2014 Highlights

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and have put those Christmas food babies to rest! I had a lovely Christmas and got lots of lovely pressies and, as per usual, ate far too much food! We've finally just about seen the last of the turkey and after a week of turkey sandwiches, turkey curry, turkey anything you could imagine, I couldn't be happier to see the back of it! Is it just me or does anyone else dread the turkey days after Christmas?

21

Hiya! It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks, but some very exciting ones! Two weeks ago it was my 21st birthday, but with Christmas just around the corner it's all been a bit hectic. So rather than celebrating my birthday in one day, the celebrations were spread out, all of which I am going to share with you!

#NextmasWishlist Competition

The other day I was invited to take part in the #NextmasWishlist Competition held by Next, where the 5 best entries will win one item from their wishlist! As I recently just posted a Winter Home Wishlist, I'd already trawled through the Next website and seen numerous beautiful items that took my fancy, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to share some of them with you!

Hubbox, Truro

It's no secret that I love food. And I love going out to eat food. And as Falmouth is abundant with amazing restaurants, it seems almost silly that I haven't done any food reviews yet!

Winter Home Wishlist

One more month (plus 1 day) til Christmas!

One Lovely Blog Award

Well hello there! The other day I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by Lizzie from Lizzie Loves. Once again this was another award I hadn't heard of before (I really need to get in the loop with these awards...) but it sounds adorable so I'm more than flattered to be nominated for it! Thanks Lizzie! You can check out her blog here.

Halloween Part 2

Oh hey there! Can you believe it's only 9 days til December? What's going on here!? I can't keep up, which is why I'm still stuck in October mode, so here's Part 2 of my Halloween outfit!

Halloween Part 1

I know I know, Halloween was yonks ago, but I thought I'd share with you my Halloween outfits anyway! Perhaps they will serve as some early inspiration for next Halloween!

Sunday Smiles #11 // Hello November

A "Sunday Smiles" post has been long overdue, and I have to admit I was considering stopping these posts altogether, not because I had nothing to smile about, but because I kept forgetting to take photos throughout the week. However, after reminding myself of why I started these posts in the first place, I feel it's important for me to keep them as they help me focus on finding joy in the small things in life. So as I've just finished a reading week at uni (the equivalent to a half term), what better time than to have a round up of everything that made me smile this week?

Halloween Pinspiration

Happy Halloween! 

I absolutely love Halloween, but I've been a bit rubbish this year about deciding what to dress up as for my uni Halloween party. So inspired by Sophie Robinson's post on Halloween Ideas (go have a read, she's got some great ideas for Halloween make-up) and after trawling through Pinterest, I decided to make my own little list of possible Halloween costumes.

Birthday Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake

A couple of month's ago it was my lovely mum's birthday and, like mother like daughter, she loves her chocolate, so of course I had to make her a chocolate cake! I love a traditional chocolate fudge cake, but I decided to go for a bit of a twist. I've only eaten salted caramel a couple of times, but was keen to combine it with chocolate and try it out in a cake. Sweet, salty, yummy! This cake is definitely for those with a sweet tooth!

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

 

Oh hey there! A while ago I was nominated by Nika's Beauty Land for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, but have only just got round to writing a post on it. It's another award that I'd never heard of before, but as with most other awards it's a great way to get blogs noticed, so I was hugely flattered to be considered for a nomination. Thanks Nika! Check out her blog here. 

What I Bought Instead of a Birthday Present

Happy October! Isn't that crazy?! 

So as you may or may not have seen from my Birthday Cookie Cake post, it was my bestie's 21st birthday last month, so of course I had to try and find her the most fabulous, meaningful, significant birthday present. But instead I got distracted and bought lots of clothes for myself... don't judge me...

Sorry!

Hello there! Long time no see!

ASOS Sales

ASOS always seems to have a massive sale on, especially over the summer, and I can literally spend hours looking through the pages and pages of clothes and accessories.

Birthday Cookie Cake

Everyone loves cookies. Everyone loves cake. So why not put them together? Introducing the COOKIE CAKE. You may wipe that drool off your face now.

Travel Bucket List #2 // Venice

A close second to Paris, Venice has to be one of the most romantic places in Europe. Filled with beautiful buildings and built upon a maze of busy canals, it is completely unique. Nothing can compare to it's distinctive classic beauty and culture, which is precisely why it's on my travel bucket list! However, with many rumours going around that it is slowly sinking into the sea, I'm determined to experience this special city for myself as soon as possible before it disappears completely!

