TGI Friday (again!)

Updates from the week

It's been a windy and cold day here following an otherwise sunny week, so I decided to stay indoors for most of the day. At lunch time I decided to quickly pot up the 19 cherry tomato seedlings which had outgrown their small propagator. I was beginning to regret this an hour and a half later when I still wasn't done and had run out of plastic pots, but got there eventually, and have found that water bottles cut in half make a good plant pot/greenhouse pot in one.

Yesterday I planted some pretty viola plants in old terracotta pots that had just been lying about in the garden. I had been to the garden centre and found some greatly reduced flowers, mostly just because a few out of the tray had withered, so I picked up a tray of violas for 10p, and watered them at home and left them overnight. The following day I moved them all into their own pots and 16 out of the 20 plants from the tray were potted up, and although one more has since withered away the remaining 15 plants have picked up and are looking very healthy.

As we have a guest for dinner this evening I've also made a chocolate cake for dessert, I've already had a taster of the fudge icing and its yummy. I'll add a few strawberries and might dust it with cocoa powder to serve.

And finally, earlier this week I had a second attempt at the cinnamon rolls which I blogged about here, and I think it was slightly more successful as they're looking a lot more like rolls now!

I've also purchased a few things this weekend but I'm off to Primark tomorrow so shall wait and see if I have anything else to add to my haul before I blog about them!

18th April

The postman bought me a small collection of freebies this morning, much more exciting than the usual junk mail or phone bills that normally drop through the letterbox!

Firstly I had a parcel from the cosmetic testing panel I'm a member of and will be trialling a new brow pencil over the next few weeks. I also received a voucher from Boots for a free Clinique lipstick when I attend a quick consultation in store. I'm not sure what this will entail but I shall post a review of the lipstick when I pick it up!
Slightly less exciting I finally received the Finish Quantum dishwasher sample tablets I requested a few weeks ago. (These are still available on the Finish website if you'd like to try them). It also came with a voucher for £1.50 off your next purchase of any Finish Quantum pack.
And Finally I received the three paint samples I purchased a few days ago - not strictly a freebie but there is currently a promotion on at Dulux where you can try three samples for £1. I find them good for crafts and ordered 3 for painting some pretty country-cottage style terracotta pots which I'll blog about when they're done. I'm tempted to order a few more as I've used them in the past to paint some pretty rose hooks a nice cream colour and have seen some nice ideas for painting photo frames.

My brother returned from a trip to Denmark yesterday and today he gave me a little souvenir, some scrummy Fair Trade chocolate with crispy hazelnut pieces. Unfortunately most of this has disappeared now though!

Summer Shopping Wishlist

Its been quite a while since I last went on a shopping trip, and now we're finally getting a little sunshine it feels like it might be time to update my wardrobe with a few new outfits for the summer months. So I'm thinking of heading to Birmingham within the next week to have a look round the shops, but in the mean time I've been having a little look online for inspiration and have found a few things I'll be keeping an eye out for!

This dress has a pretty vintage look and at only £12.99 would make a great addition to any summer wardrobe, especially with a pair of tan sandals and a denim jacket for cooler days. 

New Look, £12.99

These versatile flats are from Monsoon and would make a stylish addition to any outfit, great with jeans, dresses or skirts. The price tag is a little higher than I'd usually like to spend on a pair of day shoes so I'll be looking out for any discount codes or offers before I decide to purchase them.

Monsoon, £45

This pretty floral maxi dress has such a lovely print, and I like the belt which comes with it too. I'd wear this with my tan pumps and tan satchel.

New Look, £22.99

Dessert Delights...Warm Strawberry Jam Cake

I've been putting my lost-and-found recipe book to good use today, making my favourite dessert from it. The recipe in question is the Warm Strawberry Jam Cakes. It's quick and easy to make and you can either add jam to a teacup and then the sponge mixture to make a cupcake baked in a teacup, or use metal ramekins following the same method and then turn them upside down to serve as I did.

