Favourite Things: Easter

Happy Easter to you all!I wore bunny ears today, I wore these out egg rolling a few years ago and an old man called me "Playboy bunny". I was offended. No such comments today though. Winner.

My mum made this super cute nest decoration this year,  it's even pimped out with flowers and a lovely moss carpet. My mum has the best decorations for holidays, she also decorated our "holiday twig" that changes between holidays. Right now it is covered in eggs and little birds. You are cute mum.

This is my Easter Egg this year! Remember my last Favourite thing post? I joked that if anyone was to get me an Easter Egg I would be very happy with the Hotel Chocolat Rocky Road egg and obviously I have been a good girl this year. Boyfriends mum and dad sent me the exact one! So I am predictable, but happy. I hope you all got your dream egg too!

What did you do this Easter Sunday?

With love from,

Emma x

Nobody loved Laura. Just us.

(Silk plaid skirt: TBA, Cashmere sweater: Primark, Floral Saddle shoes: Rachel Antonoff for Bass: Free People, Purse and gold necklace: Vintage)

Anyone else a Twin Peaks fan, I hope so otherwise I will seem crazy? My favourite character is Audrey Horne (and Shelly, oh! oh! maybe the log lady too) so I spent a day posing as her, without the cigarettes. I also have the eyebrow mole so we are pretty much the same person... Anyway, these photos were taken at an old abandoned saw mill in our area, so as sad as it is, I dressed up for a day out. Shameless.

I got this TBA skirt a while ago. I heart TBA, but where did they go!?!?! I think the quality of their items and the fact that all their items are made of such nice fabrics, almost justifys their prices. Does anyone know where you can get TBA online anymore? I know they pulled out of ASOS and Urban Outfitters, maybe I'll just have to frequent eBay.

How cute are these Saddle shoes? I can't wear them like Rory Gilmore and they make my feet look huge (like boats) but they are fun regardless.

Anyway, here is a Bastille song about the main (maybe not main as she is dead in the pilot) character. It's a good song, and people like Bastille. 

 

With love from,

Emma x

White Tutu Skirt 3 ways

So, I bought this skirt of eBay recently as I am huge sucker for a skirt with a good spinning radius and I thought I would share three different ways that I would wear it, maybe in the summer since not one of these outfits have sleeves...

Outfit one:

 (Skirt: eBay, Top: Free People, Belt: Peter Jensen, Hairband: Topshop (but check etsy), Wedges: Topshop, Socks: ASOS, Above Knuckle ring: Fashionologie)

Outfit Two:

(Skirt: eBay, Flag tee: Forever21, Belt: Karl Lagerfeld, Shoes: Topshop Unique, Gypsy hoops: Primark)

Outfit Three:

(Skirt: eBay, Strange combat vest thing: ASOS, Platforms: Marni x H&M, Necklace: House of Harlow, Lipstick: Mac "Cyber") 

This skirt is contagiously fun, maybe too much fun. Boyfriend was getting increasingly frustrated at my inability to stay still while taking these pictures (Sorry for all the blurs, but if you have ever had a skirt like this you will understand). This skirt is a bit of a statement in itself so making each outfit look really different was a challenge, but did you enjoy seeing my "styling" of the skirt with three different tops...? Which is your favourite?

With love from,

Emma x

Favourite Things

1. Masterchef snacking. It seems I couldn't wait just over a week to eat these babies. They are from Hotel Chocolat and oh my. To describe it adequately this box did not last more than 15 minutes after opening, including the photographs. Get yours here, also available in John Lewis. And if anyone loves me this Easter...pweeealse? I will give you one of my tiddely chicks? Equally a cadbury's one would be good two, I have already eaten two creame egg Easter eggs.

2. Uhm, another bra, sorry guys, but this one has ponies on it. Mysterious. Made by the rather erotic sounding brand: Yes Master. They sell in Topshop and UO, I have my eyes on this pony clad bikini currently. Also, pretty necklaces! A Forever 21 just opened in Glasgow, after making our way through the lack of crowds and queues I came out with these necklaces and a pretty jacket that is, as we speak. face first in my "embellishment" sewing box, it will not emerge the same.

 3. Actually caring about my skin. Well, I still don't try that hard but I have started using this product for a week or so and I have noticed a difference in dryness as well as redness and inflammations. I am currently loving this, it smells great and I actually feel like I am taking off my make up. I use Waterproof mascara so it is no end of difficult to get off!

What are your favourite things this week?

With love from,

Em x

She doesn't even go here

(Snowdrop playsuit worn as a top: Topshop, Suede cut out skirt: Vintage via Etsy, Belt: Miu Miu, Shoes: Zara, Bag: Mulberry, Plaid Coat: ASOS, Jewellery Misc)

That eternal question has been answered for me, what does my hair look like from the back? Results aren't great, looking a bit like uncommitted dreads if I am being honest with myself.

