Young Dancer

So first of all, I would like to apologise for my lack of posts in the past couple of months. I have been very busy preparing a series of posts that should be up starting in January.

This quick post is simply about a recent dance competition I participated in. It was run by my school, and 20 dancers were chosen to choreograph a solo to compete against each other. For my dance, I chose to do 'Tough Lover' by Christina Aguilera.

The dance in the video is from the rehearsal before the competition, so it wasn't performed perfectly, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Summer Projects

I've been meaning to create this post for a while now, where I share all my summer projects with you! During the holidays, I was always busy making things, so here are a few of the items that I created!

So during the holidays, I bought myself a crochet hook. I already knew how to crochet, but never had the needle to do it. As soon as I bought one, I made myself two wooly hats using my own pattern. 

I also found an online tutorial for cable knitting, so I knitted myself a hat aswell!

The next item that I made, is a pencil case. I made this near the end of the holidays, and I now use it for school. Plus, it's in the shape of a cat; who doesn't love cats?

The more I knitted, the more I wanted to learn about knitting! I found a tutorial for what I like to call the 'raspberry stitch'. Using this stitch, I made myself some boot cuffs!

I also spent a fair bit of my time designing and making bags. The first bag I made used a cute, sweetie print fabric, and was a casual, slouchy bag. I like to use this bag when I don't have much to carry, but still want an exciting accessory!

The second bag I made is a satchel style bag. I use this for my school bag as it can carry lots, and is very sturdy. It has a zip pocket inserted into the lining, and two small pockets on the front. I also made the strap waist-length, so that I can easily access the things inside the bag!

Those are just a few of the projects that I made this summer, but if you want to see any more, or would like a tutorial for any of them, email me at lizzie.10max@gmail.com

Autumn Essentials

So autumn is finally here, and I am so excited! Autumn is one of my favourite months, as I love layering my clothes and accessories. We're not too far into autumn yet, but I wanted to share with you some of my favourite items before it's too late!

1) First of all, is my new tartan scarf. I always have a scarf handy in the autumn as they are the perfect accessory for any outfit. Also, I simply adore tartan print! The scarf I am wearing in the photo is from accessorise.

2) I usually have a deep red colour on my nails in the autumn. It reminds me of the leaves that fall off the trees, so is perfect for this season! My favourite red nail polish is in the shade 'Risky Red' from the 17 Supreme Shine collection.

3) So deep red makeup is beautiful in the autumn. It's a warm, yet fierce, colour. Red lipstick is perfect this season, and I never go an autumn without it! I'm wearing '17 Plum Jam' from Clinique.

4) Recently, I've been wearing a lot more jewellery than usual. I absolutely love chunky gold accessories, such as rings, necklaces and bracelets. The bracelets that I am wearing in the photo below are from an Indian stall on Bury Market in Manchester. My favourite thing about these is the rose gold glitter that is incorporated into the main design.

5) My favourite eye shadows this season are all shimmery colours. I specifically like golds and bronzes, as they add a gorgeous, warm effect to your overall look. The shadow I have here is from LANCÔME, in shade '01 Strass Bronzer'.

6) My favourite autumn scent is the 'So...? Kiss Me' body spray from the 'So...?' range. I love this scent as it is more sweet than flowery. Floral scents are beautiful in the summer, but sweet scents are much nice for the autumn/winter.

7) My next autumn favourite is actually a pattern. Liberty print is one of my favourite patterns, and I have it on shirts, jewellery, and all over my doodle pages!

8) Last but not least, is the Flake Away scrub from 'Soap and Glory'. I went for the travel sized one so that I could test it out first, but I will definitely be going back for another! It's got a gorgeous, fruity smell, and works wonders on your skin!

COOK - Parmesan Decoration

So no matter what meal you cook, it never quite looks restaurant standard. Most restaurants rely on their presentation to make the meals look as appetising as they do. I'm going to share with you a simple way to make your home made meal just that little bit fancier!

