Seven Happy Things #7

So, if you've been hanging around these parts for awhile now, you'll know that I usually post these on Sunday mornings, or early afternoon. Today has been an extremely slow day though, I am lacking motivation. However, I have just had dinner (quorn shepherds pie, it was yum) and now I'm ready for action! Ready to write a blog post, at least.

This lovely little blog I have reached 100 followers on bloglovin' earlier this week. I woke up to an email about it and it really brightened up my day. Thank you so much to everyone that reads, comments and follows. I really appreciate it.

I received an email from a lovely girl asking for some tips on blogging. Now, I am in no way an expert and there are definitely waaaay better bloggers she could have asked but it meant a lot that she asked me. I hope I helped.

I've managed to keep up with reading blogs this week, which I am really happy about. I tried to comment on as many as possible as well. I enjoy when people comment on my posts, it's always nice to make other people happy too.

Yesterday, the boy and I went to see The Fault In Our Stars. I read the book quite awhile back now and he is currently reading it. We both loved it. I presume everyone has seen it by now but if you haven't, you should. Bring tissues, I cried through most of it.

This week's baking post was Mini Cherry Pies. I was a bit hesitant about this one, I wasn't sure how well it would go down with everyone. A lot of people (myself included) prefer something chocolate-y. People seemed to really enjoy it though, my taste testers were also impressed. 

I've started mixing up my make up slightly this week by using the Make Up Revolution Iconic 3 palette. I'm completely amazed by how pigmented it is. It has made it into my make up bag, replacing my MUA palette.

As I mentioned above, the been keeping up my blog reading this week. However, I haven't been keeping up with my Youtube subscription box, so videos have began to pile up. I am looking forward to curling in bed this evening with a cup of tea and catching up. 

That is my week, summed up into seven happy bullet points. I hope you've all had a wonderful week. Summer has been coming in and out of Ireland this week. I'm not a massive fan of the sun (sorry) so I am patiently waiting for Winter. Let me know what's been making you happy this week! 

Mini Cherry Pies

I feel like the title of this post could be slightly misleading. The cherries themselves aren't mini, however the pies are. I prefer making one size servings of pies and tarts simply because they're easy to distribute amongst family and friends/anyone that is willing to try my baking creations. The mother decided to bring home cherries in last weeks shop, as they were 59c in Aldi, an offer that she can never refuse. Her motto is "If no one will eat them, I will see what Katie can bake using them", I task which I'm almost always ready for. This week's taste testers (guniea pigs) were my brother and my mum. The verdict from my brother was "they're lovely" and when I still continued to watch him eat it, "it's really nice, now please go away." charming. The only time consuming part of this recipe is pitting the cherries, I cut around the pit and then took it out, so the cherries were halved when I put them into the mixture. I'm still not completely confident with baking pastry but these pies seemed to turn out pretty well. I am no longer tempted to use ready to roll pastry. However, if you would like to take some of the hassle out of this pie, feel free to use ready made pastry. How much sugar you add to the filling is completely up to you and how sweet your cherries are, I didn't use too much. I made these in a muffin tin, so I managed to make four mini pies. I would imagine you would have enough to make one big pie, if you would prefer. Happy baking!

Ingredients

For the pastry:
125g softened butter
75g caster sugar
250g plain flour
1 egg yolk
1tbsp cold water

For the filling:
200g cherries
3tbsp cornflour
50g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tbsp milk, for brushing on the top of the pie.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and the caster sugar, not for too long, just until combined.

2. Sift in the flour and mix together with your hands until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs 

3. Add the yolk and chilled water, combining again with your hands until a dough is formed. 

4. Wrap in cling-film and leave to chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. 

5. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease the muffin tin or pie dish. 

6. Remove the dough from the fridge, set aside 1/4 of the dough for the pie tops. Place the rest on a slightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to about half a cm in thickness. Cut out a circle shape of pastry that fits your tin/dish, allowing space for the sides of the tin and a bit more to place the top against. Place inside your tin/dish, pushing into the edges. Once placed in your tin/dish, poke holes in the pastry and bake for 10 minutes. 

7. Begin pitting the cherries. As I stated above, I cut around the pit, which halved the cherry, discarding the pit and putting both halves of the cherry into a bowl. Add the cornflour, sugar and vanilla extract. 

8. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Whilst this is cooling, roll out the remainder of your dough, to a size that will sit perfectly on the top of the pies.

9. Add your filling, discarding most of the liquid that has amounted at the bottom of the bowl. Place on the pie top. Fold the edges of the top crust underneath the edges of the bottom crust. 

