NOTD

Matt Green

I was so happy when I found this green the other day. I bought it in Australia in Kmart I think but haven't been able to find it since I got home. While looking through a makeup bag I haven't used since being away I found it, you would think I would have looked there to begin with but actually forgot all about it. I used two coats of the green then one coat of the Matt top coat. I have the Matt top coat for ages and like to use it from time to time. I don't think it suits every colour to be honest, some look great but some just look crap. It does however dry fast enough and always amuses me to see it turn the shinny colours to Matt. The BC Co. also drys very quick compared to others. It has chipped a bit today but I blame my bag for that. It only cost about $2 so I think it's a good nail polish for the price, the Matt top coat wasn't that much either.

What I Used

BC Co. shade 22 

Essence matt top coat

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Gluten Free Cupcake Recipe

Here is my Gluten free cupcake recipe. It's very easy to make and they turn out lovely, you would hardly know the difference.
Just Add a bit of buttercream to decorate.

Baking

One of my biggest hobbies is baking. I've always loved baking and think it's just something that runs in my family. A lot of my family bakes, Grandparents, parents, Aunty's, sisters, the lot. Most of what I have learnt over the years have come from my Mam. When I was little she would make wedding cakes. She has always made us birthday cakes and her brown bread gets baked almost daily still. A few years ago my older sister found out she was Celiac, this means she cant have gluten ( wheat, barley, rye....) It was really difficult at the time to find a lot of gluten free foods such as pizza (that didn't fall apart before baking it), Pies, breads, cakes and basically anything. So over the years I've tried out recipes but never completely successful. This is why I started to work out my own. It really thought me lots about different ingredients and measurement and how to create recipes. I don't just bake gluten free I also bake with gluten, but not for my sister. I like to bake for family events and friends. I do get asked from time to time to make certain cakes for different people. Her are some of the cupcakes and cakes that I have made over the last year or two. 

Cupcakes

Cakes

My younger sister also bakes and has even started to make tutorials on You Tube you can find her HERE. She is hoping to start her own baking business in the future.

More information about my cakes and cupcakes can be found on my baking blog called Neads Kolourful Cakes. I have even entered one of my cakes into a competition on facebook to see how to vote for it click HERE. I will also start posting yummy recipes on my blog including Gluten free recipes so keep and eye out if you are interested in trying anything new out. 

NOTD

What I used

Y.C.C nail enamel 114

Essence colour & go quick drying nail polish 21 Fabuless

I love glittery nails and really love this black and silvery one. I bought it a while ago at a beauty show but have only used it once or twice. I also got it in blue and a similar one in pink which I like to use all the time. I used the Essence nail polish first as a base then applied two coats of the Y.C.C glittery polish. I've used the Y.C.C polish before without using the black underneath and it didn't look as good. The Essence quick drying polish is actually quick drying which is great since I've bought some others before saying they where quick drying but they look forever to dry. I have been wearing it all day and even done the washing up and a bit of food preparation and it still has yet to chip .. this makes me very happy :) .

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Australia

The Story

I recently spent a month in Australia. I went with my sister and first flew to Sydney to stay with family. We had a very bumpy flight to Sydney and had a few delays as well as a diversion as we where low on fuel and couldn't land in Sydney, then had to refuel and go back. Well a bit late but we got there and our Aunty, Uncle and two of our Cousins where there waiting for us. As soon as we got to the house we had dinner and a few drinks . It was lovely to finally be in their house and drinking a beer and continuing where we left it in June when Brian had come to Visit haha. After a week we travelled to Brisbane and stayed in a hostel there for ten days. We where sad to leave and go back to Sydney as we where having so much fun but we had a ball as soon as we got back to Sydney. We stayed in the city for a night before heading back to where our family lives outside the city. The weather was gorgeous and everything went great everything but my cousin who  fell in the first week we were there and broke her ankle. It was a bad break and very pain full so she had to keep it up and take it easy for awhile. We did have a great time relaxing and taking it easy with her and got to spend a lot of time with her as she was unable to attend school. I got to hold a Koala at the sanctuary in Brisbane. We went the day before we left there with one of our room mates that was also from Ireland. When in Sydney we went to palm beach or "Summer Bay " haha. We are big home and away fans so where very happy. We went for a family bike ride with one of my cousin and my uncle. It was a great day I've always wanted to go on a bike and so had my sister so we really enjoyed it. Paddy's day was on the last weekend we where there and we all went out to a local place for it that was holding a big event. It was a great day and night and the cocktails where great too ( jugs of sex on the beach yuumm). We also went to the aquarium on one of our last days and saw sharks and lots of other fish that I didn't even know about. We even saw penguins :). They where so small and cute. I wanted to take one home with me. That same day we went to a pie place about an hours drive from where we where with our cousin and his friend then to an arcade. It was very sad leaving after the month was over and the journey home was so long, but I definitely think I would like to go back for the years working visa. I know I would enjoy it as much as I did this time so now I just have to save hard and figure out when I can go. 

