belated TOTW.

superdooper.

jessica X

TOTW

Nicked from Yayo.

Emily

nail debris.

 happy thursday! 

following from the 'nail art' post i did not so long ago, i decided to hop on the bandwagon and give it a go myself...

having bitten my nails since tiny teeth formed in my mouth, my nails are constantly short and unruly. it's actually a surprise how tidy they look in the photos!

whereas some creative nails look better on short nails, this would look much better on longer nails; by putting the black crackle on the nail tips - where i have no such thing, it makes my fingers look a little stumpy. 

(booo)

you'll need:

squeaky clean, filed nails

a cream coloured nail polish *

barry m nail effects crackle in black

clear nail varnish (top coat)

(* i do not recommend 'MUA' nail varnish... i used it here & had to put 4 coats on, cheeky mares)

paint your nails the cream colour (as many layers as it takes, ha)

once dry, put one coat of the black crackle on the ends.

don't worry about making it too neat, it adds to the look :)

once that was dry. i painted one more coat of the cream on top, let that dry and added a little bit more black crackle on top of the last lot... just adds more texture!

i then added a clear coat just to protect it from chipping.

& voila!

look at them shine!

took about 30 mins in total, which i imagine is quite quick compared to some of the looks on the last post!

have fun & go nuts.

jessica 

MWTOTW.

i lovelovelove the latest Chanel campaign with Freja Beha Erichsen.

that girl is just beautiful.

it's nice to see a more playful side to the otherwise classic brand.

jessica.

MWTOTW

This is Mike.

I noticed his spectacular beard from across the room and he obliged to have a photo taken so it could be shared.

Good work Mike.

Emily

Bicycle Bicycle

Today I've been working out the logistics of strapping my bicycle, Maggie, to my mum's VW Beetle in order to bring her with me on my move. If oh oh only i could look as sleek as the ladies and gents on Mr Schuman's blog. Mr Sartorialist, we love you.

Emily

TOTW

I just really really love cats. Funny pictures of cats = unbelievable.

Emily

McColourful Enchiladas

These are so YUM, and with all the veggies, it's pretty, colourful and healthy too :)

  

1. Cook 3/4 diced chicken breasts in olive oil & herbs. I used lots of oregano, thyme, rosemary & of course, salt and pepper. Fry on a low heat, so the chicken becomes tender.

2. Whilst thats cooking away, chop up your veggies! Literally add anything you like, I did red onion, courgettes, leeks, red green and yellow peppers, tinned sweetcorn.

3. Add that to the chicken once it's cooked.

4. Stir it all up, and add one tin of chopped tomatoes, and more herbs if you want :)

5. Put the whole lots through a colander... gets rid of most of the juicey.

6. Add spoonfuls of the mix into fahita wraps, roll them up and place them into a dish. (i place them upside down, just so it looks tidier, but it really doesn't matter)

7. Add tons of cheese. Whatever cheese you likeeee.

8. Put under a hot grill for about 10-15 mins until golden brown and cheese has melted.

YUMYUMYUM.

(picture does not do it justice)

jessica.

Chilli Chocolate Brownies

SO GOOD.
Ingredients 
350g plain chocolate
100g extra plain chocolate
120g butter
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon chilli powder


Preheat oven to 180C, grease and line your baking tray. Melt together the 350g of chocolate and butter in a saucepan, remove from heat and add everything else (inc 100g chocolate chunks). Spoon the mixture into your baking tray and bake in the oven for roughly 30 mins. When cool, cut into squares and serve with a cheeky dollop of vanilla ice cream. Massive yum.

Emily.

MWTOTW.

introducing MWTOTW (mid-week TOTW); a visual delight not once, but twice a week! 

jessica.

nail art.

wow.

 i am so jealous! one, because they look AMAZING. and two, i wish i could paint my nails - i've been decorating my parents' house and so nail varnish is a big no-no. 

i have to say, the tribal one is my favourite. 

may have to dig out some toothpicks and a steady hand once this painting lark is over.

images courtesy of fabricreligion.blogspot.com, er-nails.blogspot.com & tumblr.

jessica.

bellabella

Oh my.

Shoes please.

Emily

So So Beautiful.

CAN'T STOP LISTENING. melancholy and sultry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSfEudN1MzI&feature=related

Emily

Thai Green Curry (variation on miss Hannah Ben-Ameur's)

This fed four of us with two hungry man bellies and leftovers. It’s mighty spicy so cut down on the chillies if you’re faint of heart.

Ingredients

5 Medium Green Chillies (de-seeded)

2 Spring Onions

5cm Fresh Ginger

Tablespoon Ground Coriander (fresh is better)

1 Lime, zest and juice

8 Kaffir Leaves

Tablespoon Ground Cumin

Teaspoon crushed peppercorns
Plenty of Soy sauce and Olive Oil

Use a food processor to make a paste with all of the above, heat in a pan with coconut milk, sugar and cooked chicken and serve with basmati rice and a cheeky Kaffir Leaf. 

Happy Times.

Emily

Mid-Week Treat of the Week

...midweekly peeper treats

The Dream, Frida Kahlo

Beautiful woman with the most beautiful ways of facing her demons.
Much respect for Mrs Kahlo.

Emily

Swedish Light.

Morning campers!

It's women like these that make me want to bleach my hair and move to Sweden.

I think the trick's in the styling here; sleek and glamorous make-up and accessories coupled with a particularly fantastic pattern.

Very well done beautiful lady.

Emily

simplistic detailing.

I love this effortless ensemble.

Good job hat girl; ten gold stars.

The simplicity of the details – the white lining, silver jewellery and of course, her cheeky wink.

lovelovelove.

jessica.

TOTW.

Please meet and greet our TOTW, or treat of the week.

Where, as you might have guessed, we delight your peepers in one way or another on a weekly basis.

jessica.

Power of Making.

I am a sucker for craft. I have a collection of curiosities under my bed; half knitted scarves, a semi-completed rag rug and a multitude of part sewn dresses and unstuck collages. Enthusiastic I am. Skilled, not so much. The wonderful thing about craft however is that whether you have completed a knitting stint at St Martin’s or whether you crochet once a week with the WI, one creation ultimately requires as much dexterity and attention as another. The feeling of having worked hard to create something beautiful is universal and timeless. And so, given this aforementioned respect for all those crafty-fingered, you might understand my thrill when I discovered the upcoming ‘Power of Making’ exhibition at the V&A.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/power-of-making/

Demonstrating a vast variety of techniques including welding, forging, carving, weaving, embroidery and baking, ‘Power of Making’ is a representation of the best of what we can do with a little innovation and a couple of careful hands.

Emily

Jessica's Lime & Mascarpone Cheesecake

I made this for my boy one day, as part of a surprise Italian themed evening (I made moustaches and everything, it wasn't lame.) Refreshing and surprisingly sweet, this tasty morsel is definitely worth trying.

250g ginger biscuits

50g butter (melted)

500g mascarpone cheese

50g icing sugar

2 limes (juice & zest)

1. Smash up the biscuits into fine crumbs. I like to do this by placing them in a tea-towel, twist up the corners and whack the crap out of those bad-boy biscuits onto the worktop. Anger management? Sorted.

2. Add the melted butter to the crumbs.

3.Get a cake tin, and press the mixture firmly into the bottom of it.

4. Mix together the cheese, icing sugar and limey bits.

5. Spread on top of the base and leave to chill in the fridge for about thirty minutes.

6. Then go nuts on decoration! I melted loads of dark chocolate and grated more limes etc. yumyumyum.

Jessica