All Set for The Summer

Despite what the title may suggest, this post is actually about the band The Summer Set, not about whether you have bought your bikini and booked your holiday to Crete.

According to the always reliable Wikipedia, "The Summer Set are a pop-punk band from Scottsdale, Arizona." I first discovered the band in about July last year, but listening to a song of theirs when my iPod shuffled, I remembered why I liked them so much.

All of their songs put me in a really happy mood. Even though some of the themes aren't to cheery, the tunes are really catchy and bubbly, if you get what I mean. My favourite song happens to be by them also. It is called Someone Like You, from their second album Everything's Fine, and in my opinion is much better than Adele's Someone Like You.

If you do decide to do at least one quick YouTube search, search for that song, because it's their best one, if you ask me. Some people may not like their nasel-ish voices, or their definite 'pop-y' pop songs, but I can't get enough. The Summer Set are absolutely going on my summer soundtrack!

Jenny xx

Birthday Wishes

As you may or may not know, it is my birthday in May!

Well, you would only know if I actually know you, otherwise that would be creepy. I will not tell you the actual date of my birthday because I know internet safety, and it is never good to give that sort of stuff away... whoa, there was a lot of 'know' and 'actual' in that sentence  Hehe...

Anyway, since my birthday is coming up, I thought that I would share my birthday wishlist with you guys. just a small heads up; if you are reading this, and are planning on getting me something for my birthday (if I actually know you!), then this is what I want!

Okay, so first on my list is the novel Divergent by Veronica Roth. I have heard great reviews on this book, and would be excited to read it, should I receive it. The summary is as follows:
'In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.' Sounds good, right?

Next on my list is the movie The Last Song. I have recently read the book which inspired the movie, The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks, and it actually moved me to tears, I fell in love with the characters and the story, which is saying a lot considering how much I detested another one of his books, Dear John. When the movie was released in 2010, my sister and I went to see it, and we loved it! To this day, I still don't understand why I haven't bought it yet, so here it goes up on my birthday wish-list.

The next few specific things on my birthday list for this year are these item from H and M.Well, here they are;

Lastly, even though I probably wont receive it, and haven't even asked as I know it is too much to, I would love a digital camera with a great zoom and good capturing ability. I have my eye on the Fujifilm FinePix s4500, which, although expensive, has fantastic reviews and it looks great. here is the advertisement; Specifically designed for users who want maximum reach without compromising image quality or convenience, the S4500 features high-quality Fujinon optical zoom lenses, while also offering advanced features in compact, robust, easy to use bodies. In addition, these cameras also offer key performance improvements in speed and functionality to ensure photographers have all they need to capture high quality images in a wide range of shooting conditions.

And to go with it, which I would probably purchase given that I seem to have quite a few Jack Wills vouchers that I need to spend, a Jack Wills 'Hartsop'camera strap.

I hope you all enjoyed reading my wishlist, even if it is all about me! Have a nice weekend! 

Jenny xx

Guilty Pleasure

Hello to my lovely readers! Just relaxing today, bliss.

I'm my even sure that you want to know this, but today I am in the mood for indulging a little of my personality with you lot! I am a complete Disney-a-holic,(hey! there's worse stuff to get hooked on) although I'm not sure why I even class this as a guilty pleasure. I am perfectly happy with myself knowing that I love Disney, well it is a bit embarrassing, but...

I honestly don't know how a childhood could ever be completed without a spot of Ariel or Pocahontas. However, my disney experience has obviously carried on past that time. I just couldn't imagine never singing the catchy tunes, or dancing along with my sister.

Mulan is my absolute favourite, out of all of the movies, closely followed by Tangled and Beauty and the Beast. I love the story lines, and the amazing precision of the animation. When I comes to Disney, animation is always the winner. The movies and soundtracks just make me happy, so I see no shame in indulging in my guilty pleasure once in a while!

What's your guilty pleasure, and your favourite Disney movie? Have a great rest-of-your-day!

Jenny xx


P.S As promised, here are the answers to the movie trivia in the last post. Leave a comment and tell me how you scored!

1. Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
2. Fiona Montgomery, A Cinderella Story
3. Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Edward Cullen, Twilight
5. Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
6. Flynn Rider, Tangled
7. Ronnie Miller, The Last Song
8. Tom Baker, Cheaper by the Dozen
9. Dale Doeback, Step Brothers
10. Karen Smith, Mean Girls
11. White Goodman, Dodgeball
12. Annie James, The Parent Trap
13. Miranda Presley, The Devil Wears Prada
14. Alan Garner, The Hangover
15. Effie Trinket, The Hunger Games

Speedy Sparks Review

Nicholas Sparks is that romantic novelist, whom just about every girl dreaming of a fairytale romance is irrevocably in love with his stories. However, are his novels really as good as they are thought to be? In this post, I am going to offer my opinion on all of his books which I have read, in a fun and interesting way(I hope!). I am going to write my mini-review in 10 words or less- but bot including the title, that would be impossible. By the way, most of the reviews will not be grammatically correct because that are written in note form in order to fit them within the word limit This should be a challenge...