The Pictures

.... More Pictures

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Yummy Green Smoothie

This is my smoothie that I like to have for breakfast I'm trying to be a bit more healthy lately so trying to have it everyday. I would make it all the time until my blender broke a while back but thankfully my Mam and Dad got me a new one for my birthday. I am a bit devastated to think that I've gotten to a stage in my life where a kitchen appliance as a birthday gift is a perfect idea. I was actually delighted to get it haha. It may look strange but it tastes lovely so I've decided to share the recipe. It is really easy to make and makes a lot so if you would only like a taste only use half of what I suggest.

Green Smoothie

1 small cup ( I use a tea cup) Green Tea

Two hand fulls of spinach 

One hand full of strawberries (I use frozen but fresh is also great)

One hand full of pineapple diced

One small banana (I use the kids size or a half of a big one)

Make the green tea as the instructions say and let cool..

Add the spinach and green tea to the blender and mix until smooth and not lumpy.

Add the strawberries and blend again. It may change colour slightly but that's ok.

Now add the pineapple and the banana and blend until it is creamy and smooth. 

Ice can be added to make it really cold but as I use frozen strawberries I don't add any.

Pour it into a nice tall glass and enjoy with a straw.

Vovs Jewellery

Vovs Jewellery is a new jewellery blog run by Siobhán. She has been making jewellery since she was a child and trained as a silver and gold smith. Since creating her blog in January 2013 it has had almost 5000 hits and a nice following of almost 50 followers. She has been published in two magazines so far this year which you can have a look at here in the blogs Scrapbook. Vovs jewellery is also taking part in an event called "Bead soup blog party" started and run by Lori Anderson. Vovs jewellery has also had a tutorial posted on Craft Gossip. The blog is full of tutorials to help beginners and other jewellery makers learn new skills. More of vovs tutorials can be found on Cut Out and Keep and on You Tube.

Here is some of the jewellery made by Vovs Jewellery that has been made for me and that I love.

The gold Gossip Girl inspired necklace

Find out the inspiration, ideas,bead searching and how it was made  HERE .

Purple Glass Pearls

Find out the story behind this piece and how it was made HERE

Byzantine Bracelet

You will find a tutorial for this bracelet HERE and the story behind the making of it HERE .

Gorgeous Pearl Necklace 

Check out Vovs jewellery blog for fantastic tutorials and lots more. 

You can also find her on twitter here Tweet Tweet or pinterest here Pin Pin

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NOTD and New Bag

The Nails

Nail polish I'm wearing is glo Baby Glo! from Penny's that I have had for about a year now I really like the colour but cant seem to find it anymore so am on the look out for a similer colour. The second colour is Essence colour and go 67 make it golden. It took two coats to get this much gold glitter on my nails. I think maybe 3 would be good but I don't usualy do 3 coats of any nail polish. I like how the colours look together. I usualy do this but with pink and gold but think the greeny kind of colour looks a little nicer. This is done on my left hand with my right which is usualy a little neater then this but I hurt it a few months ago and is still a little unsteady. My right hand is done a lot better then this but I broke a nail so wouldn't take a photo of it as one is much shorther then the rest. 

