THIRTEEN.

I have just recieved my order from ASOS and one of the dresses, which was beige and is described as that colour on the website is more of a mushroom colour (see photo below) and as much as I like it, I'm not sure what colours would be best to team it with? I think flesh-coloured tights would be too much, but I'm not sure if black would be too heavy? And then I have the problem of what colour to accessorise with (if not the same colour as tights)

In fact, do you even like the colour? It's a bit different and I think that's why I like it. Give me your honest opinions please!

TWELVE.

Everybody go read The X Girlfriend Archive, I was hooked after reading the first entry and, over the few days since discovering it, I find myself longing to find out what happens next.

Also, DO watch this space for my attempt at fiction writing.

ELEVEN.

I'm currently reading a book called Got You Back by Jane Fallon, the same author who wrote Getting Rid of Matthew (a must read if you haven't already!). I picked it up in a charity bookstore the other day for the grand price of £1.50 and I'm hooked after the first chapter. I'm one of those people anyway, someone who can't get enough of trashy and as equally tacky chick-lit yet is always promising to gather a collection of Classics (in my defence I do go into the Oxfam, Shelter and Help The Aged bookshops whenever I walk by them in hope of finding a Classic that will begin my collection, but I am still yet to discover one).

Despite being a huge, huge book lover I've never been someone who has been any good at creative writing. It's ironic really, I am almost always reading something, I'm halfway through a degree in Journalism and English was/is my favourite subject (only reason I didn't choose to do it at uni is because I don't like being told what to read) yet I don't have much of an imagination. Or I didn't think I did, until now. So, I'm half thinking of writing a couple of paragraphs about something, probably a cliché love/heartbreak story until I become a bit more adventurous, but it's a starting point isn't it. I'll probably blog whatever I write too.

In short: I am inspired and feel like doing some creative writing. Watch this space!

TEN.

Before I do anything; I have changed my blog name. I'm not sure why, I just felt like 'tttwentyfive' wasn't really very apt and after being introduced to a song called Heavy by Holly Brook, I was inspired. Everybody go listen!


Tagged by Nat over at Vodka & Chanel ♥

1) Personal notes/drawings. My friends & I are forever drawing and writing notes for each other and I love them. I have them stuck all over my bedroom to remind me of how amazing my friends are.

2) Text messages. Messages I can keep are the absloute best. I got two of the loveliest texts on New Years Eve that I have saved and I re-read whenever I am feeling down to remind me, once again of how lucky I am to have such amazing friends. I also love unexpected texts, even more so when they're off my Grandma!

3) Charity shop books. Okay, not strictly free but close enough! I adore rummaging through bookshelves of charity stores and finding little gems. I especially love the smell of old books and when you can tell they've been loved; so much more special than first-hand books. Even better if they have little notes in them from prior owners. I want to start returning mine to charity shops with little notes written on the inside cover but I can't bare to part with any of my collection just yet.

4) Music. Again, maybe not necessarily free all the time but I love going through my old CD collection and listening to songs that bring back past memories from Summers that seemed a lifetime ago, or things that happened with people I no longer see or even just hearing songs that remind me of people. I espeically love songs with well-thought lyrics, lyrics that can be related to. And songs that I can play on repeat for hours on end without getting sick of them.

5) My 'box of stuff'. I own an old shoebox covered in rubbish doodles that is overflowing with bits of stuff I have collected over the years. It's full of letters, Christmas/Birthday cards, photographs, tickets from various places, drawings. Pretty much everything and I love it. I'm such a hoarder!

6) Writing. It's the one way I can truely express how I feel about things. I like having the freedom of being able to write things down. I'm not the most creative person in the world but I can string a half-decent sentence together. I've kept an online diary for the best part of five years and I honestly do not know how I'd manage without it. The best part is looking back over past entries and remembering things I thought I had forgotton. Plus it's probably one of the only things I personally believe I'm half decent at.

7) Pretty pictures, quotes I can relate to and meaninful lyrics; the sort of things I post on my Tumblr. I'm such a hopeless romantic and a soppy idiot when it comes to all things romance. I like things that make me smile and things that make me think.

