Unicorn Cupcakes! Baking for Red Nose Day

These unicorn cupcakes were so easy and so much fun to make. We were having a 'bake-off' event in our office and I was determined to put in some effort and come up with something decent! I'm not the best baker in the world but I decided that fairy cakes would be do-able. And why not fairy tale theme them? Unicorns are still very much in vogue at the moment so I decided to go for it. Here are the...

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Wine Tasting and Italian Carnevale

If you've read my previous blog on my weekend trip to Rome, you'll know I had an excellent first few days in the Eternal City thanks to The Roman Guy. What made the weekend for me, though, was our Sunday day trip to the town of Frascati, just twenty minutes outside Rome. This charming little place played host to us for the day as we took part in The Old Frascati Wine Tour, followed by an afternoon...

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Helen the Hero: A tribute for International Women's Day

I could write screeds and screeds about the people who made me. My parents' influence on me has been great, of course - but since it's International Women's Day I thought I would write about my favourite feminist and one of the most inspirational people I know: My Gran. Helen Warren - born on the 14th April 1921, making her 96 years old. Here are just five reasons why she continues to inspire me: 1....

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Weekends in Rome with The Roman Guy

Italy is one of my favourite places to visit and in the past few years I've fallen even more in love with it. February seemed like the perfect time for an Italian pick me up to blast away those Winter Blues, so my friend and I decided to book a long weekend trip to Rome. This would be my third visit to the Eternal City - read about what I learned on my first trip here. I was excited to return...

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Hina Matsuri!

Today was the 16th annual Hina Matsuri - a celebration of Japanese culture held in Glasgow's West End. Since I love everything about Japan (one day... one day I will get there! Even if I have to get a job with a fishing rod manufacturer in Wishaw...) I was keen to go along and learn more. There was traditional Taiko drumming... Origami.... Japanese Kanji... And...

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Yoga: Expectations vs. Reality

Yoga. The word conjures up images of serene, perfectly poised figures on a beach or a clifftop. Chanting in unison, the soft salty breeze causing the odd hair to escape and sweep across a blemish-free bare face (the only sign of any imperfection in this picture.) Girls are clad in their tight-fitting yoga gear- accentuating their figures in all the right places. Boys wear shorts and loose tank tops...

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