To make these parmesan disks, you will need-

✿ Parmesan Cheese
✿ A fine cheese grater
✿ 1 baking tray line with baking parchment 
✿ A cookie cutter the size you want your disks to be
✿ A Palette knife

Preheat the oven to 180˚c, gas mark 4

Start off by grating enough cheese to fill the number of disks that you want. Place the cutter on the lined tray, and fill the cutter with about 1cm of cheese ( don't forget, the cheese will melt and become a lot thinner!)

(Mine started off too thin, so I added more cheese to them and cooked them again)

Cook the disks in the preheated oven for about 5-10 minutes, checking on them occasionally to make sure they don't burn. As soon as all of the cheese has melted, they will be ready.

Remove them from the oven, and leave for a couple of minutes until the are crisp. Then, use the palette knife to lift them off the tray.

If you want, you can drape them over the bottom of a shot glass, and gently press down the edges to create a basket. Then, you can serve vegetables or fresh coriander inside of them. Make sure to do this before they have crisped up.

BAKE - Brandy Snap Cones

So I got the inspiration for these after a recent 'Great British Bake Off' episode, where the contestants whipped up some petite fours! These brandy snaps should end up looking like mini ice creams, and should taste just as good!

Brandy snaps are fairly difficult to make, so don't worry if yours don't work perfectly. On a previous series of the Great British Bake Off, contestants have struggled with these, but however they turn out, they're bound to taste good!

For this recipe, you will need-

❂ 50g butter

❂ 50g demerara sugar

❂ 50g golden syrup
❂ 50g plain flour
❂ 1/2 tsp ground ginger
❂ 1/2 tsp lemon juice (you could use juice straight from the lemon, but I used some from a bottle.)
❂ 100g chocolate
❂ 300ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180˚c/350˚F/160 fan/gas mark 4.

Step 1) Heat the butter, syrup and sugar in a heavy based pan until all of the sugar has dissolved. This will take up to about 15 minutes on a low heat. Don't let the mixture start bubbling, or the sugar might crystallise. 

Step 2) Remove the mixture for the heat, and leave to cool for a couple of minutes. Then, sift in the flour and ginger, and add the lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3) Spoon the mixture onto a lined baking tray, using about 1tsp of mixture per biscuit. You should have no more the 4 on 1 tray. If the mixture starts to become a bit doughy, you can roll the mixture into balls and press them onto the tray.

Step 4) Put 1 tray in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and place another tray in. The biscuits should be a dark golden colour, and should look lacy. Immediately slice the circles in half using an oiled knife (don't use your fingers as they will get burned). 

Step 5) Leave the biscuits for about 1 minute, then roll up in the shape of a cone (with the point along the straight edge). If the biscuits become to hard to roll, put them back in the oven for another 30-60 seconds, then try again.

Step 5) This part is optional, but very yummy! Melt the chocolate in a double boiler pan (or in a pan over a bowl of hot water), then dip the rims of the cones in. Leave to harden, then whip up the cream. Pipe the cream into the cones, and your mini ice creams are finished!

Smoothie Sunday - Apple and Lemon

Ever feel the need for something a bit refreshing? Sour fruits can often do the trick! You don't want to go over the top though, as you want something with a lovely flavour too. That's why I came up with this recipe; to perk up my Sunday a little bit!

You only need four simple ingredients for this smoothie-

☞ 1 apple (green will be nicer, but I only had red!)

☞ 1/2 a lemon

☞ a couple of inches of cucumber

☞ 1/2 a glass of orange juice (or any juice for that matter!)

(You will also need a blender, a knife, a cup and a sieve!)

Step 1) Slice your apple into 4, and remove the core. Then, slice off the skin (skin doesn't blend very well!)

Step 2) Juice the half lemon into the blender through a sieve, and place the apple, cucumber and orange juice in with it. 

Step 3) Blend on a slow setting to begin with to chop the apple into tiny pieces, then gradually increase the power until you have a smoothie consistency. Sieve the drink into the glass to remove any chunks.

Don't be put off by the green colour! The drink is wonderfully refreshing, and is the perfect combination of sour and sweet! Enjoy!

DIY- Cute Baggy Top

Making your own clothes really isn't as hard as you might think, especially baggy ones! To make this top, you don't need many textiles skills other than cutting and sewing, so anybody could make it if they tried!

