Scrumptious Cakes From Baker Days

This is a sponsored post.

Cakes are something that no special occasion would be without - birthdays, anniversaries, graduations - anything! But, sometimes, we can't afford to go all out on a lavish cake, but would like something a little more personal and exciting than the classic caterpillar shaped cake from the supermarket (you all know which one I'm talking about). The fabulous people at Baker Days were kind enough to solve this dilemma for me by sending me one of their letter box chocolate cakes with a fantastic personalised design to taste test and review for them.

Release You Inner 'Calamity Jane' with Doris Day | Hollywood Golden Age Fashion Creation #5

If you ever need cheering up with a good song and dance romance flick, then Calamity Jane is the film for you, starring the stunning Doris Day amongst others, in what I think was her greatest performance. I love the transition Doris Day goes through in this film as Calamity Jane into a beautiful woman, elegant and stunning. The fashion is also something I love in this film, much like the sequence from The Sound of Music where Julie Andrews creates the children's clothes out of curtains, Calamity Jane is transformed into a completely different person as she learns how to become a lady to woo the man of her dreams - granted, something which isn't considered the most important thing by modern day standards, but something that I like to loose myself in when I'm stressed about life, work and bills amongst other things, to think of a fantasy movie world where the most I would have to think about was how ironed my dress was and how lady like the boys thought I was - ah the wonderful world of Hollywood! In an attempt to live this fantasy lifestyle, I have recreated Doris Day's stunning white and black outfit into a modern woman's ensemble. 

Go Bronde | L'Oréal Review & Makeup Look

I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of hair colour - nothing wacky or by any means professional, but having had my hair an array of colours from bleached blonde to dark brown, mahogany to black, dirty blonde to dip-dyed and even a few blue streaks here and there when I was fourteen, I like to think I have tried enough brands and types of home hair colours to be able to tell the difference between the good and the bad - and sometimes the ugly! I have used L'Oréal Préférence home hair colour before, using one of their Ombre kits which worked really well and was fairly easy to use, but this time, going into Autumn in a few weeks, I wanted something more subtle, but more exciting than the one-tone hair I have currently - so I decided to try one of their Glam Highlights colours.

The LUSH Polychromatic Era | Haul

I know I have said before that I rarely go to Lush, and that when I do I stock up with all the wonderful things they have to offer - however, walking past the window display in the Lush store here in Cheltenham, I couldn't resist popping in and spending my last few pennies on trialling some of their new products before my spending spree once payday has come around. As usual, Lush hasn't disappointed in their array of new products for August, bringing a psychedelic feel to the end of Summer, keeping that Summer vibe alive - and I picked out two very differently scented products to try before I go all out at the end of the month.

Follow A 'West Side Story' with Natalie Wood | Hollywood Golden Age Fashion Creation #4

Drawn straight from the classic tragedy backgrounds of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story has always been my go to movie when I want to watch a hear-wrenching romantic flick. I love the excitable music contrasting with the tragic story line and the beautiful dresses that the cast wear, showing the innocence of the Spanish immigrants in the movie in contrast to the bad reputation they have in the minds of the American's. Natalie Wood's white dress is one of these outfits, much like Romeo & Juliet, as she is noticed at a dance, a vision of an angel in white - and I really wanted to create this look in this series.

Plus Size Inspiration | Fashion Recreation

Over the years, I have started reading and discovering for myself more and more blogs and often I read them in stints, going on and off the kinds of things I feel like reading about. However, there are those few blogs that I have been reading for a while now that I know, no matter what time of year I visit, I will be welcomed with posts that will make me smile and that I will be interesting reads - Sprinkle of Glitter was the first blog that did this to me, but one of my all time favourite blogs, and one that boosted my confidence to start my own blog being Plus Size was 'She Might Be Loved' by the fabulous Georgina Grogan. Through her inspirational and motivational lifestyle posts to her gorgeous fashion ensembles and makeup looks, Georgina has inspired me in many ways - and always looks fab doing it - so why not recreate a fashion look that - to me anyway- screams this wonderful blogger.

Learn 'How To Marry A Millionaire' with Marilyn Monroe | Hollywood Golden Age Fashion Creation #3

One of my all time favourite actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age was Marilyn Monroe, with stunning blue eyes and blonde hair, a unique singing voice and fantastic fashion - seductive yet elegant. One of my favourite looks for Marilyn Monroe was this outfit of hers in 'How To Marry A Millionaire', and I have recreated this look for the modern world as a perfect ensemble for a sophisticated night out, or even for an event, mixing tan, white and moss green to make a look that will translate perfectly into the cooler weather and Autumn months coming up here in the UK.

Stepping into 'High Society' with Grace Kelly | Hollywood Golden Age Fashion Creation #2

One of the most beautiful women of the Golden Age of Hollywood was Grace Kelly, and whilst the films that she was in weren't always my favourites, I can't deny that she always looked stunning and elegant in everything she did - especially as a crowned Princess of Monaco after her marriage to Prince Rainier III! I attempted to create a modern twist on one of my most favourite Grace Kelly costumes - her golden khaki dress from 'High Society'

Singin' In The Rain with Debbie Reynolds | Hollywood Golden Age Fashion Creation #1

Anyone who knows me will know that one of my favourite things is the old movies of the Hollywood Golden Age of the late 40's, the 50's and the early 60's, particularly musicals - 'Singin' in the Rain', 'Calamity Jane', 'My Fair Lady', 'Guys and Dolls' - give me Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds any day of the week! So, inspired by having just started working helping a group of incredible people from the older generation who had the incredible fortune to live through the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals and get to listen to all my favourite songs from this era every day, I thought it was the perfect time to launch a series that I have been planning for a while now, putting a modern twist onto some of the costumes from my favourite films. 

LUSH | Summer Haul Part Three | Bath Bombs

Bath Bombs! My favourite things to buy from Lush, ever! I absolutely love their range of bath bombs and melts in all sorts of shapes, sizes and smells. Don't forget to check out Part 1 (Soaps and Massage Bars) and Part 2 (Jellies, Scrubs and Cleansers) as well to see all the things I got from Lush most recently...