September in snaps | My month in instas

Can you believe it is that time of the month already?! Given all of the stresses and strains that faced us last month I genuinely thought we were in for another month of it as we officially bought and moved in to our own house, luckily we were to be pleasantly surprised and September has actually been a pretty fun month and we've got the snaps to prove it!

#1 Since we have already shared and probably sickened you of our new home tour video here's a snap of our Marble making herself at home. Making a house a home was something I was definitely worried about though once we brought Marble here it certainly felt more like home!

#2 Never a couple to do things in half measures we moved in to our new home and 2 days later hit the town and theatre for the Rocky Horror Picture Show at HMT Aberdeen. Needless to say we dressed up, feather boas, big hair, skirts, heels, the works! I do wish I could say it was the first time I had been wearing nothing but lingerie and a boa in a taxi but we both know I'd be lying! 

#3 This month I got my hands on so many fantastic products, the Urban Decay Waterproof Foundation, Make Up Geek x Manny MUA eyeshadow palette, Anastasia Beverly Hills Moon Child Glow Kit and some gorgeous goodies from the MAC X Star Trek 50 collection which as you all know I was super, super excited for. For my haul follow this link.

#4 After being asked, and asked, and asked again and again about my freckles, skin routine, foundation etc I drafted another insta post on my punum and shared this freckly to full coverage before and after picture.

#5 Having now well and truly welcomed Autumn into our lives in Aberdeen I felt so ready to embrace the season - but my wardrobe wasn't, so I treated myself to a brand new waterproof coat by Topshop and I just love it so much I had to share it with you all!

#6 After a little while of healing I was finally able to unveil my latest in a long line of tattoos, my skull by Lee and Rebel Ink. I am so in love with this tattoo and I think it may be one of the first I've had that I was 100% happy with instantly!

#7 Lush finally brought out their Halloween / Autumn collection of bath related goodies and I was lucky enough to get my hands on this delightful little dude. I haven't used him just yet but I'm so excited to bust them out for a big ole bath soon!

#8 I have pink hair now. After deliberating (for something like a week!) I decided that my blonde was getting a bit old hat for me and I wanted something a little different to brighten up my life....naturally pink hair by Saks and Manic Panic was the way to go!

#9 We attended our close friends engagement party this month in Dundee. We were so chuffed to celebrate with the happy couple at the end of September and all I can say is that wedding has one hell of a party to live up to when the day comes!

And that, as they say was that. I'm looking forward to what the month of October brings us in our brand new house, other than saving, scrimping and Halloween of course we don't have very much planned for the coming month so this is an advance warning of how dry my insta pics may be for next month! Of course you can catch me daily on the usual channels, Instagram, Twitter etc and more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, September sure passed in a snap.

H.Elizabeth x

Autumn in Aberdeen | Granite City Girls Wardrobe Staples

As you guys could probably tell by now I have pretty simple tastes when it comes to fashion, I rarely experiment with prints, bold colours or new and 'innovative' styles, which usually come in the form of sausage casing like crop tops with some terrifying looking embellishment. No I'm afraid these things are simply not for me, and you can trust me when I say I have tried, my goodness have I tried! It used to be very much that I was pretty embarrassed by my chronically monotone wardrobe thinking there must be something wrong with me before I favour black leather and a vest in summer over a floral print cropped piece of nonsense frankly! And so with that in mind I fully embraced my monotonous state and decided instead to experiment with accessories, b/w prints and fabrics with a few lovely combos as a result which I thought I would share with you today!

Simple staples of leather and leopard
If you perhaps couldn't tell from my instagram posts as late, I have been a bit obsessed with leather midi skirts, and really leather in general. Currently I own three leather midi's, my favourite at the moment is my Topshop one (as it was the first size 10 thing I was able to fit back in to!)  which has a stable leather at the front and a denim panel on the backside. I love how versatile this skirt is, you can dress it up for a night out with a crop top (which I don't do, but you could) wear it for work with a shirt or dress it down and pair it with a slouchy T shirt. In this particular pic I have paired it with my French Connection vest which is my fave at the moment, for a day at work, as you can see keeping to my monochrome theme nicely! 

