Pretty Princess Biscuits.

I have a very busy weekend ahead, so it is just after 10:30pm and I am sat in bed watching The Big Bang Theory whilst supping on Navajo Green Tea. Tonight, I did some baking inspired by this beauty of a book that goes alongside the new Series of The Great British Bake Off:

These vanilla biscuits are for my niece's 2nd Birthday party this weekend (can't believe she is 2 already!) and I am pleased with how they turned out. I won't write the whole recipe, the link for it is right here. They are absolutely easy peasy and the best bit is you can eat the dough before it's cooked and it's still yummy. Not that I did that. I used a crown cookie cutter that I bought for the jubilee, but I'm sure you can still buy them in stores!

This is the page that inspired the icing:

To ice the biscuits I needed these lovely things:

- Royal Icing Sugar

- Wilton food colouring

- Harlequin Pearls

- Gold pearls that I have been dying to use since I bought them

- Teenie tiny hundreds and thousands

- 3 pots to mix icing in

- Disposable icing bags

- Tiny nozzles

I wanted to completely cover the crowns but I didn't mix enough Royal Icing, so next time I will know to fill the bowl higher!

The finished products!

I think they are pretty cute!

Fit for a Princess...



Much Love xxx

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Places I'd Like to Visit.

 I was sat thinking about this list in Greece. I used to think that I wasn't really that fussed about travelling and seeing lots of places but it turns out I was wrong. So I thought I'd make a list of places I would like to visit, and I can tick them off as I go. Personally, I do prefer visiting the less touristy places that don't get talked about much and have less people. I'm sure I'll add more places as I think of them! Where would you most like to visit?







The List

1. Athens - after being back in Corfu, I realised how much I really love Greece and would like to see more of it. I figured the capital would be a good place to start, but I'd also like to visit Thessaloniki where the A21 Campaign have a base.

2. Florence/Vienna - They just sound so dreamy.

3. Paris - Wine.

4. Ireland - I can't actually believe I've never been. I would like to sit in a pub in the middle of nowhere and drink Guinness and sing.

5. Utah - Though I did go there this year, we saw more of the sights than the towns. There was a town in particular that looked very cowboy like that I would very much like to re-visit. Moab was fun.

6. Washington DC - I'd like a picture outside the White House.

7. Las Vegas - In case I feel like popping to the Little White Chapel and getting married by Elvis..which I think would be absolutely amazing.

8. Tulsa - This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Hanson are from there. Nothing at all.

9. NYC - But not for long. I'm not a fan of cities but I feel like it's one of those places you must visit.

10. Nashville - Country Music.

11. Chatsworth House - Though I probably only live about 1h 30mins away from this badboy I've still never been. Someone PLEASE take me.

12. Rio - I really would love to see Christ the Redeemer up close. It just looks incredible.

13. Barcelona - The architecture.

14. Norway - To see the Northern Lights.

15. Rome - This is on here purely because I am going there in just over 2 weeks and can cross it off straight away.

16. Germany - I need to go to a Christmas market!

17. New England - I absolutely LOVE autumn/fall and I've heard it's a must see at that time of year. I'd like to jump in a pile of leaves, please.

18. Canada - Now I have friends/family there, I'd love to visit and see how it compares to my beloved America. I especially want to get a coffee in Tim Hortons!


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Some places I have been and loved:

- Arizona (obvs I haven't ever shut up about it)
- Utah
- St. Ives, Cornwall. I can't believe this place is in England, it's b-e-a-utiful. Oh and it has a Cath Kidston Shop
- Falmouth, Cornwall. Gorgeous beach and lots to do and see and eat.
- Port Isaac, Cornwall. A free gig on the beach with singing fishermen..can't beat that.
- Northumberland. Every view up there is a picture waiting to be taken...go.
- Edinburgh. Nice coffee houses and good Charity shops.
- North Wales. I've been to stay in a few places in North and West Wales, loved all of them and can name none of them.
- Harrogate. Is one of my favourite places in Yorkshire - Betty's tea room.
- Hebden Bridge. Quirkiest town in the world and another favourite hang out.
- York. Very similar to Chester...I miss Chester..waaahhh
- Corfu.
- The Scilly Isles - absolutely stunning and just off the bottom of England. Beautiful flowers and great jumpers to be bought.