8) 11:11 because I can make a wish every night.

9) Inside jokes. I love being immature sometimes and having ridiculous 'in jokes' with people. I love it when there's something only me and few others know.

10) My mum & dad. We've had our differences in the past but we're getting on better than I can ever recall. When they say they're proud of me it makes me so happy and makes me want to carry on doing well just so they continue being proud. I am the luckiest daughter in the world.

11) Can I have 11? Fuck it, I am doing, simply because I have just recieved a surprise Thank You card through the post card off one of my best friends. It was to say thanks for helping him with his essays over the last couple of weeks. It's truely brightened my day and it's nice to know that my efforts are appreciated. :) :) :)


This took somewhat longer than I expected, it's kind of harder than it appears on the surface. I enjoyed it though.

Yesterday didn't quite turn out to be as productive as I'd hoped, but my 'to-do' lists are gradually getting smaller and smaller in preparation for them to grow once again. And I'm definitely going to London next Wednesday.

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pie

Ingredients

280g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1 1/2tsp bicarb soda

1/4 tsp salt

125g unsalted butter, softened

100g caster sugar

100g light brown sugar

1 large egg

120ml buttermilk

1tsp pure vanilla extract

200g dark chocolate chips

Method

001. Line 2 trays with baking paper. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder and bicarb. stir in salt and set aside.

002. In a seperate bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon

003. Add egg and mix well

004. Measure buttermilk into jug and add vanilla essence

005. Pour into butter mixture and beat well

006. Slowly add dry ingredients in 2 batches, mix until only just mixed in

007. Stir in the chocolate chips

008. Chill for 30mins and preheat oven to 180°C at this point.

009. Drop 18 large or 48 scoops of batter onto trays, 5cm apart

010. Bake on shelf for 10-12 minutes

011. Put onto wire rack to cool

Marshmallow filling

Ingredients
100g dark chocolate, broken into small bits
3 egg whites
150g caster sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
1tsp pure vanilla extract

Method
001. Melt chocolate over simmering water
002. Weigh all other ingredients into a bowl
003. Put the bowl over the water used to melt chocolate (water should be boiling for this part) and whisk until sugar has dissolved, the mixture is frothy and slightly opaque. Should take about 10-15 minutes
004. Remove bowl from heat and and use electric whisk or mixer until it is white/thick and holds its shape
005. Fold in the melted chocolate and use straight away
006. Put filling on one of Whoopies and sandwich together

NINE.

Okay, so this is probably blog 3 of 2010 and I am stuck on what to write. I have been racking my brains out for the past couple of days trying to think of what I could post but I have NO IDEA. Writer's block is definitely not cool in any way, shape or form. It always occurs whenever I actually want to do some writing.

Due to lack of creativity on my part, I'm going to be attempt to be productive today and email three possible work experience placements following phone-calls I made on Friday afternoon (The Lincolsnire Echo, Lincs FM and Now! magazine) in a hope that any one of them will take me on for at least a week in the summer. Obviously I will apply for more but we'll see how these work out first.

I also want to visit the V&A museum at some point in the very near future (and have coffee in Covent Garden) because there is a couple of exhibitions that are on at the moment that look like fun! Possibly one Wednesday, and Nat [Vodka & Chanel] expressed an interest in coming too. Yay.

Anyway, productivity begins NOW.

PS: Maybe I'll update with how my day actually panned out...

EIGHT.

I'm pretty much feeling down in the dumps today for no apparent reason so I figured I'd list my daily routine - make up wise because it'll give me something to do and hopefully looking at lots of lovely products will cheer me up!

Firstly, I use Mac Prep + Prime Skin, £16.50

It's totally worth the money and is the best primer I've used. I've had Dr. Feelgood and That Gal, both Benefit and I wasn't overly impressed by either. Dr Feelgood really dried out my skin whereas That Gal was lovely and shimmery but it just didn't do what it was supposed to.

