New directions...

A style mosaic has been great for me. It has taught me a lot about social platforms and how we, as creative users, can use them to our great advantage and make the most of the coverage they get. It has let me connect with wonderful people who share my interests and who interest me. It has helped me learn more about the beautiful world of fashion that interests me so much. It has made me more comfortable in front of the camera too. I am very proud of A style mosaic, large traffic numbers or not. But I think it is about time for a change.

I want to write more on this blog and share more ideas, thoughts and quirks. I hope to make it more diverse. I have become inspired by ethical living, raw eating and general happiness ( mostly off instagram I will admit). Something about the direction A style mosaic was going in didn't excite me anymore. I suppose that is natural. As I develop, so should my little creative place. Don't get me wrong, fashion is still very much a part of what this blog will be. I love it to much for it not to.

I did consider deleting all my previous posts and starting again but they are part of my 'blogging journey'. Clunky and dysfunctional they may be, but, if anything they are fun to look back at and laugh. I did however feel the need for a name change. 'Baltic beings' isn't as cryptic and clever as you may think. I have always been slightly obsessed with the world 'baltic'. I can't really say why. Without getting too deep and annoying, for me, 'Baltic beings' symbolizes the clarity of human thinking. I know I think best in cold, crisp conditions. But more directly, I love the way it sounds. Haha, I tried to come up with a reason why but lets just be honest, we all judge a blog by it's name.

Thankyou for those of you who have read my blog, even once. Please don't hestitate to comment any ideas for posts or questions.

xo

Singapore

The 23 + hour flight over to Australia is quite honestly, draining. People emerge from immigration resembling zombies. So we often break the journey, (having family over there and doing the journey with some regularity, it makes sense) usually in some obscure part of Asia. This time we chose Singapore for a three day break.
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If ever you are looking for somewhere to go, possibly on your own, that is safe, clean and accomidating it is the place. With possibly the strictist laws in the world (chewing gum is illegal and carries a hefty penalty) it is the most carefree you will ever feel in a foreign country. It is also really quite beautiful. It's culture is a mix of indian, chinese, japanese and inrerestingly european. Whilst there we did a variety of things including a night time safari, lunch at raffles and a river cruise. I was going to do an outfit post there but to be honest it is such an interesting place I thought I may just share some photos instead. I am sorry as I realise my blog is seriously lacking in anything resembling fashion/style lately. Hopefully that will change once I get home :)

Airport Outfit ✈

Some people treat dressing for travel like dressing for an evening at the ritz. Others, like to sport the whole just-woke-up-am-actually-still-in-pjs ensemble. For long hall flights especially, comfort is key for me. Anything that allows me to curl up in a tiny ball and sleep is a winner. This outfit isn't particularly interesting, however it may give any of you travelling this Summer some ideas. The bandana I think is a great way to keep your hair out of your face without wearing a full on hat. Also boots or shoes that can be easily slipped off and a bag big enough to fit all your travel essentials. 

 

I hope you all have have a lovely Summer wherever you may go! 

xo 

Corn fields

So when school is finally out and you are looking ahead to 7+ plus weeks of nothingness, it can be a bit of an anti-climax. With this in mind, me and a few of my closest friends enjoyed a laidback evening of running through grassy fields, recreating the 'tangled' plait, what to expect when you're expecting and eating, in total, a MASSIVE carrot cake and a family sized tub of frozen yogurt. It is at this point that I would like to point out we are not 12 year old girls hyper on e-numbers. Contrary to popular belief. While this may not seem like typical blog material, some of the photos I took are actually really pretty and excite me for Summer more than I can say. They are also filter free and largely un-edited. It really was this gorgeous! 

 

 Hellooo ladybird. 🐞

xo

 

1000000 years later...

