Sometimes

Via Here but I think originally from Here

Sometimes it's fine to just eat ice-cream for dinner.

Sometimes it's fine to not actually be texting or talking on your phone when you're in a crowded place on your own.

Sometimes it's fine to pretend to know the words to an infamous song that you've never actually got round to listening to.

Sometimes it's fine to admit that you're struggling however lucky you think you should feel.

Sometimes it's ok to feel like Bridget Jones - unkempt, uncouth and underdressed yet completely and utterly well meaning.

Sometimes it's fine to tell a joke and no one laugh. Indulge in that awkward silence.

Sometimes it's ok to get irrationally angry at a stranger because they think that you're having a dance off with your friend and they want to watch. In fact you and your friend were dancing in unison as one. Stop watching us. This is not a competition. This is interpretive dance.

Sometimes it's ok to fall over when dressing yourself.

Sometimes it's ok to make ridiculous comments in interviews and forget any other vocabulary or adjectives than the word 'nice'.

Welcome to my life.

Love
Madame Squirrel

Currently...

Dreaming Of: Thanksgiving Dinner. (GET IN MY BELLY).

From Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Missing: New Orleans and all the people I'll be eating Thanksgiving Dinner with.

Listening To: Main Titles (Back to the Future III) by Alan Silvestri (I watched the trilogy back to back at the Prince Charles Cinema for Monsieur's birthday so that explains that one).

Watching: Monsieur dance around the room to The Lion King Soundtrack (musical and film).

Wishing For: Gainful employment and more Rococo Chocolates (those didn't last long).

Rococo's amazing Sea Salt Organic Milk Chocolate Bee Bar

Wearing: My Pyjamas. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt and stripy bottoms for those of you who want to know. That's right I dress up for bedtime).

What are you currently musing over?

Love 
Madame Squirrel

Cake Painting

Yes cake painting. That's what I like to do now. Much more preferable to painting on canvas as you get to eat it afterwards.

A while back (June 23rd to be precise) I attended a Rose Cake painting class in Berkhamsted by the wonderful Natasha of Nevie Pie Cakes and the blog Amelie's House. Natasha is an incredible artist and baker who uses food colouring to paint masterpieces on her edible items. I hope I didn't come across as too much of a fan girl on the day as I truly admire all of Natasha's work; there is nothing quite like it out there in the world of cake decoration.

The class was incredible and if cake decorating is your thang then I highly recommend it. Natasha had printed out a step by step guide for the cookie toppers and big cake and repeated each step for us on her own fondant before letting us have a go on our fondant cookie toppers and dummy cake. While we all painted away Natasha walked round the room and helped out each classmate individually; if only all teachers were like that.

The class was a lot of fun but it was quite intensive as you are painting all day long and some artistc ability is necessary (not that I have much) to be able to actually paint the designs. Saying all that though I like to think that my efforts weren't too shabby. (I won't put pictures on here of Natasha's original rose cake as then you'll see just how pants my efforts actually are - you'll just have to visit Nevie Pie cakes to have a nose yourselves.)

Rose Cake Decoration

Cookie/ Cupcake Toppers

To find out more about Nevie Pie cake classes please visit the website and subscribe to the newsletter. 

Currently Natasha is offering two basic cake painting classes, a ruffle cake class and the amazing eat your heart out class (where you learn to paint a blackened smokers lung cake; true story). Believe me Nevie Pie cake classes are well worth the money (especially for the tasty spread that Natasha puts on for your included lunch) and are a truly enjoyable day out.

Love

Madame Squirrel

New Favourite Thing: Dogshaming

I saw Dogshaming posted on Facebook today and I have never laughed out loud so much (well not since yesterday anyway).

Dogshaming you complete me; mainly because my dogs are just as guilty as all the cheeky little blighters that have been shamed already.

Here are a few that have made me laugh like a goon:

We've all been there.

So what would I shame my dogs for?
Hmm let's see....

Cassie has:
Eaten Cleo's sick with glee. (Noice).
Eaten a whole plate of mince pies.
Eaten a whole loaf of bread (+ plastic wrapper).
Eaten numerous pairs of socks and pants (washed or unwashed? Doesn't matter she ain't fussy).

'Yeah and?'

Just looking at this list I think we can safely say that my dog has issues with food.

Cleo has:
Gotten fish out of our old pond and run about like a mad thing, chucking them in the air before eating them and strewing their remains all over the garden. (Yum).
Eaten all of my Mum's beautiful roses (luckily she has learnt how to curb this habit).
Been known to wipe her mouth on all the furniture.

'And what?'

What would you shame your pets for?

Love
Madame Squirrel.

AA Sheer Nail Polish

Dear American Apparel

I just wanted to tell you that you make lovely nail varnishes. Your new fandangled sheer range and the images along side them are delightful. So delightful in fact that you are making me want to ignore my spending ban and quite frankly buy them all. YOU ARE NAUGHTY.

