After my last Basil Is The New Mint post, I got the feeling you’re pretty intrigued by this newcomer too… Am I right ? Well, Basil does not disappoint and this cocktail is a great reason to have a weekend – or is the weekend a great reason to have a cocktail ? I can’t figure it out ;-) Either way, you’ve just gotta try it if you have never replaced the mint in your mojito by BASIL.

I’ll admit we added extra basil after I had taken the photos because on trying the cocktails the basil just wasn’t strong enough (that’s how much we like it !). So definitely add extra if you feel the same, I guess it all depends on how much you like basil and how strong your basil is…

I also recently discovered alcohol free / virgin mojitos and wowzers, its delicious – I’m not even sure which I prefer so if you’re not into alcohol or are stepping clear of all those cals then definitely give this mocktail a go !

Whilst we’re here, do you mind if I share a lifetime dilemma with you ?! We have a theory at home, simply named The Cocktail Theory. According to this theory, I ALWAYS make the wrong choice when we go to a cocktail bar, as oppose to M. Marcel who – apparently – tends to make the right choices. You see, when I go out and see a long list of crazy mixes, I go for the most surprising on on the menu – don’t you ?! And M. Marcel goes for plain ol’ Bloody Mary… As we’re served mine’s usually spectacular and I smile a grim “told ya so” smile… Only, when I taste it, I have to fake that same satisfaction. And then I turn round and M. Marcel’s sat there thinking… “told ya so”…

And then we have to swap cocktails so that I get the nice one hehehe (please note : this does not always work).

So guys, tell me, do you go for traditional cocktails or do you take risks ? Are there criteria you stick to even when taking risks ?

Until I get your opinion I’m going for 100% homemade !

To make basil mojitos, follow these simple steps :

INGREDIENTS (per glass) :

60 ml rum // the juice of 1/2 a lime // 7 basil leaves (or more – to taste) // 2 TBSP of brown sugar // 1/2 glass of crushed ice or a few big ice-cubes // fizzy water

Add the lime, sugar and basil to a glass and crush it all together with a spoon. Make a sweet smelling sirupy kind of juice. Add the rum, ice and water as well as a pretty straw and…

Have a happy weekend lovelies !

xx from London

Aimee

PS – If you would rather try a mango and litchi cocktail, follow me…

PPS – If you didn’t catch Basil is the new Mint #1, this way please !

The post Basil is the new mint #2 : Basil Mojito appeared first on DIY BLOG.

    Heya !

I forgot to tell you something ! I have a whole page in the latest French Prima (equivalent to Red / Elle…) – wehayyyy ! I know this isn’t big news to you guys if you live in the UK or States but I thought I’d show you the shirt I DIYed for the magazine anyway. The one featured actually has a few extra details but I think this simplified version is pretty cute too :-)

Underneath I’m wearing my favorite sleeveless dress but unfortunately we Londoners still have to choose between bare legs or arms for the moment… Difficult choice, eh !

The headband in my hair is a bit of a cheat… I simply wrapped a pretty piece of rope around my forehead, tucked it under my hair at the back and pinned it in. It stayed in all day though so I guess it was a good alternative to having sewn it onto elastic to make a real headband like these ones I did last year : DIY simple headbands. Actually, if you like headbands as much as I do, you might enjoy checking this flowery homemade headband from last year too, as well as this feathery headband I bought a while back – I love them both too much !

Oh and.. whilst we’re on the subject of what I’m wearing on my head – whaddya think of my new haircut ? Nothing amazingly different apart from the fact I have chopped off the 15cm I’ve been trying very hard to grow for the past year and a half… Typical. I just really wanted something bouncy and healthy for the sunny season so a good cut was in order ! The good news is I love it :-)

See you tomorrow if you’re looking forward to the weekend, I have planned to share a recent experiment I think you might enjoy… Sluuuurp…

xx

Aimee

PS : The dress I’m wearing is from H&M, the shirt from New Look before it was DIYed, the shoes from Office and the trimmings used on the shirt and in my hair from Kleins, London (see here).

The post Look : Camo-Navajo-headbando appeared first on DIY BLOG.