10. Glaze over with a tablespoon of milk. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pies. Bake for 30 minutes. 

11. Allow to cool on a wire rack until they have completely cooled. 

Upon writing this, and rereading it, I realised how long and wordy it is. This was the simplest way I could put it and I like having lots of individual points rather than one big paragraph of instructions. I hope this wasn't too difficult for you guys to follow and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

What are your favourite summer pies?

Paris Haul

Despite promising myself that I wouldn't buy a lot in Paris I ended up coming home with a hauls worth of stuff. I like where everything in from below and I'll try and find direct links if possible, not to sure about the Disney stuff though. This is also my very first haul, so I am very excited about it.

Disney Store

Minnie Mouse Cake Mould 
Disney Eiffel Tower Cookie Cutter
Disney Castle Keyring feat. Mickey.

Silver Mickey Mouse Candle Holder 

Mickey Mouse Place-mat

Disney Dogs Food Bowl 

Masions Du Monde

Vintage Metal Bakery Sign

Sweets & Cakes Mini Tray 
Cake Plate 

KIKO Cosmetics
Nail Laquers - 343 Spring Green, 483 Papaya, 522 Pearly Sapphire Blue

Smart Lipstick - 912 Crimson Red 
Bioderma Crealine H2O Micellar Solution - Picked this up in a Pharmacy.

I'm really happy with all my purchases. I was worried about getting the cake plate home in tact but it survived! I love the KIKO cosmetics, wish I had picked up more of them seeing as they are so cheap and there is such a huge range. I had completely forgotten about Bioderma until I saw it in a Pharmacy I happened to walk into. I haven't tried it yet but I will report back when I do. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing what I lugged back from Paris with me! Is there anything else I should have picked up while I was there?

Paris In Pictures // Part 2

In Friday's post I showed you guys what we got up to on our first full day in Paris. I promised to show you the goings on from the other few days of our trip. We spent Monday and Tuesday in Disneyland so all of these pictures were taken there. I also cannot apologise enough for the quality of the pictures, I decided against bringing my camera and just using my phone, a mistake I won't be making again. I am very proud of the first picture though, and that was taken on my phone so I can't complain about it too much. Be sure to check out Part 1 if you haven't already!

Seven Happy Things #6

Anyone else got the Sunday blues? I know I do. I have had the most fantastic week filled with Disneyland excitement and good news. A lot of what has happened almost doesn't feel real. I have fulfilled my life long dream of going to Disneyland and I am finally getting back on my feet, after what has been an utterly terrible two years. So this post is coming to you from a very happy Katie!

• I started off my week in Disneyland Paris, perfect way to start the week, right? It was amazing, everything I have ever imagined and more. The boy and I went on all the rides a part from the ones that were closed (Space Mountain & Dumbo). Our favourite rides were Big Thunder Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. I took quite a few pictures in Disneyland, although they're not the best quality because I had to take them on my phone but there will be a post including them on Wednesday.
  
  
• On Tuesday, we visited the second park in Disney which is the Walt Disney Studios. This park has lots more photo opportunities and shows, including a studio tram tour and a stunt show. We met Buzz Lightyear, too. The first ride we went on was Crush's Coasters (Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo), it turned out to be our favourite, much less timid than we had imagined while queuing up. Later that night we stood and watched the Night-time show. I have never seen anything like it in my life. I'm not going to even try to explain it but you can watch it here. I highly recommend that you do, it nearly brought me to tears.
  
  
• We took a trip to the Val d'Europe on Wednesday. I was completely gob-smacked when I realised how massive it was. The best way I can put it in perspective for you is to tell you that there is an Aquarium with over 5.000 species of sea life below it on the lower ground floor. Definitely a must see for the next time we're in Paris. We spent the day shopping (and eating) and I managed to pick up a few beauty bits and kitchen pieces which I'm excited to show you tomorrow.
  
  
• I arrived back in Cork at 3am on Thursday morning, I stayed at the boy's house. Later that morning, I was woken by a phone call from my Mum, telling me that I had been offered a place at college, studying Professional Cookery. Not going to lie, I cried about it. The past two years have been rocky. I've never been completely certain of what I wanted to do with my life, until now. I also mentioned my blog (it was in it's early stages with barely any views or followers and mainly focused on baking)  in my interview, I like to think that that helped me secure my place.
  
  
• Friday was a pretty chilled day. I caught up with all my favourite blogs, replied to comments on my own blog, answered a few emails and wrote a blog post. It felt like a very productive Friday.
  
