My Essential Summer Shoes

You don't need to be a genius to know that girls and shoes have always had a close bond. They come in every shape, size, and colour and best of all they don't judge you like clothes do if you put on a couple of extra pounds! I have always been a bit of a shoe fanatic but as ever my budget doesn't allow me to be stocking up on Jimmy Choos or Louboutins...
Although my collection is overflowing and ever growing, these are my staple pairs that I can't live without this summer!

The Comfy Canvases

There's nothing better than getting dressed up and feeling fit for the red carpet, but we can't be expected to look like that 24 hours 7 days a week- our feet would be crippled! So for lazy days or when I know I will be walking a fair distance I just have to be in my trainers. My current pair are Vans 106 Vulcs in navy from Schuh.

The Simple Sandal

In the summer, sandals pretty much become glued to my feet. You can pick up a pair for just a couple of quid and they keep your feet cool and comfortable whilst going with pretty much anything in your wardrobe- what more could you want?! I am still wearing my pair from last summer, which are very similar to those in the photograph, so I am currently looking for some new ones to replace them; any recommendations welcome!

The Black Boot

Although it is summer we mustn't kid ourselves...we do live in England after all! So for when the weather is not so great I always fall back on my black boots. They can be dressed up with a mini dress if you're out for lunch, or down with jeans if you're just popping to the shops, and you can always rely on them to give you comfort and support. I LOVE the black boot! My current pair are these cut-out buckle numbers from New Look which were a bargain at £27.99!

The Wedge

Before a night out I always plan my outfit, which usually includes a pair of 5/6 inch stiletto heels that will elongate my legs and, in my head, make me look like Rihanna...then I have a few glasses of wine (or maybe a bottle) and when the taxi arrives without fail I reach for my wedges over the killer stiletto. For me, a wedge never lets you down. They give you enhanced comfort so you won't end up walking out the club bare foot carrying your heels (never a good look), they are easier to walk in so you're not shuffling around like an idiot, and they pretty much stop you from breaking your neck by giving extra stability. My newest pair are these suede cut-outs that I managed to pick up in the Office sale. 

What shoes can't you live without this summer?

5 Ways of Surviving on a Student Budget!

It’s a well known fact that students don’t usually have much extra cash lying around, but with nights out to fuel and new dresses to buy on top of keeping your fridge topped up, how are you meant to survive on nothing but a termly loan?!

As a girl who used to enjoy splashing out on regular shopping sprees and treats, I found I soon had to adjust my usual spending habits once moving to uni to ensure that I didn't find myself without a meal to eat. Seeing as I have just endured 3 years of student life and even managed to save a bit whilst living a comfortable lifestyle, I  have decided to share a few of my secrets that are likely to help keep your bank balance in the green and with a little left over for an extra cheeky pint!

1. Budget yourself. This may seem obvious but it’s also the most important thing to do. By totalling up how much cash you’ll have each month you’ll be able to work out how much needs saving for the important stuff like rent, groceries and textbooks, and how much you can afford to splash on those new shoes you had your eye on. Draw up a budget and stick to it.

2. Sell your stuff! Time to be ruthless. If you’ve got stacks of old books, dvds, clothes or gadgets that you no longer need why not make a profit out of them?! Clearing out your draws and wardrobes is not only highly therapeutic but you may also find things that you can sell on sites such as ebay and gumtree. You’ll be surprised what other people will buy- remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

3. Work out meal plans. If you are guilty of buying trolley-fulls of food every week, only to throw half of it away when you don’t get a chance to eat it, you could be wasting valuable dosh! In fact, according to a survey, a third of the food we buy, we end up chucking away- which amounts to £420 of food waste for the average household and 70kg per person (the weight of an average human being). A way to get around this? Make meal plans and decide exactly what you are going to eat before you even get to Tesco; that way you won’t end up with a mouldy bag of potatoes that you forgot you’d bought. If you’re stuck for meal ideas team up with flat/housemates and do your dinners together!

4. Dig out the vouchers. These days there are vouchers for just about EVERYTHING, especially for the student market. So before you go out for a meal with your mates, check on sites such as studentbeans.com or vouchercloud.com and see what offers they have available. Some can give you up to 50% off which is tasty for your tummy, and even tastier for your bank balance. 

5. Give up your bad habits. I know this is easier said than done, but some of your bad habits could be running you into hefty debt! Whether you smoke, love designer brands or prefer to take taxis rather than buses, we all have our guilty pleasures, but by cutting down on how often you treat yourself just think how much you would save over the course of a year. And remember, you won’t be a student forever so just save the luxuries for when you have your degree and a steady income!

It may take a while to adjust to moving away from home and having to fund your own rent, bills, food shops, clothes shops and entertainment but always keep in mind: If you look after the pennies then the pounds will look after themselves.

Black Mirror: Be Right Back

After watching all three episodes of Charlie Brooker's intelligent, experimental and imaginative show, Black Mirror back in 2011 I was excited to see that Channel 4 was releasing a new series. To someone who doesn't tend to venture far from Eastenders or Downton Abbey (like my housemates), Black Mirror can seem very far-fetched and unrealistic, but thanks to my three years of studying a degree in Drama, I was able to see deeper into the crazy and often sickening (''The National Anthem') plot lines. I, unlike my housemates who mocked the entire series, could see what Brooker was trying to achieve through his futuristic writing style.