 Yo ladies !

Have you noticed classic polka dots seem to be transforming into teeny weeny icons ? It seems to be everywhere at the moment : mini boats, anchors, birds, fruit… Adorable ! So I had to give it a go and because we’re celebrating picnics this month I went for bees… Yeah, I know we hate ‘em when they’re hanging around the jam tarts but you gotta admit mini bumble bees are cuddly and cute when they’re on your shoes ^^

As a bonus : these espadrills took literally 10 minutes to make. So they’re cheap as chips, adorably cute and EASY ! What else could you ask for ?! Ladybirds, maybe ? Oh I might show you some of them soon, too ;-)

Meanwhile, enjoy the tute !

Dip your pencil’s rubber in the nail polish (IMAGE 1) and use it as a stamp to pattern your shoes all over (IMAGE 2 & 3). Try and keep the print regular and feel free to do half dots at the sides as if the fabric was really printed and cut to make us the espadrills.

To draw your bees, just go for something simple. I took the main characteristics of a bee (IMAGE 4) and simply drew them on with a marker pen (IMAGE 5). Cover each dot (IMAGE 6) and you’re done !

I said it was easy, right ?! Hope you like them !

Gotta go ! Bzzzzzzzzzzz

xx

Aimee

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Hello hello !

Just a quick one to let y’all know the amazing Craftsy have updated their offer and have 3 fabulous new courses online – woop woop !

The new classes are :

The care-free fly-front coat : Create a classic fly-front coat. Learn to sew luxurious seam finishes, shape the perfect collar, and hand-finish jacket sleeves and shoulder pads to add a couture finish to the free Vogue pattern included with this class. You’ll also learn to draft easy design details such as in-seam pockets and an elegant half-lining to turn a simple coat into a custom masterpiece.

The sculpted dog cake : This one is particularly intriguing ^^ That cake actually looks like a DOG ! Great for a kiddies bday or in memory of your best pal. Step-by-step tips through the process as you learn how to properly design, support and sculpt your pup from the bottom up.

Strip your stash : A new quilting class added on to Craftsty’s long list of great quilting classes – love these !

Of course on top of those are still my fav’s : making leather bags, dress making basics, sew the perfect fit and more… Such an amazing site !

Make sure you check these videos out, the price is super low for the quality of expertise you will benefit from – you’ll get to learn how to do these things properly resulting in quality work you’ll be proud of !

Enjoy !

I’ll see you later !

xx

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If you’re like me, you probably have an amateur-nutritionist niggling at you at the back of your mind at all times, evaluating everything you put near your mouth never mind in it. Now, a post about drinking water might seem a little off topic on this blog but you see my so-called-inner-nutritionist believes drinking water is the most elementary start to DIY beauty one can get. Healthy, hydrated and glowing with energy are a BEAUTIFUL look. Tired, dry, scaly and wrinkled ARE NOT. Agreed ? I thought so.

Over the years, I have found myself complaining about so many things that ended up having just one simple answer : more water. Sometimes dry skin, sometimes greasy skin, fatigue, fine lines, brittle hair… All of these things have been scientifically linked to your water intake and are things I have noticed change when I stay hydrated. After all, even our brains need a decent water balance to function properly… OUR BRAINS ! So yeah, this stuff is serious ! Let’s not forget :

* Water makes up 50-70% of an adult’s body weight  - that’s a LOT of water needed.

* Your kidneys need water to rid you of toxins – and we don’t want toxins, right ?!

* Those toxins are eliminated through urine meaning we have to replace lost liquid with new, clean water in order to keep healthy. Otherwise our bodies shrivel up and we end up with ugly skin and sticky-out veins… Ew.

* Moisturiser acts as a barrier to keep hydration in… There’s no point spending a lot of money on a good cream if you’re not properly hydrated in the first place !

* By contributing to necessary processes in our bodies (digestion…), water gives us energy and energy encourages us to DO more and excercise… Resulting in a fit looking godess-like booty. Oh yes.