The Bag

I love everything about this bag It has two of my favourite colours at the moment which is Gold and Mint green. I used to have a bag very like to this but a bit bigger and in cream. I loved that bag but unfortunately my sister borrowed it for a night out and it didn't exactly come home in one piece ( it came home in two). I bought this bag in Penny's for €5, not sure if I like the bag or the price tag better! It's not very big which is usually what I look for in a bag. My purse is quite big and wont fit in it, but that's ok because I always have too much junk in big bags and would like to change to a smaller bag for a little while. It would be nice if I could look in my bag and find what I was looking for with out have to empty the contents of my bag on the nearest table or even the floor, which is becoming a bit of a habit and kind of embarrassing in some situations. When ever I see someone else in a shop or on the street doing that I always think Oh God is that how I look!! Basically I am just trying to look a little less crazy these days (not sure how well that's going so far)

Getting Ready To Travel

My New Bag 

I love this bag and can't wait to use it. This has wheels and a handle to pull along or it has a zipped section on the back that contains two strapes to use it as a backpack. It also has loads of pockets, I love that about bags. I bought one just like this for my sister for Christmas knowing she would use it on our trip to Australia. I got her a beige and purple one with the same design as this one. she loved it and I liked it so much I got myself one. Kind of wanted to kick myself for not getting one at the same time as it was more expensive when I went to buy it. But I still love it and it will be very handy for going travelling for acouple of weeks in Australia.

My Travel Essentials

Book ~ One fifth avenue By Candace Bushnell

Black Organisher 

Travel Pillow ~ Penny's

Toothbrush ~ Boots

Make up remover wipes ~ Penny's

Lip balm ~ Marks and Spencers

Toothpaste ~ Boots

Mouthwash ~ Boots

Sudocrem ~ Not sure

Deodorant ~ Boots

Dry shampoo ~ Boots

I got the book ages ago but never got around to reading it which is strange because I usualy love her books. Anyway what a better excuse to finaly get around to reading a book then being stuck on a plain for about 22 hours. I'm not a very good flyer so it will keep me occupied. My organiser has all my flight, travel, accomadaiton and insurance details it also contains all my contact details just incase I was to lose anything or need to contact anybody. I like to be organised just incase. I love that travel pillow and am not going to lie but I did use it once or twice while watching tv. I actualy could fall asleep with it even though it looks awkward and uncomfortable. I cant go anywhere without make up remover wipes and the best ones that I have found for my skin is the ones from Pennys, sometimes cheaper is better. I think I got everything else in Boots except the lip balm, I got that in Marks and Spencers a little while ago.

My Suitcase Essentials 

Microfibre towel 

Bathroom bag

Hair towel

Marks and Spencers Magnolia deoderant 

Guliet satin Care saving gel

Oral B 3D white toothpaste

Sudocrem

Marks and Spencers Magnolia range is the nicest smell ever. I absolutly love the smell and have the perfume but have not got around to packing that yet. The oral b toothpaste actualy does whiten teeth I noticed a difference after a couple of weeks and now won't use anything else. Sudocrem goes everywhere with me, I find it great for acne and exzema both of which I suffer from. I find it great to calm irritated skin and help with breakouts. I have been using it since I was a baby and find it better then some of  the medicated creams that I have been given over the years for calming down irratated and inflamed skin.

Suncream

Soltan Family pack sun creams and aftersun ~ Boots

Contains aftersun 200ml

Kids Factor 50 200ml

Factor 30 200ml

Factor 15 200ml

When i was shopping for all my my holiday stuff I was having a look at the suncreams and as my skin can be very sentitive I am limited to the brands that I can use. Thankfully one of the brands I ban use is boots soltan which is great as this whole pack of suncreams only cost about €18 and included aftersun. I usualy use factor 50 and often find that the kids creams suit my sensitive skin better so didn't really bother me about it containg kids factor 50. The factor 30 is ideal for my sister who does not burn as easily as I do. She also sees the sun alot more then I do aswell. Not sure if I will have any use for the factor 15 but it all came togethor and was cheaper this way. I'm sure it will be used here at some point over the summer this year.