one of a kind
Another nail art post for Blog Every Day In May. I’ll probably have a few more too over the month!
I’ve done some polka dot nail art before but I’ve done them with larger dots and I wanted to try it with smaller ones. I decided to mix it up a bit and do an accent nail.
Pink- MUA in Strawberry Crush
Blue- MUA in Bold Blue
White- Barry M Nail Art Pen
You can of course use a dotting tool, the end of a bobby pin or the nib of a Biro to make the dots. I just liked the ease of using the nail art pen.
This was the topic for 2nd day of Blog Every Day in May and when looking over the list yesterday to decide what I wanted to post, I decided I wanted to do this post anyway. My blog is almost 4 years old so there are probably posts that recent readers have never read before.
1. In Times of Stress: Taking a Bath
I wrote a post before this about what I like to do to relieve stress but decided I wanted this to be a whole post on its own. Having a bath is so relaxing, I don’t often have one unless I really want to unwind. There’s some beautiful passages from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath in that post that I really love.
2. World Suicide Prevention Day
I wrote this post for the 2012 World Suicide Prevention Day. I spoke about my own experiences of suicide, after losing a cousin to it, as well as helpful links and sites. I believe it’s important to talk about this issue as it can be such a taboo. Awareness is so important, especially since more people die by suicide in Ireland each year than by car accidents. And considering the amount of car safety ads there are, it’s shocking there isn’t more suicide awareness ads and campaigns.
I started this Things I Like series and while I’ve only done 3 posts over the years (and keep meaning to go back and do more!), this was probably my favourite. In it, I speak about my favourite smells and some interesting facts about smell (like Anosmia is the inability to smell things). If you have a curious mind and like learning things, I think you’d enjoy this post.
4. Things That Kids Won’t Know
A fun, nostalgic look at some of the things that kids today probably aren’t too aware about. The idea for the post came when my brother asked me what a cassette was. And he probably doesn’t know what a Walkman is either, just like the children in this Kids React video.
5. Guilty Pleasures: Stop Being So Guilty About Them!
Inspired by a Dave Grohl quote, in this I speak about we should embrace the things we consider guilty pleasures. If you get enjoyment out of something, no matter how cheesy, trashy or kitch it might be, you should be proud of it as it’s something that makes you you.
I’d have to do a whole other post if I wanted to highlight my favourite food and beauty posts. I just wanted to concentrate on things I had written for this favourites. Feel free to leave a comment, either on here or any of the posts themselves, if you have any thoughts or comments on them. I love getting comments and feedback.
I made this a while a go and kept forgetting to put it up here. It’s a delicious beer and cheese pull apart bread baked by my friend Martine over at stuffed grapes. It’s the perfect bread to share with friends at a party but that’s if you can bear sharing it!
I don’t know much about beers to be honest, I don’t drink them. I do enjoy them in bread (I have a Guinness bread here) and in cakes (Guinness Brownies). However, when I saw this beer, I knew I had to use it in this bread as Martine has a ferret! This bread also uses Old Bay, a seasoning that Marylanders are mad about and that Martine very kindly sent to me to try. I love it, I use it on wedges, on corn, I’ve tried it on a few other things as well that hopefully I’ll get around to blogging about!
Baltimore Beer Bread
Recipe from stuffed grapes
Ingredients
For the dough
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup and 1/3 cup beer
2 1/2 cups of plain flour, as well as an additional 1/3 cup for dusting
2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
Filling
3 tablespoons butter
1 heaped teaspoon of Old Bay spice (or you could use paprika or mustard powder)
1 1/2 heaping cups of grated sharp cheddar
Method
1. Make the dough first. Melt the butter over low heat, along with 1/4 cup of beer until butter is barely melted. Add the 1/3 cup of beer, take off heat and leave to cool, you want it warm to the touch.
2. Add 2 cups of flour along with rest of dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. With mixer on low, slowly add the cooled butter and beer mixture until dry ingredients have just moistened. Add one egg at a time and stir to combine. Add remaining plain flour and stir until just combined.