Ingredients (makes 6)
8 tbsp softened butter
4 tbsp strawberry conserve
115g caster sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
115g self raising flour
strawberrys and icing sugar for decoration (optional)

Method
1. Grease 6 heavy round teacups with butter. Spoon two teaspoons of the strawberry conserve in the bottom of each.

2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla essence. Sift in the flour and, using a large metal spoon, fold it into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the teacups.

3. Stand the cups in a roasting tin, then pour in enough hot water to come one-third of the way up the sides of the cups. Bake in the oven, 180C for 40 mintues or until well risen and golden brown.

4. Place a few whole strawberries on each cake and dust with ising sugar. Serve warm.

Nails of the Day...French Manicure

I haven't had time to paint my nails recently, so on Friday I decided to return to my favourite nail look and painted them with a french manicure, which I think looks pretty and you don't have to worry about the colour clashing with your outfit!

I used Seventeen's Nail Whitener for the Tips and my pale pink Chanel polish for the rest of the colour and sealed with a clear top coat by Natural Collection. I used to find it too time consuming getting the white tips just right but since I discovered Nailene Perfect French Tip Guides it doesn't take much longer than using a plain polish.

Bake of the day...Cinnamon Rolls

A few weeks ago I finally found my favourite baking book full of fail-safe comfort food recipes which had been misplaced quite some time ago. It's my go-to book when I want a guaranteed yummy treat, because even if I can't make my bakes look as good as the illustrations they still taste delicious! So I decided to make cinnamon rolls as I've made quite a few cupcakes recently. They're a combination between cinnamon whirl danish pastries and bread rolls, and make a great afternoon treat or dessert.

I need to practice rolling them up a bit more consistently, but at least it gives me an excuse to make another batch!

Poundland Nail Stamping Kit Review

A few weeks ago I read about Poundland's Nail Stamping Kit which has received some glowing reviews online. Intrigued by the idea I was keen to give it a go and managed to track down a kit last week. In the kit you get a metal plate engraved with several designs, (the one I bought had flowers and a butterfly as per the picture below), a rubber stamp and a plastic scraper.

 You have to paint over your chosen design with polish, then use the scraper to remove excess varnish, press the stamp on to it and then press on to your nail. It took me a while to get the hang of it, and I still haven't quite perfected it but each time I try they're looking better! I've read a few handy tips online which have made it easier to apply; don't use a quick drying varnish, stamp quickly and the most useful tip I've read is to use a nail file on the stamp before you use it as the varnish sticks so much better.

It was a little tricky to get the hang of and it is quite time consuming if you are using a base coat, (which I would recommend as the stamps don't show up very well on clear nails), because you need to make sure the polish is completely dry before stamping on it to avoid smudges. However once you do get the hang of it it's quite fun and an easy way to try out nail art, as it's still quicker than having to draw on complicated designs and patterns. At just £1 I'd recommend trying them out purely for the fun factor anyway!

Hand-made Vintage Style Make Up Brush Purse

A little while ago I treated myself to some make-up brushes by Stila. As they cost a little more than I would normally spend on brushes I decided that before I used them I wanted something to store them in to keep them clean and stop them from getting damaged in my make up bag. So, one trip to the haberdashery stall (where I'm fast becoming a regular), and an hour on my sewing machine later and I've made a vintage-inspired floral zip purse to keep my new brushes in.

Lush Hottie Massage Bar Review

A few months ago I was given a Hottie Massage Bar from Lush, designed to relieve aching and knotted muscles. I've tried their Lush massage bars before having received the now discontinued glitterbug as a freebie, and whilst I had found it pleasant, the glitter wasn't very suitable for day time and I didn't find it had any advantage over a regular moisturiser.

So I had a pleasant surprise when I tried my new Hottie Bar, it really lived up to the claims and I found it worked wonders on aching tired muscles. The bumps work really well to un-knot muscles and soothe the tension, and the cocoa and shea butters leave your skin hydrated and soft. The Hottie has a pleasant but not overpowering fragrance, with subtle hints of vanilla, citrus and ginger. I would recommend it not only as a massage bar but also as a moisturiser for when you're in a rush as it's quick and easy to use and lasts well.

