September Diary

Shirt- River Island
Jeans- Topshop
Shoes- H&M
Scarf- Vintage YSL

Hey there,

I've finally decided what I'm going to use this blog for, better late then never I know. As everything's got a bit full on recently as you'll soon see, I've decided to use it as an online diary, so here goes my September round-up.

I moved back up to Birmingham, ready for Welcome Week and the start of Uni, slightly earlier then most students as I was part of the Student Unions Welcome team!

Before I left home I made some bunting from the fabrics collected from my internship with Louise O'Mahony. Instead of stitching the bunting onto the ribbon I chose to pin them on with little christmas pegs and I love the effect. It looks perfect on my new desk.

I also moved all my treasures I collected from Turkey into my new room. It's such a novelty for me to have such a large room compared to what I'm used to at home and I've recently discovered how much I love homewards. Somehow managed to convince myself its not splurging, if it's essential for my room, hehe. 

Shirt- Primark
Necklace- H&M
Coat- Mango
Boots- H&M
Jeans- River Island
Bag- TK Maxx
Scarf- Vintage YSL

  Whilst in Birmingham, I've been hot on the job hunt with mixed results but I guess thats to be expected from the current climate. However it does mean I've had to carefully consider my wardrobe choices, including the end of my nose piercing. This OOTD was snapped by my friend Mollie, for her blog, before one of my interviews.

Being back in Birmingham also gives me the chance to catch up with friends I haven't seen for months. The other day we checked out a new healthy vegetarian cafe tucked away in Digbeth. For a very reasonable price we shared some sundried tomatoes and I had a delicious Millet salad. Although I'm not vegetarian, I do really appreciate it especially since being at Uni. I shall defiantly be visiting the Warehouse Cafe again.

And finally, Tomorrow's my Birthday!! Hip, hip, horaaay. Tonight I baked a batch of (almost) guilt-free brownies, containing agave nectar and bananas instead of butter and sugar. I haven't tried them yet but my housemates have had a few tasters and I think it's safe to say they went down well. Also think I finally got a very exciting job today and some new university projects on the go but thats all I'm going to say for now... watch this space! 

Love 

Sophie Agnes

xxx

Under Construction

Hey guys,

I've been so busy recently I haven't been able to do the blog justice so I'm taking some time out to think about how I can get the best out of it! Watch this space!!

Sophie Agnes

xx

Heavenly Sweet Treats #4

Strawberry & Lime Ice Lollies

These ice lollies are perfect for this rare heatwave, the lime gives them such a refreshing flavour. They also have the added bonus of being Sugar-free! Mum's been growing strawberries for a few years now and we've never had such a good crop as this year. She's been desperately trying to find recipes to use them up so I thought I'd try mixing them with some lime, after all they go so well together in Strawberry Mojitos!

Ingredients
Simply..
1 Lime
Water
Handful of chopped strawberries
Dash of Sugar free lime cordial

Combine all the ingredients in a jug and pour into the ice lolly moulds then freeze for over two hours until fully frozen. Once they're ready sit back and enjoy in the sunshine, while it lasts! Leave a comment to let me know what you think of this recipe or if there are any other combinations I should try.

Love Sophie Agnes xxx

Holiday Blues

Hey there,

Sorry about the embarrassing length of time since I last posted however I've been relaxing hard in the sunshine. I've been away in Salou for a week followed by a week in Olu Deniz in Turkey, both were so much fun. This post is going to be a round up of the past few weeks I've been absent, including the Dolphin show, described by one of my friends as 'life-changing' and the bargains I managed to barter in the Turkish bazaar.

The view from our balcony in Salou, we were all pleasantly surprised at how nice and modern our two bedroom apartment was.

By far the best meal we had out there! Homemade Tapas of Garlic prawns, Camembert on toast, Asparagus wrapped in Parma ham, mixed salad and salmon and cream cheese bites. It really was as good as it looks!

We loved the Dolphin show at Aquapolis waterpark so much, we went to both performances.

 Discovered on a trip to the market that toe rings make very good midi rings and then also had to purchase another ring in my favourite colour.