Slouchy shorts and stripes
Stripes are something I ordinarily shy away from and spaghetti straps are the clothing form of demons as I hate bra straps being on display, but thankfully as I have gotten over my fear of stripes (only ever vertical though!) and got my boobs under control I was able to throw this combo together! Though looking back I do realise I look a bit like a referee. The shorts are from French Connection and they're the comfiest shorts ever, though they crease super easily! I'm looking forward again to wearing these with woolies, boots and my cosy coats!

Seventies Suede
Suede is something I have always been terrified of, but when I saw this skirt I must say it was love at first sight! When I bought this the 1970's were very 'in' as they probably aren't now, but just you wait ladies and gents they will come around again! I love pairing this with a plan black top and a statement belt namely the leopard print one in the picture. I'm looking forward to the proper Autumnal months where I can pair this with some wooly tights and ankle boots to really complete the look.

Happily leather after

Leather look leggings, oh my goodness leather look leggings, however did I live and dress before these leather look leggings!? I wear these bad boys at least twice in a week and they're so versatile and are able to jazz up any old t shirt, vest or drapey top I fancy. I love wearing them with my drapey River Island tops in particular like the one in the picture, which I usually wear a lace vest underneath. This has by far been my favourite outfit recently and I can't see that changing as the colder months storm on in as the leggings have a super warm lining and as for my 'drapey' tops I have so many sleeved ones, sleeveless ones, lacey ones there's no shortage on choice!

Fashion at times isn't my forte, and summer, as you've probably guessed really isn't my time to shine style wise, but I really hope you've enjoyed seeing some of my Autumnal wardrobe staples for the coming months and perhaps this has given you a  little bit of inspiration to dig out your own staples. If you have any thoughts or want to share some of your Autumn staples be sure to leave them in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see more of my efforts, endeavours and engaging content (ha!) be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm making fashion my forte!

H.Elizabeth x

Domestic Goddess | Mini Baked Oreo Cheesecakes

Now even though I have been making a solid attempt to eat a little bit better to shed a few lbs. for the festivities, this doesn't mean I'm going to give up some of my sweet stuffs! And I always think making something nasty yourself is better than buying it in, hey at least you know how it's being made and what's going into it!

So today I thought I would share one of my most recent culinary successes, if I do say so myself, in the form of bite size (depending on you gob size) Oreo Cheesecakes.

Now these are not good if you're looking for a quick sweet fix as you will need to refrigerate these over night, but these are perfect for an after dinner treat! 

What you'll need (equipment wise)

2 large bowls

Wooden Spoon

Paper or Silicone Cupcake Cases
Something to weigh out your ingredients (it's surprising how often people forget this)

What you'll need (foodie wise)

400g Philadelphia Light

75g Caster Sugar (I use silver spoon)

2 Medium Eggs

12 Oreo Cookies (keep extra if you like crunch)

110g Milk Chocolate (or any kind of chocolate you like)
A couple of tbsps of Philadelphia Cadburys Chocolate

What you need to do
For the Cheesecakes

1. Preheat your oven to 180oC and beat the Philadelphia, caster sugar in a bowl until completely blended (Philly goes funny when you mix it, you'll understand when you see it) Add your eggs, one at a time, stirring until fully blended again.
2. Place one cookie in the bottom of each casing, and if you like a bit of crunch in your cheesecake I suggest crumbling up some of your cookie biscuits into your cheesecake mix. Now fill your cases evenly with batter.
3. Bake in the oven for 18 - 20 minutes until your centres are almost set. Cool these on your cooker top and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. I recommend doing these over night though just to be sure. 
 

For the chocolate topped fondant (to be done after refrigeration)

1.  Using a plastic bowl over a pan of boiling water melt your milk chocolate (or any chocolate     you so choose)
2. Once your chocolate has fully melted add a dollop of your Cadburys philadelphia, don't panic it will not look like its going well.
3. Add enough philly and it should roll into a fondant chocolatey ball which you can take off of the heat and leave to cool a little before dolloping on top of your cheesecakes and leaving to set.
   

