John Lewis Competition – #whatmattersmost

Posted on August 28, 2013 by

Most of you should be aware of the awesome might of John Lewis, and more specifically the power of their fantastic advertising. I think they are the only high street brand who manage to get at least 50% of the population blubbing without fail every Christmas with their heart string-tugging advertising masterpieces.

Their latest offering, for their Insurance, is just as clever. It uses stop motion to highlight what is important to a family, by uprooting a whole house of objects and marching them outside for a photograph.

As part of this campaign, John Lewis is running a competition via Vine for you to make your own animations about what matters most to you. They are offering a Canon DSLR and £1000 in vouchers as prizes.

As soon as I heard I was pretty excited – my personal photographic equipment could really do with updating (I’m still shooting on a Canon 10D for crying out loud!) plus I’m moving house at the end of this week so vouchers for their home shop wouldn’t go a miss either!

Here is my Vine (be kind, it’s my first one), you can find out more about the competition here.

Chocolate Courgette Cake

Posted on August 26, 2013 by

Hasn’t the weekend flown by?!

We went to a beer festival on Saturday, so most of yesterday was spent sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves, trying to get over our hangovers. We ended up having dinner at Bella Italia (courtesy of some Tesco vouchers), and fell asleep at 10, full of pasta and chocolate brownie sundae. Lush.

Today was far more productive – dressed distinctly like a I managed to get all the boring house jobs out the way, whilst finding time to rustle up this bad boy.

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This is another recipe which has been sitting on my for well over a year, and considering the autumnal turn the weather has been taking recently, I thought it was about time I gave it a go.

It’s a recipe from BBC Good Food, who are pretty much my go-to nowadays; their website has literally hundreds of awesome recipes, and the reader ratings are usually pretty accurate.

I’m pretty pleased with how this one turned out, although there are always a couple of things which could have been done differently – I put a bit less courgette than recommended because I was afraid of it not cooking properly in our crap oven, meaning it was a bit dry. Also I had no mixed spice, so substituted 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 ginger, and it would have been nicer if it were a bit ‘spicier’.

The chocolate ganache topping is AMAZING, and the easiest thing to make – heat a pot of cream and then tip it into a bowl of chopped chocolate, keep stirring and it melts into a shiny pool of deliciousness. I probably should have waited for the cake to cool properly before I put it on but I was too hasty in wanting to stuff it in my face.

I literally cannot wait for autumn, this is only making me more excited about the approaching cold weather.

What’s better than ending a long weekend with a massive chocolate cake? Nowt.

Chocolate Courgette Cake

Posted on August 26, 2013 by

Hasn’t the weekend flown by?!

Today was far more productive – dressed distinctly like a I managed to get all the boring house jobs out the way, whilst finding time to rustle up this bad boy.

cake

cake-1

cake-2

This is another recipe which has been sitting on my for well over a year, and considering the autumnal turn the weather has been taking recently, I thought it was about time I gave it a go.

It’s a recipe from BBC Good Food, who are pretty much my go-to nowadays; their website has literally hundreds of awesome recipes, and the reader ratings are usually pretty accurate.

I literally cannot wait for autumn, this is only making me more excited about the approaching cold weather.

What’s better than ending a long weekend with a massive chocolate cake? Nowt.

Swap Shop

Posted on August 22, 2013 by

I love my job. I work as a product photographer for successful e-commerce business Lovehoney; in other words, I photograph sex toys for a living.

Because of the nature of the business, it means that the majority of the people who work here have an excellent sense of humour, resulting in a really friendly working environment. Our staff parties are loads of fun, and there is always something going on in and around the offices – cake bakes, fundraisers, birthday parties, even croissant Fridays!

Anywho, myself and a member of the (award-winning) Customer Care team organised a ‘Frock Swap’ to raise money for our chosen charity, Bath Cats and Dogs Home. This is our second swapping event, and needless to say it was a success!