The Hottie Bar is £5.75 and is available online here as well as in store.

Poundland bargain as seen in TK Maxx!

Just a quick post to say that yesterday I spotted the pretty cath-kidston-esque floral china mug that I bought for mothers' day from Poundland (blogged about here) for sale in TK Maxx for £2.50 with an rrp of £5!

Plain Poundland Case to Pretty Floral Cover for £2.50!

I've been enjoying my new sewing machine a lot this week. I've already made a pretty cushion (which I blogged about here) and several drawstring bags which I'll probably post about soon, but today I made a case for my tablet to keep it safe from knocks and scratches. I cheated a little by purchasing a laptop case from Poundland like the ones below to use for the padding of my case to make sure it was secure enough (it was cheaper and simpler than buying foam too).

I then cut the case to size (in half approximately for a snug fit) and measured some pretty floral fabric for the cover, which only cost 75p for a fat quarter from my local haberdashery and I still have half of it left over. I purchased a zip in a matching pink from the market for 75p and then set about stitching it all together. Once the zip was attached to the fabric I just fitted the pre-cut poundland case inside and my new tablet case was ready for the grand total of £2.50!

Skincare Essentials ♥

The wintery weather is doing its best to take its toll on my skin, but I'm lucky to have a box full of lovely skincare treats which are helping keep it in good condition. I've picked out my favourite trusted skincare treats below which I love using for a pampering afternoon and can rely on for a quick-fix.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Tabs
I became a fan of these a while back and now always make sure I have a couple of tabs on standby in my beauty box. They contain tea tree and aloe vera to calm and soothe problem skin. They're simple and easy to use, you just put them in a bowl of hot water and steam your face for 5-10minutes (the longer the better I find) and then cleanse and moisturize afterwards. Immediately after steaming my skin feels refreshed and deep-cleansed but I always use mine the day before an event or day out because that's when I really notice the difference and have visibly calmer and softer skin and a more even skin tone.
 

Soap & Glory 'The Breakfast Scrub'
This is one of my all-time favourite exfoliating scrubs. It contains almond, honey and banana extracts along with oat, sugar and shea butter, and has a good-enough-to-eat maple fragrance. The sugar and oats provide a really good exfoliating base without being too abrasive and the shea butter means its moisturizing too. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth and I'll definitely be replacing it when I run out.

The Sanctuary Hand Cream and Intensive Rescue Heel Balm
With almond oil and shea butter the hand cream is a lightweight, quickly absorbed lotion which leaves your hands soft and smelling sweet. It's great to apply on-the-go as it isn't too rich and helps stop my hands from getting to dry in this harsh weather.  The Heel Balm is one of my favourite beauty products and the best foot moisturiser I think I've ever come across. I use this after a bath and then put on a pair of fluffy socks for the evening and by the time I go to bed the lotion has worked it's magic. I've recently bought a replacement (although the first one lasted nearly a year) and yet every time I'm surprised at how soft my feet are after using this! 

No 7 Speed Dry Nail Colour "Afternoon Tea" Review

The last time Boots ran their £5 off No7 voucher promotion I decided to treat myself to a new nail varnish to add to my collection. At just £2 it's an affordable little treat but I didn't realise how rapidly my nail polish collection had expanded, they have outgrown their box and now I have a collection growing on my dresser.
So anyway back to boots, and I decided to opt for a pretty neutral beige shade with a pearlescent finish titled "Afternoon Tea".

I really like this nail polish as it applies easily with  no streaks and builds up an opaque colour in just 2 coats. It doesn't take long to dry so I didn't have a problem with any smudges and it lasted several days without chipping. The colour is subtle but pretty, so I think it would work well both in the day time and evening and is an ideal shade for Spring through to Autumn.