Mermaid Life

I have always loved The Little Mermaid, and was finally given the opportunity to cosplay Ariel this week. I utilised a pair of leggings from Living Dead Clothing, by sewing a faux fin to the bottom of the legs using green chiffon and a mermaid fabric from Spotlight. I pinked the edges and gently shaped the ends so the effect was soft and flowing. It was also relatively easy to move in, but gave the desired effect of a mermaid tail when posed correctly.

I also bought a red wig from eBay, and customised a shell with rhinestones and self-adhesive pearls. As I would be at work I didn't want to wear a purple bikini top, so chose an off-the-shoulder lilac crop from Asos. To complete the look, I chose my usual pinup make up with red brows and a more dramatic winged eyeliner.

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and it was a relatively simple costume. Hope you like it! x

Ariel with her dinglehopper!

Baking Therapy

I have been a bit quiet here for the last couple of weeks, and this day marks the end of an incredibly long and disastrous week. From locking myself out of my apartment, to smashing my phone screen, and dropping my prized Kitchen Aid, my mood has been a little down. I definitely needed some baking therapy but unfortunately my oven has also broken this week! Luckily the promise of baked goods assists in the donation of an oven to use!

I don't think you can go past a perfectly baked scone, with a light fluffy centre paired with whipped cream and strawberry jam, and it's exactly what I fancied eating.

Firstly, thanks to my Mum for this delicious recipe and also the handy hints!

Traditional Scones and Jame

This is an incredibly simple and quick recipe, and you only need a few ingredients. Apologies these measurements are in imperial but you can change them to metric if needed.

You will need:

1 lb Self-raising Flour
1 tsp Salt
4 oz Butter
2 oz Caster Sugar
1/2 pint Milk
Jam and whipped cream to fill.

Firstly pre-heat your oven to 230oC, these treats are baked quickly but at a high heat. You will also need to prepare a lightly greased baking tray.

1. Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

This may take a little while to get to this stage.

2. Add caster sugar and mix lightly. Then incorporate the milk and mix to a soft dough, it may be slightly sticky so you can add a little extra flour if required.

3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead quickly and pat out to approximately 1.5cm thickness.
Note: Do not use a rolling pin, this can cause the dough to become tough and not rise as effectively.

This recipe will make approximately 20 scones

 4. Place scones on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. You can brush the tops with milk/whisked egg but it isn't necessary.

5. Cool on a wire rack, halve and enjoy with whipped cream and jam. I'm also looking forward to trying these with some home made lemon curd.

Top with jam and cream and enjoy!

After a little baking, and some sugar I'm feeling happier and I can look forward to a better week. Let me know if you give these a go. Have a lovely week! x