Wednesday 29 June 2016

June Favourites

Hello, another month is now coming to an end. Just a heads up July is massively busy work wise, so the blog may be slightly neglected, but I am hoping for lots of content come August with my LA trip coming up. Enough of that lets look back at the month of June.

Asos Stripey T-shirt w/ eyes

This is essentially a Lazy Oaf rip off, but hey everywhere is doing it and it was like £9 in the sale. I have been wearing it all of the time, so much in fact that when I wanted to photograph it for this post, it wasn't quite in the state to be doing that. Outfit post coming soon to show you how I style it.

How to get away with Murder

A law/crime series on Netflix, starring Viola Davis with crippling twists and turns, outstanding acting leaves you aching to find out what happens next. Season 1 stops on such a cliff hanger, and I urgently require the appearance of Season 2, PLEASE. Best TV show I've watched this year.

Orange is the New Black - Season 4

Anyone else waited a whole year for season 4 praying it would be better than season 3. This series was significantly more dark and intense then the previous 3. Definitely my favourite yet. Without spoiling the ending, I had to lie in my bed in silence gathering my feelings so I could carry on with life.

Tom O'dell The Wrong Crowd

I cannot stop listening to his, its going to be the soundtrack of my summer. The next time I'm near HMV I'm picking up a CD to have in my cat, thats when you can tell I really like an album. At the moment I think my favourite song is Sparrow, but that changes on a daily basis.

My Favourite Photo

This photo is from the start of June, when we had a spontaneous picnic between shows and the weather was perfect!

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Wednesday 22 June 2016

No Longer Eating Meat?!

Hello, today I am talking about a major change in my life. I have decided to become Pescatarian. Basically that means I have stopped eating meat, including my beloved Pigs in Blankets. Shock horror I know.

All my life I have been a big meat eater, one of my death row meals would've been a nice juicy burger, most possibly containing bacon, or bacon and maple syrup pancakes.

Becoming pescatarian is something I've been contemplating, becoming vegetarian or vegan right now isn't viable for me currently. If circumstances change and its something I want to do, then it may well happen.

So why all of a sudden have I decided this? To be honest, last Sunday I was cutting into my pork chop at lunch time and it just felt wrong, an action I no longer wanted to do. Stopping eating meat has always been on the horizon since approx 10 year old me banned the eating of lamb following a visit to Wroxham barns.

Another decision I've made is to be more conscious about the beauty products I use. From now on I will do my absolute best to use cruelty free beauty products. After all what is the point in testing products on animals if we're going to use them anyway. Animal testing is a huge problem, I don't want my personal vanity to make another beings life a misery. Here is a useful link if you want to follow suit.

I hope to be uploading a vegetarian What I Eat in a Day fairly soon on my YouTube channel.

Thanks for popping by!
xxx


Saturday 18 June 2016

Pineapple Upside Down Cake | Recipe

Hello, I feel like a pineapple upside down cake is a bit of a mystery to millennials... anywho the other week my friend Hattie wanted one made for her leaving do and I was more than happy to oblige. I searched the internet for the simplest recipe. I settled for this Nigella one. Yes I didn't include the cherries, I know.
Ingredients
Butter for greasing
2tbsp sugar
5-6 slices tinned pineapple in juice
100g plain flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
100g soft butter
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs

Method
Pre heat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan. Butter a 23cm cake tin (ideally not loose bottomed cheeky )
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of sugar on base, and put pineapple on the bottom - like a flower
Then literally the all in one method with the ingredients until you get a standard cake batter.
Adding a couple of tbsp pineapple juice.
Poor into the tin.
Bake for 25-30 mins.
Turn out.
Bob's you uncle, easy AF.

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Hello, this week we have Father's Day looming. I feel like Dad's can be a bit hard to buy for unless you're going down the sock route. Today I have a selection of gifts at all different price points depending on how crazy you want to go.

Gadget Lover
Expensive - apple watch


Cheaper - Portable phone charger

The Cook - Jamie's Comfort Food

The Big Kid - star wars lego, or any lego lets be honest

The Geek - Mensa test

The Lazy Gift  - amazon gift card

In addition or as a standalone I am certain that some baking of their favourite cake wouldn't go a miss either. Everybody loves a good cake.

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Saturday 11 June 2016

June Fitness Update

Hello everyone. I think I am literally the worst person continuity wise with any kind of fitness routine. Between late February and mid April I had stopped exercising and was eating more. I saw myself in Tess' hen do pictures I was tagged in on Facebook and I couldn't bare the sight of myself. A mixture of that and watching the London Marathon (in London) gave a massive kick up the arse. A massive kick.

