Scrummy Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sorry if you can see dribble on this picture, I've been a' droolin!
Chocolate Fudge Cake, mmmm, how delicious, give it a go this weekend and everyone will love you forever and ever amen. I am a learner in the cooking dept. but this isn't too tricky even for a numnuts like me.

Ingredients

200g plain chocolate, broken into chunks

200g butter

200g light brown sugar

100ml soured cream

2 eggs, beaten

200g self-raising flour

5 tbsp cocoa powder

hundreds and thousands or whatever takes your fancy, to decorate

For Icing

100g plain chocolate

170g can condensed milk

100g butter
So, start by heating your oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and if you can manage two things at once (I can't) line a 22 x 22cm square tin with baking paper. 

Pop one piece of the chocolate in your mouth (optional), and add the rest of the chocolate, butter and sugar into a large pan with 100ml hot water and gently melt together. Set aside for 2 mins, then stir in the soured cream followed by the eggs.

Finally, stir or whisk in the flour and cocoa like a mad woman, until lump-free, then pour into the prepared tin (unless you forgot to prepare it, if so, prepare it now). Bake for 50-55 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Sit the tin on a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the icing (which sounds simpler than it really is). Gently melt together icing ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, then leave to cool until spreadable.

To decorate, carefully turn out the cooled cake and peel off the baking paper. Spread the icing over the top and scatter with hundreds and thousands, then cut the cake into triangles or fingers before serving.

Now you can share your efforts with your loved ones, or alternatively, simply hide it in a cupboard and secretly eat it all when no one is looking. Scrummy Chocolate Fudge Cake: Done.

Dreamy Home Office Inspiration

Vintage inspired accessories make boring stuff look fun!!

I love the idea of the inspiring pictures to gaze at when deep in thought...

And here, who needs pictures with a scenic window view

So organised! something I could only wish to be in my wildest dreams!

Gutted that I grew out of my home office a couple of years back. I WANT ONE OF THESE!!! *Stamps feet in childish tantrum scandal

If I had one of these, my work would be so much easier to do, I'd really enjoy going to work, I'd be happier and all in all it would be just lovely. I JUST WANT ONE OF THESE!!!

Unfortunately my office now holds 4 people and it would be hard to inflict my dreamy office looks on to them, especially the 2 men in the office, but you never know maybe I'll surprise them one day with an office makeover!. I REALLY JUST WANT ONE OF THESE!!!

Land of Soap & Glory

I have to admit, I was a Soap and Glory virgin until a friend suggested I try Soap and Glory's 'Flakeaway'.

I absolutely blinkin' loved it! Flakeaway is now one of my all-time favourite products. Scrubbing your legs with this before shaving them gives you an extremely close shave and baby soft skin and the smell is just divine!

In Boots recently, I bought 6 of their products (and only paid for 4). No, I wasn't shoplifting, they were on a 3 for 2 offer, yeehah! As I was on a bit of beauty product trolley dash, I walked away with a slight Liam Gallagher swagger, not 'cos I'm cool, 'cos my 2 carrier bags were so so heavy!

Naturally, I topped up my 'Flakeaway' supply, but will give you a very quick run down of the other products I bought and what I thought of them.

Dr Spot: Unfortunately, so far this hasn't done much for the recent spotty antics on my face, although I will keep trying it.

Wish Upon a Jar, 21 Day Collagen Overhaul Cream: This is gorgeous! It says to only use for 21 days (not quite sure why that is) but I'd consider using it long term. My face feels slightly plumper, I love's it I do.

Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser: Probably my favourite product from this particular haul. Deep cleanses your skin, leaving my face feeling light and totally refreshed.

Hair Supply Conditioner: Well, my hair's not digging this one, it smells lush, but it's not for me.

Hand Food Hand Cream: A huge tube of this is £4.50 which I think is excellent value, it's a great everyday hand cream with the same delicious smell – I have to stop myself from licking my hands all day!

I'm trying a new format for the blog to make it easier for me to find new content each day, so it will be mixed up with fashion, how to's, beauty, home style, recipe's and of course some of my 'randoms'. Hope you likey. x

RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum

RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum – have you tried it yet?

So this is the new 'must have' beauty product that has his the shelves in the UK this week.

