Hello party peeps,
welcome to my last Friday Favorites linky party with me as a co-hostess! I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I'll be joining you each week as a "party guest" just like I used to do before I become a co-hostess for the past two years :)
As my very last feature I have chosen this super cool DIY Frida Kahlo Cushion from Pillar Box Blue that perfectly captures the characteristic features of Frida Kahlo. Have you seen the movie Frida by the way? I loved it! One of my favourite movie genres to watch (besides fantasy, sci-fi and thriller) is definitely biographical or historical films because you can learn so much while enjoying the movie itself!
Now enough babbling, LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
BTW: If you want to be a co-hostess of this party yourself, you can still find a form at the
end of the linky party where you can sign up to become a fellow party
hostess! So if you are interested in being a part of the Friday
Favorites linky party, just fill out the form below :)
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reading time: 2 min
I've made these bean-based chocolate truffles several times now for different friends and events, and they've been a hit every time. They are incredibly delicious, sweet, soft, juicy, and all that while being dairy-free and sugar-free. Oh, and did I mention nut-free?! You wouldn't believe that these are made of (almost) nothing but black beans, dates, and cocoa powder!!
These cute truffles are great to bring along to a get together, as a healthy but chocolaty snack, or as an edible gift for a birthday, Valentine's Day or your anniversary :)
Hello friends and welcome to another round of Friday Favorites!
Due to the heatwave that has been hitting Europe and the US over the past couple of days/weeks I have been eating (vegan) ice cream every day and watering my plant babies like crazy. Luckily Carol from Comfort Spring has some great tips for us on how to care for your summer lawn to prevent it from looking yellow and scorched.
HAPPY PARTYING!
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reading time: 3 min
So.
I cut my hair. After waiting another year for it to be long enough to
be donated I finally chopped off 30 centimeters / 12 inches of
hair!
The
last time I had cut my hair that short was in October 2014 after a
very emotional break-up. Over the past three and a half years it grew
from about chin length to, well, boob length, and now it's back to chin
length. Even though it's a little shorter than I originally intended (I
was aiming for a hair length like simply_kenna) I am really happy with how it turned out, and the youthful, cheeky look of it :)
This is how long my hair was when I wore it straightened:
It looks so different!
I decided to donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust which
is a UK-based charity that provides real hair wigs free of charge to
children and young adults up to the age of 24, who have lost their own
hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses. The main reason why I chose this particular charity is that it also accepts hair that is 7”/17cm or longer.
What You Will Need To Donate Your Hair
- a pair of scissors (or: a professional hair dresser)
- hair ties
- a clear resealable plastic bag
- a padded envelope
- clean, dry hair *
* The exact hair guidelines depend on the charity you choose!
The Benefits of Donating Your Hair
- make use of the hair you would otherwise throw away
- provide people in need with real hair wigs
- help make another child or adult who lost their hair due to illness feel more "normal" again
- support charities that produce sponsored wigs
How To Donate Your Hair
1. Do your research and check on each organizations guidelines to find the charity that matches your hair best.
2. Make sure you have
completely washed and dried your hair and have no styling products in
it.
3. Have your hair cut at a hair salon, or: cut it yourself.
4. If you are cutting your hair yourself put it into several ponytails or braids, e.g. two or three
on each side, to be more in control while cutting. I put mine in just one braid, and
it was nearly impossible to make an even cut (but it did make for a nice graduated bob look!). Secure your braid(s) at both ends with a hair tie, and cut just above the upper tie(s).
5. Have your hairdresser (or in my case: my mom, lol) sort out the mess you've made.
6. Place your chopped braid into a zip lock bag, put the bag into a padded envelope and sent it off to the charity of your choice.
NOTE:
Donating your hair is a great and easy way to give back. However, it is YOUR hair and YOUR decision what you want to do with it. Another great way to support hair charities is to donate money instead of hair. But that's completely up to you!
