So you know when you just fancy a change?  That happened to me recently and my change came in the form of a haircut! 

I've had my hair long, straight and without bangs for over 10 years.  My husband really doesn't want me to cut my hair short, because he prefers longer hair.

This is my 'before' picture...no bangs (or fringe)

This is my new hair-do....and I have a fringe!

I've got to say that I'm loving this look and loads of my friends, family and people around me have given me some great compliments.  The best ones are that I'm looking younger and that it really suits me.  This is a definitely more modern look that I can't wait to style in all different ways.

Let me know if you have any great ideas for styling this 'do'.

American Pancakes for Breakfast

Goood morning beauties!

It has been a long January filled with a few days of 'feeling bad' blues.  I'm ready for February (the month of love) and moving forward with my years travel plans and New Years resolutions...

I'm planning on going to America twice this year to Orlando and Vegas, but I've also been fortunate enough to be in Germany over Christmas.

This morning to celebrate the fact that it is FINALLY payday, the end of January and the end of the snow?! - I decided to make some pancakes.  American Pancakes for our breakfast.

Here is the recipe:

 

Ingredients

• 135g/4¾oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 130ml/4½fl oz milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To serve

• Maple syrup
• Butter

Preparation method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
   
2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.
   
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it's melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm (½in) thick.
   
4. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.
   
5. Serve with lashings of real maple syrup and extra butter if you like.
   

Sizzling!  Haha

I hope you enjoy making these beauties and banish those January blues...enjoy your breakfast because these are really worth making!

Happy New Year

Good morning to all my beautiful readers,

You are probably wondering why no fresh new posts have made their way onto my blog....and you have a right to know.  There is simply only one reason and that is that I'd lost the creative sparkle that I needed to write the posts.  I didn't feel like my posts had good content in any more, it felt forced and I've also felt that I'd like to bring you more posts about me and my general life including some of my passions of make-up, fashion, baking, gardening, travelling and so much more.

Up until this very morning, 1st January 2013, I really wasn't sure if I'd EVER touch this blog again.  I didn't have the heart to even explain myself or write across the blog that it had been suspended, really in the hope that I'd be able to give all my love and attention to my readers once more.

I'm not making up excuses and I'm not trying to justify myself here.  I needed a break and had felt burnt out.  Time is a healer and I feel capable more so now to deal with a fresh new year and a fresh start on my blog! I have to warn you though that I'll only blog when I truly have something cool to post about.  I will no longer stand for substandard posts or things that doesn't really interest either myself or my readers.  Please let me know what you think of this.

So with all that being said, lets move on to fun things!

I missed saying Merry Christmas to you all!  So here goes:  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012 was a year filled with many ups and downs for me.  There were moments when we lost good  friends and family, times when I just wanted to cry, moments of faith and moments of faithlessness.  Mixed into these times were also joyous moments when I'd just smile, times that wouldn't be replaced and moments that made a change!

I'd started some big projects during this year, including kicking off my career, working on my blog, endeavouring to go on holiday in 2013 and joining Slimming World and loosing 10 and a half pounds before the new year knocked on my door.

So, I decided that 2013 would be no exception.  This year will be filled with MANY good times, projects, tasks and people.  Here are some of my new years resolutions:

1) Keep moving on my journey of weightloss.  I've finally found a system that works and my local Slimming World Group never fails to reinvigorate and inspire me towards weighing less.  I'm also thinking of joining a dancing or martial arts class to help with slimming down and getting fit.

2)  Learn to be happy no matter what happens.  I found myself getting angry at the smallest things in 2012 and I'm determined that nothing will steal my peace this year.  I'm going to weed out those things that make me feel discomforted.

3)  Build up an even deeper, more meaningful relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ.  God is always there to love and support each and every one of us, and it is time that I made loads more time for Him. I love you Jesus!

4)  Learn a new language or two....German first then French :-D

5)  Learn to ski....I really want to go in to Austria and ski down the slopes.

6)  Laugh more, apparently this keeps you young so certainly it's the best remedy for beauty?

7)  Drink more yummy cocktails.  I'm not a big drinker, but I LOVE cocktails, especially mojito's!  So I'd like to make more 'me' time to have a cocktail or two once in a while with friends.

8) Make more true friends.  It feels that often friends come and go....really I'd like to make friends and keep 'em.  I'd also like to spend much more time with friends that I don't see often and make loads more time for them.

9)  I'd like to further my career and really work on 'learning' new skills.  That can only be a good thing right?

10)  Love my husband more dearly with every passing day.

That is it....a bucket list for this year.  I call this year, MY YEAR!  What is your New Years Resolutions?  Or have you decided not to have any?

Lots of love and hugs,
Angelique :D