And that's all there is to it, they are so delicious, and not good for you but you know you've got to treat yourself sometimes!


If you do or have given this recipe a try before please let me know how it went or if you'd even like to share some similar recipes drop me a comment below, come tell me about them on Twitter or if you'd like to see more beauty and lifestyle posts make sure you keep up with me on Bloglovin.

Happy baking folks!

H.Elizabeth x

November Wishlist | Winter Wants

Hello everyone, so it's that time of the month again and this month I'm going to be sharing my list of Winter Wants before the proper festive season kicks in and my personal spending budget is knocked down to zero.

This months wants revolve around a mix of the home, beauty and fashion. Which I find incredible given that my make up drawer is at capacity, my wardrobe is bursting at the seams and my home is so full of junk I could easily host a sale in the midst of the chaos. If anything the most sensible thing that ought to be on this list would be extra storage space or better yet a brand new home (but let's be realistic here and just keep buying the 'junk')

The amount of gorgeous home things in Next and Debenhams at the moment is unreal, and yes, it is technically for the festive season but some of the goodies I've spotted recently are perfect additions for a year round homey feel!

#1 Grey / Silver Cushions

I have recently been getting blogger home envy and decided I need to get my bum in gear! Our home is overrun with stuff, just stuff everywhere! So in an effort to clean house, I have made a list of homewares I would like to accentuate our flat with and number one is brand new 'grown up' cushions and we chose silver!

#2 Make Up Brush Holder

Unfortunately my make up brush holder at the moment leaves a lot to be desired. The amount of make up I have managed to clart on my Real Techniques holder is unbelievable, so I endeavour to find a nice (preferably silver) pot to hold all of my brushes. This little doll pen and pencil pot caught my eye in Paperchase recently but I might just have to hold out for something a little more homely since that's what we're going for now.

#3 Smelly Goodies

By which I mean Yankee smelly goodies for my house. I recently bought a beautiful silver plated candle holder with a gorgeous smelling candle but unfortunately the scent doesn't linger as long as I would have prefered (for £10!) so I have decided to invest in a slightly safer bet and go for some Yankees, since I know they're long lasting and gorgeous. I'm very much looking forward to checking out their Winter and Christmas range!

#4 A Winter Cape

These have been knocking about for a little while now and being the curious cat I am I decided to just see if they suited me, and you know upon trying it on I don't even care if they do! They are warm, they are comfy, versatile, beautiful, really the list goes on. I currently have my eye on a monochrome number from New Look which will be mine...oh yes, it will be mine!

#5 Party Lashes
My love of the lash has been revived! Having been out of the loop for quite a while I hadn't noticed the brand new range of Eyelure Katy Perry lashes stalking my Superdrug and Boots stores, until I invested in the 'feline' set for my Halloween costume last week. Having now bought these, I just can't stop, Katy Perry party lashes have very quickly become my must have for the Winter and party season!

If I get these things, especially given I have yet to begin Christmas shopping... has anyone really started yet? Not only will I be chuffed with myself and my bank balance but I will be incredibly surprised!

What have you been lusting after lately? Maybe you've already tried out some of the above or have recommendations on where I might be able to hunt down a couple of things, if so drop me a comment below, come tell me about it on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my latest, come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth x

Going 'Half & Half' with a dash of 'Spice'

My love affair with MAC has hit an all time high. On my walks home I can barely resist going in to marvel at their hundreds of lippys, plethora of polishes and of course the obsession only worsens when a new trend hits the seasonal fan, but that is a discussion for another time.

Today I am going to share my brand new vice and must have make up for the month! I know that everyone has been obsessed with MAC's 'Velvet Teddy' lippy made famous by the poster child for lush lips, Kylie Jenner and her mad lining skills! And of course I had to have it! But on thinking of it a little bit further I decided to get a lippy that would best compliment me, my skin tone and general style, because I think that's what this big make up business is all about finding your own style and making up your own face.