For about the last month I have been going to the gym twice a week. Once for cardio where I try and test out how much I can sweat. Secondly for strength where I do a mixture of floor weight free exercises and then on the machines.

I also try to go on Two runs a week (I use the word run loosely). I'm working towards being able to run at a semi decent pace a 10K at some point next year. I am doing a shorter 2K and a (slightly) longer run of around 3K, which I will slowly increase, some weeks doing an extra if I feel like it. For runs I use the Nike Running App which I couldn't recommend highly enough.


Those are my 'hardcore' days. On off days I try to go for a walk or have a yoga session just in my room. Or if I go into town I will cycle, exercising and saving money. A combination I like a lot.

That is what I am currently doing. I will like a couple of similar posts, which will prove my inconsistent nature towards working out.

May Fitness Update (from last year)

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Nude and Gold | Nails

Hello! Today I am still on the wedding hype, here's another post on it. To be fair it would be rude just to bung these nails on the end of another post (even if I do say so myself).

Products used: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee, Ciate in carousel and Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail in Crystal Clear.
I think the nails whilst being glittery are still pretty understated. This combination will look good for a good 5 days at least and minor chips are pretty unnoticeable #score.

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Saturday 4 June 2016

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Theatre Review

Hello, today I thought I would share my thoughts on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang .

On paper the musical had the makings of a great musical. A fabulous cast, classic songs and based on a classic childhood film and a FLYING car. However Chitty the musical left me some what underwhelmed.
Lets start with the positive there were some great ensemble numbers such as the The Bombie Samba. I have to give credit to Boris and Goran the Vulgarian Spies in numbers such as Act English which did make me chuckle.

Nevertheless there were no 'wow' moments, nothing that took my breath away. Whether that was an electric moment between characters, a special effect that made me wonder how they did something or someones voice being outstanding. Instead it was just all very nice and safe.

An example of safeness was Me Ol' Bamboo, billed as a 'big tap number'. Tap can be spectacular, so I was pretty pumped when my mum pointed that out in the programme. There really wasn't a huge amount of tap in it, nor any complicated tap. I just feel more could've been done with that scene. Carractus was trying to hide from an angry customer, I'm sure a hilarious chase scene could've been choreographed.

Don't get me wrong this is a very slick production, its clear to see all the actors are good. This production is perfect for children but unlike other productions aimed at similar demographic there really wasn't much for the "big children" (me) to enjoy.

Looking at other reviews I'm not sure I was watching the same show, maybe the cast had an off day?

Thanks for popping by!
xxx

Wednesday 1 June 2016

May Favourites

Hello, its an end of another month, would you believe it! May has been quite an exciting month, one of my best friends got married, it was my Mum's birthday and I saw Chitty the Musical in Nottingham. One to my favourite things

This month I have a couple of beauty favourites, the first being...

NYX Matte Lip Creme in Istanbul - this is my ultimate pink for the lips. I have been searching high and low for quite a long time and never quite succeeding in my quest. This is matte, it compliments my skin tone and is really comfortable on my lips.

Secondly the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee. This is an absolutely gorgeous nude, it really suits my pale hands with their slight yellow undertones. It doesn't make my hands look dead and I am really impressed with the lasting power, especially when paired with Maybelline Super Stay 7 Topcoat.

My fashion favourite are my topshop boot/sandal hybrid. You will have see them in my Wedding Guest OOTD post. They're understated, chic and give me a little bit of a height boost. They work with a pretty dress or for dressing up a jeans and t-shirt outfit.


The Bodyguard, a show I thought I would quite like - I ended up loving. I watched a matinee with Rachel John playing the part of Rachel Marron. Her voice oh my gosh was just outstanding. This was a high energy production, full of classic Whitney songs, the story was engaging throughout. A total spectacle backed up with superbly talented cast.

An App I never thought I would be including in a favourites post is the Nike Running App, that is because I have got into running. I'm not great and there is still some walking involved. I have now been going on a 'run' twice a week for 5 weeks, and I am starting to notice the difference. At the gym on the treadmill 5 minutes used to be a challenge but now I can keep going for 20 minutes and I must say I am very proud of myself.

It's been a while since I have started watching a new YouTuber. Allana is predominantly a beauty vlogger from Canada, however this month she has done EveryDay May uploading a mixture of vlogs and beauty videos. She is very likeable and easy to watch up, not to mention she is gorgeous.

My favourite photo
Taken on Marston Marshes.

And now for an announcement. *drum roll* I'm going to LA in August which is so exciting. So in August expect lots of exciting posts, outfits, lifestyley, disney, restaurants reviews and hopefully a British Girl tries American Candy video, you know all that good stuff. Until then, I am on a spending ban.

Thanks for popping by,
Katrina