag of ground up flaxseed, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds from Holland and Barrett handy in my cupboard - they're amazing to sprinkle over yoghurt and salads to keep you fuller for longer, and a handful in a smoothie totally boosts your drink! I also enjoy a spoonful of Manuka honey (my favourite healthy honey, and also a brilliant antibiotic for when you're feeling under the weather).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zN-87QgIzas/U6yRTzHVIHI/AAAAAAAACJY/8JTmPZq0JuM/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zN-87QgIzas/U6yRTzHVIHI/AAAAAAAACJY/8JTmPZq0JuM/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana, raspberry and soya milk</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MKk2M8GWlU/U6yRUCGoTSI/AAAAAAAACJg/wvA9mXXhnC0/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MKk2M8GWlU/U6yRUCGoTSI/AAAAAAAACJg/wvA9mXXhnC0/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry with soya milk and seeds</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnp5DKW6ABI/U6yRUKP0IPI/AAAAAAAACJc/hqfDuMs-H5g/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnp5DKW6ABI/U6yRUKP0IPI/AAAAAAAACJc/hqfDuMs-H5g/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry and Manuka honey with almond milk and seeds</td></tr>
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Those are some of my favourites but I've gotten so many variations out of these, it's great for using up soft fruit! My top tip is to always keep tubs of frozen fruit that you can take a scoop or two out of here and there - so much cheap to buy than fresh berries, and cools down your drink!<br />
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Have I given you breakfast inspiration for tomorrow?! Let me know! xoxoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-79489210942538982752014-06-17T17:34:00.002+01:002014-06-17T17:35:01.910+01:00beauty: Max Factor CC stick in 'The Reducer' (Green)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Beauty review for you all today - I don't know why I don't do more of these, as I have a LOT of makeup and love reading beauty blogs. Anyway, today I popped into Boots and picked up one of the new CC sticks - they've recently brought out a range of perfectly pastel toned colour correcting sticks, and at £9.99 a pop I had to seriously restrain myself. </div>
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One thing about my skin I really hate are the red patches I get, especially around my nose. It's annoying on days where I don't quite fancy foundation but still need to cover up the redness. Green concealers mute out red, so here we go!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DkP2yp-TZak/U6BrxB_NqXI/AAAAAAAACIg/xqECoOCKv0k/s1600/IMG_1025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DkP2yp-TZak/U6BrxB_NqXI/AAAAAAAACIg/xqECoOCKv0k/s1600/IMG_1025.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OlSE_qHnVlU/U6BrxrX9_fI/AAAAAAAACIk/7gJhmbfaU48/s1600/IMG_1026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OlSE_qHnVlU/U6BrxrX9_fI/AAAAAAAACIk/7gJhmbfaU48/s1600/IMG_1026.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swatched on a section of my hand that was a bit stained from lipstick swatches (classic sign of a Boots trip)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WzvhU-yi69s/U6BryPK9YJI/AAAAAAAACIw/VxSac8VhLkU/s1600/IMG_1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WzvhU-yi69s/U6BryPK9YJI/AAAAAAAACIw/VxSac8VhLkU/s1600/IMG_1028.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blended out. You can see the slightly lighter strip amongst the pinker areas of skin</td></tr>
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So the colour correcting definitely works. Next I'll show you how it turned out on my skin - I have extremely dry skin around my nose so I was putting this to a serious challenge in terms of the formula.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lTBYc2nHHkE/U6BrzKtkUkI/AAAAAAAACI4/m9KBr3M8RKg/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lTBYc2nHHkE/U6BrzKtkUkI/AAAAAAAACI4/m9KBr3M8RKg/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bare nose - you can see the redness around my nose and cheeks, as well as my chin</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yj1rlEo_17Y/U6Brz0ynn-I/AAAAAAAACJE/F55AbouZ9dE/s1600/IMG_1033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yj1rlEo_17Y/U6Brz0ynn-I/AAAAAAAACJE/F55AbouZ9dE/s1600/IMG_1033.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blended out around my nose and chin. The redness has gone and it doesn't look green, but does look a little too pale.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vdMV6zizoU/U6Br0ihZtPI/AAAAAAAACJA/bKp1b2AmqXA/s1600/IMG_1035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vdMV6zizoU/U6Br0ihZtPI/AAAAAAAACJA/bKp1b2AmqXA/s1600/IMG_1035.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fixed the paleness with a sweep of powder and bronzer.</td></tr>
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Overall, a winner. I do find it a little drying on my nose, but I'm not surprised by that, and it's not tooooo bad. I can imagine this is perfect for oily and combination skin types, and works okay for dry so long as you take the time to exfoliate/moisturise and perhaps prime. The redness has totally gone, at least!<br />
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Max Factor CC Sticks can be found for £9.99 at larger, well-stocked Boots (I haven't found them in smaller stores or my local Superdrugs yet).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-3078709178769143212014-06-15T21:56:00.003+01:002014-06-15T21:56:36.740+01:00countryside review: The Abbey Hotel Spa, RedditchHelloooo! This weekend myself and my mother were in great need of some relaxation and pampering. She knows this great little place just outside of Birmingham in Redditch, Worcestershire. It was a beautiful location with comfortable rooms and great facilities, including a lovely swimming pool/jacuzzi and sauna room. There were a few treatments available - we went for a 30 minute shoulder and back massage which was just aaaacccccceeeeee.<br />
