Watches

Working around watches all day its only right I should own one.

These are my favourite:
Frederique ConstantMichael KorsGucciRaymond Weil Emporio Armani


Rose Gold and Ceramic watches are the biggest trends at the moment almost every brand has a version.

I'm stuck which to go for!! Id happily take them all!

Welsh National Museum

Me and Ben visited St Fagans on Monday.

Its a museum portraying welsh history through the ages with a variety of rebuilt houses from around Wales.

We didnt see all of it as it was so big and only went for the morning but its a great free day out so we are planning to go back and start with the bits we missed this time!

The Celtic Huts!

these were fab, very smokey though and the fire wasnt even on! Imagine living there!!

There was an old photo studio, they take your picture using a daguerreotype! This was not free becuase its an expensive process to do so again this is something we will do next time we go when I have been paid! Before camera film was invented photos were taken onto pieces of glass that had been made light sensitive by a coating of chemicals (its much more complex than the way I explained ha!)
anyway thats a daguerreotype.

Lots of lovely woodland and gardens also and an indoor museum with exhibits welsh life (again didnt see this bit in full!)



This is ben at the old fashioned fairground


It is just 15mins from Cardiff city centre, and well worth a visit plenty of things to do and can be as cheap or as expensive day as you like with gift shops and cafes all over the place!

Excited by this!

I have never attempted patchwork before.

definitely going on my christmas list!

thank you Cath Kidston!

Dining with friends

Me and my friends dont see each other nearly enough now uni is over and we all have real jobs and grown up responsibilities. So we meet up for evenings to catch up on goss and eat delicious food made by our own fair hands.


Curry night at my old flat
Bethan made samosas from scratch!


Soup, chicken with dauphinois and cheesecake evening




there is always much wine to be consumed also :)

Katy Perry

Dress from Quiz

Im just getting possible ideas for October when I see her on tour. I need to dress in something spectacular!


this is an expensive option at around £40

plus I kind of wanted something a bit skimpy ha!

when I get paid

I would like:
from peacocks

Sergant Pepper

me and Ben are growing peppers :)


its gone very dark which I think means its going to turn red?

Me and my sister

me and my sister having a great night out last week at home in Coventry.




best friends x

Historical Fiction

Without a doubt Phillippa Gregory is one of my favourite authors. She brings history to life in every book, with a fresh outlook and human approach which allows you to fully immerse yourself in the past.

I have read all her books from the Tudor court series (except The Constant Princess) and enjoyed them so much! I went into the novels knowing a lot already about the times having studied them at Alevels and having an interest which fuelled my own learning but the books had a lot more to offer. I have since begun the Cousins War trilogy which is set in the time of the Plantagenet kings and War of the Roses.

Ive always had a huge interest in British history which although I was taught a lot in school I always wish they had focused more on our county's history than that of American history. Until reading The White Queen I knew nothing of The War of the roses except that it happened! It is a confusing part of Britians past with many key players (all of which inconveniently have the same names!) Gregory makes it much easier to grasp and now I have begun to read the second book in the series The Red Queen I find I recognise names and remember their allegiances.

Although the book has a huge element of fiction with focus on the myth of Melusina it all helps the reader to understand the fears and beliefs forms a picture in your mind of how the wars started and why they continued for so long. I really enjoyed the book and I have gone from no knowledge of the period to knowing a huge amount and it definitly doesnt feel like studying!


I would recommend The White Queen, The Boleyn Inheritance and The Other Boleyn Girl (I was bitterly disappointed by the film version of this which was no way even remotely as good as the book so dont be put off if you thought the same!)

Butternut and nutbutter soup

Another River Cottage recipe for you!

1 butternut squash, about 800g-1kg
Large knob of unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 small medium-hot chilli, deseeded and chopped, or a pinch of dried chilli flakes
A 3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 large garlic clove, crushed1 small garlic clove, chopped
About 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
227g jar of crunchy or smooth peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

(simmering away before I blended it)
look here for the method

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/butternut-and-nut-butter-soup-recipe

changes I made to recipe:
I didnt add ginger or corriander (didnt have any in the house)
I used a vegtable stock and crunchy peanut butter

Next time, I would use smooth peanut butter just out of preference and I think I used a very hot chilli because it had quite a kick so I will use chilli flakes next time.

It was really easy to make, I didnt have to be constantly stirring or watching so thats a bonus, you can leave it for 20mins and do something else!

It tasted delicious :)

with crusty tiger bread too!

Cath Kidston bag

When I purchased Make! by Cath Kidston it came with a free bag for you to decorate (it suggests a cute flowery applique)

I however took an idea from a library book I borrowed 'The complete book of Papercrafts' by Susan and Martin Penney




I used fabric paints and painted half a lime as my stamp and printed onto the fabric.
>

the finished result!

a few pictures of the flat

So me and the Bf are steadily filling our home with lovely things, here are some of the latest additions:


I got the cushion :D


This painting we got from a carboot sale for 50p, madness! The frame alone must be worth that! It is beautiful and we put it in the bathroom. It makes me smile just looking at it.
Our lovely telephone, I feel like Audrey Hepburn everytime I use it!

I also watched The Lovely Bones recently, it was such a good film I really enjoyed it. Obviously it isnt a pleasant film, its really very sad. However the set design was incredible and the Salmon house is a dream come true! 1970s in all its bright floral splendor

Just look at those prints!!