So I sat down ready for the first of three episodes of 'Be Right Back', intrigued to see what he had come up with this time and I am so glad I did as this, in my opinion, was the best episode of them all. The whole series in general was made up of beautifully written and acted pieces of drama, but the subject matter explored in this specific episode deeply affected me at an emotional level. Like many of his other works, Brooker explores the concept of technology and how it is constantly progressing and taking more of an active role in controlling the way we live. With new iphones, tablets, cameras and laptops emerging every day in today's society, 'Be Right Back' felt dauntingly real and justifiable.

The episode began with a couple, clearly living in a future year where technology has greatly advanced. Brooker takes no time in getting straight into the action and before the first ad-break has even arrived, the male character loses his life (presumably in a car accident). As a complete sap who strangely enjoys anything remotely tear jerking or romantic, I became fully immersed and emotionally engaged with the widowed protagonist. If this was Eastenders I would have shed a few tears, gone to bed and forgotten about it by the next day; however, Brooker's innovative twist left this 48 minute programme etched in my mind for days to come. 

With the opportunity to reconnect with her dead husband through a new form of technology that compiles information from his past online networking to form realistic responses, Martha enters the dangerous yet addictive realm of communication with the deceased (or a vitual form!). During the one hour duration of the programme I constantly criticised her for giving in to use this software and stunting her ability to let go and move on from her loss; however, once the credits had rolled (along with a few tears) I began to consider whether I would have done the same. It forced me to consider the pain and desperation felt when losing a loved one and posed the question, what are the boundaries of technological development? Companies are relentlessly trying to invent new, innovative gadgets to help improve our lives, but at what point do they stop improving and start ruining?

Overall 'Be Right Back' was an incredibly moving piece of drama that I highly recommend anyone to watch. I will be keeping an eye out for more of Brooker's work in the future as I find it inspiring and deeply thought provoking.

If you want to watch it you can do so here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/black-mirror/4od#3490648

Cupcakes Tutorial

Following on from my last post, Sweet Treats, I thought I would post a cupcake tutorial just in case any of you fancied having a go yourself! I have also found (from a lot of trial and error) that this recipe is pretty fail-proof and always ends up tasting amazing, so you don't need to worry if you're not a baking expert!

As we are throwing a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister this weekend I thought I would make some girly '30th' cupcakes, but obviously you can just use this recipe as a foundation and use your own creative flair if you wanted to make a batch for a different occasion.

Ingredients

For 12 cupcakes you will need: 

115g/4oz butter

115g/4oz caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

115g/4oz self-raising flour

1 tbsp milk

10 Simple Steps

              

1) Preheat the oven to 180degrees/Gas Mark 4. 

2) Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together thoroughly. 

3) Gradually beat in the eggs.

4) Beat in the vanilla extract.

5) Sift the flour into the bowl and fold into the mixture.

6) Fold in the milk.

7) Make sure the mixture isn't too thick/thin. Add more flour/milk to balance out.

8) Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases (only about 1/3rd full!)

9) Bake in the over for 20-25 minutes.

10) Leave them to cool before decorating!

Decoration!

This is my favourite part of the baking process as I usually go a bit mad with icing/sweets/sprinkles, but today I decided to keep these ones elegant and simple with vanilla frosting and wafer daisies.

To make the vanilla icing you will need:

150g/5.5oz butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

280g/10oz icing sugar

Method

1) Put the butter and vanilla extract into a bowl and beat until very soft and fluffy.

2) Gradually sift in the icing sugar (the more you beat, the softer the frosting will be!)

3) If the the consistency is a little thin to pipe (like I found mine was) keep adding a bit more icing sugar until you reach a thicker mix.

4) Place the icing into a piping bag with your choice of nozzle (I went for a wide flower-shaped one) and pipe it around the top of your cakes.

5) Decorate to your taste- for this batch I used Dr Oetker's Wafer Daisies which are available at most large supermarkets.

6) I also made a little flag out of paper and a cocktail stick to prepare them for the party!

 

I hope this tutorial is useful to you, feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Happy baking and happy longest day of the year! :)

Sweet Treats

Team GB//pear & amaretti cheesecake//gingerbread house//
raspberry & vanilla// valentines lovehearts// scarfed snowmen 

One thing you will get to learn about me is I love a good baking sesh.

When I was little I would go to my Granny's house at least once a week and we would have epic baking marathons making endless batches of icing-smothered creations. As I've got older I don't bake as much (and definitely don't like to make as much mess as I did then!) but every now and then when I've got some spare time on my hands I like to revive my childhood hobby.

I've popped up a few pictures of my favourite creations- maybe one day I'll have a bakery of my own!

Numero Uno

Hello!
Having been a sneaky blog-stalker for the past few months now, nosing around many of my friend's blogs, I decided it was about time I got one of my own.

I am a passionate writer and obsessive reader with a bookcase that homes everything from classic novels to trashy magazines.
With an interest in anything arty/fashion related I hope this blog will reveal a glimpse of who I am and what I like; from recent purchases to examples of my own work!
I'm not the most photogenic person in the world and I don't have enough money to be buying £30 lipsticks to review every day, but I will aim to find other ways of making this blog worth reading!