I made these brownies and everybody loved them, they were all gone in less than a day! Usually birthday cakes last a few days, even close to a week. But everyone loved my brownies and so I wanted to share the recipe for you to try at home. If you'd prefer a gluten-free or Vegan recipe then of course you could use the alternatives to the ingredients you'd prefer not to use. I don't expect it to taste too much different, but if you would like me to make these brownies using a gluten-free or vegan recipe then let me know. 

Ingredients:

400g Caster Sugar

225g Butter

60g Hot Chocolate, or Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs

Chocolate Chips (optional)

125g Plain Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Making the brownies...

Turn on your oven to 180 degrees and butter the tin you're going to be using. I would recommend using a tin that will give you the perfect brownie shape, then cover with greaseproof paper. 

Now we need to melt the butter. I used a pan but you could microwave the butter instead if you would prefer. Once melted, pour into your mixing bowl, add the caster sugar and mix well. When you are finished this step, sieve the cocoa powder into the mixture and stir.

It's time to add the vanilla extract and 3 eggs. I'd suggest using a whisk at this stage to ensure the ingredients are sufficiently mixed, this will make the process much faster. You could then go back to using a wooden spoon afterwards. 

Sieve the plain flour into your mixture, then add the baking powder, using a folding method to mix the ingredients. This is the point that I like to add the chocolate chips, although they do melt in the oven (which is why this ingredient is optional) you still get little elements of chocolate chunks in some brownies. It is subtle, so it is your choice whether to add them or not. 

Pour your mixture into the tin and put it in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. After this time, to check if it has cooked through I would suggest using a knife and gently stabbing the brownie, checking to see if there are any ingredients sticking onto the knife when you retract it. (If there is, you need to cook it a little longer, depending on how much of the ingredients stuck to the knife).

Now you should have a brownie ready to take out of the tin! Leave it to cool a while (at least ensure the tin is cooled down) before removing it. When it is time to, lift the greaseproof paper to transfer the brownie onto a plate or chopping board. This is when you can cut the large brownie into sizes of your choice. They are ready to serve and eat!

Here's an update for those readers of mine. I notice a lot of you have been reading my posts, which I really appreciate considering how sporadic my posts have been. Between each post I've had a little refresh of different things. 

First, I deleted my Instagram account for my blog. I just didn't have the enthusiasm to add photographs just to suit the style of my blog, and just hoping that people would see it. Now, I have slightly updated it to a more personal account but I'm not sure if I will publicise it as often as I don't want to lose my interest in this account too. 

I've also been stuck for finding things to write about. I had so many ideas running through my mind actually! I'd always find myself planning my next blog post, or writing a rough draft in the notes section in my phone. But I could never bring myself to post it, as I couldn't think of how to imagine and plan photographs that would match what I had wrote. So I've decided to take an "old school" approach. If I have an idea that I want to talk about at the time, I'll just write it up and post it, how blogs originally started. If I have the perfect photographs to post, then I'll do that too! It really is going to be a mixture, which is okay because I'm discovering my writing style. Whether that will continue to be a mixture, only consist of words or include images. For now there really is something for everyone!

My motivation is on-going though. I'm lucky enough to never find myself losing motivation, and I hope that will continue. In all aspects of my life, I find a way to become enthusiastic and motivated as much as I can (you can probably tell from the blog posts I write). 

That's all for now. Again, thank you for reading!

What kind of blog posts do you usually like to read? And have you had any "life refresh" moments lately? 

Splashes of orange, pops of red and hints of yellow huddled together in the trees, trying to keep warm. The people below wrapped in scarves and thick, knitted jumpers. My favourite time of year, Autumn. Autumn is when you can experiment with clothes; you can wear any colours, patterns and styles. In Summer it's hot and you prefer to wear one staple piece, in Winter you're so cold that you don't mind if the top under your jumper doesn't match because you're distracted by the frosty breeze, or your desire to build a snowman *insert catchy song here that will now be playing over and over in your head all day*. In Spring you can be experimental with clothes, but there's something cosy thinking about wearing a chunky scarf while walking through the fallen leaves. 

I've found a love for picking staple pieces and layering with items that portray my personal style. I like to carry a handbag with me as often as I can, because in reality even though I most likely won't need to carry anything, I always like to keep a book wrapped up inside for those long journeys, whether it be by train, car or bus.

I love that moment when you step outside, feeling that cold tingle on your cheeks, with the promise that Winter is soon to come. This time of year brings joy and that festive feeling. It makes people like me, try to make their writing sound like a rhyme or a bed time story. Not as effective in other months but perfect for right now, when we can appreciate the cosy feeling that the last few months of the year brings. 

Leaving you now with thoughts of twinkling Christmas decorations in our shops, towns or cities. Enjoy the season!

Last but not least is kaitlynn_carter. Yes, owned by Kaitlynn Carter. She has her own blog/website but I started following her account long before this was launched. I came across her account after following Brody Jenner and immediately pressed the follow button, after looking at her photographs. Similar to In The Frow, Kaitlynn's account has a flowing colour scheme. I follow this account mostly for fashion inspiration, as her style is similar to my own, and the images are taken in a way that makes you notice the outfit first. You can see the thought that has been put into every photograph and what Kaitlynn and the photographer was trying to achieve, which they have done successfully. Her account is a "must-follow" (see what I did there?) because the photos are not too heavily edited, as though someone has took out their phone and taken it there and then. Again, you can tell that they contain her unique style and so are not like any other account that I follow. I'd love people to follow her by looking for it, rather than coming across it in the way that I did. kaitlynn_carter is another example of an account that I believe you would not regret following.