Birthday Banoffee Cake

My absolute favourite type cake has to be anything along the lines of gooey chocolatey fudgey goodness, so chocolate cake is always my go to for people's birthdays. After all, who doesn't like chocolate?! My boyfriend it turns out.

Sunday Smiles #10 // Doggy selfies

I have to be honest with you, my weeks are being pretty uneventful at the moment, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it's nice to just relax and get reading that never ending pile of books for uni!

Travel Bucket List #1 // Paris

As soon as I've got enough money in my pocket, I'm off to travel the world. Or at least that's the dream! So to start adding some structure to this dream I've decided to make my very own bucket list of all the different places I want to see. I think it's going to be a long list...

Change is good

It's been a long time coming but Doodles and Daydreams finally has a new face! I'm no computer genius but after many hours and Youtube blogging tutorials my blog's new look is (almost) done! There's still a few tweaks to go, mainly with the title, but we're nearly there.

Sunday Smiles #9 // Cocktails and Presents!

This summer is going by so quickly it's scary! Sorry I've been a bit rubbish with my Sunday Smiles installments but it seems that I've either always been busy on Sundays or I've just lost track of the days! But anyways, here's what made me smile this week!

Blackberry and Apple Crumble Muffins

I finally got rid of all those blackberries!!

I Camped in a Hurricane

 

Honestly. I did. I camped in a hurricane. Literally.

Homemade Blackberry Jam

More blackberries!! Honestly, we picked so many I'm struggling to get rid of them all, so to make a significant dent in our stash I decided to make my first ever homemade jam! I definitely made a dent, I ended up making 5 jars of the stuff... At least we won't be running out of jam any time soon!

Blackberry and Apple Pie (made with hand picked blackberries!)

Blackberries are so easy to find in the wild over the summer, and with all this hot weather they're growing in abundance! I love blackberry picking; it always feels (and tastes) so much better baking with ingredients you have hand picked yourself. I have always wanted to make a pie, so settled on an absolute classic - blackberry and apple pie!

Summer Haul #2

There are so many great summer sales on at the moment, I've really had to refrain myself from buying everything! Here's the second installment of my summer haul (have a look at the first one here).

Sunday Smiles #8 // Date Nights!

The sun's still here - yay! Time to make the most of it before summer flies by! Here's what made me smile this week...

Summer Haul #1

You can always rely on H&M for that new addition to your wardrobe without breaking the bank, or in my case, a few new additions...

Montagne Jeunesse Iced Crystal Exfoliating and Cleansing Facial

For me face masks are the ultimate treat for my face and a perfect lift for when you and your skin aren't feeling too fresh. Montagne Jeunesse are the face mask brand of my early teenage years so I was keen to try them out again!

Sunday Smiles #7 // Old Faces

Woops, it's Monday... how did that happen?! Here's what made me smile this last week!

Summer Sandals

- New Look - £15.99 - 

Oh hey there! Sorry I've been a bit quiet lately but unfortunately I have been working all day every day for the past week, resulting in very achey feet but hopefully lots of money, so I decided to treat myself and my feet to a pair of new summer sandals! 

Sunday Smiles #6 // Home time!

First things first, apologies for not posting last week's Sunday Smiles, but I've been ever so busy packing up all my stuff after finishing my second year at uni. So here's a round up of not only what made me smile this week, but what also made me smile last week!

The Garden Party

Every year my university hosts it's end of year celebration - the Garden Party. It's the perfect summer party, including Pimm's, strawberries and cream, ice cream, bunting, live music, face paint... the list goes on. They even got in a Victorian style carousel to have a spin around on! The weather was set to be absolutely dismal, creating visions of mud filled gardens and lots of slips in high heels, but in true Cornwall style it had a sudden change of heart, with the sun choosing to shine all day - perfect!

Super Chocolatey Marshmallowey Birthday Cake

I was requested to make the chocolatiest, fudgiest, unhealthiest cake I could for my housemate's birthday, so of course I had to go for the classic chocolate fudge cake! However, I decided to add a little something extra in the form of pink and white marshmallows and chocolate buttons laid out in a check board pattern - a sweet tooth's dream!