Boots are selling this exclusively for £39.99 (in fact the Boots website crashed last night due to the demand from eager shoppers). You can BUY IT HERE – if they have any left!

It promises to promote eyelash growth by up to 50%, if used daily for 8 weeks.

Have you tried this or are you going to? I'm so interested to know if anyone has in real life, reviewers seem to be raving about it, is it really that great?

STOP THE PRESS: NEXT SALE...

The NEXT Sale starts officially on 17th July, stores open from 5am and online from 8am.

I've heard rumours it starts in London stores on 16th July, er... like tomorrow from 5am and rest of the UK on Saturday. Can anyone confirm?

Eugh: flat shoes...

I had a full-day photoshoot today for one of my design clients. A full and tiring day I can tell you... but on the upside, it was in a pub! And boy do I love a good old country pub.

I had to be ultra comfy today for jumping around the set's, and that meant... eugh: flat shoes. Not something you'll often see me in!

This LBD was fabulously cheap from Matalan at £10 but has seen me through all sorts fashion dilemma's, dressed up or dressed down it really is so versatile. I love the gold detail round the neck which ties in nicely with my beige with gold fleck cardigan.

Happy evening to you all!

Just a hint of pink...

Top: River Island, Skirt: Matalan, Shoes: Matalan, Necklace: Gift from my mum

Day 2 in my advice from the Joy Wilson body shape guide, 'a tulip skirt with pockets', gives me some hips... and as Shakira would say in her nasal type Shakira stylie "ooh baby I'm on tonight... and the hips don't lie...".

Today led me to thinking about two extremely important questions in life...

1. Is it okay to wear satin for day wear?... I say YES!
AND
2. After all his misdemeanors, is it still okay to love my soundtrack of the day?... Chris Brown, Forever

What d'ya say? Love or Boycott Chris Brown?

Today Matthew, I will be a... buzzy bee

I found the yellow shoes on ebay a year or two ago, after seriously stalking a pair that Kasmira used to wear a lot over on her blog...

There is something a bit buzzy bee'ish* (made up word alert!) about my outfit today.

Running on from my earlier post about dressing to suit your shape, one thing these guides often tell me to wear is an A-line skirt, which suits me fine as I have around 532 in my wardrobe. I think they suit just about everyone – and as my dear old friend used to say (btw, she's not dead, she just doesn't say it any more), if ever in doubt, go A-line.

This black and white stripey number is from River Island (£10 sale price) and actually has a layer of netting as well as the lining, which gives it that extra va va voom – and we all love a bit of va va voom don't we?

*Interesting Bee Fact: A common, yet incorrect, assumption is that the buzzing sound of bees is caused by the beating of their wings. The sound is actually the result of the bee vibrating its flight muscles, and this can be achieved while the muscles are decoupled from the wings—a feature known in bees but not other insects, oooh, who'd have known?

Which body shape are you?

One of the fundamental rules of style according to most stylists, is dressing to suit your body shape. But do you know what body shape you really are?

Most of us have a distorted view of our true body shape. What we see (or think we see) in the mirror isn't necessarily true, sometimes it takes others to point out and assess our shape and it can be a surprise!

I love Joy Wilson's shape guide, with a simple quiz to find out what shape you are and then helpful suggestions and ideas on how to dress to suit that shape.

I've always thought I have broad shoulders and smaller hips making me a 'Strawberry' – but on closer inspection actually I may be more of a straight up and down or a 'Rectangle' according to Joy. At least I can read the tips for both and choose which to put into action!

So which body shape are you?

Ladies day at the races...

'Considering it was ladies day, there seemed to be rather a lot of men milling around!'

What better excuse to get all dressed up than ladies day at Newmarket Races?

I bought a new floaty maxi dress especially for the occasion (£20), plus a purple fascinator (£6), both from bargaintastic Matalan.

I was quite possibly one of the cheapest dressed ladies there, and certainly wasn't going to win any fashion awards with all the amazing designer looks floating around, but I had a fantastic day none-the-less.

Sorry the pic is rather bright, but it was proper scorchio in Newmarket that day. I Show Allhave to say I felt as cool as a cucumber in the long, airy maxi – highly recommended for warm days. If I can find a full length pic, I'll update the image asap!