Sunday

Teddy Bear Cake



I made a Teddy Bear Cake!!! Isn't he just the cutest thing ever? He is so adorable that it was torture trying to cut a slice. I'm really happy with how it tuned out. I love making themed cakes so I was thinking about valentines when this idea popped into my head. Initially I was going to make a heart cake but that's a bit too cliché. So instead I made a cuddly and incredibly yummy teddy bear.


Ingredients:
~525g soft butter
~525g caster sugar
~9 eggs
~2tsp Vanilla Essence
~670g Plain Flour
~2tsp baking powder
~6 tbsp milk

Method:
1. Cream butter. (yeah there is a lot of butter)
2. Add sugar and cream butter and sugar together.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Add the vanilla essence.
5. Fold in flour.
6. Divide the mixture into 2 sandwich tins, a slightly bigger round cake tin and 6 muffins.
7. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes. Bake the sandwich tins for 30-40 minutes. Bake the cake tin for 40 to 50 minutes. All at 170*C.

Decoration:
Place all the pieces together as in the picture. I cut off the muffin tops to make them flat. Using a piping bag and some chocolate butter cream I filled in the "hairy" bits. With icing sugar, water and yellow food dye I filled in the tummy, mouth and ears. I used buttons and sugar balls for making his face and paws.


So that's my latest baking craze and destruction of the kitchen (sorry dad!). It was really fun but took ages! What do you think of him?
Happy Valentine's!
Marian ^_^  x

Friday

January Round up

Hello Everyone,
it's been a while since I've properly immersed myself in the blogging world. So this weekend I've decided to plunge right in. I'm trying to those blogging resolutions - which includes a round up at the end of each month. So I thought skipping January wouldn't be very appropriate. My aunt is visiting in like 15 minutes so I have to type really fast. Or bear the wrath of "WHY ARE YOU NOT STUDYING??!" Does she not have better things to worry about than my leaving cert results?

Anyhoo....

Last month *sucks in deep breath* Ionlygotaroundtowritingtwoposts! *Hides under desk in fear of virtual rotten tomatoes being thrown at me*.
Honestly I don't have much of an excuse. I know only two posts is pretty lame.
The first on was My Humble Abode. Where any nosy people may snoop in my bedroom.... well virtually of course... or else that would be just weird...
The second post was a very rushed review of Midwinterblood. I had started it a month ago so when I tried to finish it on Wednesday I had to rummage through my brain to remember what I really thought of it.

Hopefully next month I'll be more consistant.

January's blogger of the month (yes, a new feature) is....
.....
.....
...*drum roll please!*...
.........................
.......................
....................................... Jessica from Gig Pig!!!!!
Whoooo!
She's a fairly recent blogger who writes amazing posts about music and gigs. Her music taste is pretty cool and a lot of the bands she mentions aren't extremely well known but their songs can be incredible. She has a pretty cool personality and is extremely clever. I should also mention that I go to school with her. So go check out her blog. Maybe follow through bloglovin...?

Until next time!
Marian ^_^  x

Wednesday

Midwinterblood

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked up Midwinterblood. Without even reading the synopsis, I launched into it a few days ago. This book is a compelling story about how eternal love between two people can stand the test of time. It kept me up late at night and when I did fall asleep my mind still buzzed with dreams of this chilling tale.

MidwinterbloodIn 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a ritual sacrifice takes place.

It echoes a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire, they come close to finding what they've lost. But can love last forever?
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Overall, it is a hugely symbolic book. I wouldn't be surprised if, in time, students were made study it for the Leaving Cert. At first I was lured in by this "tea" that made Eric forget things. I became very curious and ended up carrying the book around school with me, just in case I had  a spare minute that would enable me to answer the enormous amount of questions that kept me up at night. The story travels back in time, so really you're starting at the end. In each tale I found out clues and pieces of the story so that by the end, everything came together. It is beautifully written and definitely not my usual type of book. There is this creepy element that I found very appealing. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a horror book, but that ghost story with the children left me with nightmares!

And I can't let the cover of the book go by without mentioning it. Isn't stunningly beautiful? The colours are gorgeous and borders at the sides give it a nice frame. Of course the hares are not just there for décor. They play another symbolic role in the book.