  
• A good friend of mine is moving to Glasgow on Sunday, so on Saturday I went to visit her for a few hours. I made her a special print as an engagement gift and put it in a frame, I am so proud of it. I could post it on Twitter if anyone would be interested in seeing it. She loved it, that's the main thing.
  
  
• My Sunday will be a slow one, aren't all Sundays? The boy and I are finally home with our pup and I for one, am extremely happy about that. I package also arrived for me on Friday, I won a giveaway over at BeautyAngel blog, so I'm excited to try out all the goodies today.
  
  
  
  
  I hope you all had a wonderful week. The whether here in Cork is amazing at the moment, hopefully it's sunny wherever you are. What have been your highlights of this week?

Paris In Pictures // Part 1

Good evening and a very happy Friday to you all! So, I arrived back home from Paris early Thursday morning. I am extremely happy to be blogging again after a five day break. I had the most amazing holiday and took a fair amount of pictures, which I spent yesterday evening editing while the boy watched football. As the title would suggest this is going to be a very picture heavy post and is part one of two! 

Apple & Cinnamon Muffins

When Spring/Summer rolls around I feel the need to start using fruit in my baking. Not quite sure why, maybe because most fruit is good this time of year, or the fact that we buy more of it. A few weeks back I posted a recipe for Blueberry & Almond Muffins , which were great according to most people but as I said in the post, I don't like blueberries, or almonds. However, I do absolutely love apple and cinnamon!

These would make a great breakfast or brunch snack, albeit a little sugary. To finish these off a dipped them in a mix of melted butter with a teaspoon of cinnamon, then dipped in sugar. In all honesty, I don't think it made them any better, they were already fantastic so I wouldn't recommend doing it unless you have all your teeth are sweet. I think we need to take a second to appreciate how cute these cupcake cases are, I wish you could see them better in the pictures, they have little strawberries on them. I picked them up in Dealz/Poundland, I am in love with them. This recipe makes 18 cupcakes or 10 full size muffins. Enjoy & Happy Baking! 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line the tin with cupcake/muffin cases.

2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. 

3. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Be sure the first one is mixed in before adding the second. Then add the vanilla. 

4. In a second bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir together.

5. Fold the flour into the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. 

6. Grate the apples and gently fold into the batter until everything is combined.

7. Pour the mix into the cases, fill them to just above 3/4 of the way full. 

8.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer/knife comes out clean. 

9. Leave on a wire rack to cool. If you wish to add the topping, wait until the cupcakes have completed cooled. Poke a couple of holes in the top of them, dip them in the mixture of butter & a teaspoon of cinnamon then coat with sugar. 

What's In My Suitcase

So as promised in last week's  "My Travel Essentials" post, here is a look at what I have in my suitcase. Majority of this stuff is old so I unfortunately won't be able to link anything like I would normally do. I apologise for the state of my wrinkled clothes too, I did iron them but it lasted less than a day.

Jaws Tank - H&M
Red & White Striped T-shirt - Penneys/Primark
Blue T-shirt - Charity Shop

Beatles Vest Top - H&M

Skeleton Vest Top - H&M

Grey & White Striped Dress - H&M

Light Denim Dress - H&M
Bright Blue Skater Skirt & Belt - New Look
Dark Blue Skater Skirt - Primark/Penneys 

 Denim Shirt - Dunnes Stores

Black Cardigan - H&M
Black Sandals - Primark/Penneys
Blue & Cream Espadrilles - TOMS 

The long lost make up bag! 

Travelling Clothes 

Aaaand, that is it. I'm probably taking too much in some people's opinion, too little in others. I think it should be the perfect amount. I must also point out that I am in no way a fashion blog, this is just an idea of what I'm taking for anyone that's nosey or what's an idea. I'll let you know when I come home whether or not I actually wore everything. I hope you enjoyed this post & that you are all having a very happy Monday!

Seven Happy Things #5

I can't believe I've only been doing this series for a month. It seems like so much longer! Not in a bad way, I really like having a series of posts and it's a great way to round up the week. It's also the highlight of my Sunday. So, last week I told you seven things that I had been grateful for that week. I felt that the word "grateful" wasn't the best way to describe all seven things that I mentioned, so this week does include things I am grateful for, as well as things that I have just been really enjoying this week. 

1. Twitter Blogger Chats - I joined Twitter for the first time a month ago. I never saw the point of having one before I started blogging. I usually have nothing to say on social media and/or no one I want to say it to. I am so glad I did join though, my blog has grown so much in the time that I have had Twitter. Turns out I do have lots of things to say and lots of people that I want to interact with. That brings me onto the subject of Twitter Chats for Bloggers. There is one to suit every kind of blogger and a few that appeal to bloggers in general, no matter what kind of blog you run. They are such a fantastic way to interact and get to know other bloggers and become a part of the blogging community. 