There are lots more but now I am getting distracted by the film I am watching. I've started working through the collection with Neath Arizona Skies. It's from 1934 and is Black & White and a little girl knocked someone out with a vase.

Much Love xxx

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My First Etsy Purchase.

Just before I went away, I ordered my first item on Etsy. I've looked at it loads, as it's full of really quirky and original things but have never actually ordered anything. A good welsh friend of mine posted a link to my facebook page with some scraps of cowboy fabric on it which I instantly fell in love with and bought it on an impulse. By the time I got back home, it had been shipped from America (Los Angeles to be precise) to my rainy house in England. So today I popped to our local market to buy some fabric glue and binding tape to make some bunting with it!

The bundle cost me about £6 and so far each piece has had enough fabric to make 3 flags for my bunting. Now that I have the glue, all I will have to do is buy more binding tape which cost me about 80 pence for 2 metres. I think I will get at least one more longer bunting out of this or two shorter ones as 2 metres doesn't go as far as I thought it would! I am by no means great a sewing, but I've made bunting once before and you can only see it's imperfections up close! Plus, I prefer the look of it being 'rustic' which basically means it can look a bit rubbish because you've made it yourself.

It only took me about 1h 30mins and I stabbed myself just once on my left thumb, so really it was a pretty painless process. For the template, I used this website. It is SO easy to do, trust me!

Here is the fabric in all its cowboy glory.

This piece was what sealed the deal, however - I couldn't bring myself to cut it up so I think i'll just stare at it every now and then.

This was the template I used to cut the flags

To make it, I needed fabric triangles, the template, a pen, fabric glue, binding tape, cotton, pins and a needle.

I managed to get about 3 flags out of each scrap, with pieces left over for other crafty things.

All I had to do was draw these on using the template!

These are the flags, all ready to go!

I glued the flags using a small amount of fabric glue and pinned them in place and let the glue dry. I then did a simple straight stich by hand to hold the flags in place.

Can't wait to put it up!




Much Love xxx

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A hot cup a' Hershey's Cocoa.

Seeing as though I've been enjoying a cool 42oC on average for the past two weeks, I feel cold right now. I decided I would try out some hot cocoa, since I would like to perfect a recipe to make for my future children in future winter times. The Americans love their hot cocoa so I thought Hershey's would be a trusty recipe and it has turned out to be a treat!

You will need:

- Cold Feet

- 2 Tbsps of Cocoa powder

- Your favourite cup

- 2 Tbsps Sugar

- 1/4 tsps of Vanilla Essence

- 1 Cup of Milk

- To imagine that it is Christmas and you are sat in front of a real log fire with a cowboy and a blanket and Michael Bublé's Christmas album is playing in the background. Which is not what I'm imagining at all...

1) Heat the milk, and whilst you are waiting - mix together the cocoa and sugar in your cup.

2) Add the milk gradually, whilst stirring it.

3) Add the vanilla essence

4) Dream away....

This is my favourite cup however, it was a little on the large side for this task.

Much love xxx

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Some Greeky Photos.

So, I am back from another wonderful trip. Though the sun was shining this morning at home, I still wish I was there! All good things come to an end though, and by the looks of it my first week back is going to be a rather busy one. So I thought I would put some pictures up on here taken on my trusty Nikon D40 that will serve as a reminder of where I was 'this time last week.' Enjoy...x

The one and only sunrise I saw...

One amazing sunset on a clear day 

Love these flowers..

 Prickly Pear Ice-Cream in Corfu Town!

 

Corfu Town by Night

A gorgeous memorial  

Greek night!

San Stefanos Beach..beautiful

Sidari's Iconic Picture

A SCONE...amazing.

Reading the kindle on the beach...bliss.

A last minute rose..nice. 

Much Love xxx

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The football is on...

