Christmas Countdown- Outfit of the Day

With only 6 days to go, Christmas is fast approaching. The decorations are up, the turkey is bought and I've almost finished my wrapping! Today's post is my winter outfit of the day which is casual but cool.

Shirt- Next, Jumper- Dorothy Perkins, Shoes- Primark, Necklace- Primark

Love 

Lottie :) x

Christmas Countdown

So it turns out I literally do not have the time to post every single day but here's another Christmassy post to keep you in the festive mood! Today's post features gifts for the boys, be it your dad, brother or boyfriend, these will suit a range of ages and are all under £20! 

#1 Moustache Glasses Holder- handpickedcollection.com

I love this novelty geeky christmas gift which would be great for my dad as he's always losing his glasses! 

#2 Remote controlled Air Lightning helicopter- Debenhams

This is amazing value for what it is as RC toys are usually £30+ whereas this is only £15! 

#3 Wooden Stag Head- Debenhams

The perfect addition to making your home feel more country-fied! I really want one of these, they're so fun and quirky and would look great in any home! 

#4 Rudolph Heat Changing mug- Debenhams

This would be great for a younger sibling or stuff it with chocolate or even a game controller to make it fun for a boyfriend or mate! 

#5 Mixtape USB Stick- Amazon

This would be a great gift for anyone, be it a guy or girl. I love the retro style of this gift which is both handy and would be great to make your own Mixtape for your friend. 

Christmas Countdown Day 7- Gluten Free Gingerbread House

Christmas activities are not just for kids, they're fun for all ages, especially when sweets, biscuit and chocolate are involved! Today my friends and I made a gingerbread house, something that I had never done before and was keen to try! My parents are both gluten free and so I have included a great gluten free recipe which is easy to make with clear instructions! When making it, the quantities of ingredients seems quite vast, but trust me, its worth it! 

My friends and I had great fun decorating this with smarties(great for a path!), edible gold and silver balls, chocolate buttons for roof tiles and lots of icing sugar! To make our Christmas trees, I made stars with the remaining dough that decreased in size and then put them on top of each other. 

Here's the link but I am going to post the method too: http://www.glutafin.co.uk/recipe/gingerbread-house/

Ingredients

Gluten Free Melting Mix:
225g Molasses sugar
225g Golden syrup
225g Butter
3x 5ml tsp Ground mixed spice
2x 5ml tsp Ground ginger

Gluten Free Dried Mix:

975g Glutafin Gluten Free Select Multipurpose White Mix
2 ½  x 5ml tsp Gluten free baking powder
3 x 5ml tsp Xanthan gum
3 Medium eggs

The Icing Glue:
2 Egg Whites
500g Icing Sugar

Method

1. Combine Gluten Free Melting mix ingredients in a covered bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes until melted. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

2. Sift the Glutafin Gluten Free Mix, baking powder and Xanthan gum together and place into the melted mix. Stir in the eggs using a wooden spoon and then by hand. Bring together to make a sticky ball of biscuit dough.

3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

4. On a floured surface flatten the dough into a 2cm thick round, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. To make the gingerbread house, first make templates with paper to the following dimensions - front and back panels 12.7 x 17.7cm. Two side panels 12.7 x 15.2cm. Two roof panels 11.4 x 17.7cm with a gable end. This template is referenced from referenced http://uktv.co.uk/download/uktvfood_gingerbread_template.pdf.

6. Place a piece of parchment on a work surface dust with flour and roll out a quarter of the dough to 5mm thick. Place one of the paper templates on top and with a sharp knife cut around. Repeat the process with the other templates using the remaining dough and rolling up the trimmings – until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels.

7. Carefully move the pieces on their baking parchment to baking trays and bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and allow stand for a few minutes to firm up. Cut out a door on the front wall and windows on the side walls and reserve the cut-out pieces for later. Place on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn over and peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

8. To make the icing ‘glue’: Place the egg whites and sift in the sugar, stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a small star-shaped nozzle.

9. To assemble the house Pipe generous lengths of icing along the vertical edges of the gingerbread walls. Using a bowl to support the walls from the inside – prop up the walls and hold the sides gently in place with your hands until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at least 30 minutes until the icing is set.

10. Once dry remove the supporting bowl and pipe a line of icing along one long side of the roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. Leave to dry for 30 minutes.

11. While the roof is drying attach the door to the doorway with icing so it looks slightly ajar. Stick a small piece of ‘flake’ chocolate into the roof as a chimney.

Love 

Lottie :) x

Christmas Countdown Day 6

This isn't a Christmassy post but I just love this hairstyle, it's pretty easy to do and gets your hair out of the way when you need to rush about.

To create this hairstyle I created a side parting and swept all of my hair over to one side. I then started slightly back from the front of my hair and created a french braid all the way down, adding sections of hair each time. When creating my braids I plait the hair towards the back as I feel this is the most effective way of keeping my layers tightly in. 

Christmas Countdown Day 5

NO! I missed a day on my blogging streak, but alas I will post twice today to make up for it and then hopefully I'll be back on track!

Today's post is all about gifts for the ladies, be it your best friend, mum, sister or auntie, these gifts would be suitable for anyone.