Since I was little I have always been asked the question "what do you want to be when you're older?" and I have never hesitated when answering. Even though my dream career has changed a lot over the years, I have always been proud of what I wanted to be and it was always different to what my friends chose. When we were first asked the question by our Teachers, most of my friends would say  they wanted to be Teachers or Ballerinas etc... Me? I wanted to be a Hairdresser! I don't know one person that shared this aspiration of mine to become a Hairdresser, and maybe that was the appeal for me. 

Fast forward to my early teenage years, I would again be asked "what do you want to be when you're older?". My answer: an actress. At first it was an actress in movies, but then I started to love the idea of becoming an actress that performs on stage and in musicals. I would still love to do this, only problem is that I probably can't sing and I am very shy when it comes to performing. So that dream ended quickly. In my mid-teens I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do, I liked the idea of helping people but all I was sure of was that I wanted to go to a University that looked like a big country home or a scene from Harry Potter! I would pick the perfect University and then see what subjects they had to offer. 

However, towards the end of my School years and into College, I decided that I really didn't want to go to University anymore. For a number of different reasons, but definitely more pros than cons. I was adamant that I didn't want to go. At this point I now wanted to work with children, but I didn't know what specific area of childcare I wanted to be in. After that I started thinking about working in Media because I loved the subject at College, and then I thought about becoming a Reader for a Publishing House (until I realised that required a degree). 

Until one day I'd had enough. I sat myself down with my thoughts and a notebook to finally decide what I wanted to do with my life. I just couldn't understand, why can't I pick one thing? I wrote a list (which then turned into mind-maps) of different things I'd love to do as a career. 

..............

So this brings me to today. For almost a year now I have been delighted and at ease after realising that actually, I wanted to become a Teacher, or at least a Teaching Assistant. Yes, it is a very delayed goal (when I had 5 year old friends that knew they wanted to do this), and it had taken me longer to realise that it is what I wanted to do. But now that I have decided, I feel so much happier but also glad that I gave myself the time to figure out what my dream career was.

In relation to dreams though,  I'd also love to be a writer. I guess in a way having my own website like this makes me a writer, but I'd love to be able to meet new people and tell them that I am a writer or better yet, an author. Which leads me to the point of this whole story time. Now we aren't children, are dreams unrealistic? 

Children are encouraged to have dreams. If they want to be an astronaut that can fly to Mars on a fire-breathing dragon then they should do that. But as an adult, having crazy dreams aren't always something we share. Should we still try to achieve our dreams or is it unrealistic? Why do I feel so passionate about my dream career, yet am so shy to share it with others when I'm greeted with that question "what do you want to be?".

Some people go to University to get into their dream job. Others can go for an interview and be accepted for their dream job without the qualifications. I should embrace that ambition and not be afraid to tell people about my dreams. 

I've got palettes and lipsticks a plenty

I've got eyeliners and highlighters galore...

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "Things You'll Understand If You Look Younger Than You Are" and you all seemed to really enjoy reading it, so I couldn't wait to do another. This time I'm dedicating it to all my fellow beauty lovers out there, I hope you like it!

You've started to unintentionally compare brands 
Walking into Boots, searching through the makeup counters for a new lipstick. Only you find that when you look at the shades, you start to compare them with other lipsticks "ooh this is lovely, it looks just like Taupe by MAC". On more than one occasion I have found myself labelling products as dupes for higher brands, before I've even decided if I want to buy it!

If someone suggests that you do their makeup for them, you don't hesitate to say yes
I love doing makeup for other people, I find it relaxing discovering which techniques work best for them or simply choosing the perfect eyeshadow shade for their eye colour and skin tone. I always want to offer to do someone's makeup for them, so when I'm asked to help them I'll be straight at their dressing table with my makeup and brushes before they can even finish their sentence!

You have that many makeup brushes, some would mistake you for a painter
Well you have many different brushes for applying your foundation, then you have a blusher brush and a bronzer brush, blending brush, eyeshadow brush and on and on... (the list is endless). To someone that isn't interested in makeup, they would wonder why you would possibly need all of those brushes for one day of makeup - but believe me, we need them all.

Knowing all of the techniques to enhance your makeup that little bit more
You know what I mean. Little tricks such as, soaking a beauty blender before using it; inner and outer corner eyeshadow; different styles of eyeliner; using a buffing brush vs a stippling brush and more. You know all the tips and tricks!

The perfect palette for a specific look
I know most of my eyeshadow palettes like the back of my hand. You want the perfect night out look? Use the Naked 2 palette. Something with warmer shades? The Two Faced "Sweet Peach" eyeshadow palette could be exactly what you're looking for. You know the styles that can be created with each palette, making you the perfect person to go to for advice.

Beauty Bloggers and Vloggers
Some of you may follow any beauty bloggers/vloggers that you come across. Others, (like me) usually follow people with a similar makeup style to you. However, we all have one thing in common: we like to watch the beauty vloggers to discover new makeup looks for us to re-create! When I have all the time in the world to have fun with my makeup and try a new look, part of my routine will always include watching a Youtube video of a makeup tutorial, in order to see if it will work for me, too.

Two words. Makeup. Storage.
Owning so many makeup products that it's come to the point of owning storage, as there's too much to keep in a makeup bag. Most of us probably own the trusty acrylic drawers and lipstick holders. Plus, it looks pretty as well as organised on our dressing table!

Not being able to walk past a makeup counter without "having a look"
By "having a look" I really mean buying something new because, to be honest, we are definitely coming out of that shop with something new.

Applying your makeup as though you're giving a tutorial 
"So I really like this highlighter because...". It may not be every time, but at least once I bet we have all been guilty of this! Pretending somebody is watching you do your makeup and is asking you questions, when really you're just getting ready to go to the supermarket.