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I kitted out the kitchen, aka the ‘golf course’ (on account of it’s green grassy carpet), with rails and tables laid out with the clothes bundles gifted throughout the day. I even got some of the mannequins from the studio involved. I was amazed at how generous everyone was with their donations, we had loads left over when everyone was all swapped-out (but not that fur coat, that belongs to me now!).

The idea behind the swap is you bring in your unwanted clothes and accessories, pay a small donation and exchange them for other people’s unwanted goods. Other charities and events have called it ‘swishing’, and it seems to be taking off pretty swiftly, as people seek to update their wardrobes in the most frugal way in these cash-strapped times.

What’s nice about it (and the reason I like it so much) is that you can see exactly where your clothes are going to, not just dumped in a charity shop bag. I’m notoriously bad at getting rid of things – I have a sentimental attachment to everything – so to see that it’s being put to good use really makes me smile. Plus it’s good for the environment, and who doesn’t like getting something for pretty much nothing?!

We’re already planning the next event, and hopefully going to road test a beauty swap, so watch this space!

Dinner at the Olive Shed, Harbourside.

Posted on August 19, 2013 by

Tapas

Sausage

Patatas bravas

Bounders bath ciders

We went to sign the tenancy agreement on our new house this evening (yay!) and stopped off for dinner on our way home.

We were on our way into town from the SS Great Britain and walked past the Olive Shed. Now, I’ve walked past here a few times and never really thought much of it. I’m glad we stopped. It were lush!

We had bread and oil, chorizo with Spanish blood sausage (I can’t remember the name for the life of me), sweet potato and spinach cakes, patatas bravas with aioli and Harissa chicken, washed down with our favourite cider made by the lovely people at Bath Ales.

It was so nice sitting upstairs watching the world go by below us; I’d never realised just how quiet the Harbourside is in the evening.

We will be living round here soon – EXCITE.

Memories from Budapest

Posted on August 18, 2013 by

Quite a few of the blogs which I read and also follow on Twitter have recently taken part in the Travel Supermarket Holiday Postcards Competition, and I felt inspired enough to write my own.

In January of 2009 I visited Budapest, as part of a trip organised by my art college.

statue in heroes' square, budapest

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My photography tutor was a bit of an eccentric, so as a group we were taken to sights which normal tourists don’t usually seek out. I remember walking for what seemed like hours to get to a flea market which was almost deserted, save for a confused old camera salesman who was probably quite surprised to find his stall suddenly overrun with a group of twenty-something photography students.

We took the Metro everywhere – the stations are relics of Soviet industrialism, and are beautiful; it reminded me of something out of Thunderbirds every time we stepped into the next one. The entire city has such a rich history which is evident in the architecture, grand Austro-Hungarian buildings from the turn of the century would stand next to stark, bleak Soviet tower blocks built just over fifty years later.

The brass shoes on the side of the river are an art installation in memory of the Jews who were shot into the river during WWII. It’s quite a haunting site, looking over the river Danube at Buda, they seem to blend into the scene so perfectly but are a stark reminder of the troubled past which the city has. We also visited the House of Terror, which was one of the most moving, humbling and fascinating experiences of my life, detailing the country’s Nazi and Communist occupied history.

It wasn’t all so serious, however. One of the best memories I have from the trip was visiting the City Park, round the corner from Széchenyi thermal baths, with Heroes’ Park just visible in the distance. There was a hot lake in the middle of the park, and we watched a dog swimming away, happy as larry, chasing the ducks floating on the surface. Every time he got near enough to catch one he would get excited and splash around, alerting the duck to his presence which would then, of course, fly away. We watched him do this for a good hour, and despite how dull it may sound it was one of my most contented memories of the trip, sitting with friends having a mutual giggle at the stupidity of one dog, while the dusk settled and Budapest descended into another nighttime.

All these images were taken on Fuji Velvia on a Lomo Smena and a Pentax K1000. The competiton is open until Tuesday, and you can find out more here.

Thanks for reading!

Kittens, inspired by kittens.

