Hopscotch & Grace

Moving Blogs

2009-12-24T10:13:00.000+11:00

Hello lovelies.

This will be my last post from this blog. My new blog home is here: http://littlebitsoflovely.blogspot.com/

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Rachel xx

Cupcake & Candle Making Weekend

2009-12-20T10:30:00.000+11:00

Hello lovelies! I do hope you are having a fabulous weekend. Yesterday I had a super busy day baking cupcakes for my Mum's birthday and making soy candles for Christmas presents.

I thought I would share with you some of my creations. Stay tuned as husband and I have been working on the branding for the candles which I will be dedicating to a post next week once finished.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide

2009-12-16T23:12:00.001+11:00

Still need to finish off some Christmas shopping? I have compiled a last minute gift guide to help you cross the rest of the people off your list!

1. Kate Spade, striped iPhone cover
For your super-stylish friend who loves her iPhone and wants to stand out from the crowd. This functional yet pretty iPhone cover will be sure to delight!

$US30 from http://www.katespade.com

2. 2010 Eco-Friendly Modern Wall Calendar, Etsy
How cute is this calendar? Perfect for your organised friend who adores all shiny and pretty things. Choose from a selection of prints, with each month featuring a different design, giving oodles of inspiration throughout the year.

$US18, from Etsy

3. Haute Goats Soap, Etsy
The perfect gift for your office Kris Kringle. This all natural, pure goats milk soap comes in a gorgeously designed tin and will be the envy of everyone in the office who receives crappy presents bought at the convenience store.

Haute Goat Soap, $US9.50, Etsy

4. Handcrafted Yo-Yo, Etsy

One for the kids! Did you know Yo Yos are back? These beautifully handcrafted yo-yos will be sure to keep the kids entertained on Christmas day.

Handcrafted Yo-Yo, $US10, Etsy

5. Emma Magenta book, The Peril of Magnificent Love

Spoil your sister with this adorable Emma Magenta book, the first in a series of books, which tale the journey of Emma, as she confronts some life challenges head-on. The seemingly simple tales are hand-drawn in red, black and white, revealing a deeper level of emotion than one would otherwise have thought.

$AU17.95, Random House

6. Limited Edition, In Good Hands Manicure set, Mecca Cosmetica

Treat your mum to this luxurious manicure set featuring Velvet Glove Hand Hydrator, It’s A Pushover Exfoliating Cuticle Cream and on-trend Painted Beauty Nail Colour in Margaret. Will nourish hydrate even the driest of hands.

Mecca Cosmetica, $50

7. BBQ Fork Thermometer, Oz Gadgets

Dad's will love this one. Cooking the perfect steak will now be a cinch with this BBQ fork thermometer which allows for accurate cooking temperatures for meat and poultry - genius!

BBQ Fork Thermometer, $AU34.95

I hope this gave you some thought starters on your last minute Christmas shopping. Good luck!

Hello Christmas

2009-12-13T22:46:00.004+11:00

Christmas is my favourite time of year. What makes it so special for me is the opportunity to reflect and be thankful for all of the many blessings I have in life.

Plus, spending time with my family and over-eating is brilliant. My mother is the most amazing cook (I learn everything from her) and she always cooks up a feast for the family. Her recipe for brandy butter is to-die-for; she is very famous in the extended family for this little secret! I wonder if she will let me share it...

Now that I am an Auntie I love to watch my little nieces and nephew excitedly rip open their presents and squeal with delight once they see what is inside. Christmas is definitely so much more fun when there are kids around!

Here is some gorgeous Christmas inspiration for you. Tell me, what makes Christmas special for you?

Image via Flickr

Image via House & Garden

Image via Flickr

Image via Just Be Splendid

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

2009-12-13T19:23:00.001+11:00

I'm currently baking my way through the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Book, and yesterday I made the classic vanilla cupcakes and combined them with chocolate fudge frosting.

The result was delicious! The chocolate fudge frosting is lovely and thick enough to creat decent icing layers and is a great texture for the cupcake 'swirl'. I'm currently perfecting my swirl, but it is looking pretty good and almost (well, sort of) at the Magnolia Bakery (aka Global Cupcake Benchmark) level.