If there was a 'worst blogger fail of the year' award, I would win it hands down. I have a few excuses as to why I haven't posted in two months, however the only true worthy one, is that I had my exams? Which were all time consuming and stressful? Anyway, looking forward, I hope to be blogging regularly throughout this Summer. I am going to Singapore then Australia and would love to take my blogging with me, baring any technological mishaps. Please let me know of any posts you would like to see up here either in the comments or by dropping me an email at a.style.mosaic@gmail.com. And since I have let two whole months go by without a word, I thought I would include some pictures (courtesy of Instagram @eilidhxh) of what I have been up to lately, and also to liven up this dull and pointless post a bit.

 Cycling in the sun and IT served as a lovely distraction from actual revision.

 The hair was short...then long again.

We tackled a 3 day DofE in 20 degrees + heat and survived. And I celebrated a pretty spring  Birthday two days before my  English exam.

xo

Sweet Potato Brownies

I saw these brownies in a magazine a while back and I instantly knew I had to try them. Granted, it does sound a bit odd combining a vegatable with something as sweet as a brownie. But odd in a little-boutique-London-cafe/bakery kind of way. There is something very appealing about healthy alternatives to exceedingly unhealthy but delicious favourites. This, I suppose is just like that. It isn't just the sweet potato that makes these stand out. These little delights are packed with antioxidants and use all healthy and nutritious ingredients. They are also super quick and easy to make. So get baking, and trust me, you will love these!

Ingredients (makes 10)

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 14 Medjool dates
• 90g of ground almonds (almond flour)
• 70g of buckwheat flour
• 4 tbsp of raw cacao
• 3 tbsp of pure maple syrup 
  

Pre-heat the oven to 180C and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into chunks and put them in a steamer for about 20 minutes (or until they become soft and start to fall apart). Put the steamed potatoes in a processor along with the pitted dates and blend. If you don't have a food processor then a hand blender will do nicely. Put all the other ingredients into a bowl and stir well until fully combined before mixing in the blended sweet potato-date mix well.

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Spoon this mixture into a lined baking tray (10 x 20cm) and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

xo

March favourites '14

To start, I cannot believe it is April. It still feels like February to me. It appears that I have actually never done a 'monthly favourites' post, which is odd as I love reading them. There is so much I want to share here on my blog, but often don't get to because.. well.. it just doesn't happen. Favourites are a great way to show some of the little gems that would otherwise go unknown. I doubt I will post one every month, but now and then you can definitely expect to see my favourties appearing on here.

 

Beauty Favourites

1.  Elegant Touch rapid dry for nails. This is a savior. One of my pet peeves is almost-dry nails that upon contact with anything wrinkle up and ruin, meaning you have to start all over again. This spray prevents that from happening in under a minute. Yay. 2. Soap and Glory the richteous butter. Hmmmm this scent. I have been applying this generously after showering and my skin has never been softer. Seriously worth a try. 3. Lavera eye makeup remover. All natural and completely gentle, perfect for sensitive skin. 4. Maybelline the colossal colume mascara. Despite the name, this mascara is really quite natural looking, which is great for day-to-day wear. 5. Butter London Lipgloss 'Frilly Knickers'. This gorgeous iridescent lip gloss was unfortunately limited edition, but I can highly recommend other Butter London lip glosses. 6. Dr Organic manuka honey face scrub. To say that a skincare product has 'transformed' your skin always seems like an exaggeration. Not here. I think it is the manuka, but this product literally leaves your skin new-looking and beautifully fresh. 7. Urban Decay Naked 2. This lovely was a Christmas gift and has been a regular in my daily makup since. The colour selection is fantastic and definitely a favourite.

Food Favourites

8. These cranberry and orange cookies from the ever trusty Marks and Spencer's are a real treat. Not one to usually trust cookied containing anything other than chocolate, these came as a pleasant surprise. 9. Sultana & Apple porridge (again by Marks and Spencer's. I am not a representative, I swear) is a tasty was to start the day. 10. Bournville cocoa has got to be the richest and most comforting hot chocolate out there. Like a hug in a cup. 11. This Teapigs rooibos is a flavour-full alternative to caffeine induced breakfast brew. Teapigs in general though ✌