3. Replace mixer with dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes, until the dough isn’t as lumpy. It will still be wet and sticky. You can do this by hand if you wish.
4. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rise for 1 hour, until it doubles is size.
5. While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling. Grate the cheese with the large holes of a grater. Put into a container, add Old Bay and shake to cover the cheese. Melt your butter and set aside to cool.
6. Once dough is ready, place onto a well floured surface and roll into a rectangle 20”x12”. To prevent the dough from sticking, pull it up off surface and add more flour if needed. Brush the entire dough, edge to edge, with the melted butter. Cut into five 4″x12″ strips (pizza cutter is best for this).
7. Evenly sprinkle the buttered side of one of the strips with cheese. Then place another strip on top, butter side up, and repeat process until all strips are gone. With a serrated knife, slowly cut about 6 or 7 strips about 2″x4″.
8. Now for the tricky part. It’s best of prop your bread pan short side up and start stacking the pieces of dough in. It’s easier than doing it the other way, as the pieces might fall down if stacking them into the pan. Once filled, cover again with cling film and allow to rise again for 30-45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until nicely brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning it out of pan. Best eaten when warm from the oven, when cheese is still gooey, but it’s still delicious warm!
Day 4 of Blog Every Day in May and I was very kindly nominated for a Liebster Blog Award by Orla over at Orla’s World. The Liebster Award is for new and up and coming blogs with under 200 followers (though seeing as my blog was created in 2010, not sure how new I am!). Still, it’s a fun way to find out new things about bloggers and it’s a bit craic too! I thought it would be perfect to do for BEDM too.
It starts off with 11 facts about you, which are as follows.
1. I was a child nerd. I used to love going to school and reading. I went to the public library at least once a week, if not twice and also used my Dad's library card so I could get out even more books. I was a library monitor in the school library and used to love the competitions that we had each week in the library in the class. I put off going to the hospital for an hour when I banged my lip, so my team would get more points (Think we won that year!). I also used to love the after school quiz club and doing quizzes against other schools. And for Christmas, I asked for sciencey stuff, like a microscope, a telescope and an Atlas. I used to memorise the capitals of the world!
2. I love airports and going on planes. I think it's partly to do with the whole atmosphere of the airport.
3. While on the subject of transport, I also love the London Underground, being on it, looking at the map, reading about it and collecting Tube stuff. I would love to be an announcer and have practice my Tube Lady voice.
4. I have a few scars, one on my chin from busting it open when doing the worm, some I got from chicken pox and getting my appendix out. and I have scar tissue on my left side of my upper lip, when I slipped and banged my mouth off the side of a door. Despite the blood pouring from my mouth, one boy in my class thought I was pretending. It was also the first time I got stitches
5. In my head, I like to think I’m really crafty and creative but I am so crappy at doing crafts in real life. It usually turns out out like a Pinterest fail. Though it doesn’t stop me from enjoying it though!
6. First cd I ever owned was Spice by The Spice Girls.I got it in 1997 after my parents went to Chicago on holiday.I also got a discman then as well. I still have the CD!
7. Halloween is my favourite holiday but my love for Christmas grows more and more every year.
8. I love planning parties! I wish where I lived right now wasn’t so small as I’d love to have a Eurovision party!
9. My most recent obsession is Tunnock Teacakes.
10. I’ve never met anyone who shares my birthday.
11. Apparently I used to force my Mum to carry a can of cat food with a picture of a specific cat on it when I was a toddler. She couldn’t even take the label off and just carry that around, it HAD to be the can.
Now to answer the questions Orla left in her post.
Now for the questions I want to ask
1. If someone were to hand you a round-trip ticket to any one place in the world, where would you want to go?
2. If you could only use one item of make-up for the rest of your life (blusher, mascara, concealer etc.) what would you pick?
3. Who have you seen play live in concert?
4. Do you have a favourite birthday memory?
5. Do you own any pets?
6. Do you listen to any podcasts? If so, what ones?
7. Have you ever met anyone famous?
8. Worst beauty/fashion mistake you’ve ever made?
9. What’s your favourite thing to cook?
10. Any celebrity crushes?
11. Have you ever won a medal for something?
Here’s who I nominate!