2. Salads - I'm  a pescatarian, so I don't eat meat but I do eat fish. The main reason I decided to change my diet just over a year ago was because I wanted to try different foods and meals, not just stick to the same old things I've been eating for years. I knew that for me, the only way to do this would be to restrict my diet. I'm really enjoying salads at the moment, something I never would have said a year ago, I know you can have meat in a salad too, that's just something I had never had. The past two evenings I have had a salad which featured tuna, beetroot and cherry tomatoes, among other things. 

3. Travelling - When I say "travelling" I don't mean visiting different places, (I do enjoy that too but more on that next week) I'm talking about the actual journey you take to get there. I love planes, trains, car rides and I honestly have no idea why. I get really excited, the thought of the journey to get to the destination is just as appealing to me as being there. I started travelling on planes on my own when I was 13. I would go to see my grandparents in England, at that age at made me feel really independent and grown up so I think that's why I loved it so much then. 

4. Kind People - Now this is something I am grateful for. In the past few years I have lost an unbelievable amount of confidence in myself, blogging has played a massive part in restoring the confidence I had lost. Before I began blogging, I was quite afraid to talk to people. I didn't think anyone would care, I thought I would just be an annoyance. There are so many bloggers out there, I wasn't sure if it would be possible for everyone to fit in. I wasn't expecting everyone to be so kind, helpful and welcome. I have been proved totally wrong. It is a really wonderful community to be part of. 

5. The Sims 3 - I have loved The Sims since I was a child. I remember begging my Dad for the first one on the playstation 2 (we didn't have a computer) and when he finally gave in, feeling like all my Christmases had come at once. I would get up super early on a Saturday morning, park myself in front of the television and play it for hours before everyone else woke up. At the moment, I love playing The Sims 3 and listening to podcasts. Who's excited for Sims 4?! 

6. Photoscape & Picmonkey - These are the two best photo editing tools, in my opinion. I've been using Photoscape for the longest time. You download it onto your computer, I much prefer that to online photo editing. However, everyone seemed to be kicking up a fuss about picmonkey so I decided to give it a go this week. I'm almost fully converted. 

7. Google - Pretty broad, I know. To be more specific, whenever I want to change something with my blog, move things around, add things, take them away, I google it. I created my blog header and the click-able links with the help of a youtube video that I found by googling what I wanted. Ever want to know something about blogging, google it. 

I am in Paris as you are reading this (yippee) so I will reply to any comments on blog posts when I am home on the 19th. I hope you all enjoyed Jaimie's post on Friday & Becca's on Saturday, I know I did! 

I'm wonderfully pleased with this post. It took me longer than most of the ones in this series, but I like it, so hopefully you did to. 

Guest // Day to Night Make Up: Summer Edition

Hello lovely readers of Katie's blog! My name is Becca and I run and beauty and lifestyle blog called MissBeccaBeauty. As you probably know Katie is on holiday *right now* having a fabulous time and I can say I am very jealous. I am so excited to be writing this for you to read and I hope you enjoy!

Summer evenings are beautiful, not only that but a lot tends to happen during the evening in summer because it is cooler: BBQ's, garden parties, evening walks and much much more. I remember last year I was doing so much in the evening and usually it required me to look presentable. Obviously because it is summer things tend to happen to our makeup during the day, it might slip off because it's hot, if you sweat a bit (as lovely as that sounds...) you makeup will come off and if you are a fellow hay-fever suffer then you will know watery eyes + itchy eyes = all makeup removed around you eyes. So by the time it gets to early evening and you realise you have to be out the door looking presentable, you only have about 5 minuets do this! Here are the 5 products I use, to freshen up my day makeup ( I already have foundation, concealer, mascara and all that jazz on!) in the summer when I am in that situation:

Bronzer is an absolute lifesaver, especially for us very pale girls out there (hands up if your with me on this one!). My bronzer of choice at the moment is the Bourjois Delice de Poudre. Add this to your cheekbones to help define them, your temples, down your nose and basically anywhere you want to look really glowy and sun-kissed. I then go in with some blush, cream blushes work best for me in the summer and are quick to blend with your fingers if you have to work quickly. Topshop is the winner of the high street when it comes to cream blush in my opinion, this one if the cream blush in Afternoon Tea. This is when those odd single eye shadows come in handy, whether you are just at home or have had to take these products with you to get ready there, single eye shadows work well to add a wash of colour to your lid. I have a L'Oreal Chrome Shine in Brown Lame which looks like a really shimmery brown in the pot bot on the lids it has that golden goddess look to it. The pigmentation of these are beautiful and they blend really quickly and easily. To finish the eyes I like to take an eye pencil and apply it along the outer corner of my upper lash line. Usually I go for the Soap and Glory Smoulder and Kohl pencils in either black or brown because I find they are the quickest to apply because they glide on so smoothly. Sometimes if I'm feeling fancy I will even blend it out a bit so I have a mini smokey eye going on. Finally to complete the summers evening look I apply a pink lipstick to brighten up my face. Topshop Brighton Rock Lipstick (I have a review here if you fancy a read!) is the perfect bright summers pink that is great for any occasion. 

