Bloggers and Baking

Bloggers and baking might not seem like an obvious combination but from a quick flick through my blogroll, it seems like we have all gone baking mad! It's a bit of a cliche that bloggers love cupcakes (although based on the food of choice at most blogging events its definitely not a complete lie) but the baking skills of some of my favourite bloggers far surpass the now ubiquitous cupcake and the Great British Bake-Off is one of my favourite TV shows, I'm already counting down the days until the next series despite the last one being a complete emotional rollercoaster (this coming from someone who sat through The Titanic and The Notebook and remained resolutely dry-eyed).

I am no domestic goddess myself but I do occasionally dabble in baking (with varying degrees of success). There is something quite lovely about the smell of freshly baked treats, despite the mess and washing up that this entails. Even in an age where every sort of cake imaginable is easily available in supermarkets, where we work longer hours than ever before and are bombarded with such joys as the 5:2 diet, baking has never been more popular. 

Some rather amazing cakes at a Jubilee Street party.
1. I did not make any of these.
2. Can you really believe that this was over a year ago?

Patriotic cakes in all shapes and sizes.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a future Great British Bake-Off contestant Electrolux have a whole range of products that might help you win star baker, even if its just with your friends and family - from induction hobs to cooker hoods.

Do you enjoy baking? What's your favourite cake?

Stop Spending Start Reinventing

During my teenage years, customisation was a big deal - my issues of Just Seventeen and Sugar always seemed to have tips of how to customise your clothes. I managed to make denim skirts from old pairs of jeans to varying degrees of success and loved playing fashion designer and making a grand old mess in the process.

On a rainy afternoon, I decided to have a go at customising a t-shirt that I haven't worn for a while - less potentially wallet-damaging than browsing ASOS.

You will need: an oversized tshirt, needles and thread (hotel sewing kits are ideal), a lipliner or pale eyeliner for marking the fabric, lace/ribbon/anything decorative lying around. I cut these collars off of old t-shirts - I'm a terrible hoarder and always think that things like this will come in useful one day.

Step 1: Use the lipliner to mark where you will be cutting. Cut the bottom and sleeves off of the t-shirt. Don't worry about it being too perfect.

Step 2: Place lace collar on t-shirt. When happy, pin in place.

Step 3: The hardest part. Sew the lace collar onto the t-shirt.

Done!

Have you ever attempted to customise anything?

A Formal Introduction: Bryn

So my little Mulberry bag has made a few appearances on my blog already but I still haven't properly introduced him.

I'd wanted a Mulberry bag since the age of sixteen when the Roxanne style was the one to swing from one's arm (Sunday Times Style magazine, you have a lot to answer for). A weekend job in John Lewis fueled my Mulberry obsession more, even if my wages could barely stretch to a purse. Throughout university a Mulberry represented being a grown-up; earning money and choosing to spent a rather huge chunk of it on a handbag spurred me on through endless reading lists and evenings of essay writing (we all have our own motivations).

In the last year, Bryn caught my eye and I knew that one day he would be mine. When my mum walked into the same John Lewis that I used to spend my Saturdays working in and saw him in the sale, it was fate.

Medium Bryn. Not too big, not too small.

Inside view. The size is perfect for a day or evening out, most importantly, an umbrella fits inside.

It's what's inside that counts. Bag contents for a summer evening out with friends. Ospery wallet, ASOS sunglasses, Oyster card, Balmi lipbalm, hairband, 17 Pressed Powder, Topshop lipstick, iPhone (Swash case) and Elemis moisturiser.

A capsule handbag definitely makes me feel more organised. Sometimes there is no need for a Filofax, book, magazine and spare shoes. For when there is, I have other (less lovely) bags.

What is your most longed-for purchase?

Summer Dressing

Summer is finally here so the summer purchases can finally be worn. My latest dress was purchased for me my my mother in the sales, she's pretty good at knowing what sort of dresses I like so it was no surprise that I loved this one!

Dress: Oasis; Leggings: M&S; Sandals: River Island; Jacket: H&M; Bag: Mulberry

I wore this to my friend S's birthday party - a night of pop-up ping pong and #BRGR food. I think the shoes were a sensible footwear choice although my ping pong skills were sadly not up to much.

Do you trust anyone else to buy clothes for you?

Tenerife: Holiday Purchases

Because purchases in another currency don't really count, do they?

Longchamp Rucksack: Luton Airport Duty Free, Pencil Skirt: Stradivarius, Scarf: Beachside store; L'Oreal Mascara and Eyeliner set: Duty Free

Adding another Longchamp bag to my collection - I couldn't resist this summery yellow and chose the rucksack shape after being tempted by a few highstreet rucksacks. I love combining a few loves into one purchase. Tenerife had a lot of European highstreet favourites: Zara, Mango, Berksha etc. I picked up this skirt in Stradivarius for €9.95 - bargain! My mum and I loved exploring the beachside stores full of touristy purchases, while we were tempted by a beach towel featuring a map of the island, this 1970s style printed scarf seemed like something I'd get more use from back home. Finally, another duty free find - this two pack of L'Oreal mascaras was a good bargain - my mum and I get one each but I get to keep the free eyeliner, only fair, right?

