Little Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

I've baked alot of chocolately based cakes recently and I thought as it was the end of our first term here at Bournemouth I would treat my ever so lovely class to a last bake of the term. Not wanting to cause death-by-chocolate I thought I would bake something a little lighter and sweeter and what could be more fitting than a little bit of lemon?!

I simply adapted my favourite Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe and made cupcakes instead to make smaller bites of yumminess! Here is how they turned out...

Had I been making the original cake recipe, I would not usually have frosted them, but made an icing with icing sugar and some fresh lemon juice, to drizzle over the top. But I decided with the cupcakes a lemony frosting would add to the whole look as well as taste- seemingly it worked and I was pleased to see that some members of my class had multiple cakes, so I must be doing something right!

Fancy having a go? Here is the recipe you will need:



For the Cake:

• 120g of plain flour
• 150g of caster sugar 
• 1½ teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest, plus extra to decorate
• 40g of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 120 ml of whole milk
• 1 egg

  

 For the lemon frosting:

• 250g of icing sugar (sifted)
•  80g of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
•  2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest
•  A few drops of yellow food colouring (optional but pretty!)
•  25 ml of whole milk

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.  
2. Sift the flour and put it in a large bowl with the sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and butter. Then beat them on slow speed until all the components are combined.
3. Gradually pour in the milk and continue beating so that everything is mixed in well.
4. Add the egg to the first mixture and beat it in with the rest for a few minutes until it formed a nice, smooth blend.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are about 2/3 full.
6. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. If you pop a skewer through them it should come out clean and they spring back when touched. Leave in the tray to cool slighty before putting them on the cooling rack to cool completely before they are iced.
7. Whilst my cupcakes were cooling I started making the frosting. First beat the icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and food colouring on medium-slow speed until the ingredients were well combined.
8. Slowly pour in the milk and if like me you want a little extra tang, squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice. Then return to a high speed and beat the mix for atleast 5 minutes, until the frosting becomes light and  fluffy.
9. Once you're happy and the cupcakes are cool, it's time to frost the cakes! Take a decent amount of the frosting with a spoon, a knife or a small spatula and spread it evenly while rotating the cupcake. This gives you more control and a better finish on the cakes. I then decorated with the left over lemon rind, but you could use lemon sweets, other cake decorations or even leave then plain.

Christmas Gift Guide: £500 & under

As Christmas gets closer by the day, those of us who have yet to start our christmas shopping (definitely not me...) are beginning to feel the pressure. Finding the right gifts for family and friends is not an easy task and to try to ease the pain here is the final Christmas Gift Guide edit! This last installment draws upon the almighty £500 and under category where I have attempted to bring a range of higher-priced gifts to solve your present-buying dilemmas. Personally, I can't help but lust over the glittery purple Miu Miu heels, glittery soles are every girls dream, right?!

 

 

 

 

 

1. Beats by Dre headphones: £249.99

2. Michael Kors watch: £229

3. Charlotte Olympia christmas pudding clutch: £430

4. Miu Miu glitter-sole heels- £445

5. KitchenAid mixer: £250

6. Ipad Mini: From £269

7. Mulberry clipper: £265

8. Mary Katrantzou scarf: £340

 

Super-Easy Chocolate Sponge Cake

As a Radio Production Masters student at bournemouth we are expected to run a student radio station solely for the radio masters course- BIRST as it is formally known. It will showcase our features, documentaries and anything we produce during the next year. It's our vision, our station. So, for our first BIRST meeting of the year I thought Iwould bake a batch of brownies to mark the occasion. As it happens they went down so well that I seem to have taken the role of class baker and a tradition seems to have formed that I am the chosen individual who bakes for any momentous occasions, birthdays, end of terms, etc.

So after chocolate brownies were demolished I thought that bar Christmas, (where I would probably be baking something christmassy anyway) my baking efforts could be rested for the remainder of the year. Well, that was until our BIRST station manager went and turned 23, and we all know what that means- a celebration calls for a celebration cake and before I knew it, it was time to get my bake on once more. Fortunately for me I could bake all day and love an excuse to get away from any dreaded essay and into the kitchen!

