Gettin' crafty.

Hello Bloggers!
So in the summer *sigh*, me Hannah and Izzy all decided to design some t-shirts at one of our 'crafty sessions'. So we all sat out in the garden, with our fabric paints (£2.99 from WHSmith can you believe it?!), whilst quaintly sipping tea. How idyllic! We chose a theme of food (typical us), and so I did beans on toast, Izzy a pot of marmite, and Hannah a conversation between an ice cream and a cupcake. Ha ha! But, I ran out of fabric paint, and then took about 4 months before I finally bought some more, so I only finished it in the Christmas holidays! Anyway, here they are!

This one is Izzy's! Either love it or hate it ;)...i love it!

This one is Hannah's. How cute is it?! "I'm sweeter than you!"

This one is mine! By the way, in the top right corner it says "*Caution: not edible".

Hope you like them! I mainly just wear mine around the house, it's surprisingly warm! Hope y'all having a great weekend.

Love Rosie xxx

'Nothing makes a woman more beautiful, than the belief she is beautiful' - Sophia Loren

We all need a little 'me time' at the end the day, and what better way to do it than have a nice warm bath with bubbles galore!  So when we come to moisturising ourselves, us girls only like to have the best.  But never fear!  Hannah is here to save the day on your moisturising worries....

My first tip is to never buy the cheapest moisturiser, even if it does have a 5 star rating, because believe me, it doesn't work.  What your looking for is one that will moisturise right through the skin and absorb into the skin and which will keep you feeling soft through the day.

So!  If you have a wallet the size of the earth then how about this:
 Coming in at a whopping £60 bangers, try Bliss Fat Girl Sleep.  Get a full night's 'booty' sleep with this supercharged sister to the famed Bliss Fat Girl Slim. Formulated with encapsulated slender complex that releases dimple diminishers and soothing lavender for up to 6 hours, Bliss Fat Girl Sleep Super-Sized ultra-rich cream helps make the most of your body's overnight restorative process.  Bliss Fat Girl Sleep is a velvety, creamy cellulite treatment that works at night when your body is in repair and fasting mode, to deliver a sleeping "booty" treatment which diminishes the appearance of cellulite and dimples.

However, if you're looking for something more reasonable, try Figs and Rouge Rambling Rose Body Lotion coming in at a nice £12.95.  Figs & Rouge Luxury Organic Body Lotion is infused with rejuvenating botanicals and formulations that help restore & retain skins natural moisture.  Formulated using Organic Rose oil, Shea Butter, Aloe & Seed Oils to moisturise & hydrate skin naturally. Excellent for dry & irritated skin.

My 5 best body lotions:


1.  Palmer's cocoa body butter - £3.77.  
2.  No. 7 protect and perfect intense body serum - £17.00
3.  Bio-oil - £15.31
4.  Aveeno skin relief body lotion - £4.76
5.  Johnson's body care 24 hour moisturiser radiance body lotion with Shea and cocoa butters - £3.05


And finally, my personal favourite...it has to be soap and glory body butter!!  You can't get much better than I this!!  Buying this for the first time wasn't intentional as it was supposed to be Izzy's birthday present, luckily I found something else, and could resist trying this one out!  I've never found anything else like it....


Have fun pampering!!!


Love Hannah xxx

As cute as a button and good enough to eat....

For those of you that didn't know I have an obsession with baking and my most recent obseession is cupcakes -my grandma even got me a piping set for christmas (!) and since then i haven't been able to stop icing things! I've been using the hummingbird bakery cookbook. And for anyone whos thinking of startring their own little cupcake dream this is the book for you.....

So this week i was having a little read through (reading recipe books happens to be a hobby of mine .....;) and decided to try my hand at some gorgeous looking red velevt cupackes .i'd tried some at the Hummingbrd bakery in London and they were absolulutely delicous. Go on have a go theres nothing like a little baking to bring you up mid-week. I promise you you won't be disapointed ...

