Queenstown Road Trip...

Hello!

Still in Christchurch at the minute , working away. A couple of weeks ago me and my wee pal Jen took a fab road trip down to Queenstown through some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We started in Ashburton then carried on south to Lake Tekapo. 

We arrived in Lake Tekapo to baby blue skies mountains so pretty they didn't look real. 

After thoroughly enjoying the view , we stopped at a cafe and ate the best cinnamon roll I have ever tasted, then topped the night off by going for an ice skate! 

The next day we started the drive down to Queens town through the mountain range where they filmed lord of the rings. We arrived at queens town and met a pal of Jens, Milo who was putting us up. He is a chef at a qual restaurant so we stopped there for some dinner and got treated like queens, the food was sooooo tasty. (Plenty of Wine as well)

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur but what an amazing weekend. 

New Zealand is so beautiful. 

TREND ALERT: Flatforms...

Me again

It's been a while! I am now in New Zealand carrying on my travels. As I was on my 14 hour flight to my destination I thought I would pick up a wee magazine and try and immerse myself back into the fashion world, and that I did. Flatforms are going to be massive this summer and I cannot wait to get my hands on a pair. As a bonus They're especially great for adding that extra couple of centimetres to your height. They come in all different shapes and sizes although metallic are looking to be increasingly popular. 

Starting From left:
TheIconic.com
Nelly.com
Zara
Topshop
NewLook
NastyGal.com

Pure Pumped For Pastels...

Hello!

The flowers will be blooming soon back in sunny Scotland, which also means spring trends are nearly upon us. Pastels of course are always a winner and are back in the running this year for Spring trends 14'. Everyone should know by now what a massive fan I am of pastel shades. So I am particularly happy. Missguided.co.uk have an ace selection this year so definitely take a look if you get a chance.

Jeans&Nails:Topshop
Sandals:Zara
Eyes:BarryM
Top:NewLook
Necklace:Bloomingdales
Clutch:Fossil
Earrings:Cusp.com
Watch:ASOS

6000 Miles Away ...

Helloooo

I am writing this lounging outside in 30 degree heat beside a swimming pool relaxing in the South African sun. It's bliss. I especially feel sorry for my poor wee pals back in the Burgh freezing their wee bums off walking to work. I am currently in Durban  doing volunteer work for the Jabulani Project which I worked for last year; mainly working with street children, creches and in children's homes. I wanted to do a quick post to say that I will try and write as much as possible but when you're over here there are sometimes more important issues than my outfit of the day eh. Since its 29 degrees at the moment I thought I'd just quickly show you my 5 essentials for the sunny weather. 

Here's some more information about the project i'm working for:

http://jabulaniproject.wordpress.com

Berlin in 4 days.

So sorry I haven't posted in so long guys.

 I've been distracted for the past few weeks trying to reinvent myself for 2014 ya know. I hit the jackpot this year as on the very day everyone was going back to school and work, I got to go tae Berlin! Qual. Berlin is such a gorgeous city, with modern architecture overlapping old buildings such as the Reichstag,  It has one of the most diverse skylines to anywhere i've ever visited before.  I went to Berlin with 17 other people so there was never a dull moment. We all shared a light and airy apartment in the Friedrichshain district. Which had a barry kebab shop next to it and a HUGE multi story vintage shop round the corner.  I won't make you jealous by telling you the entire trip so I'll list some of my highlights and share some piccies. 

1. East Side Gallery

2. Brandenburg Gate 

3. Cheap Beer 

4. Massive Vintage Shops

5. Dancing till 6am with Gildo

7. Nefertiti's Head 

That Dress...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

New Year is approaching fast, and we're all trying to find that perfect New Year dress. Something seasonal, warm, comfortable, flattering, magical. We all have many different requirements for this one garment, so it is essential that we find the right one.  I usually go for something that is loose, warm and will stay in place all night . Lets be honest, most of us will probably not be looking our best when the bells strike twelve thanks too our old friend tequila. But digital photography is ever so popular these days and no one wants to start the new year finding a photo of themselves obliviously dancing with half their bum cheek on show. Here are a few of my favourites I've found so far . 

From left:
 Both Topshop
Tartan- River island
Velvet- Boohoo.com

All of these dresses would look good with or without tights, it just depends on what you're comfortable in. 

Which one is your favourite ? 

Sunday Best.

Me again. 
Here I am once again on a Saturday night sprawled on my bed, eating and watching Harry Potter. Ahh to be a nineteen eh. I thought I'd do a wee preview of my outfit for work tomorrow. Since I can't function in the morning I always try and sort out my clothes the night before. My brain thanks me for this at 6:45am. Since its pure baltic  outside, I refuse to wear anything that doesn't cover my shoulders. For work a denim shirt is good as you don't get too hot and bothered and its just comfy. I bought these jazzy deep green velvet leggings from Missguided.co.uk. Velvet is everywhere right now so go and get some velvet action before the new year. My wee leopard print dockers are my fave at the moment. They're from Asos along with the watch and cuff. 

Christmas Wishlist ...

It's that time of year again. I'm not really that big on Christmas if I'm honest with you. I kind of lose interest by the end of November. However this year I'm trying not to be a total scrooge and get into the spirit by of course looking at things I could buy myself or maybe even receive as a present if I'm lucky...