Vanilla Daisy Cupcakes - makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups castor sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (room temperature)

Method
Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line two 12-holed muffin trays with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the castor sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Makes 4 cups frosting - enough for 24 cupcakes (keeps for 1 week)

Ingredients
8 cups icing sugar
1 cupa cocoa
200g softened butter
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla extract and half of the icing sugar mixture and beat for at least 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for a further 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy and of a spreadable consistency. Add extra milk if the mixture is too dry or extra icing sugar if the mixture is too sweet.

Frosting and decorating the cupcakes immediately afterwards...And voila! Delicious vanilla cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting!

Organic Soy Candle Making - First Pictures

2009-12-03T22:53:00.001+11:00

Inspired by this month's Notebook Magazine, where there is a great article on making candles and soaps for Christmas presents, I decided that's what I would make for our family and friends.

So last weekend I set about making soy, organic candles. I quickly found a store in Newtown called Stacks of Wax where I bought all my supplies.

While the first batch was an experiment really, they actually turned out ok! Husband and I are going to work out branding and packaging yet, but here is a first look at how they turned out.

Preparing the candles for the wax

The scents were a mix of Jasmine, Geranium & Green Tea - they smell beautiful!

Here is how they turned out. Still need to trim the wicks, but I'm pretty happy with how they look!

Stay tuned for an update of how the branding and packaging turns out.

Dose of Cuteness

2009-12-02T22:46:00.000+11:00

How adorable is this puppy high-fiving! Just too cute!

Hope you are having a wonderful week.

Image via Cute Overload

The Best Things About Summer

2009-12-01T22:29:00.001+11:00

Today marked the first day of Summer, although somehow it didn't feel like it with this dreary rainy and cold weather.

So to remind everyone of what Summer should be like, I found some of my favourite things about this glorious season that we can all look forward to!

What are your favourite things about Summer?

Image via We Heart It

Image via Lovely Girls

Image via Tumblr

Image via Paper Tissue

Image via FFFFound

Dose of cuteness

2009-11-26T22:22:00.000+11:00

I had a bit of a crappy day but as soon as I saw these most adorable dogs my woes were all but forgotten.

Hope your day was filled with loveliness.

Image via Flickr

The weight debate: Mischa Barton attacked for being too fat...Seriously?

2009-08-19T14:47:00.002+10:00

I was shocked to find out that Mischa Barton has been ordered to lose 10 pounds (roughly 4.5 kg) for the role in her new TV show The Beautiful Life. Instead of her usual skin-and-bones-look, Mischa has actually started to look relatively healthy lately after putting on some much needed weight.

The weight-debate is not new in Hollywood, in fact it is the norm to see underfed celebs battle it out in gyms and go on ridiculous diets all in the quest to remain super-skinny. Each week, when the gossip mags hit newsstands, there are always celebs on the cover being scrutinised for being too fat or too thin. It seems that they can't win either way.

The funniest thing I read recently was Gwyneth Paltrow being interviewed by NW Magazine on her strict diet regime; she apparently swears that she maintains her super-skinny state by "only eating one solid meal per day and the rest of the time drinking coconut juice" Please! No wonder girls today have such warped ideas on body image and what constitutes a healthy diet.

It is extremely hard to not get caught up in all of this garbage. I am actually guilty of this myself and often compare my own thighs with Miranda Kerr's perfectly-skinny thighs and concluding that the only way I could ever look like that would be to just not eat. And fortunately that will never happen because I love food too much to ever go to such extreme lengths.

How do we create a sense of balance with these portrayals of unrealistic body images constantly being force fed by the media? I don't have all of the answers but I do know that women need to stop being so critical of one another and start celebrating the fact that women come in all shapes and sizes.

I would love to know what you think of the weight-debate and if you have any ideas on how we can help younger girls to not get so caught up with this quest to remain super-skinny and start loving themselves for who they are.