HummingBird Bakery Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese Frosting

For the red velvet cupcakes:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• 20ml red food colouring (preferably Dr. Oetker's as red food colourings vary in strength)
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk-or full cream milk
• 150g plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1½tsp white wine vinegar

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold

You'll also need:

• 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with large cupcake cases

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
2. Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile for the cream cheese frosting: Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 mins. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
6. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon over the cream cheese frosting on top. Enjoy!

-beautiful cupcakes !

Have a good week everyone !

Love Izzy XXX

P.S Went to the local hoscpice shop at the weeknd ,got some gorgeousss things -inclueding a jacket that hannah is helping me alter -i'm sure it'll be amazing .....:)

Just a quickie.

Just had to sneak in a post before my main one on monday/tuesday. It is my Dad's birthday today (now at the ripe age of 59!), and we went out for a cute lunch at The Navigator with some friends. Which by the way was lovely, and if you ever go there I strongly advise the profiteroles for dessert! So I decided to wear my Christmas present from my parents, which I hadn't worn until today because it's only just been altered. It's a gorgeous 70s houndstooth suit from rokit, which I'd dropped a hint about!

So perhaps the photo doesn't show it off greatly, but never mind. And just a quick note, how amazing is this top???!!

IT'S SO MUI MUI LIKE ITS DISTRESSING ME. If only ModCloth wasn't so expensive, this cute pussybow top would already be in my wardrobe!
Anyway, hope you've all had a good day.

Love Rosie xxx

Must be my turn!

Hope you lovelies are having a nice weekend! I've been in town today with Izzy and Hannah- Hannah got her ears pierced! It was a big occasion. I'm trying to limit my trips to town these days though, because every time I go it just reminds about how short on money I am, and then when I see something I really like, I can't buy it! Which is why I'm semi on the hunt for a Saturday job, to fulfil my shopping cravings. (pretty low i know). Anyway, I don't have a very 'productive' post today, It's just me rambling, but my next one will be a 'proper' post, when I won't have so much homework stacked up. It's just as well Dad never fails to cheer me up...

Just to say, as of next week there will be a proper rota for when we each blog. I'm going to be Monday to Tuesday, Hannah is Wednesday to Thursday, and Izzy is Friday to Saturday. Sunday is our day of rest! hehe.

Love Rosie xxxx

P.S if you get any spare time this weekend, be sure to checkout eBay, it's on a up at the moment and I've already bagged some bargains!

Izzy's 2011 hotslist...

 Well here it is my beautiful bloggers my first post !

And seeing as it is still january i thought i'd enter the blogging world with my hotlist for 2011...

Elle Fanning- the little sister of dakota 12 year old elle is defienetly one to watch she has already starred in 2008's the curious case of benjiman button...see her in 2011 alongsideMatt,damon and  Scarlett Johansson in We bought zoo....

Noah and the Whale -this bands folk like sound  made its single 5 years time the sound of  summer 2008  and there set for even better things with an album coming out this year...

Warpaint- I love this bands soft acoustic sound  especially their new single Shadows, their album the fool is out now .....

Clemence Posey -She is the ultimation of french chique, is the Chloe poster girl,and  even had a role in Gossip Girl alongside Ed Westwick (swoon) i love her style and the way she always looks so effortless.,...a defenite style icon for 2011.....

  Whos on your 2011 hotlist ? 

Izzy XXX 

Baking made easy...

My second blog of the day, and, I just can't stop!!!
If you like my secret fudge recipe, then here's more!!  I was watching a program last night called 'Baking Made Easy' presented by Lorraine Pascale.  She cooks the most delicious, but really easy recipes.  So, if your cooking skills are as bad as burning a piece of toast, then look at her recipes, or watch the program on iplayer...

www.lorrainepascale.com 
                                               Hannah   xx

Hannah's secret fudge recipe...REVEALED!!!

To be honest, I don't go much further than baking the perfect cake, so when I found this extremely easy recipe for fudge, I just couldn't resist trying it!!!  Turns out that it was total success, now I just can't stop making it...