Random Favourites

12. My ancient i-pod shows Fall out boy's latest album 'Save rock and roll' which I am shocked to only now be appreciating. *Round of applause please*. 13. I had to include this cute little cat rubber saying 'meow' just because. 14. This month's Vogue came with a Miss Vogue featuring the gorgeous Jourdann Dunn. Her shoot was stunning. 15. I started Rivers of London earlier this month. It has taken me a while to read purely because finding the time isn't easy. At first, I found this book a bit odd, but it is an enjoyable read and very funny. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try something a bit different. 16. Last but definitely not least, Grey's Anatomy which was introduced to me by friends who now resemble gods. This tv series is incredibly addictive and well done. A MUST-watch :)

xo

S/S '14 must haves #1: Blues

So now that spring is officially here, I thought it was about time I re-introduced my 'must haves' series. Spring is great for many reasons, but the fashion at this time of year is definitely peak. I love the colours and refreshingly light fabrics after having clad myself in dark woolens for the past 6 months (glamorous I know). Blue was undoubtedly the master colour during the S/S fashion weeks. The catwalks saw seas of vibrant, light, dark, electric, cobalt, blue. I love the colour blue. It is perfect for both spring and summer. My wardrobe really needs a wash of it. So here are my top picks for this lovely trend.

From left to right:
Shirt- Urban Outfitters            Trousers- Topshop         Skirt- Asos
Top- The Little Dear                Shoes- Zara                    Bag- Asos 
Shirt- Warehouse                     Dress- Anthropologie     Skirt- Brandy Melville  



xo

They grin, but they don't mean it

If I am honest, I really don't like doing outfit posts. Picking an outfit is stressful, taking the photographs can be awkward and I always end up looking back on my outfit posts in horror at the way I look. Yet they are by far my favourite posts to read on others' blogs, so I figure they make for the best content. Although I do always look in envy at how great outfit posts look on other blogs. This outfit is very casual and simple but that is why I like it. Sometimes I think the less thought through looks are the better ones. Please excuse the two-year-old shoes, they looked sad in the shop and I love cats so...

 Top- J Crew   Jeans- River Island   Jacket- Forever 21   Scarf- Asos   Shoes- Asos

Hello to my cute dog-neighbour who always pops his head through the fence whenever I am in the garden. :)

xo

Double chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter centre

I love to bake. I am not the best at it, but I do enjoy doing it. My baked goods usually excel in the taste realm rather than the appearance one. I can't actually remember where I got the idea for these, so if it was from someone I know then this is me crediting you now. Trust me these are delicious, though maybe not for the savory lover, they are pretty much sweet on sweet on sweet.

Ingredients (makes 12):

• 50g of cocoa powder (+ 1 tablespoons set aside)
• 1/2 cup of natural yogurt and milk mixed
• 80g of self-raising flour
•  1/4 teaspoon baking powder + baking soda
• 80g of butter (+ 1 tablespoon set aside)
• 90g of caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
• 40g of icing sugar
• 1/2 cup of double cream
• 120g of chocolate (dark or milk

 1. Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius. Mix the cocoa powder in a bowl with 1/4 cup of boiling water until a paste is formed. Add the yogurt/milk. In a separate bowl, sift the flower with the baking soda, baking powder and add a pinch of salt. In another bowl beat the 80g of butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat before mixing in the dry ingredients and the cocoa mixture. Spoon the mixture into 12 lined muffin cups about two thirds. Let them cook for 15-25 minutes until cupcakes are springy. Let cool

2. Beat the peanut butter with the table spoon of butter until creamy. Sift in the icing sugar. Spoon this mixture into a piping bag if you have one. If you are pipingbag-less like me then take a zip-lock bag and snip off a tiny part of one of the corners. Push the peanut butter filled bag into the cupcake and pipe until the centre is filled. If you are using a zip lock bag, then make a small hole in the middle of the cupcake with a skewer, before filling. Scrape any filling of the top of the cake and repeat until all cakes are filled.

3. In a small saucepan bring the double cream to a simmer. Add the chocolate until melted, and leave the mixture to cool. Once cool, spread the icing onto the top of the cupcakes.

ET voila!


xo