78. Lifestyle // Birthday Wishlist

It's only 30 days until I turn 21. To me, that's a big deal. 21 marks being an adult, a proper adult, where I'm old enough to do just about anything (except get a free bus pass). I'm really excited about it but, at the same time, very nervous as I feel that I'm not where I should be in life. I know this is silly as I've got a lot to be proud of and everyone achieves at different stages in their lives, but that's just my outlook on my situation.*sigh* Let's cheer this up a bit!

I thought I'd do a birthday wishlist as I love creating wishlists, and I thought it'd be a good way to subtly hint, to Shane, what I'd be happy to receive. Not that birthdays are about presents... No, of course its not. (I love presents).

This beautiful Kindle cover is available from NotOnTheHighstreet for £26.50. Now, you may think that's quite pricey for what is basically just a bit of fabric, but it's so pretty and it's handmade. However, I would also need a Kindle to go with this cute cover ;-)

I've been looking for some ankle boots for a while now and these glam cut-out panel buckle boots from New Look are perfect! I think they'd look great on a night out, or even in the office with a pencil skirt and some coloured tights to make them stand out, and for only £24.99 you can't go wrong!

Whilst browsing NotOnTheHighStreet I also stumbled across this adorable personalised 'love letter' necklace. The chain and envelope are made of gold and inside there is a removable wooden inscripted note; you can choose any wording you like. I think this is such a lovely idea, and for £48 it'd be a piece of jewellery you'd keep forever.

Now, I know this isn't the newest or most fashionable scent, but I love it. Unfortunately, I ran out of Euphoria well over a year ago and I've never been able to justify buying myself perfume, so I think asking for this newer scent as a birthday present would be ideal. You can find Calvin Klein's Forbidden Euphoria on Fragrance Direct for £36.95 (100ml).

It wouldn't be a birthday wishlist without flowers! I spotted this gorgeous, sumptuous Autumn Sunshine bouquet on Interflora, and now I'm desperate for them. They'd brighten up any room! Interflora also offer a bottle of red wine (double win) and free delivery with the bouquet, which makes the deal even sweeter. This lovely bouquet is £39.95 for the standard size, or £49.95 for the large bouquet.

What do you think of my birthday wishlist?

Is there anything you'd add?

Lots of Love,

Becci xo

35. Recipes // Victoria Sponge Butterfly Cakes

I'm a huge fan of homemade treats (especially cakes!) and I love to bake them for birthdays as it's something I'm half-decent at, it's fun and it's a lot better for my bank balance than shelling out on an expensive present.

My boyfriend also loves cake and so, this year for his 25th birthday along with several other homemade presents, I baked him a batch of Victoria sponge Butterfly cakes, using my Granny's traditional recipe. They went down a treat.

It's a very simple and memorable recipe and so quick - you only need one spoon and one bowl! This recipe should make 12 average sized buns.

Ingredients for the Sponge

3 x eggs 

Butter (softened)

Self-raising Flour

Caster sugar

Ingredients for the Filling

1/2 jar of jam (whatever flavour you prefer)

140g butter (softened)

280g icing sugar

Icing sugar to dust

The trick: weigh your eggs (say, for example, they weigh 200g altogether)

You would then use 200g of butter, self-raising flour & caster sugar respectively.

Method

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl until it forms a smooth mixture

Spoon into bun cases and cook in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for approx. 20 minutes

Whilst cooling, mix your butter and icing sugar until smooth yet thick

 Using a sharp knife, cut out a circle of sponge

Fill the hole firstly with jam and then the butter-cream 

Slice circle of sponge in half, place on cake to look like a butterfly

Blob a bit of jam in the middle for some colour

Dust with icing sugar 

And finally: Scoff.

Tip: For more colour, add some icing colour to the butter-cream and use sprinkles/glitter

Lots of love,

Becci xo