On top of that I use Erase Paste by Benefit in 'fair', £18.50



This stuff is what dreams are made of. It conceals any redness on my face (which I'm prone to getting), magically covers any bags I may have under my eyes and the coverage over prominent spots is fantastic too. And this little pot lasts for SO LONG! I bought my first one about a year ago and I had to ask for a new one for Christmas because it was running out!


If I'm having a really horrendous skin day, or I'm going out drinking, then I'll use Mac Select Cover up in NW15, £12.50. Before Christmas I used it as foundation because I couldn't afford to replace my foundation and this was the next best (and cheaper) thing.


I then finally get round to using Mac Studio Fix Fluid (SPF15) in NW20, £19. I apply it with a foundation brush from The Body Shop, £10


This is my all-time favourite foundation. I like a thick, long-lasting coverage and this does exactly that. It stays put all day and gives me a pretty much flawless finish. I've used so many different foundations in the past and this is by far the best; above Diorskin Forever, The Body Shop's Moisture Foundation and Stay Perfect Foundation by No7 to name but a few.

To set my concealer and foundation I use Clinque's Blended Face Powder, £18.50, that I've had for literally years!



I think I bought it when I was just getting into make-up, probably around the age of 15/16, something like that? It lasts so long although I stopped using it for a while, but even before then I remember not having to buy a replacement for at least a year - 18 months. It's lovely though and it's slightly glittery which is always a positive thing.

Next I do my eyes. I always have dark eyes because I always get people asking what's wrong with me when I just wear mascara. Probably because I don't often leave the house without some sort of dark eyeshadow or liquid eyeliner! Anyway, first off I use F Y Eye, £18



It's basically a primer but for the eyelids. It prevents eyeshadows from creasing and from fading away throughout the day and it really does work. I was a bit wary at first but I was soon amazed! Seriously, and it lasts for ages (I sense a recurring theme here!). I bought a pot at the start of September and I'm not even nearly 3/4 of the way through it and I use it everyday, sometimes more than once. You have to be careful not to use too much though because otherwise it has the opposite effect!



Benefit's Smokin' Eyes, £26.50!, is my absolute pride and joy, without a doubt. I use the lighter colour as a base and then the darker one from the middle of my lid outwards to create the smokey effect. I love it. I also use the darker one to line my bottom lid if I can't be bothered with eyeliner.

If I'm going on a night out I'll do the same only I'll use the eyebrow shaping stuff and the highlighter powder from my eyebrow down towards my eyelid. I then line around my eyes with:



Ecriture De Chanel, £26. This stuff is good, it's hard wearing but it's quite difficult to use I find, especially for a liquid eyeliner. I don't think I'll buy it again after this runs out although that probably won't be for a while as I bought this from Harvey Nichols in Leeds back in August and it's still going strong.

I finally finish my eyes off by using Diorshow Iconic, £20



Which again is really good stuff, long lasting, waterproof and it separates, coats and extends my lashes well which I find most mascaras don't tend to do if you already have quite long lashes like I do. I sometimes use Rimmel's Extra Super Lash mascara, about £4.49, as a base, which is probably the best cheap mascara I've ever come across.

On my cheeks I used to religiously use Ten by Benefit, £22.50



But I found that because I'd been using it for so long it didn't seem to have the same effect as it did at first but I kept using it because I couldn't find a decent replacement. That was until I went to a Mac counter!



I now use two of their powder blushes, one in Sweet as Cocoa and the other in Honour and now I adore them. Sweet as Cocoa, chocolate brown with gold pearl (sheertone shimmer), that I use along my cheekbone to put emphasis upon it and Honour, muted golden beige with gold shimmer (frost), I blend with Sweet as Cocoa to create subtle cheekbones. They're £16.50 each.

Occasionally, well usually if I'm going out, I'll use Highbeam by Benefit, £17.50



Not even going to bother explaining this because every female should own a bottle of either this or Moonbeam (which I'm going to indulge in very soon)

Finally (phew!!) I use Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 257, £18






I apply eyeshadow and blusher with Benefit brushes that I can got in a set that I think are now discontinued. I use The Body Shop's face and body brush, £14 but one day I'm going to treat myself to the whole set of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful brushes because they are so pretty!