How To Prepare For a Hair Donation
Like I said in the beginning, I've been waiting to finally cut and donate my hair for an entire year. Here's what I did to prepare my hair for the donation:
- To speed up my hair growth I covered my hair in rosemary infused oil and left it in for 30 to 60 minutes before showering. Every now and again I also used a DIY hair mask to strengthen my hair.
- I also reduced using my hair straightener to a minimum, and I didn't blow dry my hair at all.
- After washing my hair I massaged some coconut oil, almond oil, argan oil or alove vera gel into the tips to nourish and hydrate them.
- I put my hair into protective hair styles as much as possible to prevent breakage.
Now that 30cm/12'' of hair are gone I feel much lighter and younger and a little bit like I'm from the twenties, haha! If I ever grow my hair that long again, I will donate it again for sure.
Here's a picture of my freshly cut hair:
Have you ever donated your hair? Or cut it yourself?
Let me know in the comments!
♥
Maisy
reading time: 2 min
I made this naked cake with berries and cream for my mom's birthday last weekend because (a) it's still berry season, (b) my mom loves cream cake, and (c) what other reasons do you need to eat cake?!
The sponge cake turned out like a fluffy dream – perhaps a bit too fluffy because the pieces wouldn't hold together very well once they were cut, but it was very very yummy. My mom said it was (one of) the best cake(s) I've ever done so far. Which is saying something, given that my mom is the biggest cake lover.
Anyways, if you are looking for a creamy dreamy cake recipe for a birthday or Valentine's day definitely give this one a try :)
ALMOND SPONGE CAKE WITH BERRIES AND CREAM
Preparation time: 1 h 30 min
Main ingredients: spelt flour, almond flour, cream, berries
difficulty level: easy-moderate
makes: one 9-inch spring form
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free
Ingredients
Sponge Cake:
1 1/2 cup spelt flour, sieved
1/2 cup almond flour, sieved
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 packages (22g) baking soda, sieved
1 tbsp cornstarch, sieved
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp organic lemon zest
1/3 cup (80ml) sunflower oil, canola oil or melted coconut oil
3/4 cups (200ml) sparkling water
Filling:
1 package (40g) vanilla custard powder
2 cups (500 ml) plant-based milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whippable soy cream, chilled
4 tbsp whipping cream stiffener
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
brittle for garnishing
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 175°C / 347°F.
For the batter:
In a large mixing bowl combine sieved spelt flour, sieved almond flour, sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk well. Gently fold in oil and sparkling water, don't whisk! Use a spatula to fold everything in. Don't worry about little lumps, they will dissolve while baking.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
For the filling:
Cook the custard, according to package instructions (basically: bring the milk to a boil, add the custard powder and stir until done). Allow to cool completely.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip the soy cream with salt, sugar and whipping cream stiffener until light and fluffy (it's best to use a metal container that has been stored in the fridge to chill). While the cake and the custard are still cooling down, store the whipped cream in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, rinse the berries.
To assemble:
Once everything has cooled down, carefully cut the cake in half horizontally, using a pie cutter or a long serrated knife. Using a spatula, evenly spread half of the vanilla custard over the bottom cake half. Make sure that the surface is smooth and straight. Spread half of the whipped cream on top of the custard, and place 23 of the berries on top.
Then carefully place the top half of the cake UPSIDE DOWN on top. That way you ensure you get a nice flat top and bottom to your cake. Place the remaining custard on the top of the cake, spread out evenly, then repeat the same with the remaining whipped cream. Give the sides one more scrape to give you a nice clean edge around the top.
Finish off by decorating the top with the remaining 1/3 of the berries and a sprinkle of brittle, and maybe some edible flowers.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Hello Friday friends,
I'm pumped to be moving cities again tomorrow (by the time you read this I'm already on the road) and moving back in with my boyfriend, yay! And I'm excited for all the other fun things to come this summer, like my mum's birthday tomorrow, another reggae festival, my new job, moving into our own house, cutting my hair (lol, but I'm actually excited for that!)....