I am still in Greece. The football is on, I don't like football, therefore I am trying to negotiate my way around my favourite web pages which are all in Greek. I am on a PC that works on a timer so you put the Euros in and have 20 minutes of web surfing. Bit weird. So I am merrily sipping away at my Disaronno and Lime whilst everyone else 'ahhh's' and 'go on's' at the TV.

Greece is so ridiculously HOT right now. Having been to Arizona and Utah a few months ago, I can say the climate is not that different.Sorry to be so unlady like here but I have never produced so much perspiration in my LIFE! The pool has proved very handy. We went to Corfu town a couple of nights ago, which is one of my all time favourite places. It's so...oldy worldy as my mum would say. Very tall apartment buildings very close together, and the streets are lined with shops full of quirky jewellery, Kumquat products (their local fruit) and bright coloured dresses. We even found Marks and Spencer! It's such a traditional place, and I love it. I'm not a high street/mall fan at all. I love all the one off places that sell unique things. I just bought an outrageous pair of slippers with giant pom poms on them. Can't wait to crack those out in winter time.

Yesterday we did a little boat trip and got to see more of the Island. The rock formations here are amazing, much like Arizona but more white and less red. There are some nice arches too that people swim through, i've never braved it myself though. We also went to a Greek night, which was fun but not the best one I've been to - but it has to be done. I love the costumes and dancing, the setting fire to the floor and smashing plates. Can't beat it. I've had some amazing food..the meat here is to.die.for. and I could eat tzatziki all day, everyday. Can't wait to make some at home!

Anyway, I've almost finished 3 books now and am hoping to try out my Mum's kindle as I'd like to sit with my feet dipped in the pool like a poser whilst holding it. I think by now the football will almost be over (fingers crossed) so I may return to the bar after I check that I'm fully caught up with all the blog posts over at The Pioneer Woman. Once I return home, I will post some pictures of beautiful Corfu and have been inspired to learn the language a bit more - cheers can only get you so far, and once I have learnt the alphabet the hardest part is over!

So, Kalispera! (Good Evening) and Yamas...(Cheers!)

Much Love xxx

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In the summertime...

I type this  in the beautiful Greek apartment we are staying in for two weeks. The weather so far has been incredibly hot so I have opted a lot of the time, for SHADE. This is highly unlike me. I have already finished my favourite book ever...By the Pioneer Woman, which has left a gaping hole. I didn't want it to end as I was really enjoying watching her life unfold.

As I watch my baby niece, I realise that when on holiday, we all act like babies. We get nice and warm and then complete 3 basic needs: eat, poop and sleep. On our first full day, all I did was eat. Maybe because I knew I was about to get a taste of feta, kleftiko, swordfish, sofrito, tzatziki, pita, garlic overload in everything, Greek coffee etc etc. It bodes well for me too, that the Greeks like their caffeine. I have found myself hardly drinking any tea, only with breakfast (this is also shocking) rather I am full to the brim with peach ice tea and the occasional iced coffee (they make amazing iced coffee). I have slept most days on my sun lounger, had the odd afternoon nap and the regular 'night cap' (or two) has sent me to sleep like a baby. This could be to do with the Greek measures, which is about 3 times as much as I am used to. Obviously, because of all the eating - the other need is fulfilled though I won't go into any detail.

Our bodies need time away from our usual routine, the everyday stresses of life in order to shut down a little bit and just BE. Its so nice to actually be able to get lost in a book and forget about what's going on around me. To think of nothing else but whether I am too hot to stay on my sun bed, maybe I should hop in the pool. One thing about Greece is that in some ways, it is slightly behind the times. The wireless here (which is a recent development!) is too slow to upload a picture, as are the PC's that charge you €1 for 15minutes but can only open Facebook. Things here take forever to get done, it's always tomorrows job, and changes are usually very small. I think that's why it so easily feels like home, everything is as familiar as it always was (my last time here was 4 years ago) and I feel as if I've never been away from it even though so much has changed in my life since I was last here. The views are as stunning as ever, and the climate is still tanning my skin and turning my hair blonde. The people we know and love greeted us as family members, as have many restaurant owners.

