Prada "A Therapy"

New Prada film directed by Roman Polanski, with Helena Bonham Carter and  Ben Kingsley. Love Love Love it. So quirky and that coat, ahhh, it is so amazing.

They have come out with some amazing colors for their FW12 collection. Which reminds me, I need to invest in a new winter coat asap, perhaps purple/mauve?

 

Via  

x

A thousand half-loves for halfway through the week

Here are a few things that I Love this week.

1.Girls- I just started watching this new t.v show about a group of girls in their twenties living in New York city. It is so witty and the banter between the characters is hilarious. I also love how it's a bit of a different perspective of life in New York. Like Sex and the City only they are poor. Starring Lena Dunham (who wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture) and Jemima Kirk (also in Tiny Furniture). Jemima's character is my fave, she doesn't give a shit, does what she wants and has amazing style, very boho chic.

 

2. Nicole Richie- Speaking of boho chic, we could not forget the queen of the style Nicole Richie. Although this is more of a carefree summer style, I love the use of accessories such as hats, scarves and jewelry for this winter.

 

3.Kester Black- This jewelry is all very beautuful and unique. Available at Clash Boutique (which will be opening in New Market in June), this jewelry is a new favorite of mine.

 

Mouse Bracelet

 

Enlightened Fall Ring

                                 Check out Clash Boutique Here and Kester Black Here

4.Tavi Gevinsons's blog- I've been reading this blog for a while but I just got back into it this week. Her style is so inspiring, she wears what she wants and isn't afraid to be a bit out there, an achievement for someone so young.

 
Check out her blog here: http://www.thestylerookie.com/

5. Tiny Furniture- This is my movie recommendation for the week, fitting seen as it is written by Lena Dunham (Girls). It is similar to the show as well, a girl recently graduated returning home to live with her mum and sister in new York. A refreshing look at what life can be like after you graduate. Warning: it can be a bit rude, but it is so so funny and all the characters are so real and true that it is an easy movie to like.

 

Hope the rest of your week goes well

x

Thailand

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Thailand. I put most of the others up on Facebook but these are a few of my favorite sunsets, scenes and other interesting things.

 

Phi Phi Don

 

Phi Phi sunset

 

Viking Cave

This place was truly breath taking. It's a cave hidden in the side of Phi Phi Ley island. It is called Viking cave after the Viking ship carvings that cover the inner walls. The cave is home to thousands of swallows who nest up in the rafters. Their nests (that they produce with their spit) are worth loads of dollars and the people that work in the caves live their full time collecting the nests (which are said to have healing remedies) and sell them on for obscene amounts of money. Because of the delicate nature of the cave and out of respect of the birds and people that live there, tourists are no longer allowed to enter the cave but we got a nice view from the outside.

 

 

Maya Bay

This is the famous beach from the film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. We got to spend the night on the beach with only about 20 other people. It is a national park and the rangers work really hard to get rid of all the rubbish that washes in from Phuket. It is very sad that all this rubbish ends up there, but the place is absolutely beautiful none the less.

 

 

This nice man changed our flat tyre.

 

Koh Lanta sunset

So happy to have spent some time there doing amazing things, eating incredible food and basking in the sun with great friends.

x

 

 

Old and New

Just wanted to share some interesting pictures I found whilst aimlessly browsing the other day. They are photographs taken from the set of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. I love the juxtaposition of old world and new world.

 

X

Black Bottom Cupcakes

 

This recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, it was a little more of a challenge to make compared to other cupcakes recipes I've tried, but still super delicious with a slightly richer taste because of the cocoa. I freaked out a little bit when I was making it because the base mixture is quite thick and it didn't seem right, but they turned out pretty good just slightly more sponge like rather than soft like most cupcakes. For more helpful tips go here

 

My sister is the cutest. x

 

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge base

1. 190g plain flour
2. 120g caster sugar
3. 40g cocoa powder, plus extra to decorate
4. ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
5. 40 ml sunflower oil
6. 1½ tsps white vinegar
7. ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the cheesecake filling

1. 140g cream cheese
2. 60g caster sugar
3. 1 egg
4. ½ tsp vanilla extract
5. A pinch of salt
6. 100g milk chocolate chips

For the cream cheese frosting

1. 300g icing sugar, sifted
2. 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3. 125g cream cheese, cold

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. For the chocolate sponge base put the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and mix with a handheld electric whisk on slow speed until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
2. 2. Put the oil, vinegar, vanilla extract and 125 ml water in a jug and whisk to combine. While the electric whisk is running in the flour bowl, slowly add the contents of the jug, increasing the speed of the blender as the mixture thickens. Continue to beat until all the ingredients are incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).
3. 3. Line a 12 hole cupcake tray with paper cases. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and set aside.
4. 4. For the cheesecake filling beat together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and salt in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until smooth and fluffy.
5. 5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand until evenly dispersed. Don’t overmix, otherwise the cream cheese will start to split.
6. 6. Scoop about 1 tbsp of the cheesecake filling on top of the cupcake mixture and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are firm to the touch and they have an even golden colour on the cheesecake filling. Don’t overcook as the cheesecake will become very dry and crumbly.
7. 7. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
8. 8. 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 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
9. 9. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top, if using, and decorate with a light sprinkling of cocoa powder.

                                                      Have an amazing weekend
                                                                       xx

Kuala Lumpur

Here are a few photos from my recent trip to Malaysia. I really loved KL for all it's color and life, the people are all so friendly and welcoming. I had so much fun in Little India getting the most amazing roti canai of my life. Pataling street where the night markets are was also a highlight. Here is a few snaps of the city as I saw it...