I spent my day visiting my friend in Stirling, Stirling University's campus is the nicest. So what if the buildings themselves are ugly, that collegial image of reading your university book while looking out over a nice view while surrounded my the universities Rugby team can be realised here. But yeah, I don't study here, I am a Stirling University fraud. If anyone gets my title I cyber salute you and your movie quote skillz.

This playsuit is from Topshop and the length is pretty stupid, a major butt displayer which is never really ideal, so more often than not a skirt gets chucked over the top. I would love for Topshop just to add a good inch or two to the bottom of every item they sell. Not everything has to show my bum cheeks to everyone, I mean, I live in Britain, not Magaluf where, according to Sun, Sex and Suspicious parents, getting your bum out in public is actually openly encouraged. 

With love from,

Emma x

French Macaroons

 Infamous Macaroons, I REALLY struggle when making them, I used this book and they never worked using these recipes. The mix was always too runny and all it was helpful with was diagnosing what I had done wrong, not overly helpful. I have tried both the French and Italian methods for making Macaroons and I do not recommend the Italian version, I found it impossible, it was like a chemistry class not baking fun. Anyway, for these Macaroons I used  this recipe and I found it worked quite well.

Ingredients:

140g egg whites
70g caster sugar
230g icing sugar
120g ground almonds
pinch of salt

So tips to start, older eggs work better than fresh eggs and climate apparently makes a difference so if you are doing a lot of baking in one day I would start with the meringue base because baking other things before whipping your egg whites will make your kitchen humid and might effect the rising of the meringue. Macaroons are such women, so fussy and difficult. Anyway, recipe:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C

Weigh egg whites into a bowl (I used a metal one because I heard it helped the meringue hold it's shape more) and whipped with electric mixer while adding the caster sugar gradually. I stopped once it made stiff peaks, you could hold it upside down over your head but that is optional.

 In a separate bowl I sifted the ground almonds, icing sugar and salt twice, ensuring that this dry mixture was well mixed. Then fold the dry mix into the egg whites, only mixing between 30-50 times because apparently this matters. The mixture should remain viscous and not too runny as well as smooth. Then carefully place the mixture into a piping bag trying to limit how much air you lose.

I highly recommend this Silicone mat for the Macaroons (seen above). I ensures that the Macaroons are uniform in size, and I don't know about anyone else but I can make the mix but I can never get the Macaroons off the baking parchment, this mat is amazing as they just peel off and it really easy to clean. I actually tested this mat out by piping some of the same Macaroon mix onto baking parchment and well as on the mat and the parchment ones did not work at all, they just fused to the paper. So for people, like me, that have not cracked the Macaroon this aid is amazing as all your efforts will not be wasted.

Once on the mat or baking parchment tap the tray on the table to get out air bubbles and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes. This recipe is good, ones I have tried previously asked the macaroons to be rested for 30 minutes to give them a foot, others told me to leave the oven door slightly open... I didn't do any of this and the Macaroons still had a foot. 

I made a chocolate ganache filling, to do this just warm 30ml of double cream in a saucepan and add 100g of dark chocolate to the cream and mix until combined. If you were fancy you could pipe the ganache in, I didn't, a spoon worked pretty well!

If anyone makes them, take a picture and tag me on Instagram (Highland_Fling) so I can see them! I'd love that!

With love from,

Emma x

The pretty lies, the ugly truth

Marina and the Diamonds: Teen Idle

(Stripe/ Floral top: Primark, Gold tip skirt: Zara, Belt: Karl Lagerfeld, Brown wedges: Topshop, Purse: Mulberry) #teenvogue

Got some high definition goosebumps going on there. My poor legs suffer so much, I really should just wear tights.

This belt was oh so much of a bargain. When I used to volunteer in my local charity shop I was tasked with going through their stock, tidying it up and organising it. I came across this belt and a Ralph Lauren one in a tangle of pleather belts. Promptly telling the ladies that these two belts were actually worth some money I watched her mark it up at £5 so bought it with an extra donation. I loved volunteering in that charity shop, it was great fun, the older ladies were adorable and some of the donations were hilarious. 

Also a bit of a bargain was this top from Primark, it looks very Topshop and if it was in Topshop it would be 7 times the price. I rarely go in Primark because I find it really stressful. But me and my friend sucked it up and had a go. I mainly came out with mens clothes... for a DIY that I started today. I did notice that Primark is now not so much of a bargain, it is now pretty similar pricing to Forever 21 and H&M, it is good that the child labour they must have previously been using are now getting a better wage.

With love from,

Emma x