Bibi's Cake Boutique

You know when you come across somewhere slightly out of the way but completely unique and gorgeous? And you kind of feel like it is yours? No? Right....Well that is what finding Bibi's Cake Boutique was like for me. Totally unexpected and special. It couldn't have been more welcome on a rainy day when walking around a town and trying to find a tourist shop selling a parka wasn't exactly all it had been made out to be. 

Their Cupcakes were absolutely to die for and restraining myself to only buying one, was a small form of torture. They had every flavor imaginable, some slightly more odd than others, but all beautifully photogenic and frosted to perfection. Once the laborious decision of what to have was over, your Cupcake was then swiftly packaged away in a pretty complex little box, before being handed over to you for the devouring to begin. I believe they also do celebration cakes too, and trust me, from what I saw, they were worth making up a celebration for. Or just celebrating the cakes themselves.

If Bibi's Cake Boutique hadn't gone well, then the owners would've no doubt pursued a career in interior design. The decor in there was like something you would only ever see on Instagram and never come across in real life. The window displays too, were unmissable. They would most certainly draw customers in if the smell of Cupcakes hadn't already. Visit Their website here for recipes.

These two cupcake were the ones I gladly took home with me :)

xo

We're Just a Box of Souvenirs

 You know that great feeling when you find some hidden treasure you never even knew you had? Well that was what I experienced a few weeks back when I stumbled upon these beauties. The surprise was even more welcome as I was in desperate need of some new boots anyway. It's little things like this that can make a day for me, or a week :).
So to celebrate my streak of good luck, I thought I would piece together a little outfit, inspired by this Autumn's up and coming trend of 'Moody Blooms' (yay for Autumn). This jacket is recent purchase of mine from the ever fabulous Zara which doesn't receive the credit it should. Yes amongst great things there is a lot of shockers in there, but if you look well and keep an open mind, I promise you will find something great!
Can we just have a round of applause as well please to celebrate the beauty that is Gabrielle Aplin and her lyrics ( as used in my title). I am lucky enough to be seeing her live in November with the lovely Mara and Shona, so keep you eyes open for that post!

Jacket - Zara  Leggings - Topshop  Top - Urban Outfitters (old)  Shoes - Hoggs

xo

What I love: Emma Watson

Say hello to my biggest fashion crush of the moment. Emma Watson.

Photo from here

Photo from here

Photo from here

Photo from here

Having grown up in a household like mine where J.K Rowling and all things Potter - related are worshipped like a god, it has been pretty hard to avoid the beauty that is Emma Watson. Or indeed the beauty that is her acting skills. I have to admit, after Harry Potter ended (*sniff, sniff*) I did wonder how any of them could live up to the high expectations set by the 8 films that started them off. But my word how Hermione has proven me wrong. Post Potter Emma has certainly excelled in all fields imaginable. She has since starred in three hit movies, involved herself deeply in the world of fashion and modelling, found the time to attend one of Oxford and America's leading universities, stayed on the good side of the world's press and critics and all with a gleaming, charming smile on her face. She is without a doubt a great role model for anyone and everyone.

Fashion and Fancies

Formalities aside, Emma is also emerging as quite a fashion Guru and Icon. She has recently been the face of Burberry and scored her place as the co-designer at the Eco-friendly brand People Tree. Not to mention the launch of her capsule collection with Alberta Ferretti. However she is still down to earth enough to appreciate and shop at high street names like Topshop (her favourite place for 'basics'). Her style is definitely worth taking about and respecting. As is she. I love you Hermione.

Photo from here

Photo from here

Photo from here

Photo from here

Photo from here

xo

How to Wear Ribbons in your Hair

I have seriously been loving ribbons lately. The type you would tie in your hair, not the kind you would twirl around on the end of a stick. I am not a fairy. They just add a girly, fun twist to any outfit and make me smile every time. Everyone has them lying around the house someone. Mine are courtesy of Glossybox (If you are not aware of this small work of genius, then here is a link to a post I did praising them earlier on this year), so its safe to say I have a pretty steady train of them coming in each month. I have come up with a few pretty hairstyles involving said ribbons over the past months and thought it would be nice to share them with you (I would like to point out that i am wearing no makeup in these photographs, so the ones where you can see my faces look like mug shots. I do apologies).
                               
                                                                    
1.
         























This one is fairly straight forward. Simply pull your hair back into a ponytail and secure it with a regular hair tie. Now wrap the ribbon around the hair tie so it is no longer visible, and tie it in a bow. it helps if you loop the ribbon through the tie first so it stays better. Now finish by spraying the ribbon with hairspray to keep it in place for the day.


2.

For this one, start by just scraping your hair back into a messy type bun, or really just whatever sort of bun you like. Now tie the ribbon around your head, securing it with a little bow just below your bun. Tease your hair a bit before spraying some more hairspray.


3.

Again this one is rather simple. Just tie back your front section of hair, following a line from the tops of your ears to the back, center of your head. Secure this with a hair tie and follow the same steps to keep the ribbon in place as you did in the first tutorial. I like to tease the shorter front sections of hair I have out a little bit so the over all look isn't too precise.


4.