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter, plis a bit extra
250g of plain chocolate broken into pieces, Cadbury's chocolate  is good
4 tbsp evaporated milk
450g icing sugar sifted

you can also add, if you want...
roughly chopped hazelnuts
sultanas

Method:
1.  lightly grease a rectangular baking tray
2. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the butter and evaporated milk and set over a saucepan of            gently simmering water.  Stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is well balanced.
3.  remove the bowl from the heat and gradually beat in the icing sugar. Stir in the hazelnuts and sultanas.  This is the longest part and can take a while.  But don't worry if it looks a mess, it will come together eventually to make an almost playdo like substance.
4.  press the fudge into the prepared tin and smooth the top.  A tip to smooth the top is by using a rolling pin.  Chill in the fridge until firm.  3-4 hours should do.
5.  Tip the fudge out onto a chopping board and cut into squares and voila!  FUDGE!!!

Hope you enjoy tucking into your yummy home made fudge...
                                                                                                      Hannah   xx

Greetings to the blogosphere.

Oh wow, this is too exciting. Our blog is up and running! We really really hope you enjoy snooping around 'gingham and roses'-when it has a few more posts!  Here's to our first blog post...just some random questions about us.

Left to right: Rosie, Izzy, Hannah.

          













Guilty Pleasures?
Hannah's homemade fudge and cheesecake. No competition.
Three wardrobe staples?
Izzy: Silk scarf, denim jacket, leather satchel.
Rosie: Silk blouse, brogues, knit leggings/tights.
Hannah: Jeans, my old necklaces and silk scarves
Favourite nail polish?
Izzy: topshop 'geography teacher'.
Rosie: topshop 'gone fishing'.
Hannah: orly 'total knockout'.
Top beauty tip?
Izzy: Drink water, moisturise, and sudocrem on growing spots works wonders.

Rosie: Blistex healing lip balm is a must have for chaffed winter lips.
Hannah: Don't wear much foundation, otherwise you end up looking you dipped your face in pancake mixture.

Favourite tea?

Izzy: Tetly redbush

Rosie: Twinings Assam

Hannah: Twinings chai 

Favourite meal?

Izzy: Mexican quesadillas and guacamole.

Rosie: Stir-fry

Hannah: BLT sandwich 

What takeaway?

Izzy: Thai

Rosie: Indian

Hannah: Pizza

Coast or country?

Izzy: Country

Rosie: Coast

Hannah: Country

Dream 3 dinner guests?

Izzy: Barack Obama, Kate Moss, Nigella Lawson.

Rosie: Kate Moss, Jack Steadman, Stephen Hawkings.

Hannah: Usain Bolt, Audrey Hepburn, Cheryl Cole.

Favourite movie?

Izzy: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Rosie: Chariots of Fire

Hannah: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Pride and Prejudice 

Dream holiday?

Izzy: Hawaii

Rosie: Bali, Indonesia

Hannah: Around the world

Toast topping?

Izzy: Honey

Rosie: Humus

Hannah: Jersey black butter, thanks to Rosie!

Life soundtrack?

Izzy: Here comes the sun, The Beatles.

Rosie: Bittersweet symphony, The Verve.

Hannah: Welcome Home, Radical Face and to build a home, the cinematic orchestra 

Favourite cake?

Izzy: Hummingbird bakery- red velvet.

Rosie: Carrot cake

Hannah: Sticky toffee cake

Spray or roll on?

Izzy: Spray

Rosie: Roll on

Hannah: Spray

Favourite smell?

Izzy: Something baking in the aga.

Rosie: freshly cut grass

Hannah: my mum's shortbread out of the oven

Weirdest dream?

Izzy: Giant singing marshmellows were chasing me.

Rosie: An orange walking along a never ending wall, stealing the hats from the people below him.

Hannah: swimming in an ocean with octopus' and babies with nappies.
Play any musical instruments?

Izzy: Piano.

Rosie: Clarinet, Piano.

Hannah: Piano.

Red or pale lipstick?

Izzy: Pale

Rosie: Red

Hannah: Pale

Broken any bones?

Izzy: Finger.

Rosie: Wrist and nose.

Hannah: Nearly my Coccyx

Please stick with us, we've got lots of great things to share with you! Have a good rest of week lovely people.

The Roses xxxx