Celfie Top- Sincerely Joules
Jeans- Topshop
DVD- Amazon
Cushion- Oh Deer
Laptop Sleeve- Liberty London
Naked Palette - Urban Decay
Phone Case - Ebay
Benefit Make-Up
Nails Inc 

Cocktail Crawl.

Hello Everyone ! 
For ages I've been planning a trip around some of the best cocktail bars in Edinburgh. There is so many good ones in the Burgh and I wish I could have got round them all, although my liver probably  disagrees. I chose these four simply because every time I've been I've had an excellent experience. Me and Casey started out Journey at: 

1. Bar Kohl  

We started our journey at the wonderful bar kohl. After attending there birthday bash I had to pop in again for another fresh cocktail. I had a 'Garden Bramble':Hendrick's gin, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup & lejay creme de mure. Case had the 'Pear shaped': Sailor Jerry , Xante pear liquer , fresh lime juice , cinnamon syrup and fresh apple juice. I love the ambiance in bar Kohl, the low lighting sets the tone perfectly.

2. Dragonfly

Our second stop was the lovely Dragonfly bar on West bow. I love the quirkiness of Dragonfly, the cute mezzanine level looking over to the space below. It's a great wee cosy spot to enjoy their wonderful  cocktails. I can't exactly remember what was in mine but I remember it tasted damn fine. Casey had an espresso martini which was delicious as well. 

3. 52 Canoes 

Our 3rd stop was a very colourful little place down the West end. It's a tiki themed den with mismatching furniture and lots of interesting bits and bobs. We managed to grab one of the last tables as it was absolutely packed! My cocktail was a gingery delight. Casey went for a cheeky pina colada. Definitely worth a look. The food menu also looks spectacular. 

4. Bramble

Our last stop was Bramble on Queen street. This underground hide out is a stunning example of a good cocktail bar. The drinks are unique and beautiful. Good music blasting and tasty drinks, what else do you need... 

All of the bars we visited were excellent and there's so many more to try, all in good time my friends. 

Smock up

HIYAA

I am really loving smock dresses at the moment. They are such a lovely flattering shape no matter what size you are. They're great for the winter as you can layer them up with a woolly jumper or a wee cardi. I saw this one on Pinterest and ended up getting it for a steal on the Asos 20% off weekend. Since I'm going somewhere warm soon it will be perfect for then. I'll wear it with tights in the colder months. As for that hat, you can make up your own mind...

Hat-Topshop
Dress-Asos

Necklace&Ring : Hannah Zakari

Christmas in the Burgh.

After finally coming to terms that Christmas is nearly upon us, I thought I'd put a wee post up to show how pretty Edinburgh is over the Christmas period. From mulled wine at the Christmas market to getting a birds-eye view of the city from the big wheel nothing will disappoint. It's not just the Princes street area either. There's a crimbo tree on every corner I tell ya. 

Merigoround in the Gardens 

There's Gildo at the christmas market 

Multrees walk

St Andrews square bar 

Tree at the Dome 

Christmas market 

Big wheel

Perfect for presents !

The 'Star flyer' at St Andrews square 

Stuck for present ideas ? Check out the craft reactor exhibition at Hula juice bar :

https://www.facebook.com/hulajuicebar?fref=ts

Raw,Vegan,Gluten-free Nanaimo bars

I started the day off by waking up before midday.Wow. I then went to the gym for the first time in years and almost fainted on the treadmill however all in all it was a great morning. I have been looking for a recipe for Nanaimo bars for ages which allow for vegans and gluten free to enjoy as well. Originally the cream in the centre would be made with butter icing however in this recipe we substitute it with coconut oil and coconut cream. All in all prep time is around 30 minutes, Then freeze it for as long as you want. 

Lets begin...

Chocolate crust ingredients:

128g of flaked almonds

64g of soaked dates

64g of shredded coconut 

32g of cocoa powder

Dash of salt 

Cream ingredients: 

3 oz of Coconut Oil 

64g of Soaked Cashews

3 Tbsp Agave Nectar

3 oz Coconut Cream

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract 

Chocolate topping ingredients: 

64g Soaked Cashews

64g Cup Cocoa Powder

6 oz Cup Coconut Oil

3 oz Agave Nectar

1. Place all the ingredients for the middle cream layer into a bowl. Use an electronic whisk  until smooth. Put this to one side.

2. Put all of the chocolate topping ingredients into a bowl, whisk until completely smooth. Put this mix to the side also. 

3. Finally put all of your chocolate crust into a bowl and whisk until dough like. (Don't worry if its a wee but crumbly it will fuse in the freezer) spoon this into a silicone tray and flatten down with a spatula until you have an even biscuity looking base. 

4. Top the crust layer with the cream layer and spread out evenly. I found last time that it was really difficult to layer the chocolate on top of the cream while it was still runny. To avoid this rest it in the freezer for around 10 minutes until the cream layer is firm.  

5. Top with your chocolate topping. 

6. Pop it in the freezer for as long as you need to (at least an hour) and serve it up to suit you and yer pals. I cut mine into wee bunnies. 

TA DAH!

With thanks to www.damyhealth.com