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Luckily we went on a really sunny day so the grounds (it's also a golf resort) were so beautiful and inviting. Perfect weather to sit on the grounds with an ice cold drink in the sun!<br />
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We just stayed for one night, and enjoyed the two-course fancy pants dinner while we were there. I only remembered to snap a photo of the starter (clam tortelloni for me, salmon for mum), but the mains were also excellent (I had apple-infused pork, mum had lamb shank). Breakfast the next day was a good old fashioned full English. </div>
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I think we're both now addicted to a cheeky little spa break. If you can find yourself a good deal it's such a lovely treat to take a night out and dedicate it to pampering yourself! You deserve it ;)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-91895370495155615302014-06-10T19:21:00.001+01:002016-03-20T15:11:49.625+00:00Liebster AwardWell I owe the lovely Alanta from <a href="http://alantasalley.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alanta's Alley</a> a huge thank you as she's nominated me for the Liebster Award! Thank you Alanta, and I'm super glad I got the chance to check out your blog as it's lovely.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TlbmU338TNY/U5XcWSnWOmI/AAAAAAAACHY/mjx897_tYsI/s1600/awarething.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TlbmU338TNY/U5XcWSnWOmI/AAAAAAAACHY/mjx897_tYsI/s1600/awarething.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE RULES</b></span></span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thank the blogger who tagged me.</span></div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I say 11 facts about me.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I answer the 11 questions written by the person who tagged me.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I write my own 11 questions.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I tag 11 up and coming bloggers.</span></li>
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<b><u>ELEVEN FACTS ABOUT ME</u></b></div>
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<li>I'm addicted to travelling and in 2013 managed to step foot in 10 countries</li>
<li>I'm also addicted to banana Nesquik, and drank it far more than 10 times in 2013</li>
<li>I have a giant stuffed carrot cushion, with a happy face and little limbs, called Percy (who needs men, right?)</li>
<li>I'm a fan-girl for Shakespeare</li>
<li>I plan on studying Law after I graduate in English</li>
<li>I have huge authority issues and love conspiracy theories</li>
<li>I can't walk in high heels (but I can run in them)</li>
<li>I once won a competition for being a baked bean</li>
<li>I never learned how to ride a bicycle</li>
<li>When I'm feeling really down, I treat myself to new underwear and Cadbury Pots of Joy. Always.</li>
<li>I love everything about the process of putting my makeup on, and take as much time as I can</li>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>MY ANSWERS FOR ALANTA'S QUESTIONS</b></span></span></div>
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<ol style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>What are you mostly looking forward to?</b><br />I'm a fan of the 'happily ever after' ending... I look forward to owning a house and having a family. I can wait though!</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you have an idol? If so who?</b><br />Not really... I admire my mother and other people in my family, but the idea of shaping myself to be like an idol is boring to me. That being said, I'd kill to look like Katy Perry.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>If you won a lot of money what would you do with it?</b><br />Halve it. Half goes to responsible savings, future plans, and helping out my mum and dad. The other half goes to travelling the world. </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Where would you like to travel to?</b><br />I've never ventured west! A big old American road trip and a stint backpacking South America would be grand.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>If you had one wish, what would you use it for?</b><br />Personally speaking, I'd wish that whatever happened in my future, I'd be happy with it. Globally, it seems selfish to not wish for world peace and all that malarky. That probably comes first.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>If you could have your hair any colour what would it be?</b><br />I'd love really sexy fiery red hair, but I don't think I'd be able to pull it off... I actually love being a brunette! Brunettes have more fun for sure!</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you regret anything? </b><br />Plenty. So much. But I like to tell myself that everything happens for a reason. And it does!</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you have any pets? If not would you like one?</b><br />Sadly not. I'd love a King Charles cavalier spaniel puppy.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Who's your favourite blogger? </b><br />Ooooh that's tough... I love the blogs and Youtubes of Vivianna Does Makeup and Amelia Liana at the moment, and also Becca Rose.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>What would you tell your self if you could go back in time?</b><br />Suck it up and play sports at school. Remember that friendships last longer than relationships. SMILE MORE (I have chronic resting bitchface)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you have a favourite item? If so what is it?</b><br />A hardback copy of Shakespeare's complete collection with gilted edges. It's a beaut.</span></li>