* When the body is missing something essentiel – even water – it makes us feel hungry. When we’re hungry, we eat. So we’re eating instead of drinking, often gaining unnecessary weight and still not getting the water we need. Duh !

The list goes on. So basically, WATER = LIFE. Simples.

So why don’t we drink the 2L water we know we should drink each day ? Because – let’s be honest – it’s a difficult habit to get into. It takes effort and, being the lazy ladies we are, we don’t like effort. I often sit down, working away, and simply ignore my inner-nutritionist-wannabe. Other times, I accept she’s right, get up, switch the kettle on, go back to work again and forget to make tea after all. And that can sometimes happen a few times in one day. As a result : I’m thirsty ! But then I won’t drink much in the evening so that I don’t get up in the night… And so it goes on. As a FINAL result : I’m not just thirsty, I’m badly dehydrated. Ugh.

Having said that, one of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to make sure I find a solution to this pattern. Over the past few months, there have been days when I managed to get my full amount of water down me without issues, others it has been more of a pain and on other days… well, on other days I have failed. But I’m getting better and actually realising what makes each day a good or a bad water day. With a little help from my inner-health-freak, I have put together a quick list of things that help me make sure I drink enough water each day – I hope they help you too !

1 / ENJOY IT

The first step to making sure you have enough water each day has to be to ENJOY doing so. Of course you will enjoy the results of being hydrated – who wouldn’t – but if you need some kind of incentive (I know I do !), why not try adding a dash of cordial or making tea ? For an even healthier option, why not try aromatising your water with cleansing citrus or refreshing herbs ? Mint’s a great one, but I reckon basil could be tasty too ;-)

2 / SET YOURSELF A GOAL

When you know you have a lot to do, sometimes it feels good to see some progress. Why not fill a 2L bottle in the morning and work your way through it all day ? You’ll see the water going down with each glass and I bet you’ll feel good about it and drink more ! I tend to fill a glass bottle (so it’s BPA free) and keep it next to my computer all day… When I do this, it’s gone before my work day ends !

3 / TAKE WITH

If you’re on the move, you probably find drinking water is tricky. When I’m travelling and stop for a drink, I rarely chose water over coffee, simply because I can’t stand the fact shops charge so much for a bottle of water ! But then, I don’t particularly want to be drinking coffee all day either, that would be awful. So I have found the best way is to carry water with me. Yes, water can be heavy BUT there are ways to make it easier, check out how many practical water bottles there are out there ! I use one that folds down completely when it’s empty. It holds just 1L so that halves the weight. I simply fill it before I leave home and once whilst I’m out – you can almost always find a place to fill a water bottle.

4 / GET INTO HABITS

Whichever way you chose to drink your water, however you plan to carry it around with you, you need to make sure you do it CONSISTENTLY. And this is what I have been working hard at. It’s a shame to keep rehydrating and dehydrating again just because you make an effort one day and forget the next… Instead, try to weave drinking into your daily life. I have found grabbing a class each time I go past the kitchen – and making this a rule – has really helped. You could also decide to switch the kettle on everytime you go to the toilet, making yourself tea on the way back… Small efforts make all the difference.

5 / RECOGNIZE THIRST

This isn’t as easy as it seems… As I suggested above, lack of hydration can express itself in many unexpected ways. Try to figure out how you feel when you haven’t drunk enough water. If your mouth is dry, your throat scratchy, your skin pulling or your tummy rumbling, learn to recognize these things as thirst and you’ll find yourself drinking as much as you need in no time.

Hope this helps, let me know how it goes and if you have any other tips to share ?!

xx

Aimee

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Long time no blogging ! It’s time we got back to that picnic month of ours…! Let’s get straight at it with this delicious recipe – just one look at it and you’re heart should be beating fast enough to whip that cream ! Today we’re dribbling at wonderful WELSH CAKES. I (re)discovered these last weekend whilst on a trip to… Wales ;-) I had totally forgotten how good they are after years of eating French biscuits so when I walked into a Welsh cake shop in Cardiff I realised it was high time to give these another go ! I got M. Marcel to try them for the first time (it was no challenge) and he adored them – so I thought I’d share the recipe with you in case you had forgotten about them too – or maybe even never heard of them ?!

