Sticky Ginger Cake

The English Summer: typically wet and typically rubbish. My remedy? Baking.

If you like Jamaican Ginger Cake (a favourite of mine as a kid) then you'll love this yummy Sticky Ginger Cake - plus its super easy to make! Here's my step-by-step guide on how to make it, if you get the baking fever I'd love to know you're favourite recipes and if your Ginger cake was a success!

This weekend my family came down for the weekend and the entire cake got snuffled, I'm not turning into some blogger come baker (maybe in another 50 years or so) but I hope you enjoy this post as much as I have.

Check out the original (but less colourful) recipe here...

Spotlight: Ashley Smith

Unless your first name is Abbey, Freja or Natalia, my model knowledge generally isn't too hot (I was in close proximity to Imogen Morris-Clarke, Ali Stephens and Hanne Gaby Odiele and was oblivious). But then every once in a while, a model will pop up on the runway or feature in a magazine and I'll be obsessed. Right now my obsession is Ashley Smith.

Ashley, for comparisons sake, is pretty much a younger, more gap-toothed Lara Stone. This editorial for the summer issue of i-D is so soft and yet so honest, I mean those boobs are just insane. For a 19 year-old she seems to have her head pretty screwed on (although naivety can be deceiving) - "I'm not a twig and I've got titties...I think boobs are making a comeback. Models have looked like 12 year old boys for some time now, I think the fashion industry is looking for a change," she says.

I first caught sight of Ashley in this amazing Russh beauty editorial back in November but didn't actually know who she was until a few days ago, she's like some incredible Lara/Georgia Jagger hybrid!

As well as perfecting the quirky, edgy look, she's also pretty neat on the commercial circuit - check out this gorgeous US Elle editorial.

I think she's one of those models that I call 'superhuman' but I'm gonna wait it out and see what she does next, I really hope she isn't a flash in the pan. What do you think of Ashley, should Lara Stone (newly hitched, aww) be worried?

photos from fashiongonerogue.com

SKYY HIGH

I know everyone is just about sick to their stomachs reading/hearing about Sex and the City 2 (I know I am) but when the word 'cocktail' gets thrown into the mix, a girls gotta listen.

To celebrate the launch of the film, SKYY vodka have teamed up with Patricia Field (just thinking of the SATC costume department makes me drool a little) to redesign their iconic bottle. "So many of Sex and the City’s most stylish moments have been when the ladies were out in Manhattan, dressed to the nines, bonding over fun cocktails,” says Field

I was invited to try the yummy beverages on Monday and my favourite was definitely New York Star, so if you're out and about and come across this delightful collaboration, you know which one to ask for! Each drink is named after one of the girls and there's also a "Mr. New York", double points if you can guess which character that's based on!

Failing your very own SATC themed night out, you can also grab a limited edition Gift Box from Harvey Nichols for a super-chic night in. Maybe now the film is actually out I'll stop saying 'Oooh that's so Carrie' at every cute thing I see, anyone else had Carrie fever recently?

Hello Sunshine

You know it's summer when you can eat breakfast outside and not be cold; I'm so glad the sun has remembered us Brits, the whole Arctic April scenario was getting a little bit ridiculous. 

With sun (or summer in general - England isn't exactly known for it's warm climate) comes the onslaught of music festivals; what better way to spend a weekend than drinking beer and watching bands as the sunsets? Last month, it was Coachella that really raised the bar for festival fashion - forget denim cut-offs and straw hats, this summer it's all about vintage pieces, floppy hats and super-cute accessories. 

Of course, not everybody has access to showers, clean clothes (three whole outfits, for that matter), a bed, a hair-dryer or make-up therefore Kate's killer Coachella look is more aspirational than anything. Aside from the obvious - beer, tent, sleeping bag, food, more beer - here are a few of my festival essentials that will see you through this season.

Dress, Playsuit, Hat, Orange Sunglasses - Topshop. Barry M Nail Varnish, 

Dry Shampoo - Boots. Wipes - Witch. Wellies - Hunter. Lipstick - M.A.C. 