And so tah-dah this is what I bought and came up with! The MAC Half 'N' Half Amplified Creme Lipstick and the Spice lip liner.

MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Half 'N' Half (RRP. £15.50)

I always love MAC lipsticks for their wearability and pigmentation, and this one in particular is a great moisture rich lipstick that doesn't dry your lips very much at all (something I have mentioned I have struggled with in the past) This lipstick isn't as intense as I would say 'Velvet Teddy' is and I feel it really compliments my skin tone, on others I suppose it's considered a nude but for me it's a gorgeous brown autumnal colour.

The spice lip liner goes really well with this particular lipstick it gives a much darker defined line to your lips so you can build up and build up to give yourself that voluptuous pout we've all been aiming for! The colour isn't technically meant to go with the lipstick but you can do so much with it , you can as I said create a darker and more defined lip and you can even ombre your lips (something I am yet to try as I think I'll need an afternoon for that!)

Tah- dah! The finished product

So what do you guys think? A fair compromise for us Casper folks for 'Velvet Teddy'? What lippys have you been loving lately? Have you tried this trend yet, be sure to drop me a comment below, catch me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep seeing more catch me on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

New 'Do | The Saks Experience

Hey guys so I fulfilled yet another Autumnal 'want' this past week and I underwent quite a dramatic (for me anyway) change to my head, which I thought I would share with you guys. As you'll know I've been chopping and changing my hair quite a bit and experimenting with different colours over the past few years (see my 'Hairstory' post if you'd like to follow my 'journey') and this Autumn I was looking for something different and outside the box for my traditional Goldilocks.

While I loved my hair in it's Strawberry Blonde state, with Autumn rolling in and my roots joining, I felt a bit like a hippy wandering around in dull weather with ombre locks and honestly my hair had gotten into such a bad condition through daily heat styling it was time for a chop and a change.

Saks in Union Square Aberdeen

So I paid a visit to my regular hairdresser establishment 'Saks' where I had booked in for a colour, cut and blow dry with a stylist (I reckon she is a senior stylist...she did a pretty ace job at least!) Now I love Saks, it took me a long long time to find a hairdresser I was comfortable with and genuinely enjoyed going to but I can safely say I am content, and to boot it's in my favourite haunt, 'Union Square' If you do ever find yourself in need of a chop and a change and you're about the Granite City I do recommend you give them a go!

Prior to anything touching my head I had my colour consultation and after confusing myself and the stylist, we decided on a warm toned brown with copper tones throughout which wouldn't wash out my skin given I'm such a Casper. And under I went!

The dye only took 20 minutes since my hair was so light, and my concerns about the damage I had already done to my hair was put at ease by the knowledge that the colour they used had conditioning qualities.

Once the colour came off and I was dried to perfection I was so pleased with the transformation, I honestly believe, as I believe with eyebrows, the colour and cut of your hair can do wonders for your face and I personally think darker compliments me far more in the Winter (with the disappearance of my freckles temporarily)

For the entire process I paid £73.00 which I always think is quite reasonable for the service you're receiving, I'm always happy to pay that little extra if the salon and the services they offer are professional, there is nothing worse than feeling like a nuisance when you're paying a bomb. In fact I was so chuffed with my new 'do and the service I have booked in again for a re-colour before Christmas (and I have NEVER had the same thing twice in  a hairdressers ever!)

So there you have it, my Saks Experience and my new 'do, what do you guys think? Share your good and bad salon experiences with me in the comments below, come have a rant with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more of my beauty blogging and experiences keep up to date with me on Bloglovin

Thank you for the reads, until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

The Girl with the Green (ish) Coat

Can you tell I've been watching 'Confessions of a Shopaholic?' 

As you'll know if you read my October / Autumnal wants post I have recently been on the hunt for a brand new striking, statement winter coat to break my blackish, grey habit and inject some colour into my life. And I'm ever so pleased to tell you I have done it, and at a discounted price too!