As I had such success with the chocolate halloween cake, I thought I would stick with what I know and created an extra, extra chocolately double layered, ganache sponge. The ganache gives a lovely shiny finish and the smartied added a little bit of colour.

Here is the recipe!

• 50g/2oz cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp boiling water
• 3 free-range eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 1 rounded tsp baking powder
• 100g/4oz baking spread or soft butter
• 300g/10oz natural caster sugar

 

For the icing and filling

• 150g/5oz dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins with baking parchment.
2. Put the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl and mix well to make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. This can also be done in a food processor, but take care not to over whisk. Divide the cake mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
3. Meanwhile, for the icing and filling, measure the chocolate and cream together in a bowl and stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water for about 10 minutes, or until melted. Stir from time to time. Set aside and leave until cool and almost set.
4. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely. Spread the tops of each cake with apricot jam. I decided against the jam and just filled mine with the chocolate ganache which was just as yummy. Fill the cakes with half of the icing and spread the remainder on top. Draw large “S” shapes over the cake with a palatte knife to give a swirl effect. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices.
5. I chose to simply decorate mine with some smarties, but you can use whatever sweets you like, or leave it plain as suggested above. 

Halloween Cake

Although this is a couple of months late, I still can't help but share this years Halloween recipe with you. I've never really been a huge Halloween fan however, this year I decided was the year to put my baking skills to the test and make a cake for our Halloween house party!

I decided upon a simple chocolate cake but put a Halloween twist on it by turning the icing and toppings into a graveyard; gravestones and creepy critters galore. It went down a treat with our hungry guests even if I so say so myself! Please excuse the awful phone quality picture but if you fancy re-creating this spooky sponge then here is the recipe you'll need.

 

For the cake

• 250g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder

 

For the ginger biscuit tombstones

• 350g plain flour
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g butter, cut into cubes
• 175g light soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

 

For the decoration

• white icing (such as royal icing), for decorating the biscuits
• 125g butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp milk
• ½ pack Oreo cookies or bourbon biscuits or rich tea
• 1 pack chocolate sticks (such as Matchmakers or chocolate fingers)
• halloween sweets

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line a 20x30cm/8x12in rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Beat together the butter and sugar with a hand-held mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition, adding the vanilla extract with the last of the egg.
4. Sift together the flour and the cocoa powder into a bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until firm to the touch (a wooden skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean).
7. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. For the ginger biscuit tombstones, place the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
9. Add the sugar, syrup and egg and mix together until it forms a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
11. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out your shapes – you will only need a few for the cake so cut out some other Halloween shapes for extra biscuits.
12. Place the shapes on to greased baking sheets and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the sheets with a palette knife and place onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with white icing.
13. For the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand held mixer until creamy then add the icing sugar a spoonful at a time beating well between each addition. Add the cocoa powder and milk and beat again for a further five minutes until light and fluffy.
14. Blend the Oreo or bourbon biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor.
15. Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake, covering the top and sides – a few lumps and bumps will make it more mud-like.
16. Break the chocolate sticks in half unevenly, then stick around the sides of the cake to form the fence.
17. Sprinkle the biscuit soil over the surface before sticking in the tombstones and decorating with spooky sweets.

Christmas Gift Guide: £100 & Under

Christmas is gradually getting closer and closer so here is a gift guide with a slightly larger budget for those who are looking around the £100 mark. The big £500 is still to come, but this should keep you considering those gift ideas for a little while longer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Michael by Michael Kors scarf- £94

2. Marc by Marc Jacobs laptop case- £55

3. Ugg sheepskin ear muffs- £68

4. Kenneth Jay Lane cocktail ring- £65

5. Nike high tops- £68

6. Creme de la Mer moisturiser- £100

7. Lomography Diana camera- £99.95

8. Ted Baker purse- £60

 

Christmas Gift Guide: £50 & under

As promised, here is the £50 and under Christmas Gift Guide hopefully with a little something for everyone. If you haven't started your shopping yet, you only have 20 days left so take a look below, get inspired and get shopping!!
 