If you liked this post let me know in the comments and I will reply to you and try and get to know you. I would love to know what products you use for updating your makeup from day to night. Please head on over to check out my blog and leave a comment or even a sneaky follow if you are really friendly!

MissBeccaBeauty xo

Becca's links: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter 

I must say a huge thank you to Becca for writing this post. I will definitely be taking notes from this post during the summer months! 

Guest // How To Cope With Bullying

Bullying is something that everyone experiences. Whether it's just silly name calling or physical violence, everyone experiences it at some stage. It's not fun, it's not pleasant but it definitely makes you stronger as a person. Like the old saying says, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and they couldn't be more right. If you're going through a tough time, here are a few tips that might help you feel more comfortable.

Don't react

Even though you may feel like punching the bully as hard you can right in the middle of their face, try to avoid it. Don't show that you feel hurt or uncomfortable, bullies gain satisfaction when they realise that they've affected you in some way. All they want is attention, don't give it to them. They're irrational people and it is impossible to talk sense in to one of them. Walk away with your dignity and show them that you're the bigger person. However, if it does continue to happen over a long period of time, stand up for yourself or for anyone else who is being bullied.

Do not make jokes at your own expense to try to prove that there is nothing that the bully can do to hurt your feelings.

This will only result in you feeling worse and will make the bully feel as if they continue. It will lower your self esteem even further and possibly make you feel humiliated. The one person you need on your side at the moment is yourself. Don't insult your personality or appearance in the hope that they'll go away.

Outsmart the bully

Laugh really hard at their jokes, only give them sarcastic responses. You could even create a master plan that just shows how pathetic this person really. A plan so genius that it results in crowds of strangers carrying you off in the distance whilst they cheer your name.

Ok, I'll be more serious now.

Defend your self

If you're suffering from physical abuse then take a martial arts class, watch some YouTube videos or read a book and learn how to fight back. This stops you from having to suffer any serious injuries and allows you to escape and call for help without being put in an insane amount of danger. You don't need to be an expert at self dense, you just need a few tips. A quick kick in the groin will cause a person to become dazed and confused long enough for you to make a quick get away. If the groin doesn't work, try hitting them under the ribs or on the elbow. Once the person gets embarrassed you can run, hide and call for help.

Surround your self with loving friends and family

A bully can't get to you if you've got a wall, made up of all your loved ones, around you. They will make you feel safe, secure and provide you with millions of wonderful memories that you will never forget and will replace all the not so good memories created by the not so good people.

There is my advice. If you are going through a tough time right now then make sure that you talk to someone. Talk to a friend, a teacher or your parents just so that someone knows what's going on. If you feel like you can't talk to someone you know then check out a helpline such as The Samaritans or Childline. There are so many ways to get help, you don't have to spend your time alone and in the dark.

Just remember this, a day spent without a smile on your face is a day wasted.

I'm afraid I can't take any credit for this wonderfully written, extremely informative piece. This is the first of the guest posts that will be posted while I'm away. It was written by the lovely Jaimie, you can find her over at Bubblewrap and Popcorn, her lifestyle blog where she posts daily about a range of different topics!  

Jaimie's links: Blog / Bloglovin' / Twitter

Oreo Cupcakes

Before I get into this recipe I must tell you the tale of one of my most disastrous baking endeavours. On Tuesday night, I attempted to make cookie dough brownie cupcakes. They were meant to be a layer of cookie dough and a layer of brownie, they did not turn out that way. The mixture ended up just melting together in the oven and began to boil, in the cupcake cases. It was all very strange and upsetting. The reason I'm saying this is, sometimes people will tell me how they would love to make some of the baked goodies I have made in the past but that they are terrible at baking. I am here today to tell you that at one time, not too long ago I thought the same thing. My opinion has changed in the past year though as I've started baking more, becoming more aware of ingredients as well as picking up tips and tricks along the way. Ì am still constantly making mistakes though and if you're a regular reader you will know that I have no shame in admitting the mistakes that I've made and telling you guys so that you can avoid making the same ones. My point is, don't ever be afraid to give baking a go. If it doesn't turn out right you won't have lost anything, (a part from a few eggs & some butter) if it all goes well then you've got some fabulous baked treats and a massive sense of accomplishment.

