Homemade Christmas Gifts: Chilli Jam

As a big foodie I'll take any opportunity to cook so when thinking of a cute Christmas gift for the grandparents I decided I was going to cook it!

This chilli jam is so easy to make and goes well with plenty of different cheeses, meats and would also taste great on salmon.

You can find the recipe here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8257/sweet-chilli-jam

Also google "food gift recipes" for plenty more ideas from truffles, to chutneys, and even marinated goats cheese (interesting...)

Alex x

Christmas Gifts: Have you been naughty or nice?

For those who know me well you will know how unbelievably excited I am about Christmas this year. I have got into the spirt of things early as Christmas cards were out by the 1st of December (Ok, very keen).

For those who don't know me, I will warn you I haven't been this excited about Christmas in a long time! I think it may be down to the fact that after a hard term back at University I can't wait to unwind in the warmth with my family and friends.

What have you all asked Santa for this year? I'm sure if your like me and have run out of the obvious luxuries such as Make-Up and Perfume these will be high up on your lists...

I just thought I would share some of the goodies I have on my wish list for Christmas 2012

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, it is utterly delicious!

 

You can find Miss Dior in most places such as Boots, John Lewis, Fenwicks... The cute bottle makes it even nice and I have a sneaky suspicion I am on to a winner here!

 

 

 

Another pressie that I have had my eye on is this uber cool bedding from Urban Outfitters. I can't say no to a floral pattern and this black and white number is no exception. It is a bit of a twist on the usual girly florals...

 



 

This bedding would look perfect on my bed up here at uni, plus some cool fairy lights and we've got the perfect combination... Which brings me to my next most wanted gift.

 

The Fairly Lights!!!

 

I did have some really pretty ones but they broke on me... so therefore I have asked for a new set. John Lewis have great selection, especially with Christmas around the corner. Some of the lights can double up as christmas tree lights as well as room decorations for all year round. Here is a picture of some that I have on my list this year...

 

 

So for those of you that haven't been as keen as me this year, hopefully this post gets you thinking about what you would like from Santa (Mum, Grandad, boyfriend, friend etc.).

 

 

Enjoy xo 

Cheese and Wine!

Being the massive foodies that we are, Demi and I came up with the brilliant idea of having a Cheese and Wine Party for us and our friends. Everyone loves a bit of cheese, and of course, a glass of wine! We had enough cheese (and wine) to feed an army and still managed to consume it all. We also did a secret santa since it's now December and (almost) acceptable to get into the Christmas spirit.

See some photos of the yummy cheese below. My favourite was the Pié d'Angloys, which is like an extra creamy camembert. 

Tips for hosting your own cheese and wine party

• If you are all big eaters get a cheese per person
• Add little touches like flag labels and explanations
• Make sure you have enough bread for everyone to fill up on
• Have a varied range which includes a few common cheeses and some interesting ones
• Be sure to buy some chutneys and grapes!

WafflesNCream

This weekend, I have headed South to visit a dear friend of mine in Reading. Whilst showing me the local sites, she mentioned to me about this clothing line a friend of hers has and is in the process of transforming the website into something amazing. The clothing line is called WAFFLESNCREAM and has jumpers, snap backs and t-shirts...


We went to visit the man behind the magic, Jomi Marcus-Bello, the creator of the clothing line and he showed us some of his latest creations... really simply but cool stuff. My friend just purchsed one of his snap back caps and a jumper. I used her as the model, naturally...

Here are some of the photos of her new purchases and the new stuff... Enjoy xo

My model, my friend, Gem

WAFFLESNCREAM Cap

The logo...

Jumper, love the back of it!

The Passenger

I realise that many of our recent posts have been about Music however it shows our passion and that passion to share the love with our followers...

Last weekend I had the fortunate opportunity of going to see an Ed Sheeran concert thanks to a friends invitation! He had two support acts and one of those acts was Mike or better know as 'Passenger'. His voice excuse my cheesy saying is 'what dreams are made of'. Just a chilled artist, beautiful voice... That's all I really have to say.

See for yourself here are some of his videos, give them a listen and see what you think!

Enjoy xo

The Perfect Eyebrow

Anyone who knows me will know that bad eyebrows are my biggest pet peeve. I will admit that even I have gone trigger happy with the tweezers before and ruined my eyebrows but some of you won't be as lucky as me and certain areas of your eyebrows might never grow back!

I won't be mentioning any products on this post but giving advice instead on how I think to best deal with your brows! Also I have some examples of good and bad eyebrows.

Scientists say that the key to facial beauty is symmetry and I ultimately agree with them, eyebrows are such an important element of your face and tend to be overlooked. As well as symmetry I think eyebrows should be NATURAL LOOKING. There is nothing natural about black, fine, drawn on eyebrows so if you're having dilemmas then keep reading.

There is a general guide to shaping your eyebrows and while everyone's face shape is slightly different this is the guide I tend to follow:

This technique is done using straight lines and the side of your nose as a starting point. The first line (furthest to the right) runs straight up from your nostril and should be where our eyebrows begin, not before and definitely not after. Starting your eyebrows after this line will make your face look fuller. 

The second line, as you look straight ahead in the mirror, passes by the side of your pupil and should be the highest point of your eyebrow. 

And finally, the third line touches the outer edge of your eye and is where your brow should finish.

Good and Bad examples:

GOOD - Cara Delevingne is an eyebrow crush of mine.
While they are dark, they frame her face perfectly and give her a distinct look

GOOD - Kim's brows look picture perfect

BAD - Angelina's brows have seen better days! Too harsh!

BAD - Demi's unnatural looking brows

BAD - Lauren Conrad's brows look like a result of trigger happy tweezing!

Luckily, I don't think everyone has to spend time perfecting their brows. If you have light hair then you may not need to touch them at all! Also, recently many models have used their unruly brows to give them a distinct and uber-natural look.

Arizona Muse

Daphne Groeneveld

Personally I tweeze my brows with tweezerman tweezers. I have never liked the thought of trusting someone else to shape them! I suppose its personal preference but I would just say that my top tip is to make sure they look NATURAL!

Alex xx

Disclosure ft Sam Smith - Latch

I know I did a post about music the other day but I couldn't help and spread my love for this song. Many of you have probably heard it as I think I am a bit behind but if not have a listen. Plus the models in the video are insanely good looking - especially the guy in the lift....*sigh* to die for!

Poalo Gallardo

Layla Young