One of those weeks?!

Hey there!

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel down? Like everything is getting a bit too much? Well, then this is the post for you! ;) I think this week has been like that for me! I've had and done so much work and feel like I haven't even scratched the surface! 

Originally I was going to do a review of 'The Fault in our Stars' and compare the book to the film but because I haven't had any time this week, I haven't been able to write the post and I think it is going to be one that is quite difficult to write as I don't want to give away any spoilers and it needs to be entirely my own views. I will, however, get started on that next week because I think I will have a lot more time and it would come out better than if I had just rush-written it today! It also gives me some more time to do more research into other reviews and different actors in the film version!

I though that because it's been 'one of those weeks' this week I would do a sort of motivating post that may help anyone else who is in the same position or if they just need a little cheering up! :) 

~Music ~ 
Whenever I am feeling a bit blue (or just stressed) I find music helps a lot! I find it just lets me slip into my happy place and block everything else out (which isn't very helpful if you are being called for dinner!). I actually have a playlist on YouTube and one on my phone which are entitled ':)' and I can pick and choose songs from them whenever. I can also add different songs when I find new ones and delete any I don't particularly like anymore!

These are a few of my favourite songs (and videos) and in no way am I saying that my taste in music is the best, these are just some of the songs I like! ;) 

This one is 'Wrong baby wrong' by Martina McBride and I found this one quite recently but I'm really liking Martina McBride's songs right now, ever since I heard the song 'concrete angel'! 

Also this one which is 'Sweet sweet melody' by Katie Sky. I heard this song in the background of a video by Zoella on YouTube and absolutely loved it! It is such an upbeat song and I just think it is cool!

~Quotes~
Sometimes reading some happy and positive quotes help, or at least it does for me! Here are a few of my favourites that I've found recently and thought they were just too nice to leave!

I think this one is great because so often we forget that we don't have to always be perfect (and I am very guilty of doing this myself!) and we are who we are and no-one can change that!

~Comfort~
I have also found that being comfortable helps! Sometimes I like to curl up with a hot waterbottle and blanket and just watch a film or read a book! It can help a lot!

Sorry this post is a little strange and different to what I have done previously but, like I explained at the beginning, this week has been a little hectic! 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Until next time

-G-

X

What's in my bag?

Hey there!

I get a lot of inspiration from other blogs and Youtube (and my own head!) for what to write here but I also like to change whatever it is a little. I like to make it my own and for this weeks post I doing my own take on a 'What's in my bag?'.

My bag is this small 'over-shoulder' bag which was £4 from Primark. I think the colour is very 'in' and works well with a lot of different outfits and colours. 

It has 2 zip-up pockets, one small and one larger, and I think this is great because I feel my belongings are a lot safer if my bag has a zip on it than if it just had the magnetic clasp. The front pocket is quite small so i just keep odds and ends in there, things I always think I may need but never seem to!

There is really pretty detailing along the front flap, it is these really sweet little flowers that give it a touch of decoration but not so much that it's the only thing you see.

So, in the first pocket I have: A Tanya Burr lipgloss in 'Afternoon Tea' The smell of this lipgloss is so amazing and it has a great pigment that lasts a very long time!

I also have a '2true' concealer in shade 3. It gives great coverage but can be quite 'cakey' if it isn't blended properly. For anyone just starting out with makeup I do suggest giving the 2true brand a try because it has some great products while still being very affordable. I think this concealer was £1.99 and they have a liquid concealer too, for the same price.

I think, as you can probably tell, this is my 'emergency' makeup section, I also have this beauty uk eyeliner pencil. The picture doesn't really convey the size but I've used it quite a bit and it is very weeny! (I think I may need a new one!) It is a brown pencil because sometimes black can be slightly too bold and I prefer to do more natural eyes. (It also doesn't show mistakes as much!)

Also in there is a Nivea hydro care lipbalm. It has SPF 15 and does help to hydrate your lips well!

Right, now onto a hair band and some grips. I think every girl must have at least 1 hair grip in her bag because they seem to get everywhere and I am always losing them, having to buy more and then finding the old ones. I actually have a couple of tricks for how to store them so check back in a couple of weeks to find out! ;) 

I also have a small vial (bottle) of perfume. Originally it didn't come in this but I had this sweet little bottle left over from a different smell so I squirted a little in and now keep it in my bag incase I need a top-up on smell! These are very useful as it means you don't have to carry around a huge bottle, the only problem is that I have 'miss-placed' it a couple of times! The perfume I have in it is Britney Spears 'Believe' which i mentioned in my May Favourites post last week.

I don't think this next picture really needs more explanation than this: here is a half eaten pack of polos.

That's it for the small section, now onto the next. Which is a little bit messy!

I have some headphones, they're actually kind of broken because one of the earphones doesn't work but I've had them for a while. It's a record I've had them this long because I always seem to break headphones as soon as I buy them! They were from Tesco and I think £6.

In my bag I like to have a mini impulse spray, I actually don't use it very much but it is nice to have if it is a hot day and I just need to feel a little fresher!