When I'm on the hunt for something I generally stick to my comfort zones, visiting shops like New Look and Dorothy Perkins or sometimes I'll dabble in River Island but only when I'm feeling 'out there' but this year I was tempted in and fell for the M & S ad, which has us all in the grips of their fashion forward talons. Can anyone genuinely say that they haven't nailed their AW14 campaign?!

Basically what prompted this was a very Frozen esque jacket I saw on the advert, you all know the one, the ice blue comfy coat with the white trim around the collar! But of course my practical brain set in and when I tried it on, as much as I loved it, it just wasn't practical for Winter. A nice ice blue ensemble is all very well and good but at almost £80 think of the splashes you'll get from cars on the way to work, or think of the clumsiness of yourself in your oversized winter boots and even think of the marks you'll get just from the falling snow! I couldn't risk it!

So instead I tried on and loved this little ensemble which I only saw by chance as it was the last in it's size and on the wrong rack! It's such a lovely fit and the colour is amazing, on the website it's called 'Emerald' which of course being the film buff I am, just whisked me off to OZ. I also love the black (faux) fur trimmed collar. Having no reservations I of course snapped it up ASAP, and I struck even more luck when I found it was 20% of all M&S coats that weekend! So I only had to pay £69.30, luck of the Irish perhaps?

Limited Edition Faux Fur Collared Neck Coat in Emerald (RRP. £79.00 From M&S)

Sorry that I have spent so much time on a post revolving around a new winter coat but honestly it's exciting when you spot a rare find (in this case a smart, on trend, cost effective winter coat that isn't black!) Have you guys found any AW fashion nuggets on you travels lately? I'd love to hear about them, be sure to drop me a comment below, come tweet at me on the Twittersphere or if you'd like to keep up to date with my latest posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks

H.Elizabeth x

New Look Haul | Autumn Update

I've never been much of a fan of online clothes shopping. Many of my clothes appear to be a major hit or miss when it comes to fit and style in particular so I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to go on a major internet clothing shop frenzy one Friday evening when I had other things I ought to have been doing (i.e Blogging about other things that didn't cost me £40!)

So I thought instead of moping and suffering from buyers remorse I would share these purchases with you guys and you can tell me if it was indeed a waste of my time and money!

#1 I wish I was a unicorn T (£9.99)

 I love a good loungy, baggy t shirt to both wear around the house and on my more casual events and escapades, and unashamedly this reminded me a great deal of Despicable Me so I had to haves!

#2 Dark Blue Denim Leggings (£12.99)

 These have been in awfully short supply in my home recently, the banes of having a cat and thin leggings has been getting to me, and not to mention my bank balance. So I thought it was high time to invest in another pair and be wary of the cats claws in future!

#3 Blue Pocket Tunic Dress (£9.00 SALE ITEM)

Since watching Cilla on ITV recently I have rekindled my love of the 1950's and 60's so this bargain shift dress is a must for pairing with woolies in the winter months. Perhaps I should invest in some boots too...hmmm

#4 Shocking red Kimono (£13.00 SALE ITEM)

At the moment red is my colour and Kimonos are an obsession, and since my hair is about to undergo a dramatic Summer to Autumn transformation I thought I should invest in the colour since it will compliment me quite well. A plus as it can be used as a party piece as opposed to a jacket or blazer.

Total Splurged: £40.38
(Still using my cheeky student discount online)

Really if you think about it I just bought myself a whole two new outfits for under £50, I do believe I am quite a thrifty buyer. Have you guys been treating yourself due to the dramatic weather changes we've been having? Drop me a comment below to share how you cheer yourself up in this dismal state, you can as always catch me on Twitter or keep up with my latest posts on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H. Elizabeth x

Out With the Old | Make Up & Jewellery

I'm a strong believer that a clean and organised work / play environment makes for greater productivity and boosted happiness levels, and that's why recently I've been making the effort to get out with the old and in with the new, clearing out almost 6 years worth of clothing, make up and basically junk that I've always said will 'come in handy eventually' Surprise surprise, they did not.