Our Hotel in Turkey was situated in the middle of a valley which meant there was no breeze from the 40 degree heat. Not that I'm complaining as the pool served nicely to cool us off. 

And for when we got tired of lying by the pool, there was also access to a private beach club on the blue lagoon, with stunning views!

One night we visited a traditional Turkish Bazaar, Turkish delight factory and Gold centre. I was surprised to find myself getting excited and bartering over these cushion covers, but what can I say, they gave me inspiration for how I want to decorate my new room in September.

 After breaking my sunglasses two hours before leaving for the airport, I treated myself to this cute green pair in Gatwicks Accessorize. Then fell in love with this style of Ray bans in one of the many 'genuine fakes' shops they have in Turkey and on the last day of our stay I managed to barter the owner down to the equivalent of £3!!

Another genuine fake I also gave into, was this watch. What can I say, I just loved the colour.

As you may know, cooking is one of my favourite pastimes so I could resist buying some spices out in Turkey and even brought some back for my Mum too. 

Here's a few more rings I added to my extensive collection!

Now its back to reality after enjoying myself for over a fortnight and spend more time on this blog and pray my tan doesn't fade too much. I'm also on the lookout for a few more turkish/middle eastern inspired pieces to complete my room, which I'll keep you posted on. That's all for now.

Love Sophie Agnes xxx

Heavenly Sweet Treats #3

Frozen Banana Loaf

This is a recipe I found on Oh, Ladycakes blog, then adapted according to what I had in the larder. As you may have guessed I'm a lover of all things banana flavoured and containing bananas! A while ago I watched a programme about raw foodies on 4od, and while I thought they were slightly extreme when it came to some of their food habits, some of the ideas made me think more about the benefits of raw recipes. 

This loaf is gluten-free, sugar-free and doesn't involve any cooking or much washing up!

Ingredients

100g Almonds

100g Walnuts

75g Oats

2 Medium Banana's (the riper the better)

1tsp Cinnamon

50g Dried fruit (I used Dates, Prunes and Sultanas)

2 tsp Honey

Method

1. Place all the dry ingredients in a blender and blend until they form a flour like texture.

2. Then add the other ingredients and blend until the mixture becomes like a thick dough.

3. Place the mixture in a tray lined with cling film and press down with a knife or back of a spoon.

4. Place in the freezer for 1-2 Hours then remove and serve.

I added honey to the original recipe for extra sweetness. If you want a different texture to this loaf then why not try adding some chopped nuts or currants to the mixture once it's removed from the blender. Feel free to leave comments to let me know what you think or if there are any other raw recipes you think I should try!

Love Sophie Agnes xxx

DIY Bracelets

Hey There,

One of the best parts of summer holidays is gathering jewellery from foreign markets and when it comes to the summer I always collect plenty of handmade bracelets and wristbands. Recently I've seen lots of inspiration for bracelets so I decided to make a few of my own before I go away.

Here's a few things you will need.. I collected these from places like hobby craft etc but most bits were recycled from old broken necklaces to save money! I also had a few special beads I brought last year in Amsterdam's infamous 'De Negen Straatjes'. It is advisable to use proper jewellery making tools such as  pliers however I managed without so they're non-essential.

As you can see they were so simple to make and would go well with any festival/holiday outfit this summer. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think of my bracelets!

Love Sophie Agnes

xxx

Heavenly Sweet Treats #2

Mango Frozen Yogurt

Since I've been at university, I've become obsessed with the Fro-Yo stand in the Bullring so I decided to try make my own frozen yogurt especially now Summer's here. It's great as a guilt-free dessert or just as a replacement for ice creams on sunny days.

Ingredients

80g Mango (Fresh or frozen)

50g Greek Yogurt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Empty the mixture into a suitable container.

3. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

4. Remove and Enjoy!!

Try adding toppings to your frozen yogurt, if you want to keep it healthy add some berries and a drizzle of honey. Alternatively if you want a less heavenly treat add some chocolate chips and enjoy. Feel free to comment and let me know what you thought of the recipe or if you have any other frozen yogurt recipes I may want to try.

Love Sophie Agnes xxx