Solar Eclipse Cupcakes

As it is a special occasion I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to do some baking! 

I have to admit my baking isn't the best so....

To make Solar Eclipse Cupcakes you will need:

6oz self raising flour

6oz butter

6oz caster sugar 

3 eggs

1tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla essence

Firstly, measure out your butter..

Then your caster sugar..

Then cream them together until they look a little like this...

Now it's time to add the eggs..careful it doesn't curdle!

  

oops, made a mess!

Sieve in the flour...

And mix until all of the flour is in! 

At this point you can add the vanilla essence and baking powder

Lay out your cupcake cases onto a suitable baking tray...

And add the mixture (around 1 heaped teaspoon is usually enough!)

BAKING TIME! 

Set your oven on around 180°C

Bake your cupcakes for 10-15 minutes! 

Let them cool for around 30 minutes and then it's time to decorate them! 

For this I've used vanilla butter icing and Giant Yorkie Buttons! 

Spread the butter icing evenly over the tops of the cupcakes...

 Now to add the finishing touch.....

(I've broken the buttons up to make some half moons etc!) 

Tadaaaaaa! 

I hope you like this idea and if you want to try it out then send me some photos via Twitter or in the comments!

Tomorrow around 9:30am UK time there will be a solar eclipse! This is not predicted to happen again until 2026 or even longer. 

Should be an interesting event! 

I hope you like this post,

'til next time...

Hannah xoxo

Review: The Great Gatsby Book & Film

As is indicated in the title this classic novel is based around the marvellous Jay Gatsby or 'Gatsby' as referred to throughout the novel.

 Gatsby is an eccentric man who holds magnificent parties at his mansion inviting whoever to party until they can’t go on. This book is written from the point of view of Nick Carraway, the patient neighbour of Gatsby. The novel primarily surrounds the love story between Gatsby and a certain mutual friend of his and Nick’s, Daisy.

The story is set during the roaring 20's in America at Long Island’s West Egg. Fitzgerald’s detailed descriptions give you a precise and vivid image of the setting and emotions throughout the novel. With unexpected twists and an incredibly heart wrenching love story I would definitely recommend this book.

My favourite part of this book would have to be when Nick and Miss Baker (a love interest of Nick’s as revealed throughout the book!) are invited to one of Gatsby’s shindigs. The range of people that they meet at the party give a very wide picture of the different types of people that populated the 1920's and all of their stories.

The character of Gatsby himself is so beautifully portrayed and I felt that I was connected to his character throughout the novel despite his person being incredibly mysterious until nearer the end of the novel where you learn about the real ‘Jay’.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby. The plot was captivating and the writing itself was compelling.

AND THEN...

In 2013 Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote the film adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

This adaptation, despite closely following the novel almost word for word in places, followed the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway, in his therapy to overcome alcoholism among other issues. 

During his treatment Carraway recounts his encounters with Gatsby whilst writing the book. I feel this is a captivating and interesting way of justifying Carraway’s eccentric and exotic narration that occurs throughout the film.

Whilst the novel has a classic 1920’s American feel to it, the film has a typical Luhrmann feel, very Moulin Rouge. The bright colours, loud montages and the soundtrack consisting of 21^st Century club remixes add to the exciting and compelling atmosphere that the plot and characters present.

I wasn't surprised to witness another stunning performance from the talented and yummy Leonardo DiCaprio. The way Leo portrayed Gatsby’s charm, class and mystery was undoubtedly flawless. 

But an element of Leo’s performance that I was taken aback by was the presentation of Gatsby’s undying love and passion for Daisy. This element of the plot was portrayed in a way the novel failed express in words. His devotion and…obsession with Daisy is explicit and powerful.

I was overwhelmingly impressed by the phenomenal interpretation of the characters from the novel by the cast.  I felt as attached and connected to each and every one of the characters whilst watching the film as I did whilst reading the novel.

The mystery and uncertainty behind Gatsby’s life and character that is created in the novel is still maintained in the film. It was a concern that because of the length of the film and the emphasis on the alternative style in which the film was directed, that the plot might get lost amongst the Hollywood glamour.  It didn't.

Luhrmann’s adaptation of this classic piece of literature has shot to the top of my favourite films list.

To describe him as ‘great’ would now be an understatement. 

I'd love to hear your opinions on the novel and the film, if you haven't already read/watched The Great Gatsby I hope this encourages you to take the time to do so! 

'til next time..

Hannah x

Childhood

I don't know about you, but reminiscing about TV programmes, music, toys and food that I grew up with, makes me very happy. 

It always ends in laughter when you're with a group of friends and someone starts it off with..

'Oh my God, do you remember....'

SO!

For this week's post I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane...

Top 10 Things That Remind Me Of My Childhood:

1. Atomic Kitten- I have to admit that The Tide Is High is one of my guilty pleasures. I used to listen to this album in my bedroom with my CD player for hours on end. Now if I hear any of their songs, the lyrics just come flooding back. 

2. Plastic High Heels- with these badboys on I could be the most powerful 6 year old in the world. From a housewife, to a princess, to a teacher I played every role there ever was. Although they did seem to trigger incredibly bossy behaviour?-or maybe that was just me..

3. Sandwich Bags- not just any sandwich bags, the multicoloured ones with the stickers? These made every packed lunch an adventure. Maybe I had a very sheltered childhood but I know they were definitely the hype at my primary school.

4. Beyblades- these were THE craze. One of the many toys that were banned from the playground to avoid arguments and upset. Hah. I loved my Beyblade. You could even get the arenas?! *cue the advert man's voice* LET IT RIP!