Now onto what you all came here for, some delicious oreo cupcakes. My brother's doing exams at the moment and his favourite biscuits are oreos so I thought I would make these for him to help keep his spirits up. However, we all managed to chip in and give him a hand eating them. I used this recipe for reference, best one I found. These cupcakes were amazingly moist and chocolaty due to using dark chocolate to make them. I could have eaten the whole batch myself had someone let me, not all in one sitting though as they were also extremely rich. My icing skills went out the window on this one as I broke my icing gun last week. Sad times and I do apologise. In most recipes, people decided to put an oreo at the end of each cupcake and pour the batter over. Though I really like this idea I didn't have enough oreos to do this with all of the cupcakes. I did try this  technique with a few of the them though.

I couldn't remember which cupcakes had the full oreo in them so it was a surprise if we got one. For the majority of cupcakes, I crushed up a little more than half a packet of oreos and mixed them into the batter. Hence why the cupcakes are slightly bumpy in appearance. Cover with some icing and everyone is none the wiser. This recipe makes 20 cupcakes and I would suggest using two packets of oreos if you want to put the full oreo into the cupcake. In case you were wondering, I topped these with buttercream icing, with three crushed oreos added, you can find the recipe for my favourite buttercream icing in this post. Happy baking!

1. In a large bowl, stir together the dark chocolate, cocoa powder and hot water until the chocolate has completed melted. Make sure to chop the chocolate into small pieces so that it's easier to melt. Leave to cool in the fridge for around 10 minutes. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line your tin with cupcake cases. Place an oreo in the bottom on the cupcake case, if you wish to do so. 

3. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar in another large bowl.

4. Remove your chocolate mixture from the fridge and whisk in the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. 

5. If you decided against putting the full oreo in the end of the cupcake, now is the time to add your crushed oreos to the batter. 

6. Pour the mixture into the cases, filling them to about 3/4 of the way full. 

7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a skewer/knife comes out clean. 

8. Ice as desired. As I said above, I used buttercream icing (recipe here) with three crushed oreos added. 

My Travel Essentials

The first thing I threw into my bag while packing yesterday was the Nivea Lip Care Sun Protect with SPF30. I've used this before and it does exactly what it says on the tube, however it does taste slightly like sun cream. I do use face wipes along with cleanser, I am extremely lazy and these face wipes that I pick up in Aldi never cause my skin any trouble. For this trip I decided I would try out a new facial wash, I went for the Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash. When removing my make up, I usually use a face wipe to remove the majority of it and then go in with the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, which I remove with cotton pads. I'm currently using the No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream and also the Night Cream. All of the No7 bits came in a Christmas gift set, that I am extremely thankful for right now.

If I remember correctly, majority of these things are shown in my What's In My Bag post so I won't go on for too long. My trusty old friend, Rescue Remedy, just in case I get anxious at any point during the trip. A travel size Colgate Total Toothpaste, I'm not sure why this wasn't included in the picture with my toothbrush but I'm sure they'll be together soon. Soap & Glory Hand Maid and L'occitane Mango Passion Hand Cream, I bring these two products everywhere so it makes sense that they would be piled into my travel bag too. My nail colour of choice is going to be Maybeline Forever Strong in Ceramic Blue, which to my disappointment, they no longer make. I hate brushing my hair, it's always painful and my hair is forever knotty (I always have those knots in the back of my hair that appear from nowhere) but it must be done so in goes the hairbrush too! 

I will be bringing my toothbrush and using it with the toothpaste, despite the fact that I decided to split them up for this post. My favourite shampoo and conditioner to take anywhere with me are the Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. If I use these for an extended period of time my hair gets used to them and they don't work as well, hence why I only use them when I travel. Everyone needs deodorant, let's be real. My deodorant of choice is the Mitchum Advanced Control Shower Fresh 48H Protection.

Lastly, we have the entertainment and bits that are actually essentials! My notebook is from Paperchase, I like to make lists daily and have a place to write down blog ideas. I have Givoanna Fletcher's book Billy and Me, pictured here. I actually read this last summer and it won't be my reading material for this trip but what I am reading is on the boy's kindle so I couldn't show it to you. I thought Billy and Me would be a good substitute as the book I am going to be reading is You're The One That I Want, also by Giovanna Fletcher. I will be taking my 5 year old Ipod with me to listen to The Danny Duncan Show and possibly some music. Actual things that I will need for my trip include, my purse, phone and passport! My snazzy pink passport case came with my passport, I quite like it.