Okay, let's begin:

The Notebook; Tragic, romantic and tragic romantic, but didn't surpass the hype.

The Last Song; Touching story which highlights romantic and family issues. Moved me.

The Lucky One; Predictable, but I understood the characters and their development. Cute.

Safe Haven; Worrying due to abuser in the plot. Nonetheless still satisfactory.

Dear John; Atrocious and unromantic. The characters and plot are extremely dull.

A Walk To Remember; Cute but very sad. Liked storyline; last paragraph annoyed me.

Nights In Rodanthe; Romantic but too short, and little character development.

At First Sight; Very controlling character irritated me, plot was just quite annoying.

Message In A Bottle; Slightly confusing and mysterious. Cute and romantic eventually.

This is purely my own opinion. Have you read any of his books? If you want a more elaborated review of any of these books, let me know. Or write a review and leave a link in the comments, I'd love to read it.

Jenny xx

Movie Quote Trivia

Hi film fanatics!

I watch a lot of movies, and often a line or two will got stuck in my head. I love to quote movie with the people that I watched re movie with, it's like a special inside joke or something. Anyway, here are some of my favourite movie quotes for you to try and figure out which character from what movie said them. Keep note of your answers, but do not just Google the quote! Answers will be given out in my next blog post, so keep reading.


1. "And last week I saw Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, and I talked her out of buying this truly heinous angora sweater. Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed."

2. "You're not very pretty and you're not very bright, I'm so glad we had that talk."

3. "Riddikulous. This class is ridiculous."

4. "You're my life now."

5. "Buggar."

6. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here cones the smoulder."

7. "Truth only means something when it's hard to admit. Don't you get that?"

8. "You soaked his underwear in meat. That is so wrong. Funny, but wrong."

9. "Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus."

10. "It's like I have ESPN or something. My breasts can always tell when it's going to rain."

11. "Your "gym" is a skidmark on the underpants of society."

12. "She's drunk! She's never had more than one glass of wine her entire life and she chooses today to show up totally zonked!"

13. "That is all"

14. "It's where I keep all my things. I get a lot of compliments on this. Plus, it's not a man-purse. It's called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one."

15. "May the odds be ever in your favour."

Be sure to read my next blog post, Guilty Pleasure, to find the answers to the trivia. See you soon!

Jenny xx

Out of Ideas?

Hey everyone !

On Sunday and Monday, as part of my Duke Of Edinborough challenge. Me and my fellow D of E-rs had approximately 24 kilometres, in 10 hours to walk, and to fill. We could have been very bored, but luckily we managed to find ways of entertaining ourselves. Here are a few ways to keep the boredom at bay for a few, or maybe twelve hours, if you ever need to;

• Chat
• Eat
• Play many fun and somewhat childish games, such as:
I-Spy
Word Association
Truth or Dare
The Alphabet Game (different adjectives describing something, in alphabetical order).
• Make up stories with a different people, each adding a new line.
• Think of a country or place for every letter of the alphabet.
• Braid each others, or your own hair. This is really fun, and can be totally hilarious is you do crazy styles.
• Act like completely different characters for half an hour- try different accents, different lifestyles, and that sort of thing. I normally act Scottish because it's the only accent i can do.
• Have a Something-a-thon; Basically a marathon but without the running. I like Mime-a-thons, Accent-a-thons, and Jokeback-a-thons (saying your best comebacks for the entire thing). The something-a-hons last for 26.2 minutes, and are a great way to pass the time.
• Pretend that you're in a ___holics anonymous meeting, and act as you would, if you actually were. Caffeine-holics are funny because you can act super hyper.
• Act out scenes from you're favourite movies. Disney musicals are particularly entertaining.
• Sit down and slob about (not that we did much slobbing. Ahem)

These ten ideas will hopefully relieve any boredom in your future. If they don't? Well, after a while, you'll be so bored that you start making up your own games. I hope these helped, they certainly helped the days go quicker for me.

Jenny xx

Nail Polish That I Love/Hate

Hey guys! I hope you're okay?

Today I want to share with you my favourite nail polishes, and some that I wish I had never bought. First, my favourite! My all time favourite brand to by nail varnish from is NYC (New York Colour). There nail polish is very inexpensive, ranging from 1.99 to 2.49, but the cheap price doesn't deny great choice of colours or quality of the product. However, while the quality and staying power isn't the best when compared with other, more proffessional brands, my nail polish always stays on at least three days, and they colour is shiny and smooth.

