A day of ups and downs (only little downs)

So starting with the up, I don't mean to brag but who passed their module assignment with 75%? Me! I did! I couldn't believe it, I still can't believe it! I was completely sure I'd failed and would have been content with a straight down the line pass! I definitely did a double take when I saw the little 75% (A first!!!) when I sat refreshing my page over and over - my University is not known for its reliability! Truly gobsmacked! So I have treated myself to a hair appointment on Tuesday to add another style to the many changing styles of Claire. Blonde slices, bob, grown out bob, full fringe, shoulder length choppy cut, asymetrical bob, pixie crop, grown out, full fringe, bob... What will be next!?

On the down side of today I've had to pay £63 for dental treatment!! Scandalous! Never had a filling before and now I'm old enough to pay I need one! Got some crazy seal stuff on now, strange texture but on the plus side it tastes like bubblegum. S'only a little down though, because I am supercrazyhappy today!

Wisdom teeth coming out 19th February too! Under GA, scary stuff!

This week I'm mostly buying...too much.

Ok, I'm a great lover of fashion. I don't claim to be great at what's hot to wear and 'on trend' but I know I like what I like. And if you wear what you like and what you're comfortable in rather than what you think is fashionable, it shows. This year so far I've been a great lover of tailored pants and bought two pairs already!

The first outfit I bought was this little ensemble:

The trousers are navy twill paperbag trousers, £29.50, Dorothy Perkins. The top is a blue bird print blouse, £28.00 from Dorothy Perkins. Both items are in the New In range and Dorothyperkins.com is currently offering 15% off your new spring wardrobe off this particular range.

I love this outfit on! I feel really comfortable and on trend! I'll post a picture further on with what it looks like on a Z-list model! I dressed this up with some bright coloured shoes, a berry colour - but I think any colour would be suitable. The bright coloured shoes gives it more of a pop as the other items are quite neutral and more of a blank canvas to really accessorise it up. I'm wearing mine to a house party so I've added a chunky beige cardi over the top (Primark have some nice ones in at the moment.). This outfit has a real 40s/50s feel for me so I'd complement with loose waves, and a bold lipstick with minimal eye makeup with the exception of maybe the feline flick! Go for a bright nail polish too as matching lip colour to nail colour is very now!

So I'm loving my first new outfit of Spring/Summer 2011!

My next outfit is pretty similar, but you gotta love these trousers. This is more a relaxed outfit.

These pants are dark green chino trousers, £32.99, River Island. The top is an orange/coral coloured basic button through sleeveless shirt, £18.00, Topshop.

With this outfit you could add a cut off denim jacket or a neutral coloured cardigan. You could dress this up from daywear by swapping cute flat ballet pumps with some shoes with attutide. I'd stick to my fathful Topshop lace up shoe boots that have lasted me all the way from Autumn/Winter 2009. Minimal makeup with peachy tones, minimal mascara and just a lip balm would complement this look also use a foundation that will give a dewy look. Tie hair back in a messy ponytail for laid back cool!

Finally a special thank you to maireadclabbyfashion.blogspot.com for naming me Most Stylish Blog Reader of the Week! Much appreciated!

Cupcakes! Recipe - Cinnamon, ginger and orange cupcakes.

I made these in the week and they were pretty popular! I love following new recipes so I thought I'd add some of my favourites to my blog.

FOR THE CAKES

• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 175g (6oz) unsalted butter or alternative eg. Stork, at room temperature
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 3 medium eggs
• 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
• 2tsp ground cinnamon (this can be altered depending on how strong you want the flavour)
• 2tsp ground ginger (this can be altered depending on how strong you want the flavour)

FOR THE ICING

• 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 400g (14oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1tsp ground cinnamon (can also be altered)
• additional ginger if you wish.

Getting Started.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Beat together the sugar, butter/margerine and orange zest, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, until it is light and fluffy. Paying attention to this bit is important as this will make the cakes light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, with a spoonful of the flour to stop the mixture from curdling, and mix. Once all 3 eggs are added, mix in the remainding flour.

Spoon the cake mixture into 12 cake cases sitting in the pre lined tin. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cakes have risen and are lightly golden. Check with a knitting needle or fork that they are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

While the cakes are cooling, beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract with the ground cinnamon until it is light and creamy. Then if you have a piping bag you can pipe the butter cream icing onto the cakes, if not a generous dollop will do! To decorate you can add anything elso you fancy, I sprinkled demerara sugar over the top to give it a little crunch.