I was actually quite surprised when I was emptying my bag at the amount of stuff I had in it! I also had my phone and purse. I have a blackberry with a blue spotted case that I brought from Ebay but I cant remember who from or how much (I thing it was about £1 something?). It has gone a bit of an odd colour around the rim which is slightly irritating as it is supposed to all be the same colour!

My purse is a Rip Curl one and it is such a soft material! I think it is leather but I'm not sure. Again, I don't know how much it was or where it was from (somewhere in Australia) because I got it for Christmas but I wanted to include it because I love it so much! It has this really pretty 'floral-y' panel at the top and is such a bright colour, which is great because I love bright colours!

And, of course some tissues. You never know when you will need a tissue! (Superdrug - 6 for £1.40 I think)

A little notebook that I brought from a stall at a fate a few years ago. I use it to write lists or blog ideas. You never know when a spontaneous blogging opportunity may arise! It is so cute, size A6 and has these really pretty embroidered flowers on the front!

And of course I need a pencil to write with ;) this is just a plain twist up pencil but it's good because it never needs to be sharpened and I can use it on the go!

I also have a few random items in this pocket too! I have a nail file (emery board) which also has a buffer side to fix any breakages. 

A comb because, well you may need a comb one day and think 'I should have brought my comb with me', I will now never think that. However unlikely that situation is!

Oh, and of course I have another half eaten pack of polos. Because one pack is never enough! ;) I probably forgot i already had a pack in my bag and just chucked some more in *oops!*

So, I think that is it now! Except from this 5p I found at the bottom but I didn't think it was really all that special and probably should have been in my purse!

Now its done! *phew* that was a lot of stuff! Next week's post is going to be a little different because it is going to be a review. Today I am going to see The Fault in Our Stars in the cinema, I think the tissues may come in handy! Because I have also read the book (which I thought was a must before I saw the film) I am going to do a comparison review that incorporates both versions, but don't worry, I will try to keep the tear splotches, sniffing and spoilers to a minimum! 

I hope you liked seeing what kinds of half-random items I had in my bag!

Until next time

-G-

X

Nail Art - Summer spots

Hey there!

This post is going to be a nail art design. This is my own design and you can alter it in any way you like!

You will need:
Nail polish in any colours you like

-I used: Rimmel lasting finish in purple pulse and hot shot, and Barry M colours 'sugar apple', 'greenberrry' and a limited edition one from 2013 that, sadly, I don't think is available anymore!

A tooth pick or nail art tool
Top coat

First, you need to do 2 coats of your chosen base colour, I used Barry M 'sugar apple'. It provides a very good base and is the perfect base colour for a summer nail. 

Then you need to add the first layer of spots. I chose the Barry M colour in 'Greenberry'. It is a very pretty green and the 2 colours mixed together looks very pretty! To do this, I used a nail art tool that I got for £1.50 from Avon, it is very useful but a toothpick can work just as well for the job!

You could just leave the nail like this but if you want to add some more details then keep reading! ;) 

 Next I added the flower with the Rimmel 'Hot Shot'. This is a very bright pink and I thought it would be great for a flower. I also added a spot of purple to the center to add some more details.

I also added some pink and sparkly spots to the background but I think this made it became quite crowded and drew away from the nail. I actually have small pots of different colours that I use to do the art and the end of each is a very small thin brush that is very good for doing details but I don't know where they are from (sorry).

I think I preferred it before but the finished look was still quite pretty! Previously, I have attempted different nail art styles but sometimes I think it is nicer to have different styles every so often!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Until next time

-G-

X

May Favourites

Hey there!

So May has come and gone (very, very quickly!) so I decided to upload a May Favourites post. I see YouTubers doing these videos all the time and I thought 'hey, maybe this would work for a blog post too', so here is my trial run!

These are just a few of the things I loved in May, some of them are beauty related while others are more on the random side! Right, first up is:

Tanya Burr lipgloss in 'Afternoon tea'. I recently did a haul post which included this lipgloss and a small review but I am still absolutely loving this! It has a great pigment and is very shiny. It looks great on and the applicator on the end makes for a very precise finish. Not many lipglossses have any scent but this one does, it is a very sweet smell which makes me think of jelly sweets (in particular strawberry laces) and I really like it, however, it may be a marmite kind of scent. You either love it or you hate it!

Next is TFIOS, or The Fault in Our Stars, and wow this book is amazing! For those of you who haven't read it yet (you probably should) it is a young adult novel narrated by 16 year old Hazel who has stage IV thyroid cancer. She was bought some time by a 'medical miracle' when she was 14 and met 17 year old Augustus Waters at her cancer support group. It was written by John Green who also wrote 'Paper Towns' and 'Looking for Alaska', I think this book is a great read and is quite difficult to explain without giving too much away! It can make you laugh, cry, and even then you want to keep on reading! 

It has also been adapted into a film (which I will be going to see) and is due to be released in the UK on the 19th June.