Posted on August 14, 2013 by

bitchin nails

nail art

kittens on my nails

If you’ve been stalking me on lately (which you totally should, by the way) you will have noticed some pictures of some very badass looking nails being posted.

The transfers were sent over by Kadi who runs ; I spied her creations on one of my friend’s Instagram and immediately got in touch. If kittens ain’t your thing she offers plenty of other inspired patterns and transfers, all for a very modest price! She is based in Harry Blades, or drop her an email, she is very friendly.

I used Model’s Own Lilac Dream as the base, which is my absolute favourite at the moment. I’m super lazy when it comes to painting my nails; most of the time you will find them chipped and peeling. But when there is a cute kitten incentive I may just start painting them every day! I think my favourite kitten of the bunch is the little screaming/meowing chap on my left pinky.

This is my second attempt at nail transfers, and I’m pretty chuffed with the result!

My weekend, in pictures.

Posted on August 12, 2013 by

It was a busy one.

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We went to Bristol Internation Balloon Fiesta on Thursday night for the ‘nightglow’ event – dozens of balloons lighting up in time to music; it was a pretty epic affair.

We met two really lovely families, one of which let us share their picnic blanket. It reminded me of how nice a city Bristol is, everyone around us seemed to be having a really good time, it was a really laid back atmosphere.

However, I never got to have a go on the carousel. Sad times.

We planned to go back to the fiesta on Friday and Saturday, but to be honest there was no need – we live about a 10 minute walk away from Ashton Court and everything which was happening at the fiesta we could see from our bathroom window!

Fast forward to Sunday, and I undertook a very tiring journey…

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One of the home teams of Bristol Roller Derby, Daughters of Anarchy, organised a sponsored skate from Bristol to Bath along the old railway track, in aid of our chosen charity, Survive.

It was 15 miles of some of the roughest and most difficult surfaces I have ever skated on, but it was the most amazing experience. I was separated for most of it from the rest of the group, preferring the ‘slow and steady’ approach. The rougher parts really were hard, and only about 3 miles in I contemplated giving up, unable to take the vibration from the tarmac on my ankles and shins. I persevered, however, and on the smoother parts of the path it was thoroughly enjoyable skating with ease through the trees, taking in the sights beyond the edge of the path.

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We stopped in Bitton to pick up some more travellers and saw a steam train! Y’all know how excitable I am around trains, this one tooted his whistle at us when it went past.

We finally made it into Bath after roughly 2 and a half hours of ankle-vibrating pain, and I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of myself. If you told me 5 years ago I would make a 15 mile journey on skates, not a car, I would have laughed in your face. I guess derby really can change a person.

If you would like to be an absolute babe and donate some money to the cause, you can find the donating page here. Thanks!

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Obviously, I was absolutely Hank Marvin after my long day, and was craving cake.

I’d seen on Pinterest well over a year ago for a Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake, and had never got round to making it. I’ve never been the biggest fan of blueberries, but there was something about these pictures which had me craving this cake every time I looked at it. The power of good photography!

I made the cake and served it with creme fraiche, then suitably demolished it.

Hope you all had awesome weekends, too!

I made a big hat.

Posted on August 10, 2013 by

So I FINALLY got round to knitting a big version of the tiny hat I made a few weeks ago… and here it is!

chunky knitted hat

(I really dislike having my photo taken, as you can probably tell.)

I used exactly the same pattern found in 30 Minute Knits as I did for the tiny version, except this time I used 12mm needles and Rowan ‘Big’ Wool. It is the softest thing ever. I nearly went for a cheaper alternative but I’m so glad I didn’t, it makes a huge difference to the feel of it.

homemade hat

I usually have a problem with my cast on being too loose, resulting in a weird baggy looking first row of stitches. To counter this I researched different cast on methods and found this really useful page of tutorials.
I went for a cable cast on, as it was noted as the method which results in the tightest stitches, plus it gives a really nice twisty effect to the edge.