Leather Shorts - Rokit. Glasses - Alexander Wang. Rucksack - Eastpak

If you've ever attempted to wash your hair under freezing water whilst a queue looks on, you'll know its best avoided - at all costs. Get on the dry-shampoo bandwagon or invest in a floppy hat, with a dash of lippy and a coat of pastel varnish you'll be festival-ready in no time. Swap the denim cut-offs for a floral maxi, sounds impractical but just think, jeans under maxi = incognito. 

If it's forecast to rain, don't think you'll be able to get away with pumps/Converse, chances are they'll be swept away in a torrent of mud, so invest in a pair of decent wellies - I've posted these Hunter wedges before but I can't get enough of them!

I've already bought a couple of maxi-dresses and a load of lipsticks for the festival season, wellies and rucksack here I come! What will you be wearing to the festivals this season, are you trading the denim for a dress or sticking to the traditional festival uniform?

photos from justjared.com

Time-Traveller

If there were ever a model born in the wrong era, it'd be Abbey Lee. Of course Freja Beha Erichsen could give her a run for her money as she regularly looks as though she's time-travelled from the 80's, but Abbey's in a whole league of her own.

"Hey Abbey, the 70s called and they said they want their clothes back!" The furry coat seems to be a particular favourite of hers (although personally I think it looks like old carpet) as do the beaten lace-ups but all joking aside, its pretty refreshing to see a model whose clothes have personality.

I love black clothes, infact I rarely wear anythig but black (unless I'm feeling adventurous in which case I'll probably wear a red scarf or something) but if I was nearing on 6ft and had the pins of a super, I'd definitely venture into colour. Monochrome is just so....plain.

Of course there are the Sasha Pivovarova's, Magdalena Frackowiak's and Abbey's of the world and black is arguably the most practical colour for a model to wear, but it's so exciting when you get a hint of the real them. I'd like to think that Abbey is some free-loving hippy lass with not a care in the world, rather than a serial mourner or nun - god forbid.

I'd also like to think that she'd wear everything from this selection I've put together, not all at once of course - well she could but people might think she's on day release or something...

Severe apologies for the notable lack of newsworthy posts, it seems I'm not so great at time management as I once thought! What do you think, should models stick to the all black uniform or should they mix it up like Abbey? Also what is your favourite era? Mine used to be the 90s but right now I'm really feeling the 70's vibes, maaaaaaan.

photos from altamiranyc.blogspot.com

There were never such devoted sisters...

I knew it would happen - Ashley Olsen has finally started dressing well again. I was surprised at her choice of 'coming out' outfit because Johji Jamamoto isn't something I'd have pictured her in, but don't they both look great?

Mary-Kate in head-to-toe Givenchy looks amazing as always but I really wish she'd sort her posture out, she looks so demure and hunched next to Ashley. They were attending to host the Free Arts 12th Annual Art Auction in New York and I just love their whole bag-lady-meets-goth-chic look, it reminds me of Mary-Kate circa 2007 - my favourite Olsen year.

Of course there's been critics, apparently wearing head-to-toe black means you are in mourning, of your childhood...seriously? I always wear black and I'm pretty sure my childhood, or lack of it, has nothing to do with this. 

Ashley wore tartan and leopard print a couple of days earlier so I'm pretty sure she's not mourning anything right now...

I'm glad to see Ashley doing what she does best, looking amazing. I'm not going to be busting out a leopard scarf, leather jacket, tartan trouser-skirt or sandals anytime soon but it's great to see her back on track! I'm going to be away again from tomorrow but I'll post as much as I can. Do you give Ashley a thumbs up or a serious thumbs down?

PS. For all you Dolly Mix bloggers, you will be receiving an email shortly - I promise!

photos from olsenobsessive.net

Where dem bloggers at?

If you've been following me for a while you'd probably know that I like Rihanna and when I saw her in London the other night I wasn't disappointed.

Her outfits were pretty insane, like crotch-loving-PVC-clad-but-cool-not-whoreish insane (with a bit of Gareth Pugh added in for good measure). I'm not going to lie though, when I saw her on X-Factor last year, she didn't sound great live so I was pretty sceptical that it was going to be a duff gig; I was surprised at how good she was. Admittedly I'm not really into the whole giant venue scenario when it comes to seeing live-acts - I'd much rather be at a festival or at a smaller more intimate gig - but our standing spot was pretty good, non?