Next up is 'Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser'. this moisturiser is very light and refreshing for your skin. It has great coverage and I am only on my second bottle in about 6 months so it does last a long time. It is £1.88 (usually £3.79) for 125ml from Superdrug but I really think you do get the most out of your money! The only slight down-side to this product is that when you use it, your skin does stay quite tacky and damp-ish for a while until it dries. There is also a 'Protecting' version but I haven't tried it so I can't really compare the two types but because 'Simple' doesn't use extra additives and things it is suitable for even sensitive skin types.

 

I have also been liking the Britney Spears perfume 'Believe'. It has a very floral and fruity scent which may not be for everybody but I love it! You can buy it in Superdrug (Here) for £15 (usually £30) and it is described as having 'Guava pulp and tangerine, with honeysuckle and linden blossom make this perfume a warm blend of florals and exotic fruits, while the amber and patchouli aroma give this scent a musky and sensual depth'. 

The very precise, angular bottle gives it a very 'cool' look and also a very pretty appearance which is key for something like a perfume bottle!

This favourite is a bit of a weird one because it is orange and mango squash. With this type of juice you mix it with water and it creates a delicious juice that makes water so much nicer, you can buy this bottle from Tesco but also other types from many different supermarkets. I'm not really one for just drinking water or having juice with only one fruit. My style is more along the lines of tropical or summer fruits because I find just plain flavours very boring and same-y! This juice is very refreshing and sweet and I'm not really sure I can just go on and on about juice, so lets leave it there!

Ok, so it sounds a bit cliché but I have been really loving writing this blog! Just a Little Blog has been going for about 6 weeks now and every post I write I feel so happy that I get to share this with you guys! At first I thought it would be a lot more difficult that it actually is so I am going to keep on going and trying to write as many different posts as possible! Thank you for reading! :)

Until next time!

-G-

X

Recipe: Butterfly Cakes Pt 2

Hey there!

So, here is the second part of the butterfly cakes recipe. This post will have a step-by-step guide of how I made these cakes but you are welcome to adapt it in any way! All of the ingredients and equipment needed are in my previous post, which you can read here

Let's get started!

Step 1: 
First up you need to cream together the caster sugar and butter in the large mixing bowl. It needs to be smooth so it is easier to mix in the other ingredients. For this you can use an electric whisk to make it easier and quicker.

Step 2: 

It is a good idea to whisk the egg whites until they are light and fluffy to add more air into the cakes. First separate the egg whites and yolks into two different bowls so you can add the yolk separately later

Step 3:
Next you need to add the egg yolks to the butter and sugar mix and then add the flour (sieving if you want to) mixing as you go with a spoon or electric whisk. 

Step 4: 

The next step is to add in the egg whites and (if you are using it) baking powder. Again you need to whisk this up until it is smooth and everything is mixed in.

Step 5: 
This next step is optional, if you are leaving the cakes plain then you can proceed to step 6 but if you are adding any extras this is the step for you! Here I separated the mixture into two bowls, into one I added a few drops of vanilla essence and into the other the cocoa powder paste I mentioned in the ingredients list.

vanilla       

 chocolate

Step 6:

At this stage you need to spoon the mix into the cake cases. To get a perfect top, I have found the best way is to flatten down the mixture with a spoon so it is all equal and can rise at the same pace.

Step 7:

Now you need to place these in the oven set at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. Be sure to check the cakes frequently so as not to let them burn (which I have done on numerous occasions! *oops*). 

Step 8:
Once the cakes are done you can take them out of the oven (remembering to turn it off if you are no longer using it) and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Step 9: 
whilst the cakes are cooling is a good time to make the icing. You will need to mix together (you can use an electric whisk but bear in mind the icing sugar will cloud up and go everywhere!) the butter and icing sugar in a small mixing bowl.

You can split the mixture into separate bowls if you like, to make different flavoured icing. I made chocolate and vanilla.

Step 10:

This step can be changed to however you what to decorate your cakes but as mine are 'Butterfly' cakes then this is my chosen method. However, you can decide whether to just smooth the icing over the tops of the cakes or actually pipe it on if you wish. You could also use any icing you want to, leave them plain or even dip them in melted chocolate!

First I used a sharp knife to hollow out a medium sized hole on the top of each cake which I proceeded to fill with the butter icing I made whilst the cakes were cooling.

Next I cut the section I had hollowed out in half to create little 'wings' for my cakes. I then placed these back onto the tops of each corresponding cake with the crunchier bit (I'm not sure how else to describe it) on the top to give it a more attractive look.

In total I made 16 cakes which looked super yummy! I put an extra stripe of icing down the center of the 'wings' just to tie it all together and add an extra special touch! :)

The finished result! *yum* 

Don't worry though, I tasted the cakes and they were great! Even if i do say so myself! ;)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and it gave you some ideas for any occasions coming up!

Until next time!

-G-

X

P.S. - Don't be afraid to comment, I would love to here what you think about my blog and any suggestions you may have for future posts. Plus, I don't bite! :)