The Sunday Post | Pitlochry

When it comes to the weekends, Ben and I would much rather jump in the car and drive somewhere than sit in the house all day. My love of the outdoors most definitely started when I was a child and my grandparents used to take me somewhere new every weekend. As a child I enjoyed exploring new places and taking in different sights across the country I live in. I was lucky in the fact at a young age I was gifted with a camera so I was able to document a lot of our family trips away - usually ending in around 100 blurry photos. Pitlochry was always on the top of my list to visit with Ben and it did not disappoint.

The picturesque setting made it a photographers heaven and a stress free zone to visit. After wondering for an hour or so it was very difficult to put the camera down and actually take in the view. This quaint little town is filled with beautiful housing, little gift shops and delicious restaurants and cafes. Still in the country of Perth and Kinross, it is not too far away from home to travel, making it the perfect day destination.

We took a walk around 10 minutes out of the city centre to Rob Roy Way. With its gorgeous waterfalls and easy track, this is a must for anyone visiting the area. The grounds were covered in beautiful wildlife, plants and the striking waterfall. The sound of the water crashing on the naturally made falls was so relaxing as we strolled around with our cameras pointing in all directions. I would completely recommend anyone who is visiting Scotland to take a day trip to Pitlochry, it will not disappoint - even if you just want to grab some amazing afternoon tea and have a stroll along by the river.


Have you ever been? 

Wednesday News | Meet Our Dogs

Sorry or my lack of Sunday post last week, I didn't get around to actually sitting at my laptop and writing one, however I've got a lovely, calming, one coming up this Sunday. This weeks Wednesday post we are talking pets! Meet Farley and May, my family's two labs. 

Growing up my family always had dogs, and I grew up with a Boxer and Labrador, who we all adored but sadly passed a few years past. So, when my mum and dad got the opportunity to foster two rejected guide dogs they could not pass it up. There are lots of former guide dogs that need homes so if you are looking for a trained dog it is an idea to check with your local centre. After a compatibility test and home check the dogs were ours - simple as that. 

Farley, the full black lab, was fully trained but turned down due to his sensitivity, this is great for my mum who is alone working during the day though, as he protects the house. He enjoys carrying toys and slippers around, and takes the post from the postman and delivers it to my mum personally without a mark in sight. He is absolutely gorgeous and loves cuddles on the beds!
May, is our golden lab retriever - she is very loving and just wants to play - which is one of the reasons she was rejected. Both dogs get on so well and we love them being around. May loves everyone, and would happily play with any dog or person she passed, and is always happy to see us when we visit my family home.

Labradors need a lot of walking time and attention but lucky for the dogs that the main reason my parents decided to get dogs again. There will be plenty of posts up including the dogs so I thought I would introduce you! You will soon meet my little birds too..

Do you have any pets?

Foodie Friday | Classic Victoria Sponge

Afternoon tea is one of my most favourite things to eat, and host, so when choosing the right slice a victoria sponge wins every time. With its light vanilla sponge paired with fruity strawberry jam and fluffy whipped cream, it makes for one of the best tea time treats. 

I have been trying to perfect my sponge for a few months now and I have found, for me, using a smaller tin and the same ratio of ingredients creates the best cake. 

Ingredients 

Cake -
150g Sugar
150g Softened Butter - bring butter out the fridge about 20 mins before baking
3 Eggs beaten
150g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla paste or essence

Filling and Toppings -
300ml Double Cream whipped
4 tbsp Strawberry Jam
A punnet of Strawberries

Method 

First, preheat your oven to around 190C, gas mark 5, and prepare your baking tins. You can line them with non-stick baking paper or, do what I do, butter your tins lightly and spread a thin layer of flour all over - I find this works perfectly.

Next, cream your butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, and then add your vanilla. I find using an electric standing mixer such as a kitchen aid the easiest however this can be done easily by hand.

Once your mixture looks a pale colour and is a fluffy texture, slowly add your eggs one at a time and after all is mixed add your flour, sifted, to create a dense, but smooth, mixture.

Divide your mixture between two tins, smooth the surface and pop in the oven for around 18-20 minutes.

Once your cakes are cooked and cooled, whip your double cream until it is a fluffy texture and spread on your first layer of the cake and cover with a thin cover of jam. After this is where you can make the cake your own, I love to put a circle of whole strawberries in the middle of the cake, however I have seen cakes where people have sliced the strawberries.

