An Afternoon Affair

Anyone who knows me knows my love for all things vintage, including old traditions and past times. Afternoon teas are up there at the top, after a mammoth baking session from boredom I found the perfect excuse to get my ladies round for some good food and a natter.

Everything was there from triangle sandwiches, to scones and pink lemonade all served up on Cath Kidston china.

what more could a girl want ?

xxx

The Best Victoria Sponge Recipe

Bake x2 shallow round cakes to be sandwiched together to create the classic cake

Once cooled remove cakes from tins to and prepare the butter-cream filling

Spoon generous amounts of jam on each half of the cake

Carefully spoon half of the vanilla butter-cream onto one half of the cake

Then add the strawberry flavouring to the remaining mixture and spoon on the 2nd cake

Sandwich the two halves together and voilà a fabulous kitsch twist on the classic Victoria sponge that looks and tastes like marshmallows ... yummy!

Sponge Cake Ingredients

* 225g/8oz margarine

*225g/8oz caster sugar

225g/80z self raising flour

* 4 medium eggs

* 2 tsp vanilla extract

* milk to loosen mixture if needed

* jam in preferred flavour

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180'c

grease and line two cake tins
cream the margarine and sugar together until soft and fluffy

beat the eggs and add a little bit at a time

Sift the flour and fold into the batter a little bit at a time using a large metal spoon

add the vanilla extract and milk if needed

fold until the batter mixture is smooth and even consistency

divide into the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Butter-cream ingredients

* 140g/5oz butter or margarine

* 280g/10oz icing sugar

1-2 tsp milk to bind mixture

- add 2-3 drops of prefferred colouring/flavour

Method

Beat the butter in a bowl until smooth and add half of the icing sugar

Beat until smooth and add remaining sugar

add milk to loosen the mixture slightly if needed and add the colouring of flavouring of choice

Soooo seen as I am off work at the moment with my useless foot I am starting to go a little crazy being stuck at home. So to keep my self out of mischief I arranged an afternoon date with a friend for a catch up and promised some baked goods. It is a long time since I have baked, or even eaten a Victoria sponge cake, and I do agree that the traditional recipes are often the best and shouldn't be messed with, but my creativity took over me and I produced my own twist to the classic. Not veering too far from the path I decided to to use blackcurrant jam instead of the usual strawberry, and made both vanilla and strawberry butter-cream filling which I must admit created a cake not for dieters but tasted divine.

With a fun and feminine look this cake smells of marshmallows and is as light to eat, the perfect cake to take pride of place on the table for our afternoon tea gathering.

xxx

Amelie .. moi? ... merci! x

So as I mentioned I got the barnet chopped today, nothing too drastic just a wee change.
Now that Iv decided to grow out the mad moment shaved head thing, I felt I needed a new cut that would disguise it so I can grow it out in secret.
I have always loved my hair in a bob, even though it makes me feel 5 years old again, or maybe that is why I like it?

So iv said hello to a new bob and fringe, when playing around with my new camera app on my phone I discovered a green tone lens and I do like the pics and as they came out it reminded me of one of my fav french films ... Amelie!

Now I wish I looked like Audrey Tautou .. but we cant have everything can we girls !? :)

xxx

Sarah's Key

Today is the first time in a little over a week I have made it across the door step , Luckily the old man took pity on me and and took me into town, crutches and all, to be able to go and get my hair cut and enjoy and afternoon at my favourite cinema in Newcastle.

I am an avid fan of Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle and have spent many an afternoon just wondering in through the doors, seeing what film I am on time for and just seeing what I find.

Today was like this, but with mother in tow we settled down in the comfy seats

to await sarah's key to start.

I knew little of this film other than it has been made following the amazing success of the book, and its about a small child in 1942 and the arrest of Jew's in Paris during this time.

A heart wrenching tale of a sisters love for her little brother and determination to escape the camps and go back and get him from the place she told him to hide from arrest.

Finding her brother hasn't survived Sarah goes on to build a life for herself .. marries has a child but sadly feels she cannot go on and ends her life.

The film follows the story of Julia, a journalist who has looked into this time for an article and finds the link as she has moved into the flat in Paris that once belonged to Sarah and her family, the home they were taken from .. and she decides to trace down her life and family.

An emotional journey for Julia and you as a viewer as you re'live the horror of the time.

A must see film, I cried naturally but it is a beautifully moving tale.

xxx

The Time Travellers Wife

So as much as I would liked, I have never been much of a bookworm, I have always liked reading but it would be a novel a year or something shameful like that ... however recently , whether I am just growing up and liking the finer things in life I am enjoying getting my nose into books.

I love a good romance as much as the next girl and I got stuck into the time travellers wife quite quickly, full of will-full love and hope and the trials we go through as couples, it was a heart wrenching read and I must admit this is the first book I have read that reduced me to tears on the final pages.
I think we all somehow relate to a story but this one touched me, and the characters could quite simply be characters from my own story, so whether this is why it moved me so much, I'm not sure, maybe so , or maybe because I am such a hopeless romantic.

Now I have read the book I am eager to watch the film ... a dangerous move I hear you cry .. yes not always the smartest of moves when you love a book so much but I am eager to see if this book in motion is how I pictured it.

If you have not read this book I do suggest you track down a copy, and a box of tissues and settle in for a heart warming story of two lovers lost in a sometimes cruel world.

xxx

Feathers in all their finery

Feathers in all their Finery

As mentioned in a previous entry I have had some interest in my hair collections for a bridal store, however this lady is pretty remarkable in her imagination and my brief is, ''the more creative the better'' ... now as a designer that's like all your Christmas's coming at once.

When designing for a more commercial, everyday market I do have to reign myself in, but now I'm being asked to design more wearable works of art I can let my mind run free.

I have wanted to do a Avant Garde inspired collection for a while and I feel this is my chance.

The pieces will be for sale and the more theatrical will be for rental purpose.

I am super excited to be able to go mad with feathers and other trimmings and come up with some amazing head pieces.

Of course I shall post progress on here and you can give me feedback.

Lets get out the sewing box and get started ...

xxx

BHLDN ... a magical place

On my sisters last trip home and through one of our many chats about her upcoming wedding, she showed me this website and i just fell in love.

BHLDN .. now me and the sister are very similar, both old romantics with a boho - hippy like simplistic idea of a wedding and this site has some amazing things. From stunning dresses to beautiful and natural decorations and trimmings, some I might add I would love to even have in my home!! Having recently been getting involved in bridal design, and trialling a new range, I find this site really inspiring and thought I would share it with you.

xxx

broken bones

photo doesn't look to bad, but my foot is so fat it has no definition around the ankle and slowly turning blue ... how lovely.

It was only last week I was talking to a friend laughing at my time last year when I was on crutches for 6 month for both feet one after each other after accidents on the ice, and how I had done so well to make it to a year with out another one.

I bring a new type of meaning to the word accident prone.

Then hay-presto middle of the night I take a wee tumble and end up in a&e.

I say wee tumble, it was an epic fall and scream that luckily woke up my brother to help me.

7 hours in a&e , 4 x-rays and 2 doctors later iv re'torn an old wound, a lot of muscle damage a sprain and some tiny fractures thrown into the mix.

if you going to do it, you may as well do it properly my mums said, and too true.

So its two weeks off work and bed rest for me which gives me plenty time to give my dear blog some TLC.

xxx