Pink Party Outfit Buys

For my housemate's 20th birthday last week, she decided to have a pink party in honour of her favourite colour. As my wardrobe distinctly lacks pink clothing, this called for a new outfit, and New Look did good!

Sunday Smiles #5 // Fun in the sun

I've been spending almost everyday on the beach this week - perks of living in Cornwall when it's sunny! Here's what else made me smile this week...

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish

Recently Superdrug had a 3 for 2 offer on all Rimmel products so I decided to treat myself to a few of their 60 seconds nail polishes, including their new limited Rita Ora range. I chose a selection of their pretty and feminine soft pastel colours - perfect for the summer months!

Sunday Smiles #4 // A New Face!

It's been another fun filled week, complete with quite a few changes! The sun is still shining, so I'm still smiling :)

Tassels

I love the boho festival vibe that tassels create, making me feel instantly more chilled and summery. There are so many pretty tassel-adorned clothes around at the moment so I decided to treat myself to a couple from New Look.

Sunday Smiles #3 // Summer celebrations!

It's that time of year again - the Garden Party!! I've spent the day feeling rather sorry for myself after an evening of dancing, giggles, and far too much alcohol, so what better way to cheer myself up than with this week's Sunday Smiles? It's a good 'un!

Homemade Banana Milkshake

Homemade milkshakes are a great way to get some of your 5 a day, and they're super yummy too!

Yummy Gooey Chocolate Brownies

Brownies are one of my absolute favourite things to bake (and eat) but I always find it so hard to find a recipe which makes ones that are just right. But I've finally found it! It takes quite a bit of arm muscle if you don't own an electric whisker, but trust me, it's totally worth it!

Sunday Smiles #2 // Hidden Gems

Pinch punch first day of the month! I'm currently sitting out in the garden with the sun shining down on my face, so I feel now is the perfect time to write my Sunday Smiles post!

"Let the wild rumpus start!", Book Review

 

I've always loved illustrated children's books, particularly looking at the pictures and seeing how they relate to the words, so after choosing Children's Literature as one of my modules for my degree next year, what better excuse is needed to review some books?! All for research of course...

Triple Chocolate Muffins

If you haven't noticed by now from all my baking posts, I have a massive sweet tooth. Especially for chocolate. So suffering from chocolate withdrawal this week, I decided to bake a chocoholic's dream: triple chocolate muffins.

Sunday Smiles #1 // End of exams!

Hi everyone! I've seen a lot of posts on people's blogs about what made them smile over the week and have always thought it's a brilliant idea. It really helps you appreciate the little things in life. As I have had a lot to smile about recently I've decided to do a regular post every Sunday of a roundup of what made me smile during the week A.K.A Sunday Smiles! So here's what made me smile this week...

Raspberry Bakewell Cake

Summer's here! Or at least it feels like it. And what better way to help get into the summer mood than by baking a cake using the season's berries? 

Exams arghh!

Oh hey there! First things first, I just want to thank every single one of you, because...

My blog's passed 200 followers on Bloglovin!

A Walk in the Woods

A little look at our sunny walk in Box Hill :)

Easter Treats

Happy Easter! I hope you've all been having a lovely and relaxing bank holiday weekend! I've been a busy bee baking away in the kitchen and thought I'd share the recipes with you all so you can make your own tasty Easter treats (if you've got enough room after all the chocolate!)

Garden Party Inspiration

With summer only a couple of months away, I've been letting my mind wander to those sunny days and warm evenings ahead. And with summer comes parties!

Keep going

Life has annoying little habit of not always going the way you want it to.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Oh hey! Exciting news - I've been nominated for the 'Very Inspiring Blogger Award' by Becky Isobel! I haven't heard of this award before, but the thought that someone thinks my blog is inspiring is hugely flattering and means a lot so thanks Becky! Go check out her blog!

Favourite Songs

I absolutely love relaxing and listening to music, and have recently found myself obsessed with these three songs. Give them a listen to!

Pole fit!

Ever since I came to university I have wanted to join a society or take up a new hobby, so at the beginning of this year I decided I was going to try something a little different and joined pole fitness!

Very Late Valentines Post

I know I know, Valentines day was weeks ago, so apologies for the delay!

All the Liebster Awards

First things first, I was supposed to comment on this ages ago but didn't get round to it...

My blog passed the 130 followers mark on Bloglovin'!

Happy Friday!

Happy Valentines Day!