2015-05-29

To be(ret) or not to be(ret)...



You know when you have a perfectly fine outfit, but you add an accessory and suddenly the outfit feels so much more complete. That's the story of my life when it comes to berets. I think berets can be added to any outfit and make it a wee bit better.


But what do you do if you have a good hair day? When you have curly hair good hair days are rare and sporadic. Good hair days appear without any warning, and you feel like it's a shame to cover your hair with a hat. Does anyone else have this dilemma? To wear the beret, or not to wear the beret...






What would you do? Wear the beret or let your hair flow in the wind as you ride through the glen firing arrows into the sunset.







Beret: ModCloth (similar from Larmoni here)
Top: Primark
Skirt: Chicwish (here)







2015-05-27

Quirky collars and doughnut earrings


I have previously mentioned that I love quirky details on garments, and what better than a cute, unique little collar?


PepaLoves are experts on quirky details, whether it's the print, the collar or the skirt of a dress, you know you'll get something unusual and slightly eccentric. Which is why I adore PepaLoves so very much!



I paired my lovely quirky-collared red dress with doughnut earrings that I've made myself. It was a perfect match!


Dress: PepaLoves (also available in mint and yellow)
Earrings: Made by myself from polymer clay





2015-05-24

Lovely limited edition dress from Windram Design


This lovely rust coloured twirl-worhty dress is from Windram Design. It's a limited edition dress and only five will be made!




Everything from Windram Design, this dress included, is handmade with care and precision. Helen Windram, the creator of Windram Design, has been making and selling her dresses for the past year and all of the designs are her own, which gives them an extra touch and unique flair. This lovely dress in a linen/viscose blend had the most special and lovely freehand front stitching that adds a quirky element to the garment, which is something that I appreciate a lot. The adorable puff sleeves are so cute and absolutely beautiful. And I adore the skirt of the dress so very much! The skirt is so full, it drapes beautifully and it is the grandest dress ever to twirl in!!





I like my clothes to be unique and a bit whimsical, and Helen has a natural talent for making beauty in fabric with distinctive details. Helen's designs are timeless and classic with exceptional attention to details. Her garments are so very flattering and incredibly comfortable. I feel fantastic wearing this dress and it makes me feel very beautiful. And the twirling really is magnificent in this dress! So if you, like me, are planning to twirl all summer, this is the dress to do it in!



This dress is also a very versatile piece, I feel like I already have several outfits ready with just this one dress! And I can't wait to pair it with tights and a cardigan for the colder months. By sewing one-of-a-kind dresses, Helen's garments feel exclusive to the wearer, and I personally value that feeling very much.




You can find the dress: here
Remember, it's a very limited edition dress, so make haste!

Windram Design's etsy shop is here.
Windram Design is also on facebook and instagram (@windramdesign), check it out!

Now I'm going to go twirl some more in this lovely dress.
Much love!


2015-05-18

Benefit in a bottle



This post is about makeup. Yes, makeup. And while I don't consider myself to be remotely close to being an expert in any way, I still have some opinions. Take them with a grain of salt, as makeup really isn't something I'm good at.

I recently tried some product from the brand Benefit. I had been wanting to try Benefit for ages, but they're on the pricey side, so it hasn't been until now that I've got some of their products. It was quite a haul when I finally got their products, but I want to focus on two products, both of which I'm very happy with.



Flower crown: H&M
Dress: Miss Patina (also available in mint)
Makeup: Benefit


The first is the FakeUp undereye concealer
It comes in three shades (light, medium and dark) and I got the lightest shade. What is so unique with this product is that it has a concealer core and then a ring of moisturiser around the concealer. For me, that has combination skin with very dry areas around my eyes this was perfect! I've been waiting for a product like this! The coverage isn't the best I've ever seen in a concealer, it lightens dark circles but  doesn't quite make them disappear. However there is no patchiness and it doesn't set within the fine lines under the eyes, giving it a very natural look. All of that makes me view this as possibly the best concealer I've ever tried. It attacks exactly the things that bother me with concealers, which is the way concealers tend to dry out the skin under the eyes, and the way concealers crease underneath the eyes. I do however think that this is a good concealer for dry or combination skin. If you have oily skin you'll probably find the moisturiser to be too much.