Here

For now I will have to simply ignore you. Sorry about that.

Love 
Madame Squirrel.

P.S You will never ever get me into those bloody disco pants. So stop trying. My hips don't lie and they know they won't fit. The trussed up sausage look is not a good look on anyone!

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies With Sea Salt

Ages ago I made the best chocolate chip cookies that I have literally ever made and eaten (possibly blowing my own trumpet a bit here). I have been craving them ever since and I may have to just give in and make more this week. In fact I don't know why I don't make cookies more often/everyday, they are just so easy to make and always ever so satisfying. Much, much easier than that cake making lark.

I found the recipe for these perfect cookies (that is what they're called I'm not just blowing my own trumpet again) from one of my favourite foodie blogs The Baker Chick. And after just visiting her blog again to find this recipe, I now have my sights on so many more cookie recipes. Coconut thumbprint cookies with salted caramel anyone? Wowza.

Now I did alter the recipe a little bit by mixing some sea salt into the dough and cutting up my own dark chocolate chips (opposed to using milk chocolate chips). Yeah thats right, I cut up my own chocolate chips. I am a baking mastermind. If you don't like dark chocolate or find it a bit too rich; use milk chocolate or just add less chips, simple as that.

I'll be honest with you. Not all of this chocolate made it into the mix.

So without further ado here is the recipe for:

Dark Chocolate and Sea-Salt Cookies.

Makes around 24: unless you do what I did and make 6 huge cookies (I may have placed too much cookie dough on the baking sheet but it doesn't matter because I had giant cookies) and 8 normal sized ones.

Evidence that giant cookies exist.

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. of plain flour
Half tsp. baking powder
Half tsp. normal salt
Half tsp. sea salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm.
1 cup brown sugar
Half cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and half cups dark chocolate chips
Sea salt for sprinkling.

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C, Gas Mark 3). Line two baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer or by hand, mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at a slow speed until just combined (don't over mix!!) Stir in the chocolate chips and eat masses of cookie dough (if you're salmonella proof or just a bit of a daredevil that is).

Bake for approx. 11-14 minutes. Turn baking sheets round halfway through baking. I always get this bit wrong with cookies; when the cookies are light golden brown and the edges are crispy they are ready to come out of the oven. DON'T wait for the whole cookie to be crispy; the middle should still be soft and puffy when they're ready.

Once the cookies are out of the oven leave them to cool for a little while on the baking trays - if you try to move them to the cooling rack straight away, they will break and you will cry.

I sprinkled the cookies with a little more sea salt at this point as I like my cookies salty. All that's left to do after that is EAT THEM ALL (or share them with others if you're that way inclined.)

Love 

Madame Squirrel

The Cat's Whiskers

Hi! Remember me? 

I know, I know, sorry I disappeared again for a wee bit but life put blogging on the back burner.

But here I am again, this time with a post about cats. Yes cats. The other night I found myself searching all my favourite websites for cat print/cat items (as you do). I think I have the gumption to become a crazy cat lady; I just need more cats.

Anyway if you don't like cats look away now, because here is the cat's meow of what I found!

ASOS turned out to be a bit of a cat lady's dream:

Lulu Guinness Lily Cat Shopper £50

A| Wear Cat Print Dress: £32.00

Roksanda Illincic For Lulu & Co Cat Print Silk Skirt: £280

Well I didn't say that being a cat lady was going to be cheap.

Wildfox Cat Print One Piece Suit: £127

Paul & Joe Cat Collection Blusher Sticks: £21 

How could you ever bear to use it? It has a top hat for Pete's sake!

I am also a huge fan of the illustrator Gemma Correll because she also loves cats. Ok, that's not the main reason she's also an amazing artist:

Iconemesis Iphone Case by Gemma Correll: £19.99

(20% off at the mo!)

'Have You Hugged Your Cat? Print' by Gemma Correll: $30

15% goes to the Pablove Foundation for fighting childhood cancer.

Now onto Etsy. Etsy has so many wonderful cat inspired things it was difficult to know just what to select. 

Real Men Love Cats T-shirt by RC Tees: $24.00

I completely endorse this statement. 

Black Cat Leather Case by La Lisette: $44

And finally the ultimate cat lady attire so everyone knows just what you are:

Crazy Cat Lady Hoodie by The Bold Bannana: $28

I have become so obsessed by cat related stuffs that I have even dedicated a Pinterest board to the cause.

Will you be showing your love for cats for all the world to see anytime soon?

Love 

Madame Squirrel

P.S I'm selling some stuffs on Ebay (click the link to see them) as my phone decided to jump from my arms and smash its little face in. So why not have a look; I must warn you though none of the items have a cat in any shape or form on them.