</ol>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>MY QUESTIONS</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">What is your dream career?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">How often do you have no-makeup days?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">How many languages can you speak?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Where is your favourite place in the world?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">What's on your to-do list for tomorrow?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">What's your favourite item of clothing at the moment?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? (And did you get Noah & The Whale stuck in your head just then like I did? We could be walking in a zooooo)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">What do you do in your spare time, other than blog?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Why did you start your blog?</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>I NOMINATE...</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://kittyhearts.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kitty Hearts</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://thesetatters.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">These Tatters</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.lovelikeleave.com/" target="_blank">Love, Like, Leave</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://thefinderskeepersfashion.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Finders, Keepers</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://iridescentattire.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Iridescent Attire</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://essaysandwine.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Writing Essays With Wine</a><br />
<div>
<a href="http://adventures-of-wonderland.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Adventures of Wonderland</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://nostaligiccath.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Nostalgic Cath</a></div>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
These are blogs that I'm loving at the moment, some are bigger than others (so apologies if you've already had the award before), but it's surprisingly difficult to keep open millions of tabs of bloggers who aren't huge whilst finding more new blogs at the same time! In fact, link me below to your blogs, I need to find more to read. </div>
<div>
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<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks again! xoxo</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-56905737511525158652014-05-28T18:02:00.000+01:002014-05-28T18:02:16.228+01:00recipes: Chicken Soup (for the soul)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Super easy recipe for you today! This is a recipe for simple, homemade chicken soup that my mother taught me. It takes about an hour minimum to boil up, and is SO delicious.</div>
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To save money at uni whilst buying meat, what I often do is buy a whole chicken for about £4-5 and chop it up myself - this way I have good quality and good sized thighs, legs, breasts, and wings for such a cheap price. (Really tried not to giggle when I was typing about having good quality breasts, failed miserably.) After I've chopped up all my meat and stored it in the freezer, I'm left with lots of <i>bits</i>... you know, scrap bits of meat, the backbone, etc. My mother and I aren't faint with bones, and in fact they give the most flavour, so why waste it?! When life throws a chicken backbone at you, MAKE SOUP!</div>
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If you are a bit squeamish, I see nothing wrong with chopping up a bit of meat you're more familiar to and using that instead! & if you are using the bones, remember to chop off any weird bits like the wrinkly neck.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ACU0jkZf-M/U4YUd0Uc_DI/AAAAAAAACF4/JK6-kpHyfn8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-28+at+17.52.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ACU0jkZf-M/U4YUd0Uc_DI/AAAAAAAACF4/JK6-kpHyfn8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-28+at+17.52.48.png" height="584" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ingredients<br />
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<ul>
<li>bits of chicken (doesn't that sound appetising...)</li>
<li>vegetables - I like carrots and onions in mine</li>
<li>vegetable stock</li>
<li>seasoning - salt and pepper to taste, optional chilli/mixed herbs/etc</li>
<li>a medium sized pan of water</li>
</ul>
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This recipe really isn't exact - it's all about throwing an uncertain amount of chicken in with an uncertain amount of water and allowing to quietly boil in the background. After about half an hour ,add your vegetables and seasoning. I'd say it's about ready to eat after an hour altogether, but you can boil for longer if you wish. </div>
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This is SUCH a comforting and yummy soup, and far more nutritious than canned soups which are packed full of preservatives - you know exactly what's gone into this, so it's very healthy. You can store it in the freezer as well if you don't use it all up straight away! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-43850279827995631332014-05-27T13:22:00.001+01:002014-05-27T13:22:19.695+01:00beauty: Sleek Blush By 3 | Pink LemonadeI am a huge fan of blush. I feel like I always need that little blend of pink to complete a beauty look and brighten up my face, so my blush collection is pretty wide.<br />
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One of my favourites includes this snazzy little palette from Sleek, a brand I adore for pigmented blushes and pretty colours, which includes two shimmery powder blushes and one very pigmented cream blush. These apply like a dream with the Real Techniques Blush brush for the powders, and the Real Techniques Stippling brush for the cream.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89krnWqjgtE/U4SBF3QoRdI/AAAAAAAACFc/0y-uE1MjcJE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89krnWqjgtE/U4SBF3QoRdI/AAAAAAAACFc/0y-uE1MjcJE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TV2ba2PN0hc/U4SBJKskiFI/AAAAAAAACFg/6hTu-jnd9V0/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TV2ba2PN0hc/U4SBJKskiFI/AAAAAAAACFg/6hTu-jnd9V0/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="326" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>L-R...</b><br />