The second product I'm so happy with is the Benebalm
Benebalm is a tinted lip balm in a rosy red shade. It comes in a nice polka dotted bottle and it smells lovely like rosewater. Before I purchased this product I expected it to have a very sheer finish that in the best case would be buildable. What I actually got was even better! True, it is sheer, but it gives the lips a nice distinct rosy colour which I love! I use it without any tint or colour underneath, and I love it just as it is. It also happens to be one of the best lip balms I've ever encountered. I have very dry lips and the weather of the cold northern Sweden doesn't help, but after a couple of days with Benebalm my lips were completely free from cracking and not chapped at all. I can see myself getting this product over and over again, as it has easily become one of my favourite products of all time! Now I desperately want to try the other shades of Benefit's balms, called Posiebalm, Lollibalm and Chachabalm.







Do you have any suggestions on really good products that I just should not miss out on?

Much love

2015-05-14

Lemon Yellow



I love almost all colours. I like different shades of different colours, and I like what you can express with colours. Recently I've had a predilection to yellow.

Yellow is a colour I wouldn't have gone for a couple of years ago, but upon noticing that it goes well with my skin tone I've grown fond of the colour, to the point where apart from black it is the colour I have the most dresses of. Yellow is a happy colour, and for me it does not fail to make my day a little brighter.


When I was a child other children would often say a rhyme: "Gult är fult", which is Swedish for "Yellow is ugly". I think that might have clouded my perception of the colour for quite some time, only to now realise the joy that lies in the colour yellow.




These bright yellow lemon cupcakes fill me with joy.

LEMON CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

  • 120 grams butter, at room temperature
  • 130 grams sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 195 gram flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
  • 60 ml milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 175°C.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then gradually add the eggs. Add the vanilla powder.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and lemon zest.
Add some of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and then add some of the milk. Continue like this until all the flour and milk is added.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes in the oven.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS
  • 150 grams butter, at room temperature
  • 200 grams cream cheese
  • 3 dl powdered sugar (icing/confectioners sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Food colouring (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth and well blended. Add the powdered sugar and the lemon juice and mix again until just combined. Colour the frosting with food colouring if desired.







2015-05-11

Celebrating 1 week of the blog



Today I am celebrating this blog's first week. It might not sound like much, but having kept this blog for a week is great in my book, as this blog is a very trial-and-error kind of thing for me. And the response that I have gotten has been overwhelming and terrific. Thank you to everyone who has been supportive about this blog! It means a lot!
I of course had to celebrate with cake (it's in the name, people!).




This bundt cake is deliciously chocolatey and so moist it disappears in your mouth. It was my first time making it, so it really could go which ever way, but it turned out good. Oh so chocolatey and good! It's lovely and soft, and I served it together with a creamy chocolate ganache. Each slice was like a little bit of heaven. Recipe is further down.





MOIST CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 dl heavy cream
  • 50 grams cocoa powder
  • 180 grams sugar
  • 150 grams butter, at room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 240 grams plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a bundt cake pan and dust with flour.
Mix heavy cream, cocoa powder and half of the sugar together in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. And let cool.
Whisk the rest of the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, stirring in between.
Mix the flour and the baking powder in a bowl.
Add the cream and cocoa mixture and the egg and butter mixture alternatively to the flour.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at the lower part of the oven for 50 minutes.


CHOCOLATE GANACHE

INGREDIENTS
  • 150 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1,5 dl heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Heat the cream in a saucepan until it just starts to boil. Pour it over the chocolate and mix until smooth.





Much Love!