Sometimes, I really struggle thinking what to get someone when I know I've bought them clothes or beauty products almost every year, which can get a little boring. So for something slightly different, my first gift pick is a cushion from the luxury British store, Cath Kidston. For anyone that doesn't know, this shop creates high quality bags, clothes and home furnishings, designed with cute prints and beautiful patterns. Granted, the products are usually very expensive, but if you look hard enough, you're sure to find a bargain!

#1 London Cushion Cover- Cath Kidston
I love the cute typically British design of this cover which is perfect for adding a touch of fun and colour to any plain room. (Available in white or blue)

#2 Nutella Recipe Book- thepresentfinder.co.uk

Almost all of my friends LOVE Nutella, so I'm sure some of yours do to! This gift is great for anyone who loves baking or is just obsessed with the chocolatey spread. At £8.99 it may seem a little expensive for only 30 recipes but I've had a look elsewhere on line and you get it new for about £5 on Amazon!

#3 Red Polka Dot Little Book of Earrings- Amazon

Having seen this, I myself really want one of these earring holder books! If like me you have loads of earrings that are all sitting in a box getting jumbled up, this book is a perfect holder to keep each stud neatly arranged and visible, and it's compact size means its great for travelling too! (Comes in a variety of colours)

Hope this post was helpful for anyone having a present mind block!

Love

Lottie :) x

Christmas Countdown Day 4

"On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." a fashionable scarf to keep me warm! Everyone loves wearing scarves,  they keep you warm and can sometimes be the perfect touch to make an outfit. With this is mind I have decided to do my top 4 scarves from the high street this season.

#1 The Tartan Scarf- New Look
I received this scarf for my birthday back in October and love it for its on trend style, shape and design.  Not only is it lovely and warm,  you get 2 scarves in one featuring a tartan side and a dog tooth print on the other.  Available in red or blue tones (or be my mum and buy both! )
#2 Stockwell Scarf- Jack Wills This scarf is perfect for wearing all year round, it's pretty feathered pattern adding elegance to any outfit, meaning it is even great for posh dinner parties.
#3 AMANDIE COLOUR BLOCK FRINGED TASSLE SCARF- Miss GuidedI love the vibrant colour of this scarf, matched perfectly with the slate grey which is subtly flecked within the yellow. This scarf will help make your monochrome outfit pop and will brighten up any dreary winter day. #4 Staring at Stars Knitted Snood- Urban OutfittersThis is a perfect seasonal addition to your wardrobe; it's warm colour the perfect wintery colour palette and the Nordic print adding a touch of festivity to an outfit.  

Christmas Countdown Day 3

Jewellery is always a great gift to give at Christmas but I always used to hate having to wrap it up leaving a chunk out of the wrapping paper. To resolve this, the bible of Pinterest showed me an easy way to wrap jewellery and make it presentable!

(Above image is from Pinterest and is not my own)

Love 

Lottie :) x

Christmas Countdown Day 2

I'm sticking to my word so far with my Christmas countdown in which I'm attempting to post everyday in the run up to Christmas!

Today's post is about something I cherish close to my heart.... BREAKFAST!  I almost always have porridge for breakfast which I'm sure a lot of people would find boring. However, today I am going to show you how to spice up your porridge with the warming flavours of Chai, perfect for keeping the cold wintery breezes away. If you've never had a Chai Latte (where have you been all your life? Go to Starbucks/ Costa immediately and go and buy one!) it basically consists of hot milk with lots of spices like cinnamon and cardamom to give you an amazing kick of loveliness!

To make this amazing yet healthy breakfast you will need:
180ml semi-skimmed milk
4 Tablespoons of Porridge Oats
4 Teaspoons of Chai Latte mix
1 Small saucepan
1 Banana (optional)

Firstly, scoop your 4 tablespoons of porridge oats into the saucepan

Measure out 180 ml of milk and pour this into the saucepan with the oats.

Next add 4 teaspoons of Chai Latte mix (available in most supermarkets)...

and put the ring on at a medium-high heat.

Stir well to combine all ingredients.

Lower the heat. 

Now you can put the lid of the saucepan on but remember to keep coming back to stir so that it doesn't burn! 

When the porridge is much thicker in consistency, you're finished!

To make the porridge extra delicious, I added chopped up banana and sprinkled some granola on top! Enjoy!

love

Lottie ;) x 

Christmas Countdown

I can't believe its been 3 months since I last posted! I've been inundated with coursework since starting my Foundation Art course but am back for Christmas in which I am going to 'attempt' to do a blog post everyday on the run up for Christmas Day (we shall see how successfully this goes...). In this countdown I will be posting mostly Christmassy things such as DIY's, fashion posts and probably quite a lot of Pinterest inspos!

Okay, because 'tis the season to be jolly' my first Christmas post is welcoming the return of the Christmas jumper, something I get far too over excited about and am always tempted to wear before December.... Below I have shown you guys a really simple way of wearing your Christmas knits without just wearing denim jeans.

When i went outside i just added a blue gilet (body warmer) and wore my Caterpillar boots to keep my toes warm! Adding a bobble hat completes the look, making you appear like you've just walked out of a Jack Wills shoot! ;)

See you tomorrow! 

love 

Lottie :) x