These cakes find themselves sitting somewhere comfortably between scones and shortbread. And yes, I’m afraid this does mean they are full of butter… But I suggest we move on swiftly from that point onto our next : the taste is scrumptious. If you’re not so keen on spices or want something a little more Spring-y, why not try lemon or orange instead ? You could also replace the raisins with chocolate chips… Not that I’m trying to tempt you or anything ;-) For the perfect picnic, cut them in half and make a sandwich out of them with whipped cream and your favorite berry hidden in the middle – they’re just perfect for an afternoon in the park !

Here goes the recipe – don’t be surprised if you’ve never seen a pan-fried cake before !

For the cakes :

INGREDIENTS : 500g self-raising flour // 75g sugar // 1 large TBSP mixed spice // 250g cold unsalted butter // 1 pinch salt // 150g raisins // 1 egg // a splash of milk

Mix the flour + sugar + spices. Add the butter and salt and mix with your hands or blender. Add the raisins and egg and mix again. Add a splash of milk and you should end up with a slightly short mixture.

Roll 1cm thick and cut out into small individual cakes. Fry in a medium hot pan for 5-8 min on each side.

For the vanilla cream :

INGREDIENTS : 300ml double cream // 1 TBSP sugar // the contents of 1/2 vanilla pod

Whip it all together until you have a smooth airy cream.

This recipe was adapted from the book So British ! by the man of my life Jamie Oliver. Well, the man of my kitchen life… I REALLY recommend this book – it has so many classic British dishes in it, ones you might never think to cook. And as a bonus the pictures are beautiful… I adore looking through it as well as cooking its delicious meals.

Find out more about So British ! by Jamie Oliver-king-of-all-things-delicious, by clicking on the book :
 Bon appétit, ladies !

And btw, I still intend to show you how to make an adorable cake / cupcake carrier as promised back here… Coming soon so that you can take all your sophisticated baking  with you for the most amazing picnics ever ! Meanwhile, if you didn’t catch my last crazy recipe (and its sercret ingredient), check it out here :)

xx

Aimee

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Is it butterfly season yet ?! It certainly is around here ! These pretty straws and flower decorations are the ideal DIY for your Summer events and they’re so quick to put together you can’t say no ! I’m thinking picnics, garden parties and even weddings… Why not ?!

To make butterfly straw decorations, YOU WILL NEED :

The DIY butterfly template (print off here on A4 paper) + pretty card + scissors + knife + pencil + straws.

Here goes the tutorial :

To make these cute straw decorations, cut out the large butterfly template (IMAGE 1) and stencil onto colourful card with a pencil (IMAGE 2). Cut around your pretty butterfly with scissors (IMAGE 3) and slit the butterfly twice in the middle with a knife as shown in IMAGE 4. Finally, poke your straw through the butterfly and back again and you’re done ! No glue or tape needed, the butterflies stay up with their very own wings ;-)

Next, to make pretty butterfly flower decorations, YOU WILL NEED :

The DIY butterfly template (print off here on A4 paper) + scissors + pencil + pretty card + knife + gardening wire + rounded pliers

Proceed just like for the straw decorations but using the smaller (inside) butterfly template. The slits in the middle of the butterfly needn’t be very big at all (IMAGE 4). Poke your wire through and back (IMAGE 5) and then twist the top of the wire with your pliers to make a head (IMAGE 6) to keep the the butterfly from flying off ! Poke into pretty flowers and allow to flutter around at a few cm above the bouquet.

I hope you love these little creatures as much as I do – I can’t keep my eyes off them !

xx

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I promised to share some perfect picnic ideas inspired by British classics… So let’s start with good old strawberries and cream ! Nothing beats traditional strawbs and cream… except for these cupcakes ! They should definitely give these out in the Wimbledon tribunes, they would go so well with a glass of refreshing champagne ;-) But of course we couldn’t tell people what’s really in them… You must be starting to get to know me, recipes on here always seem to hide something “special”… After last week’s avocado and chocolate ganache, this week we have strawberries, cream and COURGETTE (zucchini) cupcakes ! Wow, weird, right ?! Hear me out.