So, I know there are definitely things missing here but that is the bulk of what I am taking with me minus clothes and my make up bag. Which I will be showing you in a post next week! As you probably will have guessed by now, I am really excited to go to Paris but I'm also very sad to leave my blog for a week. Never fear though because I have some wonderful guest bloggers to keep you guys entertained next week, along with a few scheduled posts of my own. 

What are your exciting plans for the summer? 

Summer Wishlist // Bags

I'm the kind of girl that has one bag, that I will wear to death. The handbag that can be seen in this post, is the one I take pretty much everywhere with me. It's has everything in it, all the time so there is no fear of leaving anything behind and to be honest, I'm just too lazy to be switching around handbags. However, that does not mean that I don't love a good bag. This summer's select is a pretty damn great one too so I thought I would share with you some of my favourites! I also unintentionally split them into two groups, pastels and brights, so fancy of me. 

1. Mint Green Tote Bag // €19.99, New Look

2. Beige Contrast Panel Satchel // €45, River Island 

3.  Large Pink Satchel // €37, River Island

4. Light Green Frame Bag // €55, River Island 

5. Messenger Bag with Metal Clasp // €49.95, Zara

6. Mini City Bag // €49.95, Zara 

7. Faux Leather Coral Satchel // €25.99, Missguided 

8. Clean Zip Top Clutch // £25, Topshop 

There are so many beautiful bags to choose at the moment. This is less than half of the bags I found while online window shopping. My favourites are 3 and 6, let me know what yours are! 

Seven Happy Things #4

I absolutely love writing these posts and a lot of people seem to enjoy reading them, which makes me so incredibly happy. This week I've decided to change the format slightly though, I don't know if it will be a permanent thing or not, we shall see. Instead of writing one thing or moment from each day that had me made me happy, I am going to write seven things that I have been grateful for this week. In all honesty, sometimes it's quite difficult to find things in a day that are exciting or interesting, some days are just really boring and mundane. However, I know that there are plenty of things that I have to be grateful for each week, so I am going to give this a go!

1. McBusted - As I mentioned it last week's Sunday post, I went to see McBusted on Monday in Dublin and it was so wonderful I can't even explain. I've always loved Busted, I think they're great, to this day. I remember the moment I first heard McFly, I was standing in front of the TV in my old house in England when the music video for "Five Colours In Her Hair" came on and I went crazy. They are my all time favourite band. This afternoon I also put the Busted album " A Present For Everyone" in the boy's car and we listened to it the whole way through.
   
   
2. The Danny Duncan Show - This is a a podcast by Danny Duncan, the drummer for the We The Kings, who also now does daily vlogs with his girlfriend, Lindsey and their pup, Mr. King. I started listening to it this week and it cheers me up so much. He's always accompanied by long time friends and/or band members. My favourite podcasts have been the ones with Lindsey though, they seem like two of the most genuine people out there.
   
   
3. Good Internet - We have amazingly fast internet in my house, which makes blogging a lot easier in terms of uploading large pictures and generally just getting things done faster. It was cut off for two days this week though, which meant no blogging or youtube videos or twitter blogger chats. So yes, this week I am even more grateful for the internet, and the fact that it is back in my house again.
   
   
4. Ice Cream - 99 cones with a flake, to be exact. Probably a weird thing to be grateful for, grateful probably isn't even the word. I am more grateful that the weather in Ireland has been nice enough to stop for an ice cream on the way home multiple times this month.
   
   
5. My Dogs - I have two dogs, Ollie and Max. Max is a Jack Russell and Ollie is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Max is mine and Ollie is the family dog. I have so much love for these two. I would have probably gone insane a long time ago if it weren't for them. Ollie is the sweetest pup in the world, I've had really bad days when I've just cried and Ollie has sat with me, pawing at me and falling asleep next to me. I will be forever grateful for him.
   
   
6. The Boy - He reads these so I'm not going to go on for too long and inflate his ego. In short, he is the most wonderful person in the world. I'm grateful to have him in my life every day but this week marks the fourth year of him being around. He has been extremely good to me in the past four years and I am super excited for all the years to come. I am also very glad that he now loves Max as much as I do.
   
   
7. Books - I don't read as much as I would like to, or as much as I should but this week I gave the boy "The Fault In Our Stars" to read and he's really enjoying it. There's nothing better than giving someone a book and seeing them love it as much as you did. Earlier, I purchased Giovanna Fletcher's new book "You're The One That I Want", so I am now even more excited to be heading off to Paris next week so I can read it. I read her first book "Billy And Me" last summer, it's a fantastic, I would highly recommend reading it if you haven't already.
   