 

 

 

1. Daisy Eu So Fresh by Marc Jacobs- £48

2. Paisley cake stand- £36

3. Jack Wills cotterell hat- £29.50

4. Jo Malone Candle- £38

5. Wah Nails book- £9.99

6. Bobbi Brown eye palette- £47

7. Melissa Odabash bracelet- £45

8. Owl cushion - £20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November In Pictures

November has been and gone and mine has been filled with some of the greatest memories that I will remember forever. I officially graduated from Winchester at the Cathedral. Spending the week with my closest family and friends which I've made over the past three years, some of whom I hope will be friends for life sure made up for the chilly weather. Re-exploring Winchester and the picturesque buildings behind the cathedral. Gucci the rabbit kept me company in my friend's room and was too cute not to feature! Two new sparkly Pandora beads, my present for graduating. A batch of brownies made especially for us graduates. Freshy painted raspberry nails. My first Christmas cup of the season filled with a delicious praline mocha.

 Cosying up in my favourite snood. More baking, a chocolate cake this time for one of my classmate's birthdays. A trip back home to Northamptonshire with Caitlin. winter walks in our wellies. Chanel treats from mum and the view from my bedroom, it may be foggy but it's always home. Trips to Bournemouth's German Market, the lights twinkling. The christmas tree in all its glory in the twon centre. Wimborne Minster looking glorious in the sunshine.

Christmas Gift Guide: £15 and under

With December closing in, it's that time of year again where we are sent into an automatic panic about what to buy our loved ones for Christmas. But never fear, Gill's Christmas Gift Guide is here! This year I am putting togther 4 gift guides designed to make christmas shopping a little less stressful. In addition to this under £15 edition, there will be an under £50, £100 and £500 so every (or at least most) budgets will be covered!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Fat Face snowflake pumps- £15

2. OPI James Bond edition nail polish- £13

3. St.Tropez starter kit- £13 No reason not to start building that tan early!!

4. Cath Kidston medium pouch- £10

5.Topshop hand warmers- £10

6. Christmas Origami- £4

7. Emma Bridgewater biscuit tin- £11

8. Radley coin purse- £14.70

October in Pictures

Wearing my new sparkly collard top to dance the night away with my favourite girls and taking one of my closest friends to my favourite local haunts for the morning after's recovery brunch, for hot chocolates and copious amounts of food. Coating my nails in my favourite colour for the season- a dark plum shade, I chose Recessionista from Essie's new Autumn selection and topping them with the sparkliest bottle of glitter I could find (in this case Barry M's Pink Sapphire). It's at this time of year that I am able to dig out my favourite winter boots, and wear them in warmth, especially when visiting pretty Christchurch. Even prettier when the last of the evening light is shining down on the church. With cold weather, comes more rain and Bournemouth has had more than its fair share this month, calling for my trusty dotty unbrella and barbour. But it's not been all dull and rainy, a helping of some local fish and chips and a visit to the O2 Academy in Boscome with some of my Radio girls to see Maverick Sabre (who just for the record, was amazing) really brightened things up despite the gloomy weather.



Visiting Christchurch with its pretty bunting on the bridge over the river and a visit from mummy B included a night away and a scrumptious full english breakfast before a day shopping in Bournemouth where I was treated to a beaut new duvet set- perfect for the winter months. Learning to DJ on my friend's decks has resulted in a new found favourite hobby. A delicious dinner on Boscombe's beach one evening led to the discovery of what I am sure is the best burger in the whole of Bournemouth and the fairy lights delicately wrapped around the restaurant only added to the experience. As October has come to an end, it has also brought the cold weather and I have (happily) been able to bring out what is, possibly the cosiest item in my wardrobe, my (faux) sheepskin aviator. Halloween has also been and I made my first attempt at baking a grave yard cake- a chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream icing. October has been amazing, so bring on November!

Fashionable Fright Night

From Left to Right: Cobweb Leggings, £38; Feather Cape, £85; Skull band rings, £7.50; Chain collar top, £32; Lace maxi dress, £150; Nails in Laquered, £5; Heels, £68; Ring, £12.50; Sparkle skull sweater, £35; Cat fascinator, £8. All Topshop.

Never thought it was possible to look fashionably frightening on Halloween? Well, think again as this year it's possible to look wonderfully horrific on the scariest night of the year, by combining your usual spooky costumes together with some of this season's key trends.