Katie Holmes set to launch fashion collection - Holmes & Yang

2009-08-15T02:30:00.001+10:00

Hopscotch & Grace was beside herself with excitement when WWD announced that Katie Holmes will be launching a fashion collection with stylist Jeanne Yang; the collection will aptly be called Holmes & Yang.

Last year Holmes created a stir last year when she wore two outfits created by the duo and is now set to prove it wasn't a fleeting moment in style. The collection is said to be a 'premium designer' line that includes women's and children's wear and will be launching exclusively at Maxfield in Los Angeles later this year.

Given Katie's impeccable style and great eye for cut and quality, the new collection is sure to be a success!

Rachel McAdams - worst look of the week

2009-08-14T14:07:00.001+10:00

Ever since Mean Girls I have been a huge fan of Rachel McAdams; but when she stepped out in this Emilio Pucci outfit at the premiere of The Time Traveller's Wife, it was not her greatest fashion moment.

The wide gape at the front of the dress does not have the desired 'sexy' look she was going for - it just looks like...a mistake. And her shoes...Oh dear. She genuinely looks uncomfortable and I am not surprised. Sorry Rachel, but this outfit is not a winner.

Brad & Angelina - Picture Perfect

2009-08-13T11:26:00.001+10:00

I couldn't help but notice how deliriously carefree and happy Angelina Jolie appeared to be at the premiere of Inglourious Basterds.

All of the talk surrounding her relationship with Brad and how it is supposedly 'on the rocks' didn't seem to be affecting her at all. If their relationship is 'on the rocks' there were certainly no signs of it on Monday night - they looked the perfect couple together.

This does not look like a woman whose marriage is in trouble, she looks like a woman in love and blessed with her beautiful family. Angelina - you look fabulous!

The wedding make-up experiment

2009-08-11T14:02:00.001+10:00

I am getting married in 8 weeks (gulp) and luckily most of the planning has been done (well sort of); however the main thing I have been focusing on of late is my make-up for the big day.

After forking out for two make up trials (with different make up artists), both of which I wasn't at all happy with, I decided that rather than lining up for yet another trial I would take the risk and do the make up myself. Why not, I thought? I have been doing my own make up daily for years; plus after a stint during my university days working at the make up counter for Estee Lauder, I figured that I am more than qualified for the job.

So I did what any bride-to-be would do in my situation and headed to my nearest Mecca store to stock up on everything I would need to create my perfect 'bridal' look.

Armed with my make-up reference picture, the beautiful Jules (wife of Guy Sebastian), I explained to the obliging Mecca lady that I wanted to look natural, but have enough coverage and depth so that I looked amazing in the photos.

She instantly recommended that I use Nars because their products are the best quality and great for photographs as the foundation doesn't contain any SPF. I quickly discovered that using a foundation with an SPF will cause skin to look extremely pale in photographs. Using a concealer is also a must - I am very naughty and generally just use foundation under my eyes, but using a concealer one shade lighter than foundation will brighten up the eye area - genius!

Next stop eyes. This is where I need the most help. I have been caught in an eye-make up rut for the past few years always using the same method and similar colours. Mecca lady showed me a gorgeous Nars eyeshadow palette containing colours that I always thought looked pretty but never considered using because I didn't think they would suit me. Cream eyeshadow, I learnt, is good for holding the powder shadow in place. She showed me how to mix the colours using a brush, and then how to blend them in to the eyelid. I listened intently and was watching everything she was doing.

Mecca lady introduced me to a genius product from Stila called Smudge Pots. This 'clever gel has an inky intensity that leaves powder shadows in the dust' - fabulous! It doesn't smudge - hence the name - so once you it's on your eyes it stays put.

For cheeks and lips she suggests shades of pink that will complement the eyes nicely. I don't normally wear a colour on my lips at all so Mecca lady recommended a sheer lipstick called Mitizi which gives just the right amount of colour to complete my look when combined with lipliner.

So, armed with all of this expert knowledge, plus all of my new equipment - I splurged on some essential brushes as well - I am feeling confident that I can create my perfect look for the wedding.

And the best thing about doing my own make up? Now have two months to experiment and play with my new products!

Stay tuned for pics :)