   
   
   So there you go, seven things I have been grateful for this week! Leave me a comment down below letting me know what you have been grateful for this week. Also, if you're feeling kind, I'm looking for guest bloggers for the middle of June, I have a post about it here, I would really appreciate it if you had a read and maybe got in contact if you'd like to get involved! 

Guest Bloggers Wanted

As you've probably heard (because I tweet about it non stop and mention it in nearly every post), I'm going to Paris next week, not for long but the week before and after are going to be pretty hectic too. I do have some pre written posts and I am going to schedule them to go up while I'm in Paris. However, I would love to have some posts from a few other people too. I love the idea of guest posts, I've done a guest post on one blog before and I really enjoyed doing it. I also think it would just be fun to do something different, keep things interesting! So here are all the details, I'll also let you know how you can contact me at the end of this post!

• I will be posting them between Monday the 9th of June and Friday the 20th. You can choose whatever day you like and I can work my posts around it.
  
• I'll leave it up to you as to what you would like to make a post on. Something that reflects your blog maybe, to give readers an idea of what to expect from you. If you're a regular reader of In Katie's Corner, you'll know that I post about pretty much everything.
  
• Please don't be afraid to get in contact. I am terrified of no one actually wanting to participate. I was super nervous about my first guest blog post, I was nervous about even emailing to enquire about doing it. It turned out great though.
  

If you would like to help me out on this one, you can email me at katierose.bacon@gmail.com or send me a direct message/tweet me @inkatiescorner. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you and I promise I don't bite!

"Would You Rather" Beauty Edition // Tag

Last week, I was tagged by the lovely Lauren to do this tag so a big thank you to her. I will leave the links of the people I tag to do this below but feel free to join in anyway! 

Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

I would much rather lose all of my palettes and eye shadows. I don't use them on a daily basis anyway but mascara is a must for me. 

Would you rather chop all of your hair off or never be able to cut it again?

To be honest, I'd probably prefer to chop it all off. I've toyed with this idea for a few years anyway because I really want my natural hair colour back as I've ruined it with dye. I also feel like if I was to never cut it again the ends would be awful.

Would you rather have coral cheek or pink cheek? 

Pink cheek for me. My cheeks are naturally rosy majority of the time anyway so I never over do it with blush.

If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make up? 

This is a difficult one, I think it would be clothes though. I feel for me there is such a thing as having too much make up. I know that I wouldn't use half it, I'd find the bits I really like and then put the rest in a box never to be seen or heard of again. Where as I get a lot of mileage out of all of my clothes.

Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

Hmm, after careful consideration, I think eyeliner as lipstick. A purple eyeliner if I had to choose, maybe I could pull it off....probably not.

Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

I've never shopped at either (shock horror) but I would have to say the same as Lauren for this one, Sephora. As she said, Sephora has lots of brands to choose from but if you choose MAC, you would be restricted to one.

Would you rather only use one eye-shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life? 

Eye shadow colour, definitely. As I said above, I don't wear eye shadow all that often and when I do it's generally the same ones. I absolutely love trying out different lip products though.

Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Winter clothes in summer. I would rather be too hot than too cold!

Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

I wear bright nails majority of the year anyway, they make me happy. So I would have to say, bright nails! 

Would you rather give up your favourite lip colour or favourite eye product?

I would rather give up my favourite lip colour. I cannot wear make up without wearing mascara. I look terrifying.

Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
With my hair the way it is at the moment, a messy bun. I love ponytails but when I wear my hair in one the boy says it looks like a fox's tail. He's charming, I know.

Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

I never use lip gloss anyway. I think I own one lip gloss. I do however, always have my nails painted. I had a bad experience with acrylic nails a couple of years ago and my nails haven't been the same since so I always keep them painted.

Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

After seeing all the pictures of celebrities without eyebrows, I'm going to say I would rather sharpie them in everyday. I'm not particularly fond of the thought of either though, if I'm being honest. 

Would you rather live without make up or nail polish?

Even though I previously said that I always need to have my nails painted, I think I could hide the disaster that is my nails. I really enjoy trying out new make up though, and I enjoy applying it. Also, there are some days when I need make up to make myself feel a bit better. So I would much prefer to live without nail polish.

Phew, that seemed like a lot of questions. I had lots of fun answering them though, so thank you again to Lauren for tagging me and I am going to go ahead and tag Kirsty, Cait and Jemma!