Topshop has hit the nail through Frankenstein's head with this season's gothic line as we see leather, lace and feathers making an ever welcome appearance. Who wanted to look like a dead zombie bride anyway...?

And want to know the best thing about going fashionable on fright night? You will not be left with tomato ketchup stained tee shirts and shredded loo roll, but perfectly wearable, on-trend pieces to wear for the rest of the season, without looking like you forgot to take your mask off. So get ready, get set, and get fashionably frightening!

The Edit: Winter Warmers

Clockwise from top: Merino wool fox motif jumper £98,Aubin and Wills; Lambswool cable knit £89.50, Jack Wills; Side zip jumper £45, Topshop; 'Totes Amaze' jumper £305, Markus Lupfer; Cashmere star print jumper £350, Chinti & Parker; Oversized jumper £45, White Stuff.

For the past few weeks here in Bournemouth, we have had nothing but rain, cloud, rain, mild weather and more rain! It hasn't been warm enough to leave the house without a jacket (mostly due to the unseen amounts of...you guessed it, rain!), but not cold enough to wrap up in your favourite winter jumper. But never fear, I bring good news! Well, I suppose it's only good news for those of us who actually enjoy and embrace the winter months, as I can now reveal that winter is most definitely on its way! The temperature is officially dropping here in Bournemouth and this awkward mild weather is finally on its way out. Needless to say I have been waiting for the cold weather to kick in for many weeks now and I could not be happier at the thought of putting on my warmest boots, cosiet scarf and thickest knits for the cold and fresh winter days that we have ahead of us.

Updating my winter wardrobe is (sadly) to me one of the best parts of winter, and with knitwear being my absolute weakness I just couldn't resist compiling a very small and select edit of some of my favourite knitwear finds. There is something for everyone this seaosn, whether you prefer an understated oversized jumper, a novelty knit or a classic cashmere cable both the highstreet and designer labels have plenty to choose from. With one of these little beauties you'll be fit and ready to knit winter in the bud in style.

Make Mine a Mulberry!

 

 

1. Small Hetty Hobo, £750; 2.Tassel Bag, £995; 3.Lily Shoulder bag £1,100; 4.Maisie Clipper £1,100; 5.Bayswater, £795; 6. Oversized Del Rey, £1,750; 7. Bryn, £550.

 

 

My Mulberry obsession is ever growing and this season I am continuing to lust after just about every bag that they release. Mulberry has made sure that there is a bag for everyone's tastes; from amazing satchels (like the Tassel bag which I just had to make my star pick-  it's the perfect colour for the Autum/Winter season and the detailing is beautiful) to fabulous shoulder bags and tremendous totes that will see you through season after season in style. Warm autumnal tones have been incorporated into this collection to signal the change from spring to Autum. My favourites have to be the 'Black Forest' (burgundy colour) which to me, is the ultimate colour for this season. The prices may not be very realistic for anyone who is like to me, on a student budget. But given the chance (or the money!) I would most definitely be making my A/W bag this year a Mulberry!

This Week I Love...

...BOURNEMOUTH!!

With my life as a post-graduate here at Bournemouth University well underway, I am now beginning to feel a little more settled and ready for the long, twisty and *fingers crossed* enjoyable road to gaining my Masters! Now I have been here a couple of weeks I have had more of a chance to explore and get to know the area a little bit better and this week's TWIL is based on the new places, sights and sounds I have discovered whilst being by the sea.

The Beach...Bournemouth's award-winning beach is one of the best in the UK and is not to be missed. Perfect for an afternoon stroll along the pier, sitting on the beach enjoying an icecream with the sand between your toes, or people watching from one of the restaurants on the front. Dont forget to bring your winter woolies especially at this time of year, as it may look beautiful but the weather does not have the same reputation!



Myself and partner in crime, Caitlin. For once not looking so lost but a little windswept, on my part at least!


O2 Academy... the O2 Academy in Boscome played host to my first Bournemouth gig last week as a couple of frineds and I spontaeneously decided to go and see Maverick Sabre whilst he was in town and I'm so glad we did. The O2 was a great venue, it had an old dance-hall feel to it, was really spacious  and no matter where you were stood you were still really close to all the action on stage. And Maverick Sabre? Absolutely note perfect.