I would recommend a lot of people read it but I don't think it will suit everyone. The plot isn't fast-paced or gripping. Instead it is the links between tales and the constant need for answers that made me keep turning the page. I would give Midwinterblood four stars. I can't wait to read more of Sedgwick!
Happy Reading!
Marian ^_^  x



Saturday

My Humble Abode

I've been spending a lot of time snapping photos over the last week with my bran new canon camera *holds up beautiful camera for everyone to see*. I just got it for Christmas. And seeing as it has been ferociously windy and rainy outside most of my pictures are of my bedroom and my cat. So instead of wasting them I thought "hey! Why don't I put them on my blog?"
So, here they are! Welcome to my extremely small and incredibly cluttered humble abode.
You'll notice that I have teddies scattered all over the place. My first teddy sits on "the shelf". Written across his dungarees is "My teddy". I think I called him teddy. How original....

I was running out of space for a books so I made another shelf out of a long piece of card and place it on top of these really pretty boxes that were already on the shelf. So now there are more teddies on that, and my books fit perfectly underneath.
I do most of my reading in bed. The lamp doesn't have the best light so I'm really surprised I haven't needed glasses yet *Don't jinx it Marian!*. And the last picture is my wardrobe. I know it looks fairly big, but at the moment I running out of space.... I guess I need a spring clean.

I can't wait to start using my camera outside in natural light. I'll be snapping lots of flowers that are just beginning to grow. I might even put them on instagram.
 
Did you get anything nice for Christmas?
Marian ^_^  x

Tuesday

December Round Up

Hello,
          it seems we are at the end of the year once again. The year of the Gathering is over. A new day dawns, a new year begins. A fresh start full of hopeful - OKAY, enough with the philosophical jabber, (I get enough of that in poetry). Let's see what posts I managed to blog this month.
What I read in December
  • The Clever One
  • Geek Girl
  • Allegiant
  • City Of Bones
  • Midwinterblood (well I'm reading it at the moment.... what on earth is going on?!?!?)

What I plan to read next month...(or in 2014: it's a long list)
  • The 5th Wave
  • Will Grayson, Will Grayson,
  • The knife of Never Letting Go
  • United We Spy  ( I think I might the whole series from start to finish)
  • Wicked
  • The Hobbit
  • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
  • Wuthering Heights
  • Emma (again)
  • Catcher in the Rye
  • Witch & Wizard
  • Stormbreaker
                ...... that's all the books I currently have at home tbr. Then there's the other list of the books I do not own but would love to read. But there's just too many to type...

Whimsical thoughts
My lovely aunt (in-law) was kind enough to get me and my sister tickets for Wicked in Dublin!!! I was supposed to go with my two cousins and my aunt but due to an accident that left my cousin in hospital for three days, she could not make and therefore neither could my aunt. So I bribed my uncle to drive us all the way to Dublin where we collected my other cousin and got to see the magnificent WICKED!!!AAAAGGGGHHHH!.... (.... yes I really really like Wicked)
It was BRILLIANT!. Though I admit the Defying Gravity was better in the West End but in fact I thought the second half was outstanding and nearly outdid the version in the West End.
My study plans have gone out the window despite my award winning lists and colour co-ordinated plans. Ah well. It's not like the Leaving Cert is that important..... oh wait...

Blogging Resolutions
My new years resolutions are generally the same as last years.
1. Always reply to comments. I do this anyways but I think it is important to put it in. It irritates me when bloggers don't reply. I feel like they've just ignored my input. Even a simple thanks would be fine.
2.Keep Up to date with posts. I try to aim for at least one post a week. I know I've been inconsistent for a few months now but my internet is absolutely rubbish. Apparently I've managed to live in the 2% of the country that are not set up for broadband! Just my luck.
3. Read other blogs more frequently. Again with the internet. It just takes ages for one simple blog to load, and then most of the time when I finally press publish,  the comment disappears and tells me my internet is not connected!
4. Develop a more steady readership. Actually develop any kind of readerships. I'm fairly sure that the only page views I get are from my self. Just one or two more comments would be much appreciated
5. Stop whining and sounding like a horrible teenager on my blog. (I've just reread the whole page)
6. Have an overall more impressive blog particularly with content. I've gotten quite boring with old age.