DIY craft hat

I’m not going to share the pattern for fear of being sued for breach of copyright (plus the book is only £6, and it’s awesome, so why not buy it?) plus there are a few little changes I would make if I were to knit another, which are as follows.

1. I began by casting on 38 stitches – whilst knitting it, this looked like not enough, and I was concerned it wasn’t going to fit on my head, but the wool has a bit of give and the end result fits fine. It would probably decrease this a little next time so it can ‘grip’ to my head a bit more.
2. The main body of the hat is 16 rows of a ribbed knit (alternating rows of K2, P2) with a hole pattern knitted throughout, which I did a tutorial for here. I’m thinking about making another for Tom; if I do I’d probably leave these holes out and go for a plain ribbed knit.
3. On the decrease there are 5 rows between the hole pattern and the end of the hat, which results in a little pixie point at the top. I’d probably do fewer of these, it’s a bit too pointy for my liking.

Also, as big as the pom pom is already, I would make it bigger. Ein UBER POM POM.

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All in all, it probably took me a little under 2 hours to make, which is pretty good going for a whole finished hat.
I’m looking to make more of my own clothes this winter, this is (hopefully) just the starting point.

I’m pretty darn pleased with it, but haven’t had a chance to show it off yet.
Just need to wait for some cold weather now! Roll on winter.

Bluebird Tea Co.

Posted on August 7, 2013 by

I love tea.

The weekend before last, whilst browsing the stalls at Bristol Harbour Festival, I spotted a little stall inhabited by the Bluebird Tea Company. Commence immediate excitement!

I’d come across the name before, they were given a review by the lovely Rosie over at A Rosie Outlook. I’d always wanted to try their teas, but could never make my mind up – they have a range of over 30 on their website, and they all sound amazing. Given the chance I would probably cave in and buy them all, but considering my tea cupboard is already stuffed full of boxes and tins already, it’s maybe not such a good idea!

Having the opportunity to actually look and smell some of the teas was a huge help in deciding. The lady running it really knew her stuff, and was a tremendous help. They have some pretty wacky flavours – Vicky’s Sponge Cake, complete with whole dried raspberries, which really does smell exactly like the biggest most decadent sponge cake; Birthday Cake, complete with starry sprinkles, and my runner up choice, Enchanted Narnia, a gorgeous smelling Turkish Delight inspired herbal blend, complete with whole rosebuds.

In the end I went for this one, Honey Bee Beautiful, which promises to promote healthy and beautiful skin from the benefits of the honey and camomile. One of the reasons I chose it was because it is a redbush tea – it can be drunk with or without milk, and it is caffeine free. It’s always good to cut down on caffeine every now and then, and considering how many cups of tea I drink in a day that is probably wise.

The main reason I chose it, however, was the smell. It really is absolutely delicious – wafts of sweet honey combined with the delicate cornflowers and camomile. I love anything honey flavoured, and this is no exception.

The smell gets stronger as you brew it – soon my whole kitchen was full of it! It also has the most amazing deep amber colour, it seemed a shame to ruin it with dairy, so I didn’t add any milk.

I was afraid of it being too sweet, on account of the heady floral smell, but I was pleasantly surprised. It has an initial sweetness from the honey, but mellows out without becoming too bitter at the end (ooh er listen to me, I sound like a right tea connoisseur). Usually drinking tea without milk leaves a really bitter end taste, on account of all the tannin, but my guess is that because it is redbush it has more of a mellow flavour.

I’m taking this to work with me to replace my copious caffeine consumption.

I am definitely going to try some more, the taste is incredible, I just have to figure out which flavour to try next!

Lily Doughball

Bristol-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog

Monthly Archives: August 2013

John Lewis Competition – #whatmattersmost

Chocolate Courgette Cake

Chocolate Courgette Cake

Swap Shop

Dinner at the Olive Shed, Harbourside.

Memories from Budapest

Kittens, inspired by kittens.

My weekend, in pictures.

I made a big hat.

Bluebird Tea Co.