The Pavillon...another one of Bournemouth's many venues that I have been lucky enough to experience in my first couple of weeks. This time I was watching someone I actually know on stage, my Aunty plays in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra so I bagged a couple of tickets to the concert for myself and said partner in crime, put on our glad-rags and watched, listened and drank. Very cultural of course!

The Pavillion

The sun disallowed any decent photos infront of the beach so we settled for trees...

Afternoon Tea... anyone who knows me well enough will be well aware that if i'm obsessed with any british tradition at all, it's afternoon tea and it just wouldn't be right if I didn't sample what Bournemouth has to offer now, would it?! My Aunty took me to The Highlcliffe which is situated right on the front of the beach. It's beautiful outside and even more beautiful inside. We sat in the conservatory, a gorgeous periodic room overlooking the beach and out into the sea, enjoying cucumber sandwiches, delicious scones and a delicious variety of cakes whilst watching the rather dashing surfers ruling the waves. Needless to say I will be returning! 

Winter Boots: The Edit

From Top left to Right: River Island, Zip Stud boots £75; Acne Pistol Boots £355; Churches Ketsby Chelsea Boots £335; Carvela Sadie Chelsea Boot £160; Jimmy Choo Biker Boot £590; Topshop Stud Back Boot £40.

J.W. Anderson for Topshop

 

1 Paisley print skirt; 2 Tartain tee; 3 Zebra print jeans; 4 Striped tee; 5, Anchor motif jumper.

 

 

 

The wait is over and the moment is finally here as J.W. Anderson's collection for Topshop hits the rails today!

 

Here I have pieced together some of my favourite items from the collection. The zeba jeans? GENIUS! If you fancy taking a walk on the wild side pair them with a simple coloured tee and add a leather jacket for when the weather gets a little cooler. And as I am fully scottish, I could hardly dismiss the tartan tee- a perfect way to embrace your inner scottishness with any outfit.

 

Sometimes I find that Designer collaborations are still a little unwearable, but Anderson has successfully created a collection that is very stylish and easy to wear but still pushes the boundaries as to be a little different and keep his individuality. He has already been a huge hit in the fashion world and has gathered an ever growing celebrity following and is definitely one to watch for the future.

Summer Fun!

This summer has flown by and I'm really struggling to believe that September is already here and in exactly a weeks time I will have moved to Bournemouth, into Post-grad halls and will (hopefully ) be ready to start my Masters. How time flies!

However, this summer has been one of the best (and busiest) summers ever, I secured a job I loved at The White Company, played plenty of polo and have been lucky enough to be able to visit some of my closest friends in their different corners of the country.

One of the most memorable weekends was when I ventured to Cambridge to stay with a couple of my best uni friends. We spent the weekemd sheltering from the torrential downpours of rain in cosy pubs by the river, testing out new nightclubs, punting care-free down the river in our trusty punt Penelope (when the sun did finally appear) and spent afternoons sight-seeing the beautiful colleges and spotting vicars on scooters, only in Cambridge...

I have just this week returned from a 3 day stay with my best friend in Salisbury- one of my favourite places ever! We took a much deserved shopping trip to Bath, where we shopped 'til we dropped and visited the Roman Baths.

Before we would be able to conjour up the energy to carry out any of those activities we needed a hearty breakfast to get us going! We headed to Cote- a lovely French Restaurtant in the heart of Salisbury for a little morning treat. Mine came in the form of a french yoghurt, fruit and a croissant. It was delicious and If you have a Cote near you then I seriously reccommend giving it a go, I can assure that you won't be disappointed!

French breakfast at Cote

Bath

At the Roman Baths

 I absolutely love visitng my friend expecially after the 4 months it had been since I last saw her, but there is one member of the household that I truly adore....their mischievious white and grey cat, Bertie! He is such a character and everytime I visit he finds more trouble to get himself into. This time he decided to climb the bird feeder, as well as play havoc in my room...

Bertie takes residence on the window ledge

Thirsty are we?



Ready for my close-up!





Time for a cat nap



I wonder if they'll find me under here?!





This Week I Love...