After you have completed the middle layer of your cake pop the top on and decorate as you wish. I used the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag, with a star nozzle, and piped around strawberries placed on the top and around the sides of the cake.

Dust with icing sugar and serve.


Let me know if you try this!

Wednesday News | Naked Palette

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half baked, Smog, Darkhouse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

This Wednesday's post is the first of my beauty posts, and is about a true favourite of most beauty bloggers, the Naked original palette. (All names of the shades listed below the first photograph).

I have been wearing makeup from around the age of 14. My grandmother was, and still is, completely obsessed with all things beauty, and I think that is where I get my passion for makeup from. When I first started wearing makeup it was just very basic coverage and mascara. I had wild eyebrows and perfect skin so not much was needed back then, however now I wear a lot more at the age of 19.
In my opinion, my eyes are my main feature, and I enjoy trying different eye looks for different occasions. I like to keep my colours basic and neutral, so when I was gifted the Naked palette it seemed like the perfect deal. I found very quickly that this palette blended beautifully and the colours could be used day and night.

A few of my favourite looks -
Day :
1. Sin all over and Toasted in crease
2. Naked all over and Sidecar in crease with a little Virgin in the inner corner
3. Half baked all over and Smog in the crease

Night :
1. Sin all over and Toasted and Hustle in crease
2. Half baked all over and Darkhouse in crease
3. Virgin in the inner corner and all over with Gunmetal over the middle of the lid and Creep in the crease blended out completely to give a strong smokey eye.

My favourite colour combination from this palette is definitely Sin all over the lid and Toasted in the crease. I find it a perfect day look with a simple coat of mascara, and to take the look into the nighttime, whip on some winged linger and put a little Hustle in the crease and under the bottom lash line for a smoker look.

Do you own this palette?

The Sunday Post | London Zoo

A short while back I was incredibly lucky to be treated to an experience at London Zoo. When it comes to any interaction with animals I'm there, so when I was told I was going to meet my favourite animal, penguins, up close and personal I was more than excited.
London Zoo has a wide variety of animals and we were lucky enough that the weather was amazing and the attraction itself was not too busy so we had the opportunity to see all the 750 different types of species. Going to a zoo always makes me feel a little anxious as you never really know whether the animals are happy in their environment instead of the wild, however when walking round London Zoo it was obvious that the animals had a connection with the rangers and were happy for people to view them.

As you can see this post is dominated highly by photos of penguins, this is due to the fact I was lucky enough to have a meeting experience with the London Zoo penguins. When in London I was actually very unwell and this definitely was the pick me up I needed. I never expected the amount of penguins that came over to meet us, and I did not think they would let me sit and stroke them, I even got a cuddle from one of the most friendly ones.
The zoo ranger was very knowledgeable and answered all my penguin fan girl questions that I had, and believe me that was a fair few, involving whether I was able to sneak one home back to Scotland with me - which the answer was no. However even though I was not able to adopt a little guy and take one home, his experience was one of the best I have ever had and I would definitely book another, next I think with the meerkats. They are not cheap, neither are the actual zoo tickets, however it is well worth it and is an amazing day out.

Have you ever been?

Foodie Friday | Cheat Pancakes

Some posts will be cheats like this and some will be homemade :)

So, first proper post of the new blog, foodie friday. There will be three posts per week with Wednesday's being a day to discuss loves of the week, products or interiors, and Sunday's being travel posts. Today however, we talk food!
After moving out into a flat with Ben I realised that speed cooking was the way forward instead of standing cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for hours on end all day. I am a full time student and Ben works full time so neither of us really have time for an adventurous breakfast however recently this has been our treat. Marks and Spencer has always been a love of mine, everything they sell - I love, and these pancakes do not disappoint.
Made with buttermilk and served with butterscotch sauce, this breakfast is more of a dessert, and with fluffy american style pancakes it is like stepping into iHop itself. They are so easy to make, very quick, and with the cheap price tag of only a few pounds there is no reason for you to say no.

Have you tried them?

Welcome to Daily Life

Lets be honest, I'm going to replace this photo with a flat lay when I'm home

This is a long awaited post, but after almost 2 years I am back. Back with a completely new image and new blog!
If you have forgotten who I am, I'm Ellie, a 19 year old student living in Scotland who has been writing since I was about 15 years old about various different things, however now I want to focus my blog on a little more about what I am actually interested in.
My plan is to upload every wednesday, friday and sunday with a different theme for each day, but all will become clear soon.

I really hope you love the new design and theme, happy reading!