I can feel the tension drifting out of my shoulders as I lay and think about nothing but what I should have for tea. Feeling very thankful for this time of rest and encourage you to consider ways in which you can allow your body and soul to relax and replenish, and function at its most basic level - even if only for a few days! Corfu is a great place to do it!


Much Love xxx

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A Taste of Country Living...

Today I attended The Halifax Agricultural Show. It was actually my first time there which is quite shocking when I had lived in this town for 18 years before moving to Uni. I absolutely love events like this, because it reminds me why I love living in the countryside so much. It's great fun to see local charities, producers, farmers, shop owners etc all get together to put on a show for Halifax. The weather was nice too which was a bonus. So, what did we get up to?

                                My favourite Marquee was the Handicrafts...

Next year, I think I will enter the cake competition!

         Here I am with some Churros..yum.

       

 I loved this display..wonder why.

 They were showing all sorts of livestock like goats, cows, sheep, chickens etc.

 Me with a sheep...

They also had loads of tractors and vintage cars!

We also got to see a Bird of Prey display, the bee tent, rabbits and guinea pigs and some pretty nice Yorkshire farmers. All in all, we had a lovely day.

Much Love xxx

P.s. Im going on Holiday soon so see you all in two weeks! 

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'Now that I have seen, I am responsible...'

I love that line. ^ Listen to this. 

Last night, a few of us gathered to watch a film called Nefarious. It speaks of the reality of human trafficking, and the impact it has on the lives of individuals who are trapped in this terrible, degrading business. We had a break half-way through and we were all stunned to silence. As we watched more and more unfold, I began to feel a sense of hopelessness. The scale of this industry just kept growing and growing and I started to think, how on earth could anything that I do have an impact on this? How would anyone know where to start? 

Then, as we continued to watch - hope began to grow. There are so many organisations and projects out there that are on 'the front line' of sex trafficking. The ones who are opening safe houses, rescuing girls, convicting traffickers, lobbying governments, saving children (it is not just women who are trafficked, it is children too) and many other things. They are also involved in trying to restore the lives of the ones they have rescued. It seems this is not a quick process. 95% of women who are forced (nobody chooses this life) into prostitution have suffered some form of abuse in their early life. They are broken down and treated like animals, they are dehumanised. It takes a long time to restore someone like that. But we must. Just to be clear, this doesn't just happen in far away countries. It happens ALL OVER the world. It is probably happening near you and I.

Where does this leave you and me? Well, the film offered some helpful suggestions that allow anyone to join in and support the cause. 

1) Pray. That's free and can take a long time or a little time. You could maybe pray as a group or as an individual that these places would be exposed and that new laws would be introduced that would prosecute not the women, but the users of this 'service' as it is in Sweden. 

2) Raise Awareness. My favourite part of this documentary was a quote right at the very end that will stick with me for the rest of time I would imagine. 

"You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say that you did not know." William Wilberforce

How true is that? Now that you know the truth and reality of this situation you have a choice to make. Do you ignore it and carry on, or do you accept some form of responsibility and do something to help the cause? Wilberforce was an incredible inspiration. He didn't give up the fight against the injustice he saw, but he had to rally the troops to get on board and stand with him. Slavery has now taken on a new form and it is Sex Trafficking. Whoever you are, wherever you are from, whatever your Faith - we all need to stand up against this and stop these terrible atrocities. We are all responsible for making this world a better place. 

3) Give. There are loads of organisations involved with rescuing, restoring and convicting. 

The A21 Campaign

Exodus Cry

Stop the Traffik

Are just a few places you are able to donate to or get involved with their events. You could as we are, host your own fundraiser. There are loads of easy ways to raise funds with local community groups, friends, in the workplace, at school/college/uni or at your Church if you go to one. Don't be afraid to start small, the more awareness is raised, the more people know about it and the more can be done to stop it.

Will you turn away from this, or will you do something?

Much Love xxx

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