What do you buy on your holidays?

Tenerife: Food and Frolics

Every year, my mum and I go on a "girlie break". We've been to New York, Paris, Barcelona and Marrakech but this year we wanted something a little different. A regular holiday: sun, beach, pool. Done. We've both had quite a busy time lately so a few days of relaxing was just what we needed:

Gin Fizz cocktails overlooking the sea on our first night. These were strong!

"Grandma's Salad" - Canarian goats' cheese, apple, pinenuts and raspberry dressing.

The view from our balcony: pool, palm trees, sea. We stayed at the H10 Conquistador on the Playa de las Americas. The hotel was lovely, we had a huge room with a balcony, and access to a roof terrace with a fridge full of cold drinks. Perfect for strenuous hours spent reading the new Dan Brown novel.

Every day started with a plate of beautifully presented fresh fruit. Breakfast was A La Carte which was a much more civilised affair than a buffet and meant we could spend the morning reading the papers while the food came to us.

Sand sculptures on the walk to Los Cristianos. Our hotel was in a great location for exploring the coastline.

Most of the restaurants were quite same-y. I wouldn't say that Tenerife is really the place for fine dining - pizza, pasta and salads comprise standard restaurant fare but prices are reasonable (around £10 for a main course and £5 for a cocktail). We went for sushi on our second night as I'd spotted a menu while we were exploring and shared this platter.

Smoked salmon omlette for breakfast. I wish someone would make me one of these everyday.

For a break from poolside chilling, we visited the Aloe Park. The exotic plants were beautiful and the sky a perfect shade of blue.

At the Aloe Park, learning how bananas are grown. Canarian bananas look and taste quite different to the ones we are used to in the UK. Dress: Topshop, Bag: Longchamp, Sunglasses: ASOS.

Selfie. Clearly still working on my tan.

A cable car ride up to the top of mount Teide. The cable car takes you to above the cloud level and the bus ride up is both terrifying and far more scenic than the 45 to Kings Cross. The landscape is like being on the moon. Be warned - it is freezing at the top of the mountain so a playsuit is not really ideal attire..

We ate in our hotel one night - pan fried cod with vegetables. Followed by a walk along the sea front for cocktails.

Ready for a night on the town with my mummy! Dress is from Blue Inc.

Last day breakfast = calories don't count. Giant toast with Canarian banana. The waiter looked very concerned when my mother and I tried to order one each of these, as well as a regular breakfast choice so we saved ourselves from an inevitable sugar coma by sharing.

I had a lovely holiday - it was great to spend some quality time with my mummy and Tenerife was lovely, I was expecting just a beach and not much else but there was so much to do and see (although at times I didn't want to see anything other than a sunlounger) and the unchanging weather forecast made it a perfect break from the weird seasonal limbo back home.

Have you visited Tenerife?

Summer Reading List

One of the best things about not being a student is having the time and inclination to read for pleasure. I love reading and the opportunity to read whatever I choose to slightly cushions the blow of not having three months off for summer and being able to wear purple lipstick to lectures.

1. First Aid Kit Girl, Lynsey Rose

Lynsey is a fellow blogger and Bright Eyes fan so when she published her first book I had to buy it. First Aid Kit Girl is, in Lynsey's own words, for anyone who has ever wanted to kill everyone they work with. A dark comedy with a really strong narrative voice. I bought this in hard copy as it's not available on Kindle. ✓

2. Inferno, Dan Brown

The latest instant "bestseller" from Dan Brown. I read this on my Kindle as its only out in hardback at the moment (not because I care about people judging my literary choices, I read Fifty Shades in paperback I'll have you know). While this isn't literary magic (see below), it is fast-paced and entertaining. Not ashamed to say I loved this. ✓

3. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

I rarely re-read books (something to do with having a photographic-ish memory makes it seem tedious) but after seeing the film I had to re-read this again to remind myself how much I loved it the first time. It's beautifully written and perfectly sums up the pace of the Jazz Age and the magic of NYC. (FYI, this book is free on iBooks app). ✓

4. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

My bookclub selected this as its "classic" book for summer. I can't wait to read it and discuss it. Bookclub is one of the few things in life where I feel like a proper grown up.

5. Fragrant Harbour, John Lanchester

I loved Capital by the same author and recently visited Hong Kong so this seemed like a logical purchase when on my last Kindle spree. 

6. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Another bookclub choice for modern fiction. I've heard good things about this book and can't wait to read something written by a strong female voice.

What's on your summer reading list?