I think this look is probably my favourite. Start by parting your hair either down the center or the side. Now sweep your hair to one side and split it into three even parts. Tie a ribbon to the top of one of the parts and start braiding, making sure the ribbon is visible throughout . Once the braid is done, wrap the leftover ribbon around the bottom of your hair and tie it in a knot. Spray with hairspray, tease, just play around with it a bit :)


xo

A Floral Mrs

       

As my lovely Summer draws to a premature end I find my self (becoming depressed at the thought of a normal schedule) jumping at any last opportunity to wear a summery outfit. Unfortunately the weather hasn't been agreeing as we have had some slightly chilly weather as of late. But living in Britain means making the most sunny outfit opportunities. I have to also admit tho, that I am really looking forward to autumn wear. It is probably my favourite season for just the range of opportunity and the fantastic colours you can wear. Cosy knits, over sized coats and beaten up boots are about as simple and easy as it gets. They are also however, about as stylish and chick as it gets. Wish full thinking aside, it is not yet autumn and wont be for another month or so. So, in the mean time I thought I would share with you another whimsical summer outfit post to keep all you lucky ones still on holiday content.

Top - H&M  Trousers - Topshop (customised)  Bag - Asos  Shoes- Topshop (old)

xo

Making Blondies

 I only learned of the existence of this baked wonder a few months ago. Shocking I know. For those of you who are in the same position as I was back in those dark, misinformed days, a 'Blondie' is a white chocolate Brownie. Creative name, I know. But don't be fooled, the Blondie is just as scrumptious as it's darker friend, if not surpassing it on the sweetness scale. Perfect with a huge cup of tea on a rainy day, in front of your favourite movie (preferably Disney), or on a cake stand for afternoon tea, if you are the sophisticated type. They are seriously freaking yummy, to put it bluntly.  You will love them, I promise.

What you will need

• 120g butter
• 200g white chocolate
• 120g plain flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 120g soft brown sugar

If you are not a brownie - maker - using - cheat like my self, then before anything you should start by pre heating your oven to 180. Now melt 50g of the chocolate with the butter in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water until mixed well. Leave this to cool slightly.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Next, chop the remainder of the chocolate into small pieces using a sharp knife and using all your willpower, try to eat as little of it as possible. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until well beaten, before adding the cooled white chocolate and butter mixture to this, ensuring it too is well mixed. Now add the chopped chocolate and fold in the sifted flour, make sure to mix this well.

Now, if you are lazy like me and are using a brownie or tray bake maker then simply pour the mixture in to each segment and bake until ready. But if you are a traditional (normal) person, then grease your baking tray of choice with left over butter or line it with grease proof paper. Next pour the mixture in to the tray and pop your golden Blondie mix in to the oven for around 15-20 minutes (you may need them in for more or less time depending on your oven, so check them regularly). Once out, leave your Blondies to cool for around 20 minutes before cutting it into small squares. 

These are especially nice drizzled in a warm white chocolate sauce.

xo

Summer Dresses I Really Wish I Had...

       

                                                           

                                                                                               

  

For me, Dresses and Summer are synonymous. I adore them and wear them possibly too much. My dress wish list is never ending and ever growing. And as we near the end of the sunny months and enter the somewhat less sunny ones, I thought I would share with you some of the delightful summer frocks that caught my eye, but didn't quite make the cut (mainly because buying them all is more of a dream than reality). I would like to apologise, by the way, for the awful editing skills and photo alignment, I am still finding my way around the ever stubborn Blogger editing package. So, from left to right...

1. Lace Dress- Topshop     2. Cold Shoulder Dress- Asos     3. Paisley Print Dress- Asos

 7. Striped Dress- Madewell    5. Smock Dress- Dahlia    6. Neon Silk Dress- Free People

7. Maxi Dress- Free People  8. Floral Dress- House of Hackney   9. Tank Dress- Urban Outfitters  

xo 

Everybody's got something to hide except Me and My Monkey

 Having spent most of my Summer out of the country this year, I have certainly enjoyed spending the rest of it in a fully British manner. Drinking hot tea and looking out the window to find rain has been more enjoyable than usual. So when a short trip to London to join my good friend Molly was suggested, I could not decline the offer visit an utterly British place that also happened to be one of my absolute favourite places.
As two days is a rather short time to explore a city as diverse and large as London, we had to plan everything in advance. Market shopping was top of my list. You just won't find anywhere like Spitalfields market in the small isolated town I live in, so it was an absolute must. During our market day we also popped by Brick lane market and the gorgeous flower market, which both exceeded expectations. And both of which were probably twice the size of the place I live.

***

 On the second day London Zoo was the priority. Having never been before, I was blown away by the scale of things. It was huge! And far more exciting than I thought foreign animals could be.
Being a blogger means thinking far more about outfits than probably is healthy. So when the opportunity arises to wear a 'themed' outfit, there is no missing it. However animal print has never been a favourite wear of mine so I opted for a slightly different approach. Which I hope still works. Anyway, I thought I would share with you some of the furry and not so furry friends I made whilst at the zoo. Oh, and welcome my special guest 'Eve', who is long overdue a cameo appearance, here on my Blog. Hi Eve.

 Hey babe.

Trousers- Topshop  Top- Minkpink  Jacket- Forever21 (old) Shoes- H&M (similar)  Earrings- Topshop

xo