So today I thought I would share my most recent organisational endeavour and show you the amazing transformation of my make up and jewellery storage.

Before

Messy mayhem, now that it's all clean and tidy I have no idea how I was able to function in this utter mess! I had myself convinced that as long as I knew where everything was that it's alright and it's really not that bad. Oh how deluded I was, the wake up call came when my new lippy was accidentally nudged into my wicker bin (thankfully I rescued it before it was too late!)

After (Tah Dah!)

 

The sea of glitter parted and tah dah! I finally have the organised make up system I've always wanted! I used a few clear compartmentalised boxes from hobbycraft, one which is divided by square boxes and the other which is actually meant for stationary. The startionary box which is on the right of the picture doesn't actually fit in the drawer properly but is instead propped up which I prefer because I can see the products more clearly without sticking my head in the drawer.

Overall I threw out two black bags worth of 'stuff' which is the only way I can describe it! I seriously cut down my make up collection and only really kept jewellery which I either wore a lot or had sentimental value. You never really realise how much rubbish you buy until you have to spend an entire Saturday afternoon clearing it out!

Top Organisational Tips

#1 Have a plan; There is no way my day would have been half as productive as it was if I hadn't known exactly what I was wanting to do and had laid out all of my tools before hand. Equipped with my clear boxes, a handful of black bags and of course my quippy can do 'tude!

#2 Be firm with yourself; You need to constantly be asking yourself, 'Do I need this?' and 'Would I miss this if it weren't here?' Otherwise you may end up talking yourself into keeping accessories that are really just junk!

#3 Make it fun; if you're not having a nice or fun time clearing out old clothes / make up or jewellery you'll be likely to give up half way through which could leave your storage in a worse state than you found it. Put on some tunes and get the family involved, you'll have such a lauch at some of the things you used to use!

Have you cleared anything out recently? Send me pics of your brand new and improved make up / clothing storage, if you're as proud of yours as I am of mine! Drop me a comment below, come find me on Twitter or keep up to date with my latest posts on Bloglovin, until next time!

H.Elizabeth x

October Wishlist | Autumnal Wants

It has been a wee while since I've done a post like this, but I suppose it's because I've had far more interesting things to blog about as of late. But alas we are back, and here are my top picks, wants, wishes and lust after list items for this Autumnal month.

#1 A statement coat

I've been seeing a lot of reds, corals and forest greens for Autumn this year and I have recently endeavoured to get away from dull dark clothing colours and add a pop of colour to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe and what better way to do that than with a siren red jacket?!

#2 A new hair do (No pic  since I don't know what I want)

As much as I do love my strawberry blonde Summer locks, they appear out of place and quite lack lustre in the Autmnal weather we've been having (any excuse for a good hair change) so I've been dreaming of an Auburny / Red to see my head through the cold Winter months. Stay tuned for my eventual big reveal!

#3 Maleficent on DVD and in my life!

This film, I need in my life. I saw it in the cinema 3 times and with the date of October 20th being the release date and pending I'm getting myself awfully hyped up! Anyone else?

#4 Heated Rollers

And my quest for voluminous locks continues. Yes I'm still loving a good bouffant hair do and with my velcro rollers working wonders for special occassions and evenings out, I can only imagine what I may achieve with heated rollers.

#5 A pair of good (bonus for sensible) shoes

Walking to work everyday is so good, I get woken up on the way to work, get some good exercise going but the only things that aren't thanking me are my feet! Sometimes I just don't want to have to change shoes arriving at work so I just need a good pair of sensible yet not scary shoes to walk daily in, is that really too much to ask!?

So there you have it, my Autumnal wishlist, if there is anything on here you can potentially help me out with finding for example my lusty statement coat to see me through Winter storms and rain, drop me a comment below, Tweet it at me on Twitter or if you'd just like to keep up and see more of me come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time, see you folks!

H.Elizabeth x