<i>Icing Sugar</i>, a frosty cool-toned candyfloss pink<br />
<i>Macaroon</i>, a pigmented, medium rosy pink<br />
<i>Pink Mint</i>, a warm rose gold<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dg7utriooGA/U4SBEqB__bI/AAAAAAAACFQ/LlcKDsaOGg4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dg7utriooGA/U4SBEqB__bI/AAAAAAAACFQ/LlcKDsaOGg4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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My favourite shade by far is Pink Mint (the far right). I think it suits my warmer complexion the best, it applies buttery-smooth in one sweep and lasts well. I do love the cream blush but as it's so pigmented, it takes a little extra work to blend in a tiny amount. However, it has a gorgeous cream-to-powder finish.<br />
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I rarely use Icing Sugar as I find the consistency a little chalky, a shame as it's a lovely light pink colour. It tends to cling to my dry patches on my cheeks, so I use it more as a light highlight on my cheekbones than a blush, which works much better for me!<br />
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Sleek Blush By 3 palettes can be found online, in Superdrug or in Boots for £9.99, a great price for three pretty blushes!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-87083375607553463442014-05-26T10:00:00.000+01:002014-05-26T10:00:00.845+01:00city review: cocktails at The Jekyll and Hyde, BirminghamHello! Today I want to start a new series - reviews of pretty places in cities and my recommendations of bars and restaurants. I was scrolling through my old photos and unearthed this gem from a little girls' night I had with an old school friend in April, back in my hometown of Birmingham. It's called the Jekyll and Hyde, a sweet little establishment located in the city centre - just past the Childrens Hospital, close to Snow Hill Station. <div>
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The Jekyll and Hyde is a great venue that serves food during the day, and cocktails in the evening (with a wide range of gins as well). We had a little dabble in the vintage sweet cocktails, which had a great menu with themed drinks served in adorable jam jars and topped with sweeties. At £4.50 per jar it wasn't really friendly for a student budget, especially as the jars were filled with a lot of crushed ice, but we could afford a few for the quirk of it. Besides, for an independent cocktail bar in the city centre, £4.50 isn't shabby at all!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0OcR7MhtNk/U4EHog9w65I/AAAAAAAACEg/fjZ_JjNWFzE/s1600/IMG_9604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0OcR7MhtNk/U4EHog9w65I/AAAAAAAACEg/fjZ_JjNWFzE/s1600/IMG_9604.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Between us, we tried the Pear Drops, Lemon Bon Bons, Love Hearts and Cinder Toffee and were so impressed by them all. The presentation cannot be faulted! The venue itself is small and inviting, with a Victorian gin parlour decor and a really friendly ambience. Perfect for a girly catch up.</div>
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xoxo</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-52082216745504410812014-05-25T16:18:00.000+01:002014-05-25T16:18:20.125+01:00recipe: blueberry and raspberry muffinsHello! I've got another baking recipe for you today - small, yummy muffins packed full of berries and cheeky chocolate chips. I used a Paul Hollywood recipe from <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/blueberrymuffins_67846" target="_blank">BBC Food's website</a> for a basic muffin, making a few minor changes of my own (soz Paul).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc8a5WSiF4E/U4DyP47pmdI/AAAAAAAACD4/B_yIspULKmU/s1600/IMG_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc8a5WSiF4E/U4DyP47pmdI/AAAAAAAACD4/B_yIspULKmU/s1600/IMG_0258.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>INGREDIENTS</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>4oz SR flour (recipe states plain, but I only had SR, and alas I am a poor student who has no time for luxury flour choices)</li>
<li>4oz butter</li>
<li>2oz sugar</li>
<li>2 eggs </li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking powder (more if using plain flour)</li>
<li>sprinkle of cinnamon and a small capful of vanilla extract </li>
<li>blueberries and raspberries</li>
<li>milk chocolate chips</li>
<li>pinch of rolled oats to decorate</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>METHOD</i></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract</li>
<li>Fold in the baking powder, cinnamon and flour</li>
<li>Cover bowl in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of one hour</li>
<li>Gently stir in the chocolate chips, and spoon into twelve cupcake cases</li>
<li>Poke berries into the cases (I averaged two blueberries and one raspberry per muffin) and sprinkle oats on the top</li>
<li>Bake for 20 mins at 200 degrees C.</li>
<li>ENJOY.</li>
</ol>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXzE3QtW1Qs/U4DyEd_SFMI/AAAAAAAACDw/x75N4PmSwA0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-24+at+20.24.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXzE3QtW1Qs/U4DyEd_SFMI/AAAAAAAACDw/x75N4PmSwA0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-24+at+20.24.35.png" height="472" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good enough to eat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These little muffins pack a punch in the morning when you take a bite of golden sponge and sweet berries. DIVINE.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474377488312181003.post-89872730275217376892014-05-25T11:00:00.001+01:002014-05-25T11:00:55.398+01:00bloglovin'<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12318095/?claim=spcjshtdxrx">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186962634132398826noreply@blogger.com0