This here recipe is another one inspired by Harry Eastwood’s Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache… That book is one of my all-time fav’s. I introduced you to it a while back when I showed you M. Marcel’s chocolate and squash birthday cake (ooo, I could just eat a piece of that right now !). Basically, this fabulous chef adds secret vegetables to all her cakes, not just for a healthier option but for a tastier one too !

Before you ask, I swear you cannot actually taste the courgette in these cakes. True story ! Instead, the vegetable simply adds fluffiness resulting in a spongy cake so much better than your usual cupcake ! The vitamins are just there as a bonus ;-) If you’re not convinced, try taking these little beauties to your next picnic but don’t tell people what’s in them until they’re all gone – that should happen quite quickly !

Psssst – Check out all the other amazing recipes in this inspiring book -> Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache!

RECIPE (makes 12 cupcakes ) :

INGREDIENTS : 2 fresh eggs / 100g rice flour / 100g ground almonds / 2 tbsp baking powder / a few drops of vanilla essence / 200g finely grated courgette / 160g sugar / 1 pinch salt / 12 tsp strawberry jam / 50g mascarpone / 50g unsalted butter / 150g icing sugar / 12 strawberries

To make the cakes :

1 : Preheat your oven @ 180°C and put 12 cupcake cases in your cupcake tray.

2 : Beat the eggs and sugar until you get a white paste (4-5 min).

3 : Mix in the courgette, flour, almond, 2-3 drops vanilla essence, a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Using a blender makes this very easy.

4 : Pour a tbsp of mixture into each case followed by a tsp of jam and then top up with the left over mixture.

5 : Bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown. Leave to cool before putting the topping on.

To make the topping :

1 : Mix your butter, icing sugar and mascarpone in a blender until smooth. If you don’t have a blender use the back of a wooden spoon but try to be quick so that the butter doesn’t melt too much.

2 : When you’re ready to serve (make sure the cupcakes are have cooled), cover the cakes with topping using a knife. Place a whole strawberry on top of each cake and watch how they go !

Oh, and because cupcakes aren’t exactly the easiest thing to carry to a picnic, I’ll show you how to make a cupcake carrier sometime this week – stay tuned ;-)

Have a lovely Sunday

xx

Aimee

Check out the book that inspired these delicious cakes : 

The post Cupcakes : Strawberries and cream and… surprise ! appeared first on DIY BLOG.

    What’s the very first thing you need to think of when you’re going for a picnic ? And not just any picnic, the perfect picnic. You got it – a picnic blanket (how did you guess that ?!). So that had to be our 1st DIY of picnic month on CNC. I have been meaning to make a picnic blanket forever seeing as I don’t really like using the blankets we have on our bed or couch. I would rather have something made especially for picnicking – just because I like things to have their own use ! I also feel a picnic blanket has to be loud and fun, something to contribute to the colourful parcs and woods it will lie on. Rowan fabric had to be it – isn’t that print beautiful ?!

But it wasn’t just a question of which material to use… I wanted my picnic blanket to be light and easy to carry too. Having a picnic secretly means lugging around a whole load of stuff so I wanted to make sure it was nothing that would take up too much space or arm strength so that we could keep those for food and drink ^^

However, practical often means ugly. But I like pretty, girly, romantic, glamourous picnics. My portable picnic blanket had to be something special, something I would buy in a shop. So I included ribbon in my design to keep it fancy.

Taking all this into account, I came up with this pretty picnic blanket I’m super proud of, it turned out just the way I’d hoped !