Anyone else you wants to do this!
Day number 3 of Blog Every Day in May! And today is a nail look, inspired by Lynnie’s post on Beaut.ie. I actually did this back in Easter when the sun was out shining. I decided to skip the ice cream accent nail and do a completely sky with clouds look.
In direct sunlight
Products Used
Blue- MUA in Bold Blue
White- Barry M Nail Art Pen in White
In Lynnie’s tutorial (there’s a step-by-step guide in the link above), she uses a ballpoint pen (or you could use a dotting tool too) dibbed in the white nail varnish to create the clouds. I just found it easier, faster and less messy to use a nail art pen! If you leave some parts lighter than the rest, you to a nice faded effect around the edge and middle, which you can see in pictures above, adds a bit of texture to the clouds and makes them look a bit more realistic.
I love this look, I don’t usually go for a blue like that but I really like it. Next time I do this, I might even do a yellow sun on the index finger to brighten it up even more!
Second day of Blog Every Day in May and I decided to do my April recap. I think I’ll continue doing this every month until I get bored of recaps!
Doing- Searching for jobs. Not very exciting, I know, but essential! If anyone in Manchester wants to help me out in this regard, please leave a comment below. I’m dying to get back to work!
Tweeting- On my new account, made especially for this blog! Follow me @rareopalblog I’d love to chat to you
Watching- Game of Thrones! What else would people be watching?! I went to a Game of Thrones party for the premiere of this season and had a blast. Really enjoying this season so far, The Hound and Ayra in the first episode were just so funny! I’ve also been watching Suits for the first time. Watched the first two seasons in a few days (thanks Netflix!) and will start 3rd season soon.
Wanting- A bath! It sucks only having a shower and not having the choice. I don’t bath that often but I like having then every now and again, as I spoke about in this post way back when. I’m feeling a bit down these past few days and I think it would be the perfect way to wash ways the blues!
Laughing- Over this picture I found on Pinterest
Reading- Check out yesterday’s post to see what I read in March
Missing- Home, my family and friends. I’ve had a massive wave of homesickness wash over me towards the end of April. I’m already looking forward to heading back home again soon! I even miss my snobby cat Jessie, who hates me! Though when I do this to her, it’s easy to see why she hates me.
How was April for you?
First day of May so no surprise my first post is my April Reads!
April Reads
Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter
This is the first novel from Dawn O’Porter and it’s a wonderful, realistic YA book. It’s set on Guernsey in the early 90s and follows the story of Renee and Flo, two classmates who end up being friends one drunken night. Renee’s mother died when she was 7 and she still struggles with this loss, not helped living with her grandparents. On top of that she’s worried about her younger sister who refuses to eat. Flo lives in the shadows of her ‘best friend’ and has a equally tough life at home, where she’s expected to look after her 4 year old sister as her mother doesn’t care and her father has moved out and she misses him. The two girls end up being each other’s support, with this story having it’s ups and downs, as well as cringey moments (there’s a section about periods that made me cringe!). I enjoyed this book, it definitely a realistic YA novel and it’s nice to read YA that has some proper life problems in it. I’m looking forward to reading the 2nd book, Goose, which came out recently.
Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley
I decided to pick up the first Scott Pilgrim graphic novel because I thought it would be a good place to start when trying to branch out into graphic novels and comics. Plus, I’ve seen the film it’s based on and I wanted to see how it compares. Scott Pilgrim is 23, in a rockband, dating a high school girl, ‘between jobs’ and shares his bed with his gay roommate. He thinks he’s life is pretty good until the uber cool, rollerblading Amazon delivery girl Ramona enters his life and he finds himself trying to find out more about her. But getting closer to her uncovers the league of evil ex-boyfriends he has to fight to be with Ramona. It’s a very quick read and I ended up liking Scott more in this than I did in the film. Not a mind blowing or life changing graphic novel but certainly fun!
Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
I mentioned this book briefly in my blog post about books I’m most looking forward to this year. I like Jenny Colgan books as they are fun, easy to read and nice break from reading ‘heavier’ books. The book follows Polly, who thought she had her life sorted with her boyfriend, their business and their apartment, until it all goes wrong and she finds herself bankrupt, homeless and in a relationship that turns sour. Wanting to be alone and re-find herself, Polly takes a flat about an old abandoned shop on a sleepy seaside resort and takes to baking bread to work out her frustrations. Though this hobby turns into something more when the people on the island hear of her baking. There is of course love stories involved too! It’s a funny read, I especially liked it because of the baking element to it. I recommend it if you’re looking for something light and fun to read. If you’ve read and liked any Jenny Colgan books before, then you’ll enjoy this!
As Right as Rain: The Meanings and Origins of Popular Expressions by Caroline Taggart
I’ve wanted to read this book for a while, because if I’m honest the cover really caught my attention! It’s a quick book to read, with phrases and expressions in alphabetical order. I really wish I could remember my favourite, I should have noted them, but I’m having a big brain fart at the moment! If you are interested in language or etymology, then you will probably enjoy this book. It doesn’t go super in-depth into things but it’s enough to satisfy curiosity.
A Slice of Britain: Around the Country By Cake by Caroline Taggart
Totally didn’t mean to read two Caroline Taggart books back to back, it just happened that way! First off, look how beautiful this cover is! So gorgeous. In this book, Taggart travels around Britain, sampling local baked goods. She starts in Cornwall and then travels to Devon, having a cream tea in both counties to test out the Cornish way (scones with jam and then the clotted cream on top) and Devon way (Scones with clotted cream and then the jam on top). Is it just me or does the Devon way seem silly?! Anyway, she travels the length of the island, sampling Welsh Cakes, Bath Buns, Eccles Cakes and Grantham Gingerbread, as well as many other places and foods. There’s also recipes in case you are interested in trying the foods out for yourself. I really enjoyed this, it was a perfect mix of travel, learning about new places and the rest behind some delicious baked goods!
Recipe for Life: The Autobiography by Mary Berry
I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about Mary Berry before reading this. I knew her from The Great British Bake Off, I knew she had written lots of cookery books and I knew she had had polio as a child. That was it. So I decided to pick it up, being even more intrigued after a friend gave it a 5 star rating on Goodreads. By golly has Mary had an amazing life! She is one plucky lady. After getting married, in the 1960s, she returned to work after having children, something that was quite unheard of at the time. She has such an amazing work ethic and it’s amazing she’s still flying it nearing 80. If you are any bit interested in Mary Berry I definitely suggest reading this, there is so much in it and The Great British Bake Off is only a very small portion of it!
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
I’d be intrigued by this for a while but didn’t get it until I kept seeing being reviewed and talked about by booktubers Ariel and Kat, so I decided to give it a go. Harper Price is one of those overachieving high school students (A student, involved in every extracurricular activity, perfect boyfriend, perfect polite Southern Belle) who is about to be chosen as homecoming queen. Realising that, OMG, she has no lipgloss on, she goes to the bathroom to apply it when all of a sudden the janitor bursts in, locks the door and slumps to the ground bleeding. Just before he dies, he kisses Harper and transfers over some superpowers. Harper has become a Paladin and learns she has these powers because she has to protect someone. And Harper can’t believe her bad luck when she finds out who she has to protect. It’s a fun book, it has some magical elements to it and Harper kinda reminds me of Buffy, there’s lots of kickass action in the book. It’s the first in a series and I am looking forward to the next one. I didn’t find it as laugh out loud as the booktubers were saying but I did find it humorous and amusing.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Second book in Scott Pilgrim series. In this graphic novel, we find out a bit more about Scott’s life growing up, as well as his last big relationship. It was nice to get that little bit of back story. Don’t have too much to say about this, really it’s a case of another evil ex and another battle!
April Stats
I’m actually in the middle of a few books right now (3!) so if I had just stuck to one of those books I’d actually be finished more this month. I just got so many cool and interesting books out from the library I just wanted to read them all! Have you read any of these? If so, want did you think? Leave a comment below and let me know!
