Monday Mantra

Good Morning!

Now I know I may be the only person who actually likes Mondays! If it starts with a good cup of coffee I am most definitely ready to rock and roll. Monday is actually one of my favourite days, as I always see it as the start of a new week bringing so many opportunities waiting to be ceased.
There's no better time to start a new project/dream/plan than at the beginning of a fresh week. 

And as one of my favourite quotes states:

"Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."

So if you forever wait for that 'moment' to start something or put off doing something because it's not the right 'moment'. Just think to yourself, will the moment ever be perfect and is it actually your actions which will in turn make it perfect?

We forever put off doing things, but if you don't start something different or actually move forward. You'll forever be stuck in that same place.

Life's too short not to make those moments magical. Don't let them pass you by!

Have a great Monday!

Do you have any motivational tips this Monday?

L x

Beautiful Pearls from Absolute Pearls

Hello Lovelies!

Today I thought it was about time for a little weekend treat. What better way to get excited for the weekend than with a beautiful necklace. The necklace which has stolen my heart, is none other than a gorgeous pearl necklace from Absolute Pearls.

Everything from its' sophisticated black and white packaging makes this jewellery even more exciting.

As a typical accessory girl lover, pearls are one of my favourite pieces to accessorise. They are so timeless and can be worn with pretty much any outfit. Whether it be a special occasion or just a casual outfit. Wearing a gorgeous pearl necklace can definitely make your outfit and can even bring just a plain jeans and tshirt combination outfit to life!

This necklace is the Large Pearl Necklace 8-8.5mm with Oval Round Pearls 925 Silver.*

This specific design is so simple but yet so stunning. The pearls are cultured freshwater pearls and are so smooth and silky to touch. I'm pretty dainty so the size of these pearls is perfect for me. The length of this necklace is also perfect as it sits just in the right place. However if you prefer pearls of different sizes, colours, lengths or designs/pieces, Absolute Pearls have the most gorgeous pearl collection I've ever seen.
The pearls are extremely eye-catching, so make sure when choosing you pearl piece that it is the right fit for you. As pearls are so classic I definitely consider them an investment which will last you a long long time!

One of the things I love most about wearing pearls is that they are so versatile to wear. You can add and build your look with as many or few pearl pieces as you wish. Whether it be a pair of matching earrings, a bracelet or one of my favourite looks is to layer your pearls with different necklaces of pearls varying in size.

I find that pearls are unique to your own choice, but Absolute Pearls have a wide variety of pearls to suit your pearl needs. They have a buyers guide here for buying pearls as a gift which is definitely a great way to find your perfect pearls. 
I'm just currently lusting over every item on their website. 


Are you a pearl lover/ have a favourite pearl piece?

L x

Travel Tuesday: New York 2

Morning Beauties!

I thought I'd start a new little section on my blog called Travel Tuesday. I have a serious case of wanderlust and I'm always itching to explore new places. I love exploring different cultures, finding new places and seeing as much of the world as I can. I well and truly have the travel bug and I seem to spend a fair bit of time living out of my suitcase or sitting on a plane. I've been extremely lucky to have travelled quite a lot and thought I'd share some loves, tips and pictures from along the way.

There's a whole world out there waiting to be explored! 

The last place which I travelled to was New York. Since arriving back from there last week I've written a post on a few alternative things to do in NY but I thought I'd finish up with another post with a few more general tips. There will also be a whole new post dedicated to a personal lipstick making experience in the future!

Shopping!

Nothing beats a bit of shopping! Having spent 6 weeks in Palm Beach, Florida before this visit, I tried not to spend too much as I did do a fair bit of damage before it. However I can't resist a leisurely stroll on Fifth Avenue! One of my favourites is Henri Bendel. There's not too many of these stores over the US so any opportunity to go in is definitely going to be honoured. I couldn't resist picking up a few bits.

The staff in every Henri Bendel store I've ever visited are so incredibly nice! They're the most enthusiastic, kindest and helpful staff I think I've ever come across. They definitely make your shopping experience so much more fun! The only thing I found upsetting was that I couldn't buy everything in the whole store!


Another little thing I got excited about was a Gucci lipstick which I bought in the Gucci store. Only New York sells the Gucci cosmetic line apparently, so as a lipstick fanatic I knew one of these lipsticks would be coming home with me!

