Prairie Charms Dahlia Bow || Review

Hello Lovelies,

I woke up yesterday morning to find a Willy Wonka esque golden parcel on my hallway floor.  After managing to contain my excitement (and not rip it open like a child at Christmas), I grabbed my camera and took some snaps for you lovely people.  

I always think the presentation of a product is almost just as important as the product itself, it says a lot about the company if the product is presented well.  Prairie Charms didn't just do well in this department they exceeded expectation, the lovely gold parcel then the pink tissue with a cute sticker, which gave way to the cellophane wrapped bow sealed with another heart shaped sticker.

I absolutely loved the bow, I just couldn't decide how to wear it, clipped back in my hair or at the bottom of a plait, decisions decisions!  The bow has such a pretty floral print, and I am a complete sucker for floral anything, and make it a bow I'm in accessory heaven!  They also have a fab crocodile clip on the back, I have really thick hair so tiny clips just don't work with it.
  
If you fancy one of these bows or just want too peruse Prairie Charms check out the link, they have some wonderful jewellery and hair accessories. 

Trying to decide!

Jammy Fairy Cakes

Hello Lovelies,

Recently I popped up a little Fairy Cake recipe that was my Great Grandmas, it is a fab little recipe and can be easily tweaked, so yesterday I knocked up some cakes but added a little blackberry jam.  They are super easy to make you just need to add half of your mixture into the case, put a tiny bit of jam in the middle then add the other half on top before putting them into the oven.  Once they have cooled you can add your icing, then snaffle them with your family and friends.

Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Gel Stick Foundation & No 7 Instant Radiance Concealer || Review

Hello Lovelies,

I was on the look out for a high street foundation to tide me over until Autumn hits and I loose all my colour and return to my favourite Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation  in #2 Lys Rose, I'm not really sure why I picked up this product, I don't suffer from shiny skin I think I fell for the packaging as it would be great to pop in my handbag and all the chatter that has surrounded it.  Maybelline used to sell a foundation stick in the 90's but it was discontinued, but as I was a 90's child and didn't wear makeup until I was about 17 I never knew about it. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick (£8.99) is available in three shades which means there is not a lot of choice in store but hopefully the six they show on line will be making their way there very soon, but luckily number 220 in Natural Beige was a pretty perfect match.  The foundation comes in stick form with an anti-shine core, which is the clear formular in the middle, it is designed to stop oily t-zones whilst providing a light matte coverage.  

I was really surprised with the formula of this, but in a good way, it had a really creamy application almost gel like, and the application was really easy and smooth.  I applied it rather like war paint, adding a streak on my cheeks, forehead and chin and a dab on my nose, I then blended it with my real techniques brush.  I wouldn't say it was a completely matte finish, it was more of a dewy matte which is much more my style, I was actually surprised at how much I liked it, as well as the lovely finish and easy application it stayed on my face all day even though I was trudging around all day in the really humid and sticky weather.  It lasted a good six houses before I needed to add a little powder but I was pretty darn impressed!  My only tiny negative gripe about this product is it's price tag, I had some Boot's points to use but £8.99 is I think a little steep for the amount of product you receive, maybe I am just a scrooge!

I thought that as I was having a beauty chat, I would carry on and review No7 Instant Radiance Concealer (£12.95) as I have been on a bit of a lifestyle post roll recently.
I bought this product as my YSL Touché Éclat had run out, and the cheapskate in me didn't want to spend lots of money on a new one so on a hunt for an alternative I went.  This is when I came across this little gem, I am not a massive No7 fan but the lovely Dawn who used to work at the Chanel counter (but has now hopped over to Boots) told me this was a goody so into my basket it went.

I love this concealer because it makes me look fresh faced even if i'm shattered and have had a terrible nights sleep, it reduces dark circles and puffiness, a real winner in my eyes.  I only apply this under my eyes but it would be fab used around the nose.  

I would honestly say that this is the best concealer/highlighter I have ever used, it does what it says on the tube which is what you want from a product. It has an A* from me.

Maybelline Fit Me Stick Foundation
&
No7 Instant Radiance Concealer 

Has anyone used either of these products?

New Forest Travels

Hello Lovelies,

Last Wednesday we decided to venture out on family walk in the New Forest, it turned out to be a beautiful day, just perfect for walking through the forest and adding to my tan (safely of course!)

  

This walk however turned into a two+ hour root march as we got slightly lost along the way!  All was EVENTUALLY well in the end as we found the right foot path and stumbled towards the car in search of water and shade after walking in the blazing British heat.  

My brother is a ridiculously fast walker, know one in our family is slow but he practically jogs so is always a couple of paces ahead, which made for a nice photo but is terribly annoying and rather unsociable.

Right across the green from where you park there is an amazing pub called the Royal Oak,at lunch they sell the most amazing ploughmans, seriously scrummy stuff.