It kind of goes to show as well that having a great wardrobe is never a bad thing, I mean, until she started dressing good, who really paid her that much attention?

Its funny because in an interview she did with i-D, she kept saying how she hated her early image and that her record label wouldn't let her do her own thing - this makes me feel a bit better about those awful Pon de Replay years.

Good Girl Gone Bad was the turning point for me, Umbrella was literally the best song EVER at the time. She got a cute black bob and started dressing a bit better which kind of made me want to listen to her music - I also had my hair cut like hers, and then again when she chopped it all off completely, talk about Rihanna-tastic.

She hasn't really put a foot wrong since (forgetting the whole Chris Brown saga) and she's definitely one of my fave pop-babes - her videos just keep getting better and better.

Anyway, that's probably enough celebrity gushing for one day, who is/are your girl crushes? What with so many amazing women talents out there at the moment it's hard not to have a girl crush, in fact I think I've got several... 

As I mentioned before, I'd much rather go to a festival than be herded up with thousands of people in a hot-sweaty venue, so next week I'm going to dedicate a whole post to them. The season pretty much kicks off in June so if your headed to one soon, keep your eye out for my essentials page!

photos taken by me (do not use/copy without permission) and from google.com

Cream of the Crop

A few of my favourite shoes were made somewhat redundant over the winter due to the ridiculous weather, it was either a case of wear Dr Martens or get wet feet and clearly, wet feet wasn't an option. Because of this I got stuck in a rut and solely wore skirts or leggings - trousers were altogether out of the question.

Now that the weather's being a bit more reasonable, I can venture back into trouser territory or more dauntingly, the land of jeans. I've always been a bit scared of jeans because they're so hit and miss and the perfect denim usually is something of a myth to me. BUT with the help of my trusty brogues (think Ashish AW10/11) I'm on the hunt once more...

I recently had a look at MiH's AW collection and I couldn't believe how soft their jeans were - I'm literally in love with the panelled Vienna and The Paris is such a beautiful cut. One Teaspoon is another brand I came across on my hunt and OH MY GOD I wish I'd discovered them earlier - their jeans/clothes are to-die-for. I want everything from their online store, check it out - you'll understand why!

My brogues have already had an outing with my Levis 501's but this bunch tells me that they're going to see a whole lot more of London in the near future. What are you looking forward to wearing and what do you think of the whole panelled/coloured jean trend?

Photos from www.mih-jeans.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.oneteaspoon.com.au, http://asos.com, http://www.topshop.com, http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/

Accidents Happen

Everyone gets the whole 'fashion' thing wrong sometimes; however, doing it more than once tends to raise eyebrows. Collectively, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have my dream wardrobe - there was Mary-Kate's Balmain phase in 2007 which I would kill for, and Ashley's amazing red carpet ensembles.

Saying this, they don't always get it right. In fact, Ashley (usually the more preened of the two) got it horribly wrong at the Art of Elysium/VERSUS event on Friday night.

The shoes, the lace/jersey combo, the leather jacket tied around the waist? It's all wrong. Mary-Kate on the other hand looks amazing - I'm loving the cobalt blue dress teamed with the leopard print jacket. (an MK and A staple).

At first sight Ashley doesn't look that bad, but when you examine the outfit as a whole it just really doesn't work. At all. I said a month or so ago that I wished Ashley would step up her game, because at the moment, Mary-Kate is steaming ahead in the style stakes - and this doesn't exactly help her cause.

I'm optimistic because this is clearly just a phase, she will start dressing better soon; and when she does, I'm willing to forgive and forget. In the spirit of positivity, I've put together an outfit with my new essential, the khaki short, and Ashley's downfall - lace. Will you be wearing the khaki short this summer?

Shorts, Wedges, Crop - Topshop. Glasses - Rokit. Shorts - Urban Outfitters. Bag - Net-A-Porter.com.

I was a bit scared of trying the lace-cycling-short-under-khaki-short trend because I've got short legs but all this sun has given me the confidence. What do you think, has Ashley lost her style or is this just a bad fashion moment? 

Photos from net-a-porter.com, Topshop, Rokit, Urban Outfitters and thefashionspot.com