To make this top, you will need-

﹆36 x 45 inches of lightweight fabric

﹆Sewing machine loaded with a suitable coloured thread (to match the fabric)

﹆Measuring tape and chalk.

The fabric that I chose, a green liberty print fabric.

Step 1) Fold your fabric in half with the right sides together. To make the neckline,  mark half way along the folded edge with the chalk. Measure 4 inches either side of the mark and mark the two new points. Then, cut a semi circle connecting the two 4 inch marks. Next, make the sleeves by removing 2inches of fabric all the way up to 7 inches down (see picture for help).

Step 2) Sew along the red lines, then hem along the yellow lines. To hem the edges, fold the raw edges over twice, and sew to secure them.

One of the hemmed edges.

Turn your top inside out, and it's ready to wear. Pair it with some skinny jeans and a long, heavy necklace if you're struggling for outfit ideas.

Happy sewing! 

Smoothie Sunday - Snickers Smoothie

Ok, well truth be told, this one is more of a milkshake, but Milkshake Sunday doesn't sound that cool. So this is not exactly a healthy smoothie. Actually, it's rather calorific. But on a Sunday afternoon I don't tend to care!

For 1 serving of milkshake, you will need-
☙ Half a glass of milk
☙ 1 dollop of peanut butter (smooth might be a bit more pleasant, but crunchy will work just as well.)
☙ 1 dollop of Nutella (or any chocolate spread really, but you can't beat Nutella.)
☙ Optional- fruit, just to add a kick to it. I added a small handful of raspberries, but the choice is yours.

Ok, so I forgot the Nutella, sorry...

As usual, the instructions are simple. Just blend them all of the ingredients together until everything is combined.

Enjoy your drinkable pudding!

Fashion Sketches

Drawing sketches for fashion designing is a hard thing to get used to. It's not going to come out perfectly on your first try- it takes a lot of practise to get perfect. But to learn properly, you need to know where to start. When drawing figures, you use the classic 9 Head Diagram. This just means that the height of your figure is equivalent to 9 of it's heads put on top of each other. The average person is actually only about 8 heads tall, but to make the figure look taller and slimmer, designers elongate the legs by adding another head. As you can see down both sides of the photo, it shows the length of the figure. I'm going to talk you through each section step by step, so you understand the proportions. Keep referring to the drawing as it will help you understand the instructions.

Head 1) Head 1 will just contain the head of the figure. Draw a circle about 2/3 of the head, then bring it to a point at the bottom.
Head 2) This section starts with the neck going 1/3 of the way down. Immediately after the neck, draw the shoulders at about 2 heads wide. On the end of the shoulders, draw a small circle (about 1/3 head diameter).
Head 3) 1/6 from the bottom of head 3, create 2 dots for the elbows. Join the outer dot to the edge of the circle, and the inner dot slightly below. This should form the top of the arms. At the bottom of head 3, draw a line the width of a head, and join the ends to the shoulder line. This will form the waist.
Head 4) 2/3 down from the top of head 4 are the hips. They should be about 1 1/2 heads wide. Join the hips to the waist. At the bottom of head 4 mark the groin and the wrists. Connect the arms to the wrist marks, and the hips to the groin mark.

Head 5) Half way down head 5 is where the hands end. For now, just draw the hands as rectangles.

Head 6) At the bottom of head 6, draw the knees. Both the knees together should be about a head's width. Connect the hips and groin to the knees mark as it is on the drawing.

Head 7) Head seven is empty, apart from the legs that join in head 8.

Head 8) The bottom of head 8 is the ankles. The ankles should be just thinner than the knees. Continue the legs to reach the ankles.

Head 9) This section contains the feet. Like the hands, just draw them as rectangles.

Rub out the inner lines, and you should be left with something a little like this. Again, don't worry if it doesn't look quite right, just keep practising!

It's now time to make the body a bit more curvy. Round the neck and shoulders to make them more realistic, and emphasise the curves around the bust and hips. Also, add a bit of curve to the arms and legs. The hands can be a nightmare, but keep practising. Anyway, the hands aren't necessary if the figure is going to be used to design outfits.

The next step is to start designing! I never bother with facial features other than the mouth, but you will probably develop your own sketching style.