Cheese & chilli biscuits

These were gone within a day. And there was about triple this amount. Yes, they were that good (or maybe we're just piggies when it comes to baked goods, hmm...)

I got this recipe from The Great British Book of Baking. I must say that every recipe I've tried from there so far has been absolutely delicious. The one adjustment I made was to up the amount of chilli in the biscuits as we do like our food hot in this house.

I was hoping the share the recipe here, as I rather naively thought that the recipe would be available publicly - sadly it's not - but the book is a good buy, promise! x

Beautiful bedroom

Have you seen this lovely bedroom? So many great ideas to try. Read more on I Just Might Explode...

Source

A fun day thrifting

We had such a good weekend - the highlight of which was visiting our local collectors market. Always a wonderful treasure trove of goodies :)

I also made cheese & chilli biscuits - recipe to follow soon! x

A quick & easy DIY idea...

Photo source

I fell head over heels in love with this dress the minute I saw this photo on Lookbook, but sadly they no longer stock it. But it did give me an idea that it might make a fun DIY project! Hunt down a plain dress/sweater dress (I have a cotton H&M navy/grey one that would be perfect for this - it fits like a dream but is very plain, so it tends not to get a lot of wear), source a pretty white lace/crochet collar (there are some lovely ones here, here & here). You can then just attach the collar with a few hand stitches. Ta da, an affordable & personalised pretty dress - Louise x

A lovely surprise!

Oh wow, the lovely Kat from the blog From Limbo And Beyond gave me this lovely award - thank you so much Kat!
So, the rules are:

Share 7 things about yourself:
1. My ultimate dream is to open a little bakery with one of my closest friends ♥
2. It took me a while to find a corner of London in which I felt at home. I was pretty close to giving up. But then I visted Crystal Palace & knew it was the place for me - come visit!
3. I love red lipstick (Ruby Woo by Mac is pretty perfect)
4. I hate having manicures! I want to enjoy the whole pampering process but I get so bored - & then usually chip them an hour later
5. I have younger twin sisters who are pretty amazing. They can make me laugh so much!
6. My favourite band at the moment is She & Him. Their songs make me so happy.
7. I could happily eat Thai food every day

Pass the award along to blogs you've recently discovered & enjoy:

I'm going to copy Kat and limit myself to just 3, otherwise I could go on and on...
The Teapot Explodes
Ray Makes Do
A Rowan Tree

1. Why did you create this blog? I'd always loved scrapbooking all the inspirational things I'd find & one day, after helping a friend set up a blog, I got nosey & started exploring the blogosphere. I found soooo many beautifully crafted blogs & realised that I could save a lot of time printing things out & scrapbooking them by starting my own blog!

2. What kind of blog do you follow? Any blog that inspires me - so that could be fashion, food, interiors, etc. But I do have a real soft spot for lifestyle blogs where you learn more about the blogger her/himself. I find it so interesting to learn what inspires creative people, their tips & their passions.

3. Favourite make-up brand? Mac. Always Mac!

4. Favourite clothing brand? I love Zara's clothes - affordable but still beautiful designs. And if money was no object, then Anthropologie for sure! I go in there all the time just to dream

5. Your indispenable make-up product? Eyebrow pencil - I dye my hair dark brown (it's naturally mousey blonde) so my eyebrows tend to get a bit lost unless I give them some help ;)

6. Your favourite colour? Yellow

7. Your favourite perfume? Nude by Stella McCartney

8. Your favourite film? Office Space. Funniest. Film. Ever.

9. What country would you like to visit & why? I would love to visit Greece & explore the Acropolis. That would be a dream. In terms of cities, Berlin & Stockholm are on my wish list for 2011!

10. Are you a cat or dog person? More of a dog person

British Etsians

I love buying from Etsy, but I also love buying, and think it's important to buy locally, so I wanted to share a few of my favourite UK-based Etsy sellers. Hope you enjoy the list!

1. Dolly Knits - Knitwear designer, Joanna, designs the most beautifully hand-knitted accessories. I'm in love with her pom pom hats!

2. Gooseberry Moon - Their stationery is designed and made in North Wales. They have a great range of cards, notebooks, gift tags, etc. I'll be buying that butterfly confetti for the next wedding I go to :)

3. Emma Lamb - I have loved her crochet for years! I intend to treat myself to one of her cushion covers one of these days... As a treat for ticking off one of my goals perhaps?!

4. Belle & Boo - This was set up by 2 friends - Mandy & Kate. Together they sell the most beautifully illustrated books, cards, prints, mugs (I could go on...) - and now some darling children's clothes that I intend to buy for my BF's new little lady ♥

Do you have any favourite UK-based Etsy sellers?

12 things to do in 2011

Happy 2011! I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be a good year ♥

This year, I've decided to ignore my usual New Year's resolutons & instead make a list of 12 things I want to accomplish in 2011. When a goal is ticked off, I'll blog about it - & give myself a little reward!

What are your plans/goals/dreams for 2011? - Louise x