Her skin is white cloth and she's all sewn apart and she has many coloured pins sticking out of her heart. - Voodoo Girl

So sitting here eating Nutella on toast (ADDICTED by the way!) I thought I’d use my time wisely and write a second post! (First time for everything! Or second…) I’ve got a few ideas on what I’d like to bring to my blog, firstly I think I owe it to myself to indulge and write ode and to generally just gush about Tim Burton

The first time I came across this brilliantly and weirdly creative man was when I was roughly 5 or 6 years of age. I can’t remember how I acquired it but someone, thankfully, put The Nightmare Before Christmas in my hands and I watched it. And I watched it. And believe me I was engrossed! I watched it religiously every Sunday after (some may call it blasphemous?) singing and quoting word for word. Can you imagine my Dads joy when one Fathers day, while I was heavily influenced by NMBC, he received a handmade card adorned with Jack Skellington’s image in a grave yard. Strange that I was so in love with the film, because I was a scared of everything as a little child; of the wind tapping at the letter box (I even thought I saw Jack Frost. He wasn’t a nice man.) and to be honest still am!



My Jack Skellington Pumpkin in the middle!



I own, pretty much, every Tim Burton film or have at least seen it. His poetry books are oddly fabulous! I feel I owe Tim Burton a lot, I wouldn’t have read the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to so much Johnny Depp (mm…) and now own a signed picture of him! Next stop, Tim Burton signature please!

The way Tim Burton creates his films and has particular trade marks I think are the traits of a great producer/director. A Tim Burton film doesn’t feel the same if it doesn’t have music by Danny Elfman!! And believe me I can tell the beginnings of Danny Elfman music a mile off. Obsessive? Fanatical? You decide! I’m even training the boyfriend to pick up on the little things.

The thing I love about this man is his creativity, the way he plans out his stories and the sketches which have so much detail. So childlike but seem so intricate. How he can start out with a poem and turn it into a fantastic children’s film. I may be biased, I grew up with a love for his style. The whole story of the Nightmare Before Christmas and the idea of these separate lands concerned with only one day of the year and the characters behind them fascinates me!

And so I go on to my Top 6 Tim Burton films. Ok I couldn’t narrow it down anymore…

Beetle Juice (1988) – A film about the afterlife! This coming from someone who is scared of their own shadow! Michael Keaton in this is fabulous as Betelgeuse! I love the little things added in like Jack Skellington’s head on a headpiece Betelgeuse wears some 5 years before the release  of NMBC. It also has Winona Ryder who I love as an actress. No wonder this film is one of Michael Keaton’s favourites of his own.

 Batman Returns (1992)  – Tim Burton as director and Batman what’s not to like? A hunky, caped rich man fighting crime and Michelle Pfeiffer in PVC as Catwoman. So much hotter than Halle Berry.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) – Just a fantastic story! Who doesn’t like Alice in Wonderland?! Johnny Depp AND Helena Bonham Carter!!

Big Fish (2003) – Another moving story, so beautifully put together! Never fail’s to make me cry! I  think a lot could be taken away from it. Ageless.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – I love the fact that the idea came from a drawing by a teenaged Tim Burton. Can you believe Burton’s first choice for Edward was Michael Jackson!! I find this  film so moving!

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – without a doubt. Has a lot of sentimental value to me as well.

And look who I met…



To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die - Thomas Campbell (1777-1844)

15/01/2010 - Start of my blog.
I don't particularly know what I am doing here, I suppose I want to use this year to do something out of the ordinary, document things. 2011 the year I have to become an 'adult', at 21 I should already be one but this year is different. I finish being a student and get a job, a job where I'm not just responsible for my life but for others too. Potentially saving peoples lives! Scary stuff!

Some background info on me then! (I love reading about others so treat others how you wish to be treated and all that!) As I've said I'm 21 and very much into my last year of being a Student Nurse. Not where I probably saw myself even 5 years ago, loved Drama and English, was very much into performing and that's where I thought I was heading. But then it came to applying for Uni and someone asked me where a degree in Drama would get me and I buckled and chose something that I thought would put me on a steady path to a career at the end of it, Nursing. (Yeah thanks David Cameron and Nick Clegg!) Aside from my studies then, I'm very much into theatre, music, poetry, and films, fashion, make up and candles(!). So at some point while I decide where I'm going with this blog I'll probably do some reviews of things I like, as suggested by a lovely lady on the Facebook More page, and some other bits and bobs.

I want to seize every opportunity this year, make the most of everything put my way, work hard and achieve what I need to get me where I want to be in life, make my parents and boyfriend proud, and most importantly myself.

Inspirational and meaning full quotes are my thing!