So I'm going to shut up now and go watch iron man.
Happy New Year
(I will be more upbeat tomorrow)
Marian ^_^  x

Monday

The Christmas Wish List

This year my Christmas Wish List entails the following:
  • DVDs such as Now you see me and Iron Man 3. I saw Now you see me last summer in the Cinema. It was brilliant but I think the surprise of the plot is gone once I 've seen it. As for Iron Man, well, I love superhero films. And Iron Man definitely tops the list.
  • Doesn't the Kitchen Aid look dreamy? If only it wasn't 500 Euro!
  • Those brown boots are calling to me. I found it on pinterest but can't find them in any shop...
  • The Killers CD has managed to wade its way on to my list this year. I also wouldn't mind other CDs like The Coronas, Birdy, Little Green Cars, The Beejees, Lana Del Ray etc.
  • I just can't wait for these books. Wonder, 1984, The Snow Child, Eleanor and Park, Ketchup Clouds, Midwinterblood. I spent a whole day a few weeks ago zooming around book blogs to see what ones could go on the list. I was mostly on A Day Dreamer's World, Feed Me Books Now, It was Lovely Reading you, My crazy Bookish World, A Super Sunny Spot and a recent blog I found The Book Stop.
  • If you hadn't realised this already, Terry's Chocolate Orange is my favourite chocolate!
  • Christmas Socks
  • I bought this for a friend but I would really like one as well. It's an earing holder.
  • From Santa I shall *hopefully* get this spectacular Canon Camera. I love photography and now I'll finally have the megapixels for it!
  • This is such a cosy dressing gown from Dunnes Stores. It's perfect for winter, chillaxing by the fire with a cup of tea and a great book.
I'm not sure how many of these I will actually get but a girl can dream.
Merry Christmas!
Marian ^_^ x

Wednesday

Allegiant

This third instalment tin the Divergent trilogy was much anticipated. Ever since I met Tris back in Abnegation, I have grown very attached to the story and its characters. Allegiant, which I expected to be fast-paced, tear jerking and altogether mind boggling, was surprisingly none of the above. Instead I thought it was cautious realistic yet fascinating and poignant.


Allegiant (Divergent, #3)The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

  But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
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If you haven't been living under a rock for the last year, then you will know about the Divergent trilogy and how phenomenal it has become. So when Allegiant (finally) hit the shelves with a very unexpected ending, you can imagine how angry some people may have become. Fortunately, I had stayed clear of any Allegiant related blog posts/ tweets etc. etc. Therefore when I read it, I had no what was about to happen.

Tris has become one of my favourite Heroines. Veronica Roth developed her character incredibly well. Tris displayed great qualities but like any other human in the world she had her flaws. And I loved her because of that. She was a girl in Divergent, but a woman in Allegiant. I think she is one of the best fictional role models out there. Although her last decision I would recommend.....

Speaking of the ending, that caused quite a stir. I've heard people say they hate it, while others admire Veronica Roth for going with her gut. When I finished I was sort of in a daze. You see, when the Tris episode happened, I didn't realised what was actually happening. I never thought that could possibly happen. It just couldn't. I was certain that when she saw her mother that it was only a dream. It took me a few days to come to terms with the ending but I have finally formed an opinion on it.
Though I was not satisfied with the ending, I think any other way would have killed the trilogy. Imagine a happily ever after? I don't think I could have ever forgiven Veronica Roth if that were to happen. And it was not possible to have such a happy ending because of what the world entailed and after all their suffering. Instead,I respect the ending.

One thing that could have been better produced was the two POVs. Tris and Tobias blended together. Although it was refreshing to get an insight into Tobias' mind, I couldn't distinguish between them.

I loved the reason for the factions. I had not been expecting that! I thought that when they left the city that the outer world would no longer exist or something like that. It was brilliant how Veronica Roth came up with it. Had she know all along? Or were there other options she was thinking of?

Altogether, this is a brilliant trilogy. Allegiant was not what I expected but it is respectable.





Happy Reading!
Marian ^_^