My Awesome Birthday Blog

In Ireland with my great aunt and uncle

Me, my brover and my cousins and my
granma

The perspective of a 10 year old today (in the form of my cousin):

Oscar, my brover

My hair is longer now! Aha-
Everyone looks different!

 It's my Birthday soon!!!
 I'm turning ten.

I'm gonna be SO grown-up. Like my cousin.

She's better than all those singers like Little Mix and Katy Perry... although I LOVE them. She showed me them. They dance all cool. I'm learning to dance too really well. Ballet and drama are my favourite things. Turn. And turn. And I sing too. Everyone says I should be an actress. Maybe like Ashley Tisdale from High School Musical. I love that. I've heard of Jennifer Aniston. No, Jennifer Laurence. I'm not allowed to watch Hungry Games though. It's wayyy too scary.

Anyway. In the pictures I have really short hair. Now, my hair's all long. I think I'll cut it short again. My older brover has long hair now too! That's cool.

My mums really pretty

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Aha! My brover Oscar looks really funny. He doesn't look like that anymore.

I haven't seen most of the people in these photos for ages. Our family are great though. Really funny and all that.

I love hanging out with my cousins. Ones who are my age are better though, but they live further away.

I wish everyone lived in Lundon nearby me. We live in a cool house. My mum is quite artisitc so our house is really colourful. But we don't have any photos of my cat: Ingrid. She's a russian blue and she's beautiful.

Me and my cousin made a cardboard
house from someonelses rubbish.
It was so cool!

All (well some) of the cousins

My aunt is an artist. She's my favourite.

Me and my dad and mi fav. cousins

Big bro and little

I should probably go now. Mums calling. Maybe I can write again. I quite like looking through the photos and writing this. I hope you do too.

Oh! and plus, my best friend showed me how to do this new thing on computres; colon and bracket :) ahaha

Bye now xxx

#SaturdayStyles

Unfortunately, I'm not gonna make it next Saturday in order to post this so how about now?

Question: How much do you love bow-ties?

Answer: Nothing beats them.

If you don't agree the READ ON!!!

Wear them in your hair, simply around your neck- or, if you're REALLY thin, and I mean REALLY thin, then you could try round your waist? Or not.

But the main point is... they're amazing!

To be honest, I first found them in my granddad's house... where I fell in love!

You could get them in Claire's, Topshop, River Island, Ebay... your granddad's house?

Get them in aztec print, plain, spotty, stripey *is it bad that I don't know how to spell stripey?* , bright, fluorescent, ANYTHING!

Whether you're going for vintage, dress-up, casual, out on the high-street (that's right: we don't use designer!).

Get one; try it out; have fun!

Try It. Truly xxx

Aloha!

Aloha peeps!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas (and a Happy New Year 4 days from now)! ...I did :)

Here's a photo of my new style -one of my presents- and I know they were in fashion a while ago, but that's not to say they went OUT of fashion, so with that Christmas money you recently received how about it:

The Peplum Top

• Styled with either pencil skirt or very skinny jeans both of reasonably similar/ or colour co-ordinated colouring to the top 
• Bought in New Look
• Worn in either burgundy or as styled... black and some whites are acceptable: or just do whatever you like!

Anyways, Merry Christmas -for yesterday- 

Love, 

Truly xxx

My slightly wonky Christmas tree

Truly Scrumptious: Mince Pies

One of my own to get you in the spirit...

My Very Own Mince Pie Recipe:


Makes: around 18 (depending on size)
Preparation time: around an hour

Ingredients

• 140g cold butter, cut up into cubes
• Pinch of salt
  
  
  225g plain flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 50g golden caster sugar

• Filling can be stored in fridge if to be used later

  1 orange zest
• 1 egg yolk + 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 tsp cold water
• 280g good quality mincemeat: simple pre-made filling
• + Extra Icing sugar for dusting
  

  
  

  Preparation method

  
  

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease muffin tins. 
2. Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds, caster sugar, orange zest and salt between your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. 

1. Cutting dough with cup for the un-civilized... use a pastry cutter if not.

Cutting dough with cup for the
un-civilized... use a pastry cutter
if not.

1. Combine with the egg yolk and 1-2 teaspoons of water until soft dough is formed, then leave in fridge in plastic bag for 20-3- minutes. This hardens the dough.
2. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry till thin and cut out around 18 circles measuring, using either a pastry cutter (if you're civilised) or a cup (if you're like me) :D Remember to leave some pastry for the tops.
3. Shape dough into size of tins and spoon filling into centres.
4. With the leftover pastry, cut out round lids, cups, stars or other festive shapes to fit over the fillings. You can even engrave your initials or company slogan. Use dough-cutters or, if you have a lot of time on your hands, cut nice shapes using a knife.

1. Lightly brush the pastry tops with beaten egg and bake in oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden (I always tend to burn mine so KEEP AN EYE OUT).

2. 

   For some reason, when I asked my

   mum she decided to use puff pastry

   "'cos it was going out of date".

   DON'T USE PUFF PASTRY!

   Remove from oven, before removing and cooling on a wire rack. When left in trays, dough gets soggy and tastes... not-as-great-if-you-know-what-I-mean.
3. Dust with icing sugar.

   

   If you cba to add tops

   
   
   When stored in freezer, mince pies can last months. If left out, up to 3 weeks.
   
   
   1. 1. Yours,
         Truly xx
   
   

   
   
   
   P.S. I'm sorry: I don't have the slightest clue why on earth this bit has gone all weird and messed up- but who gives?

#SaturdayStyles

This Saturday (okay, I know today is Sunday), I'm bringing us all back to the childhood days.