We decided to go and get a quick drink before we went home for supper, in the evening the pub fills with locals (just like at home in the country), some having got there in very strange ways, an old tractor pulling a trailer with picnic chairs in and two cowboys were the strangest of sights on a Wednesday evening.  We went in to grab a drink and while waiting was offered some snuff by a few of the locals, it's not something I'm into but my brother gave it a go, crazy boy! 

After practically downing our drink (we were parched) we jumped into the car and tootled home.

Supper was very naughty, homemade burgers and tomato sauce, with buffalo mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes and salad, the perfect end to a perfect day.

  

Has anyone else been out walking in the sun we have had?

Weekend Celebration

Hello Lovelies, 

This weekend we had a little family celebration for my Auntie M's 90th birthday, but as Auntie P wasn't sure whether the weather would hold we skipped on over to her house the day before and popped up our party tent.

After doing the easy bit of raising it, my Cousin and Auntie decorated it with a lovely pink and pale green theme with sweet little flower arrangements.  Luckily the day was sunny and hot so we had to take down all the sides to try and feel the breeze as we were baking. 

When the party began all the family stood around sipping rosé champagne and various other drinks in the sun while canapés were being passed around by various people including myself, all that waitressing finally paid off!
Everyone was nibbling on yummy blinis with caviar and smoked salmon, olives, oatcakes and mackerel pâté and cantaloupe melon wrapped in parma ham. 

When we sat down I admired the handy work of the flowers and place cards, I was supposed to write them, but as my cousin didn't get back in time from her last minute shopping trip for me to do them so someone else  wrote them all out, because of this I can't claim to have this italic prowess.

Below is a snap of the special lady of the day, my Palestinian born Auntie M who was celebrating her 90th birthday, she is such an amazing lady who is just full of stories.  At the tender age of 23 I can't quite wrap my head around being on this planet for 90 years, she has seen such changes in the world and has seen and experienced so many different things and is a wonderful lady.   

We then all sat down to a scrumptious lunch that everyone had contributed to.

There was a scrummy array of salads, couscous with roasted veg and feta, prawns with a squeeze of lemon and new potatoes. 

The most colourful of the dishes had to be a gorgeous Insalata Caprese, it is one of my favourite summer salads and is so pretty with its contrasting colours from the white buffalo mozzarella, to the bright red tomatoes and the green of the basil.  

My Auntie P had cooked a lovely poached salmon and her famous coronation chicken, I am a fish lover and can't resist good salmon. 

My brother really enjoyed the meal which was very obvious from his plateful of food!

Pudding was another table full of delights, there was a banoffee pie (one of my favourites), a toffee meringue roulade and Grandmas Pineapple crush recipe which is a cause of much discussion in our family as when she died and we looked at her cookbook the recipe for said pudding has quantities that are wrong and just wouldn't make it, we all think she is up there looking down on us and laughing as we struggle to work it out.     

Our contribution to the party was the wine and raspberries from our local PYO my father and brother got up the morning of the party and went raspberry picking for an hour. 

It was so lovely to see family especially my cousins who are older than me with their own children, apparently parenthood means learning a whole new set of skills which apparently includes balloon modelling so my cousins husband made my brother a parrot, so he was rocking the pirate look, while my cousin K made me a pretty pink flower. 

Has anyone else got any family get togethers coming up?

Fairy Cakes || Recipe

Hello Lovelies,

I love baking and one of my earliest memories is making fairy cakes with my mother.  They are such an easy thing to bake especially with children and are also super scrummy.  This recipe I am told was my great grandmothers which is kinda special, so treat it kindly pretty please.

Ingredients:

4oz SR flour

3oz margarine

3oz caster sugar

1 egg

milk or water to mix

Fan oven - 160 C for 15-20 mins

First thing to do is cream the marg and sugar. 
You then need to add your egg and beat  it again with a hand mixer or food processor, I doubled my mixture hence the two eggs.

You will then be left with a lovely smooth mixture, ready to fold in your flour to complete your fairy cakes.

Once you have half filled your fairy cake cases pop them in the oven set your timer then twiddle your thumbs until they are ready.
When your timer beeps at you give them a check, if you can put a skewer into one and withdraw it clean it is ready.
Once they are out of the oven put them on a cooling rack and get cracking with you icing, you can either go wild or be terribly boring like me!  These were whipped up very quickly for last Sundays family tea so that is my excuse for just popping on a smidgen of water icing but i'm sure all of yours will be much prettier. 

A little variation to this recipe is to add well anything but at the moment we are going through an apple phase, so to jazz it up a little grab yourself four apples, then either bake them or steam them until they soften then pop them in a blender with a bit of water and blitz until you have a nice smooth puree. 

The definitely aren't the prettiest cakes in the world and aren't going to win you any prizes in the village fete but they taste scrummy and are very moist (gosh I hate that word!)

They are the perfect naughty treat on a nice sunny day with a big glass of milk.

Yummy!

Has anyone else got any old favourites?