Transport


New York has a lot to offer and travelling there is pretty easy. Now I like to think I'm a bit of a pro when it comes to maps, transport and planning routes. I'm still proud of winning an orienteering competition in year 5! However I think this skill is actually down to a magnetic force inside me, which naturally pulls me towards the shops! The subway is pretty easy to navigate, its quick and cheap and I really recommend you use it. However if you wear inappropriate shoes like me, you can find the perfect yellow cabs simply by waving your hand out. I don't think they're too expensive, well not like London anyway! It only becomes very pricey in New York when there's heightened traffic, so it's probably best to avoid taxis in the morning and evening rush hours. As it's gridlocked and you won't be moving anywhere, but your meter will certainly be going up!

I do enjoy walking around New York, even when the weather's not the greatest. There's always a sight to look at, something interesting and unusual occurring and nothing beats fresh air to spring you back to top form. Plus there's a Starbucks on every corner where you can sit down and rest your shopping induced painful tootsies!

For the Christmas Fan!

This visit I decided what better way to get into the christmas spirit than by heading to Radio City to watch the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. I absolutely love this theatre, it is huge and decorated so nicely for the Christmas show. Just look at the decorations!

This show is incredible! Not one person was out of time, the talent is amazing and it really makes you feel so so Christmassy, even at the beginning of November!

Tourist

This visit I wanted to get some great snaps of New York, so I decided to go up the Empire State Building. I've done the Rockerfeller Tower Top of the Rock multiple times. This is great if you want views of Central Park and the Empire State Building, otherwise the Empire State Building offers such stunning views over New York. It is so iconic and I love the fact that it is more open, so pictures are a lot easier to take and clearer compared to the Rockerfeller as this has perspex glass at the top so this can interfere with your pictures a bit.

One tip is if you do buy tickets for the Empire State Building, I would recommend buying them from inside the actual building and not from the sellers around it. I'm sure some are genuine but some people were being marched out because their tickets were fake!

I could probably talk all day about other New York experiences, but I think it would take over my blog!

So for now, I hope you've enjoyed a few more tips and ideas for a NY visit!

Let me know what you love doing out there and also your favourite stores!

L x 

BROOKIES (Brownies + Cookies) Baking Post

Happy Sunday Beauties!

Today I thought it was about time for another baking post. And what better way to spend a Sunday than with a baking session.

So without anymore waffling todays baking choice is ......

BROOKIES

Yes I'd never heard of it either, but it exists! And if you're still wondering what this is all about its actually 

BROWNIES + COOKIES

Much more appealing than a Cronut, I promise!

So if you're interested in this combination crazy overload read on for a full on sugar rush!


Here's the Ingredients you'll need for these:

Cookie Dough Part

125g Plain Flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g soft brown sugar
50g caster sugar
100g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg 
75g chocolate chips


Brownie Part

75g butter
125g dark chocolate
2 eggs
125g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g plain flour
25g chocolate chips (or 50g nuts of your choice)


Instructions

1. First preheat your oven to 170°c

2. The Cookie Dough part comes first:

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl.

Using a separate bowl cream together sugars and butter. Then in this bowl add the egg gradually by beating after each addition. Also add in the vanilla extract.

Add in the dry ingredients from your flour bowl to this mixture. Fold in until mixed well. Then add in your yummy chocolate chips.

3. Put your cookie dough in the fridge covered up for around 30 minutes.

4. Here comes the Brownie part:

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and all melted. Leave this to cool.

Next in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. This should roughly double in size. Once this is done, add in your chocolate and butter mixture.
Then sift and fold in the flour into the mixture. Everything should be well incorporated.
You can add in 50g of nuts of your choice, but I just chose to add in 25g of chocolate chips as I had them left over!

5. I greased 12 mini yorkshire pudding tins and then divided the brownie mixture into these. Make sure that the mixture is spread level. I did have some mixture left over so I just put it into mini loaf tins.

6. Then dollop a spoonful of cookie dough on top of the brownie mixture.

7. Voila your little bad boys are ready to hit the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until you see that the cookie dough is a golden brown colour. 

(Mine took 13 minutes, and they looked quite large!)

8. Take out of the oven, leave to cool. Loosen on edges and place them on a wire rack.

9. Once cooled, enjoy your cookie and brownie BROOKIES!

A top tip is to use mini loaf tins if you have them and if you like the brownie part to come out pretty gooey!

I hope you enjoyed this sweet treat post, I would love to know if you get the chance to make them or have made them or something similar in the past?

L x