To start off I'm gonna get you in the Young/ Fun feeling, so let's listen to some... Fun: We are Young:

... or some 'we are young, we are free...' don't know the rest of the lyrics or the name of the song, but- you know that one? The one that's always used in adverts..?

Why is it that the main photo
in this blog is smaller than the
stupid music video thingy?!

Anyways, I think we should all admire this lovely girly dress. So next time you go out clubbing or fancy dress or whatever you guys do... try wearing a fun, slightly more childish dress like this one!

I understand that you ain't gonna strut out in your old halloween witches outfit, but... oh, I dunno!

Go for more bright playful colours- I know this one is grey, though. Add sequins. Less short, more 'flowy'. Okay, ignore that last point, I know you lot are ALWAYS gonna wear it short- just try something... different? 

I give up,

Truly xxx

P.S. Merry Christmas!!!

X-Mas: Christmas List: The.Hardest.Ever

In my opinion, and I believe in many others', Dads are definetly the hardest group of people to buy presents for. So guess what I'm basing todays' blogs on:

Target: Dads

Price Range: £1-£10 (as well as one £30 gift idea)

• Chocolate selection boxes (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Hotel Chocolat) -After Eights, Ferrero Rochers, Toblerone etc.
• Wireless Headphones: £30 at Tiger, or Ebay
• The old favourite: Socks (Primark)
• A Tie (Tierack)
• Mug (Tesco)
• DVD, such as The Hobbit (HMV)
• Or cinema experience (Odeon)
• Anything personalised (buyagift.co.uk)
• Guitar Pick (local music store, ebay)
• Guitar Song Book 
• Reading Book, such as 'An Officer and a Spy' (Waterstones)
• Kindle book (kindle store)
• Ipad/ Phone Case (Currys/ PC World)
• Pillow (The White Company)
• Fishing Supplies (I don't have the slightest clue where these can be bought)
• Binoculars (Neither)
• Wine (Wine Rack)
• Picnic Hamper (Amazon)
• Photo Frame & Pic (Tiger, IKEA)
• Cookbook, such as curry recipe (Waitrose, Waterstones)
• Golf Balls (www.a_store_that_sells_golf_balls.com)
• iTunes Voucher (iTunes online)
• Favoured Jam? (Sainsburys)?

Truly xxx

P.S. Truly Tip Alert: If you are going to get any of these gift ideas, remember to place your orders A.S.A.P because CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! 

#SaturdayStyles

It's Saturday today, why, didn't you know? And we all know what that means... time for Saturday Styles!

Today I'm going for the gorgeous bowler hat style. I know that bowler hats are more of a summer thing but, you know... get over it!

OK, I guess this isn't THE MOST BRILL example of a bowler hat, but today is the day of getting over things.

It can be purchased from any stores including, [the ones that I know]:

• River island
• Ebay
• Amazon, obvs
• New Look
• any probs some other places online too :)

It can be styled with anything; collars, long-sleeves, shirts, jump-suits, strappys, non-strappys (if those are real words fro strapped or strapless tops) ... anything really.

Try it out... in the summer, maybe... if it's still in fashion then! What am I on about?

Trying-It-Out Truly xxx

P.S. Note to self: Stop using ... the same punctuation!!!

X-Mas: Easy Christmas Decoration Ideas

This is just a quick idea for you to decorate the house if you have some time on your hands- but literally, like, 2.5 mins (not being exact or anything)!

I know the quality of the camera is completely rubbish... but just ignore that. What I've shown is the beginning few stages that I did... the basics:

• simply cut your chosen size of circles for the smile (depending on how much of your fridge you wish to take up and how big it is)
• with the same paper, draw and cut similar sized eyes (a bit larger)
• cut a triangle for the nose

And, as you can see, this really does not need to be measured at all; just rough cuttings are easier-

in my opinion, measurements make everything confusing... you can understand how great at maths I am!

• blu-tac or sellotape onto fridge

Then, moving on from this, you can add a colourful scarf, hat, arms, mittens etc.

• To do this, simply cut the shape roughly onto your chosen colour of paper/card -but don't use orange: it clashes, duh?

• You can further decorate with added strips and layers of card on top of other layers i.e. tartan on the scarf?

• Furthermore, the snowmen can look even more brill if you use wrapping paper- so go for it! Run around the house, picking up random fabrics and don't lie. I KNOW you have wrapping paper somewhere around... It's CHRISTMAS, okay- you don't have to be a detective to work that one out- no offence.

The ones below are examples that I picked up from Pinterest (how much do I wish they were mine). It looks like they've used stickers which is officially cheating, but you can see that if you are creative like that, the result could be very rewarding ;)

Anyways, Merry Chrsitmas! I hope preparation is going great- got your christmas tree up yet?

Yours, Truly

xxx

X-Mas: Christmas in 15 days (let's get shopping, shall we?)

Christmas in 15 days (let's get shopping, shall we?)

So with 15 days left to prepare, I have got now some grandparent present ideas for you:

• Oska is, in my opinion, the perfect store to buy clothing at suitable-ish prices for grandmas, aunts and even mums!  http://www.julesb.co.uk/oska170.phtmlgclid=CI7fgoG6prsCFWzItAodaDAA2Q#m:170|page:1|show:72
• some amazing socks
• photo frames
• family photos
• selfies!
• scarf
• slippers
• pyjamas
• wall deco.
• hand-cream
• hair cuillers/ hairbrush
• and if you're really rich, a kindle?
• ...or just a book
• a CD
• a box-set (say, ownton Abbey)
• a [yankee] candle 
• chocolates
• bread bin
• hankies
• kitchen utensils (mitts, apron)
• hanging up thingy-ma-jigys that smell nice
• smelling diffusers
• perfume
• new glasses
• glasses case

and ...

Truly xxx