TEAM GB...I am absolutely immersing myself in everything olympic-related! I cannot get enough of Team GB no matter what the sport and I am finding myself watching sports I have never even given a second thought to before and that's saying something! We have come so far from being in 20th place on the medal board and to now be in 3rd is just incredible. My favourite sport is of course the Equestrian and I have been glued to my screen all day watching the team showjumping final, which to my absolute delight we won!! Another gold for Great Britain and how it was deserved. The team consisted of Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Peter Charles and what a team they were, making sure they kept their cool despite the immense pressure they were under to perform. Charles especially, who was last to go in the jump off and knew from the beginning that if he went clear team GB had the gold in the bag. These games have really made realise how talented, strong, and dedicated all of team GB's athletes, across all sports truly are and they are doing a fantastic job. Lets hope we can get a few more medals to get us to that number 1 position in the table! GO TEAM GB!

ASH...Footwear brand Ash are best known for their wedged trainers, a comfy yet fashionable piece of footwear perfect for this ungodly weather. I have spotted a maroon pair by the brand that are calling my name, however the near £200 price tag isn't exactly within reach quite at the moment. So sadly, it looks like for now I will just have to sit and watch them in the window and with any luck catch them in the sale later in the year. Onto the wish list they go!

CHANEL...As always, Chanel is a massive favourite of mine for well, everything! Their clothes, shoes and accessories may be well out of reach however, their beauty brand is well and truly within! Luckily for us, Chanel have recently opened a pop-up store in London's well known Covent Garden. It houses the brands make-up and skincare ranges as well as many of their limited addition products which can be very hard to track down. And as if that wasn't enough there is also a nail bar down stairs where for £20 (redeemable against purchases) you can treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind Chanel manicure. As the french would say, Ooh La La!!

Nails Inc...Another beauty product I am hunting for at the moment is Nails Inc's limited edition Sprinkles polish. Available in four sugary shades, sprinkles gives the effect of well, sprinkles, similar to that which you may find on your cupcake, sweet, eh! Now, who doesn't want their nails to look good enough to eat? I sure do, and it's sprinkles all the way!

Style File #1

I have recently given my blog a bit of a makeover, hopefully making it a little bit prettier and user-friendly! Since I have changed things around a bit I am going to be trying out some new features too.
The first of these new features is series of outifit posts- showing my own styling, showcasing outfits I myself have put together and worn for different occassions. I have done this in a slightly different way to what you may be expecting following some inspiring photography I recently came across on Pinterest. So I hope it works as well as I am hoping! Please do feedback with any comments/improvements you have- all are greatly appreciated!

This is my first of such personal style posts, which starts with my personal way of brightening up a rainy day- there may not have been blue injected skies but that's not to say you have to have a cloudy outfit to match! I decided that as blue skies weren't exactly in adundance I would inject some bright blue into my day.

I started with my favourite slouchy, bright blue, oversized tee and paired with my favourite super skinny jeans and a pair of fringed flats with a pretty bow detail; comfy and (almost) weather proof- (until the heavens opened!) Accessories, in my opinion can make an outfit, so to top it off I added a lightweight printed cream coloured scarf, just in case I needed a little extra coverup and an oversized bag (plenty of room for that umbrella!)



Flats, Bally; Jeans, A&F




Scarf, White Stuff; Bag, Mulberry



Gooey Fudge Brownies

I absolutely LOVE baking- I genuinely would bake all day long if I could put up with my brother lurking round the kitchen waiting to see what was going to be produced!

This week I made some of my gooey, fudgey, chocolatey brownies for my work collegues and without blowing my own baking trumpet, they went down a treat!

and here is how to make them..

Gooey Fudge Brownies

140g Unsalted butter

4 Large eggs

340g Light brown muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

75g Cocoa powder

140g Plain flour

100g white/plain/caramel chocolate chopped

• Line a 23cm square cake tin with foil

• Put the butter in the pan and melt- then let it cool slightly

• Beat the eggs very gently with the sugar until just blended
• Stir in the cooled butter and vanilla essence
• Sift in the flour and cocoa in the mixture and stir gently- don’t over mix or will become cake like

• Bake in the oven at 170° for 25/30 minutes

• Remove from the tin and cut into 16 squares

A Designer Delight!