This blanket is super easy to make so just follow the 10 steps in this tutorial and you’ll have one too ! You will need :

- 200cm x 110cm canvas (or waterproof / waxed fabric to go against the ground)

- 200cm x 110cm pretty cotton fabric

- 2m of soft satin ribbon in a matching colour

- 1,5m of ribbed ribbon for the strap in a matching colour also

- Scissors, tape measure, pins, sewing machine and matching thread First of all, attach the ties to the upper middle of the canvas. I chose to fold my fabric in half (short side) to find the middle and so pinned at 55cm – half of 110cm – (IMAGE 1). From there I measured 7cm either side and placed the centre of my ties at 10cm from the edge of the piece of fabric. You need to pin the ties down in two places, once at 10cm from the top and once at 20cm from the top (IMAGE 2). Sew the ties in place with your sewing machine making sure you go over more than once because the weight of the fabric will pull on these seams. You can go over the sides to make it even more secure (IMAGE 3). Now it’s time to put your blanket together. This part’s pretty simple. Place your pieces of fabric right sides together (IMAGE 4). Stitch all the way around but before you get back to your starting point leave approx 30cm open so that you can turn your blanket the right way out (IMAGE 5). Oh and… make sure you don’t catch the ribbon ties as you go ! Turn your blanket the right way out (IMAGE 6), you can use a pin to catch the fabric and help you get those corners right if you need to. Finally, sew all the way around your blanket at about 1cm from the sides, making sure you close the 30cm you left open with the edges folded inwards (IMAGE 7). Again, make sure you don’t catch the ribbons as you go.Last but not least, your portable picnic blanket needs a strap. Thread your ribbed ribbon underneath the ties as shown in image 8. Keeping the strap flat and untangled, join both ends and overlap, tucking the ends under for a neat finish. Fix with pins (IMAGE 9). Sew the strap together by sewing along where each pin was and then sewing a cross in-between each seam as shown in image 10.

Now you can go and strut your stuff in the local woods ! This blanket is big enough for two people or even three so it’s nice and spacious. If you want an individual size for your you-time, just make a 1m x 110m instead of 2m x 110m ! All the rest will work in the same way. And here’s how to fold it :

I hope you like it – now to fill it with wonderful food, gadgets, books, music and people !

xx

Aimee

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Hello May :-)

Outside is beautifully blue today and I’m overflowing with warmth and serenity. The Summer is definitely on its way and Spring is finally here. I think May must be my favorite month… Everything brightens up, blossom blooms, people start to socialise more, falling in love instead of ill, friends meet up more often, BBQs become regular, beer gardens start to fill and the city nightlife starts to buzz again. The world seems like it’s flown over the rainbow and everything is back in colour again.

The sunlight is definitely going to change the way I have been working for the last six months, trying to make the most of the natural light each morning. I can now have a more lazy start and takes things in my stride. I’ll also be able to work outdoors, in the garden or on outside tables at cafes. I feel so relaxed already and am so looking forward to doing some great Spring and Summer DIYs.

After 30 days 30 tee-shirts, I realised I like sticking to a particular topic for a month. I think it’s nice to make the most of inspiration and force myself to look at it from different angles and push my creativity to the limit. Although I’m not ready to do another 30 days challenge – I need at least a couple of months before one of those again ^^ – I do feel like setting a topic for each month as a guideline. This doesn’t mean it’s the only thing I’ll talk about – try getting me to limit myself, it’s not going to happen ! But it means we can explore an idea to its full extent. Shall we give it a go ?

Because there’s one thing I look forward to most at this time of year, I didn’t have to go very far to find my topic for May… We’re going to talk about PICNICS ! Stylish picnics, last-minute picnics, romantic picnics, picnics with friends, picnics with kids… It’s going to be picnic-crazy on here for the month of May and I have tons of exciting things to show you ! DIYs, food, decoration, places… I just can’t wait to get started, the list is longer than my arm ! I am especially looking forward to sharing both some typically French ideas on here as well as some brilliant British ideas – the two countries have such different ideas of a perfect picnic, let’s share and enjoy the best of both worlds !

So until tomorrow, why not get thinking about what you would like to see on the blog this month ? Maybe you’d like to know how to DIY the perfect picnic pale, maybe you’d like to share a DIY you have done yourself ? Maybe you’d love to know how on Earth you can get your salad dressing all the way to the park without it spilling all over your handbag… Whatever the inspirition, give me a tweet or send me an email ! Meanwhile, I’m going for my first picnic of the year in Clissold Park !Hope you’re as inspired as I am !

Lots of love

Aimee

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