Speaking of summer: What fruit screams more summer than mango and passion fruit?! (okay, maybe watermelon, but that's beside the point)
Once again I would like to point out that you can still find a form at the end of the linky party where you can sign up to become a fellow party hostess! So if you are interested in being a part of the Friday Favorites linky party, just fill out the form below :)
NOW LET'S PARTY!
Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
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Hello party peeps,
this time I'm featuring this beautiful DIY Laboratory Flower Rack from Create and Babble that shows a creative, shabby-chic and vintage way of displaying your flowers. So pretty!
NOTE: At the end of this post you will see a form where you can
sign up to become a fellow party hostess and co-host this linky party
with us! So if you are interested in being a part of the Friday
Favorites linky party, just fill out the form below :)
Let's Party!
Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!
You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!
reading time: 3 min
“Happiness is not a destination, it's a way of life”
I've had some pretty shitty weeks/months lately. I was unhappy at work, I was unhappy in my new city, I was unhappy about the fact that I wasn't happy and wasn't living my life. This got me thinking about happiness, and what it actually means (and takes) to be happy.
Practice Gratitude
Most people (my past me included) tend to think that once this or that happens (graduating, losing weight, earning money, having a career), they are going to be happy. For some it's even a life goal to be happy one day! However, this is a major error in reasoning.
I'm sure you have heard sayings along the lines of: "Happiness is a choice". But maybe you have never really - like, really - thought about what this means. I know I haven't. Until recently. When I realized that I didn't want to wait until "I finally found my dream job" or "I didn't have unclear skin anymore". (Because I can tell you from personal experience, that those outer circumstances like losing weight etc won't make you happy!!) No, I wanted to be happy NOW!
And the great thing about happiness is: In order to be happy, be happy!
Yep, it's that simple. The key to this paradox is to find gratitude in each moment, even - or especially - in the bad ones. After all, it's easy to be happy when times are good. But when times are bad, when everything goes wrong and you feel devastated, lonely or overwhelmed, that's when you need to take responsibility for your own happiness! Remember: It's your choice.
3 Simple Ways to Practice Gratitude
1. Keep a gratitude journal. We've probably all heard this one by now: Write down one or more things you are grateful for on a daily basis. That way you will dwell on the positive and appreciate your life.
2. Make a list of what you have now that you once wished for. This could be an actual object like your own house, or it could be a skill, a fitness level, an attitude, a relationship, an experience... Be proud of what you've accomplished so far!
3. Acknowledge one ungrateful thought per day and then replace it with a grateful one. For instance, if you catch yourself thinking: "My husband never compliments my looks!", stop, and alter your thoughts into something more grateful like: "It's a wonderful trait that my husband places more value on people's personality than on their outer appearance."
How to Be Grateful Even When You're Not
Just because you can be happy always and everywhere, doesn't mean you won't be sad or angry or disappointed any more. But you will be able to turn your unhappy thoughts around to a more grateful and optimistic perspective on things.
Some examples:
- Your car has been towed and you need to pay 200 bucks to get it back. Think: "I am grateful for having had my trusty car all these years." Or: "I am grateful for being able to pay that money, even though it hurts."
- You've failed an exam. Think: "I am grateful for having the privilege to even take this exam." Or: "I am grateful for this chance to test my knowledge."
- You're stuck in a train and are delayed two hours. Think: "I am grateful for being able to afford a train ticket." Or: "I am grateful to have a wonderful boyfriend I am about to spend time with." Or: "I am grateful for having two more hours to read my book."
- You've got your period on your first day of your vacation and feel like crap. Think: "I am grateful for being a fully functioning woman." Or: "I am grateful for having access to a toilet."
The great thing about mishaps like these is that once they are over, you will feel even more grateful, stronger and more confident - and you will realize that you are able to survive even the worst of worst circumstances (unless it's something actually life threatening, but even that would be an opportunity to appreciate your life so far).
♥
Maisy
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