Never did I EVER think for one moment that I would be able to say what I am about to say. However, I am ecstatically able to share that I am now the very, very, very proud owner of a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, yes you heard right, JIMMY CHOO shoes. As you can probably tell, I'm still in shock and can't quite believe my wardrobe now houses a pair of Jimmy Choos. I did not expect to ever own a pair but as you all know I can never resist a bargain and sometimes as they say, you just have to strike whilst the iron's hot!


I went into the little Boutique in Cambridge, Giulio’s for the very first time actually looking for jeans and typically of me I left the store more than satisfied, but with a completely different item! Little did I know that Giulio’s carries some of the worlds most exclusive designers, Prada, Miu Miu, Lanvin, J Brand, Diane Von Furstenburg and of course Jimmy Choo! I had no idea of the extent of their stock and was in my element browsing rail after rail of gorgeous clothes, shoes and accessories. The staff were very helpful and friendly I was very impressed and I will most definitely be returning!



And here are the little beauties themselves...

With chocolate brown coloured straps, a cork heel, and a metallic lining they are the ultimate pair of summer wedges. They will match perfectly with a floaty summer dress or alternatively if the weather is a little cooler (like now, and actually like it always is in the UK) a pair of denim jeans or casual trousers. Paired up or down, they are a fantastic all-rounder, the weather better cheer up because I can't wait to wear them!

Tribal Nails

When it comes to nails, nail art is the in thing this summer and what better way to express yourself than through your nails?! Loads of salons are offering nail art as a service with Wah nails and Nails Inc being two of the best out there- but the prices aren't cheap and as most of you will understand being a student sometim es requires you to have to cut back so, I have resorted to the old DIY approach!
Yep, I've been doing my nail art myself- it was tricky at first but I think I am gradually improving- slowly. I started off with quite simple designs- crackle, spots and stripes and I have since moved on to slightly trickier designs, leopard rint, thin stripes and of course tribal! Even though you have to have a bit more of a steady hand, I still think that you can get away with the odd few messy bits and slip-ups, as since when are tribal prints all exactly the same?

Below is my own attempt at tribal nail art. I opted for a stripey base with zigzag lines and dots in contrasting colours to jazz it up. Take a look and please try to see past some of the wobbly lines!!!

Perfect Panamas

1. Christy's straw panama, 2.Babajaan straw panama, ;3. Gucci wide-brimmed panama, 4. J.Crew panama hat. 

Despite the horrendous weather, panamas are currently having a moment. A stylish accessory to anyones outfit the panama keeps you cool, shelters from the sun and causes minimal harm to your hair . Finally, a hat that doesn't make you look like you've just beed dragged through a buch backwards, twice. Sound like a dream? Well apparently the celebs seem to think so too, as many a famous name have been seen out and about sporting these summery accessories. Kylie Minogue, Miranda Kerr (pictured above), Jessica Alba and Kate Moss are all huge fans and it's not just the girls that are wearing them. Brad Pitt and even Prince Charles have been spotted wearing one! Now, I'm not usually the type to wear a hat, especially in the summer but if it's good enough for Charles, it's good enough for me!!

So now that you all have the desire for one, there's only one thing left to worry about...what to wear it with?! Firstly, shorts and a pretty summer top create a fantastic summer outfit. Alternatively during the not-so-warm summer periods (aka, the entirety of June and July in the UK)  you could let the hat do the talking and wear it with rolled up jeans, a simple tee and jacket a-la Miranda Kerr. Or if you are jetting off to a sunny paradise, pair your panama with the rest of your beach attire as you sunbathe the day away. Either way, however you style yours the panama is without a doubt the hat of the summer and with one perfect panama placed on top of your blow-dried locks you are sure to be looking chic all summer.

Olivia Rubin Hot Picks!

Olivia Rubin Hot Picks! by gillian-brown featuring a zebra dress

Mulberry Heaven

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Blouse; Topshop, Blazer; River Island, Jeans: J Brand, Loafers; Topshop

With the weather behaving so badly at the moment and despite being sat in an office all day, I never usually know what to wear. However, recently I've been pairing my Zara blazer with super skinny skinnies and a pretty blouse with a pair of comfy loafers to keep my toes dry and add a pop of colour. It's comfortable, smart and perfect for this unpredictable weather. Go on, add a bit of colour to your day!