5. Alice Bands- the hight of fashion around year 3/5? There was even a phase of wearing more than 1! Simple yet stylish hairstyles for 10 year olds. Whatever happened....

6. Garath Gates- I don't know where he came from or where he went but he was definitely a thing. His hair was crazy?

7. Tamagotchi- who wouldn't want their own pixelated child? These top of the range gadgets were what started the preparation for parenthood- I'd be a terrible parent. What I must say is...if one of these ran out of battery...my god did you know about it! 

8. The Tweenies- despite their somewhat creepy giant heads, these guys were awesome. Still confuses me how their eyes and mouths move..

They taught me a lot- especially that being a stroppy madam doesn't help.. thanks to Bella! Who doesn't love Doodles?!

9.  64 Zoo Lane- I can't read or hear the number '64' without then singing the theme tune. Cbeebies was life. The step up to CBBC was a biggun! 64 Zoo Lane is still on now and I still love it. The animals are all so genuine and down to Earth..more people should aspire to be like them. 

10. Alphabetti Spaghetti- to be honest, spaghetti in any shape that wasn't spaghetti shape was fabulous. There's something about food being in the shape of something that makes it more enjoyable to consume...

These are a few things that spring to mind when I think back over the years, there are obviously many more.. 

Teletubbies, S Club, Nintendogs, Sunny-D.

I might do another post like this with a few other of my favourite things from the naughties! 

Let me know what your favourite memories are! 

'til next time..

Hannah xo

Living with Emetophobia

For those of you who don't know what this is...*cue dictionary definition*

'Emetophobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety pertaining to vomiting.'

For most people I'm sure this fear sounds ridiculous but for me, and many other people, this is what nightmares are made of. 

I've been living with this phobia for around 8 years now. I've tried many different treatments, counselling, medicines, remedies and even hypnotherapy and none of it has worked. *sigh* 

For me, this effects me on a day to day basis. I have good days and bad days. The level of my anxiety often depends on the people around me and what that day entails. 

E.g. 

If there is a stomach bug around, anxiety level =HIGH

If I'm feeling nervous about something (a performance/exams), anxiety level =HIGH

If I have to go somewhere on my own, anxiety level =HIGH

The trouble with having this phobia is, being nervous can cause nausea, being stressed can cause nausea, being hormonal can cause nausea, late nights can cause nausea, and nausea terrifies me. 

I get scared of being sick, of other people being sick, of seeing people being sick, of people I know going near people who have been sick in case they then get sick and then I'll get sick. 

Constantly living in fear is exhausting. 

I am very anxious person so to have butterflies and a churning tummy which anyone else would interpret as nerves, immediately sets off my phobia which then often leads to an explosion of emotions and terror unless I manage to reign it back in. 

Anything can trigger it, being too full, being hungry, knowing someone's ill, suspecting someone is ill, coughing fits, sore throats, nerves, assemblies, public transport.

I often find myself getting stuck in a vicious circle. The more I worry, the more I feel sick, the less likely I am to eat, the more I feel sick, the more I worry, the more I feel sick, the less I eat, and so on.

I am more in control of my phobia now that I have been over the last few years. I have created ways of dealing with it and on the whole they work and my phobia rarely interferes with anything I want to do. 

But there are days when the feelings just don't go away, when every method doesn't work and all you can resort to is panicking and spending a day feeling gross and wondering what might happen. 

I used to love travelling and trying new foods, but now my fear of food poisoning stops me enjoying holidays and meals out. 

I find it hard to enjoy parties when I'm surrounded by people throwing up. 

I'm not cured but I hope one day I'll overcome it.

Here is my attempt at helping anyone who is suffering with the same fears....

My Top 5 Tips on Dealing with Emetophobia:

1. Always wash your hands- if you keep your hands clean the chances of contracting anything are smaller and therefore you are largely reducing risks. If you stay away from potential threats and stay clean, there is no reason to worry. 

2. Trust restaurants- I tend to eat at restaurant chains, busy ones. This gives me the piece of mind that whatever they're cooking has got to be decent. I enjoy meals out with my friends and I don't want my phobia to interfere with my social life. We eat at restaurants that I'm comfortable with, (I also tend to eat the same meal as someone else I am with, its reassuring as even if you feel ill afterwards, they can tell you that its all in your head!)

3. Chewing gum- Peppermint suppresses nausea and the chewing motion helps your digestive system start up again in times of panic which often stops the horrible feeling in my stomach. Some other emetophobes I know prefer mints, as well as antacids such as Rennie and Gaviscon tablets, reducing stomach acid also often helps getting your appetite back and calming your stomach- obviously stick to dosages and only take them in times of need. Chewing gum and mints are always my go-to.

4. CAUTION: this one's a bit gross!

     Burping often helps- its easy to mistake the feeling of air coming up for a different feeling. Burping can often solve the problem quicker than you might expect. It makes you feel less full and will often remove the sick feeling you thought you had. 

5. If you're feeling panicky/'sick'/anxious- get up and walk into the next room. Go and do something to take your mind off worrying. It's easy to convince yourself that you don't feel well when you analyse everything you're feeling. Go and have a conversation with someone, get a drink, go for a walk. ANYTHING. 

Despite telling you all of these things, I still sometimes forget to do them myself. It's tricky to think logically when you're scared. 

If you want any advice or just someone to talk to then feel free to speak to me whenever. 

You'd be surprised how many people are feeling just the same as you.

I hope this was somewhat helpful!

'til next time

Hannah xoxox