The choice of colours is fantastic, and I love they fact that most of the nail polishes are named after streets in New York. Personally, I have about six or seven NYC nail varnishes, and my favourite has to be Timeless Tangerine. This vibrant tangerine orange colour applies smoothly and always looks super glossy. I do think that they have a tendency to peel off, though maybe that's just because I pick at them. Anyway, I always finish off my nails with NYCs clear top/base coat, Grand Central Station. This literally dries in under one minute, and it leaves nails looking even more shiny than before.

Now, onto one of my least favourite nail polishes. About two years ago, at the start of my nail polish obsession (I literally have so many!), Barry M came into view. The brand has been around since the late sixties, but I believed that I had stick a gold mine when I started to buy some of their polishes. They look nice enough in the bottle, and I must admit, some of them work brilliantly, but not all. I have one colour, a pale pink called Strawberry Ice Cream, which is so frustrating to apply that I have just given up using it. The consistency is so thick and gloopy, and it takes like two hours to dry, which is really annoying.

Although I have been patient, shaken the bottle for a considerable amount of time beforehand, and even thinned it a bit with nail varnish thinner, but nothing worked. It's still as bad as ever, which is a real disappointment. Now I use the NYC Oh SoHo Sweet if I want to wear a baby pink.

These are only my opinions, if you feel differently please voice your opinion in the comments. Additionally, if you have any nail polishes that you think I should try out, or try to avoid, let me know.

Happy painting!
Jenny xx

Sweet Treat Time

Good Morning to all! How has your day been so far?

I have been drooling at these photos all week, and now its finally time that I posted them! This delicious collection of photos that I found this week all look scrumptious, but I wanted to share with you, my favourite recipe for my favourite cake ever; Coffee and Walnut Cake! Coffee cake was not invented. It evolved from ancient honey cakes to simple French galettes to medieval fruitcakes to sweet yeast rolls to Danish cakes made with coffee to nowadays variation of yummy goodness. However, I do believe that I have found a perfect recipe. Also, when I make this cake, I always double the nut quantities because I like the flavour very strong.

Now, I'm not a big fan of coffee. quite frankly, I find it bitter and disgusting, but this cake is something else. the coffee is subtle and the mixture of flavours is amazing! I really hope that you try out this recipe (from River Cottage) because it is just the bomb!

So, without further ado, here is my favourite recipe for the best Coffee and Walnut cake you'll ever eat (although, I'm not making any promises, so don't sue)!

Cook Time

• 25 - 30 minutes

Servings

• 10

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 200g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 200g unsalted butter, cut into small
• pieces and softened
• 100g light soft brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 50ml coffee essence (or 1 tbsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling
• water, or 3 tbsp very strong
• fresh coffee)
• 100g chopped walnuts
• 25–50ml milk
• For the buttercream:
• 60g unsalted butter, cut into small
• pieces and softened
• 125g icing sugar, sifted
• 10ml coffee essence (or 2 tsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 2 tsp boiling
• water or 1 tbsp strong fresh coffee)
• For the topping
• 200g icing sugar
• 2 tsp coffee essence (or 2 tsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling
• water, or 1 tbsp strong fresh coffee)
• 50g chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using either a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter to a cream. Add the brown and caster sugars and beat until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp flour with each and beating thoroughly before adding the next. Stir in the coffee essence. Now carefully fold in the remaining flour, half at a time, with a large metal spoon. Fold in the chopped walnuts, and sufficient milk to give a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, spreading it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the tops are a light golden brown and the cakes spring back into shape when gently pressed. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream. Beat the butter to a cream, add the icing sugar and the coffee essence and beat until light and creamy.

To make glacé icing for the topping, sift the icing sugar into the bowl, add the coffee essence and 1-2 tbsp boiling water, and mix until thick.

Spread one of the cooled cakes with the buttercream. Sandwich together with the second cake and cover the top with the glacé icing. Finish with the chopped walnuts.

This cake will keep for a week in an airtight tin.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are enjoying the cake too. I would love to see any picture of attempts at this recipe, leave a link in the comments. Talk soon, Jenny xx

Below are the rest of the yummy food photos!

The Coveted Shoes

Hello everyone! Recently while I was just surfing the interweb(oh yeah, I'm cool), I came across a pair of absolutely gorgeous shoes! Typically I'm not really one to go for shoes. I like them and everything, but I'd much rather have a nice bag or a good book, but these shoes are amazing!

The shoes(pictured) are just plain black suedey platform heels, but the simplicity is perfect. I think that these would look great with pretty much anything- a pretty dress and jacket, or spray-on skinnies and a blouse. Although I don't actually know where these shoes are from, I'm sure a similar shoe can be purchased from any major fashion store like H&M, Office, or even Primark(UK only). I cannot wait to root around my local shops to find a replica pair! Now, all I have to work on is how to actually walk in them...

Do you have a 'favourite shoe'? And, any tips for walking in mega high heels?

Have a great week, speak to you soon.
Jenny xx