Wonderfully White

A few weeks a go if someone had asked me to tell them what The White Company was all about to be honest, I wouldn't have had a clue. However, since aquiring a temporary summer job as a customer service advosir at part of their headquaters in Northamptonshire I have developed an appreciation, an understanding and most of all a love for their products.

Not once in my life have I ever considered bed linen, towels and homewares in such a way. Yet since the product training we revieved the previous week to our start date, I have become a bedlinen freak! The White Company's products are of such a high quality that I had not realised how important the material,  threadcount and finish of such items were until I had sampled them for myself and witnessed the production process too. After this first day, I returned home to feel my bedlinen and compare it to that of The White Company and I think that pretty much says it all!

Not only does The White Company specialise in bedlinen, but Womenswear and Childrenswear too. We were also able to sample select items from the current range and within the first five minutes there was three of us fighting over the last of the slouchy cashmere jumper which had already completely sold out! My point being that I originally believed that The White Company was targeted for an older age range however, with three 21 year olds desperate for the same jumper I no longer believe this to be true. It became very clear that The White Company is loved by all. Admittedly, with the upmarket prices affording the jumper would have been another matter entirely although, it is explicity clear that these prices reflect the amazing product quality and prove that the materials used really are the finest you can get-you really do only get what you pay for. 

I may not quite be in the market for the bedlinen and clothing (yet) but one range I can allow myself to indulge in is fragrance. There is a wide variety of scents to suit everyone's pallett, the sweet and floral Flowers, fresh and beachy Seychelles, and many more. But my favourite has to be the citrusy and zesty Orange Grove. The name says it all, it really does feel like you are walking through the fresh orange groves in southern Florida...heaven! I (well, mum) has recently purchased this scent in diffuser and it smells divine and I will openly admit that I would happily stay in the downstairs toilet all day just to smell it, it really is that good!

This is not all The White Company offer as they are also makers of home and dining accessories, including my favourite item in the entire range, an amazing white hammock. If I had two trees to hang it on I would have it and the cushions to go with it! I have become a huge fan of the brand and even when my time with them ends I will definitely be keeping my eye on them in the future. Despite the recession, they have been continuously growing at a huge rate and I know that this will continue in the future.

This Week I Love...

SHORTS...shorts are huge for summer 2012, very short, butt grazing shorts to be precise. Unfortunately for me I don't have legs like Cameron Diaz or a pefectly toned derriere like J-Lo, meaning that if I want to retain my dignity it's very much a game of looking but definitely, 100% not touching. Nevertheless, for those among us who do have the physique for such shorts, Topshop have some excellent options to chose from and if you're asking me for my favourties- you can't go wrong with denim!

Pair with a crisp white tee and gladiator flats for a heavenly holiday look.

Scalloped edges are pretty and feminine



Or add a bit of sparkle with these denim hotpants!


WHISTLES...This is hardly breaking news, but this season (as with most other seasons)
Whistles have again created a perfect summer 2012 line, full of classic tailoring, chic tees and beautiful prints. As some of their pieces are not exactly made with student pricing in mind, therefore what I usually do is select certain items I may like and them wait and buy them in the sale as not to cause any collateral damage to my bank balance. However, this season, I just couldn't wait and I impulsively bought this staple oversized tee. It's 100% linen and as I will be working in a warm office for the duration of Summer as of monday I figured this would be a nice, light piece to have in my wardrobe. It may look casual, but paired with skinny jeans, a smart blazer, loafers (or heels if you dare) and an oversized bag chic will be the only appropriate phrase.

Picture courtesy of Whistles.com

PINTEREST...I have just joined the new craze that is pinterest and although my boards may currently be a little stark, I have to say that I am actually quite hooked! I don't know what it is about the site I love but I am finding it difficult to not become more addicted! You will have to bare with me on it as it is currently a work in progress.


SALES...It's official, the summer sales have begun and with the horrendous weather we have been getting recently I think we all deserve some bargain shopping to cheer us up and allow us to forget about the endless rain that has hit the UK! I will be keeping my beady little eye on many different designers, with J Brand being my main priority as my need for jeans has suddenly shot through the roof and I am ready to stock buy!