I HAVE A NEW BLOG...

Hello,

I have a new blog!! It's basically this one but on a new site with a new design and LOTS of new content. I will still leave up my previous posts on this site but I will NOT be posting again on here.

Head on over to ww.katrinawhite.co to see my new blog and enjoy!! x

Top Tunes Of August

Now that August has come to an end, It is time again for me to share all my favourite songs that I have been listening to for the past few weeks. The month of August definitely wasn't my best month music wise but I did find 2 specific songs that I am practically obsessed with. I mean I obviously love every single song in this playlist but there are 2 that I loved enough to play on repeat and learn every lyric to so those are the ones that I am going to tell you about.

The first song that I want to mention is for sure my number 1 song for the month of August and is called Guillotine by Jon Bellion and Travis Mendes. I discovered this song towards the ending of August through a Youtuber that I watch who goes by the name Simply Kenna (if you haven't heard of her then I suggest that you go and watch her videos because she's really fab). When she first mentioned the song I listened to it and really didn't like it but she mentioned it again in her Autumn playlist video a week or two later and after listening to it for a second time I liked it just enough to go and download it. The song grew on me VERY quickly and now I am obsessed with it. It is pretty different to what I usually listen to but I can't deny the fact that I love this song and everything about it.

My second favourite song of August actually isn't in this playlist because it sadly wasn't on Spotify. It is called Like Sunday, Like Rain by Ed Harcourt and is actually from the movie Like Sunday, Like Rain (which btw is one of my ultimate favourite movies). It is a classical piece which I know is not everybodys cup of tea but it really is so beautiful so don't judge it until you give the whole thing a listen. To make things easy for you I am going to have the youtube video for the song underneath this so it's easy for you to listen to.

What is your favourite song from the playlist and what do you think of Like Sunday, Like Rain?

                                                    

Listen to Like Sunday, Like Rain here.

Choc Coconut Balls

As a child I grew up eating my mums special home made golf balls (some people call them rum balls, oat balls, bliss balls, date balls, etc.) which I used to love as a child but could no longer have since going vegan as her recipe contained condensed milk so I decided to try and make some of my own. They taste almost exactly the same as my mums which just goes to show that you don't need things to like milk, eggs and butter to have delicious, tasty snacks. This recipe is super easy and quick which is great for those of you who are super busy and don't usually have the time to bake for 3 hours. I got the inspiration for this recipe from Bonny Rebecca's Carbolicious ebook although I did switch out and change a lot of the ingredients to make it my own.

Ingredients
1 cup of rolled oats 

7-8 medjoul dates (pitted)

1 table spoon of cocoa powder (feel free to switch this out for cacao powder if you would like a healthier alternative)

1 table spoon of rice malt syrup (you could also use agave syrup, maple syrup. Basically you want something to sweeten it)
desiccated coconut (to roll in)

Method 

1. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined but not too gooey. If your mixture is too dry after blending then you can always add a dash of milk or some more rice malt syrup. 

2. Use your hands to roll the mixture into balls and then roll into desiccated coconut. If you don't like coconut then you could always leave them plain or roll them into something else like cocoa powder, crushed nuts or even drizzle some melted chocolate over the top.

3. Pop all the balls into a container and then into the fridge to set and voila! If you prefer them to be squishy and gooey then feel free to skip this step.

Lets Get Inspired

I think we all come to a point in our lives where we lack inspiration and if your like me and are a creative type then you probably hit this point on a regular basis, maybe even too regular. Recently I have been lacking inspiration to blog which is funny in a way because now I'm doing a blog post on inspiration, the thing I have been lacking all this time, funny how things like that work. Inspiration is always there but we just need a little push in the right direction to find it so here are all the things I like to do to get my creative juices flowing again. How do you find inspiration?

Reading

Reading is always one of my go to ways to get inspired because you never know whats lurking inside the pages of a book and sometimes what you find is exactly what you were searching for. I highly recommend that you read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert which is all about creative living and anything by Lang Leav as her poetry is lovely and leaves me with goosebumps.

Quotes

If you didn't know already, I have a slight obsession with quotes. We Heart It is my go to app to find the best quotes and I use it on a daily basis. Feel free to follow me here and have fun scrolling through my all my hearts.

Talking

I think its safe to say that as technology and social media are evolving no body talks to one another anymore (me included). We're all caught up in whats happening on our phones and forget to have real life conversations. This can be detrimental for all creative people searching for ideas and inspiration. When I'm sitting on a train 95% of people are either listening to music, sleeping and reading and you rarely ever see two strangers having a conversation. This deeply saddens me and I think we all need to make the effort to interact with one another and share stories, life experiences, what we had for breakfast, anything because you never know that what someone might say to you could spark an idea or a wave of inspiration.

Music

Music is something that as of recently has become very close to me. I never had a huge interest in music growing up and I think that maybe be because I wasn't listening to the right music but now I am and I love it. The feeling of finding a new song to add to your never ending playlist is one of the best feeling out there and I yearn for it. As J.K. Rowling once said "If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book," well this works the same for music "If you don't like music, you haven't found the right song."

Write in a journal

Ive had countless moments in my life where I have told myself that I would right in a journal every single day but I think we all know that it never lasts (but if it does for you then tell me your secret please). If you are feeling creatively blocked then journaling could be your saviour. Don't pressure yourself to write everyday because sometimes the pressure is what burdens you but leave a note book on your night stand, in your handbag, on your desk, in the kitchen and when ever you feel like writing or get a idea it will be there so you can jot down what ever you need to.

Other people

Finding inspiration in others can be a very win, lose situation. There are two paths that you could possibly take if you decide to find inspiration in others. One is the path that you will find inspiration and feel fantastic and the other will lead you to comparing yourself and will dig you into a deeper hole than when you started. This is actually believe it or not something that I struggle with on a daily basis and its a nasty habit, worse than chewing your nails. It destroys your self esteem and makes you feel like a failure. I am slowly trying to push the habit out the door and once I have, I will have a whole blog post on it. If you do decide to take this path of finding inspiration in others then remember that you are not them and you will never be them but that under no circumstances means that you can't be amazing like them.

Don't force it

Remember, don't force the inspiration, don't force the ideas because it won't work and it will only make you more annoyed and frustrated. Just relax and let the inspiration come to you naturally, it may take a while but be patient and always leave the door open for the opportunities.

Dark Chocolate & Almond Popcorn

Winter is rolling around so quickly here in Australia and I can feel the temperature dropping everyday. This means that sunny days outside are slowly fading and snuggled up in bed movie days are becoming more and more frequent which I am by no means complaining about because I love the cold. Popcorn has always been a go to movie snack but sometimes just plain classic popcorn can get a little boring and repetitive so why not throw in some melted chocolate and almonds too create this delicious bowl of goodness. Its super simple too make and doesn't take much time at all which I love. Its safe to say that its slowly becoming my go to movie snack and it might just become yours too.

You will need...

- Popcorn
- Chocolate of your choice (I used the Nestle Dark Chocolate bits as they are vegan)
- Almonds
- Salt (I used Pink Himalayan rock salt as it is more natural than regular salt)

Lets Begin...

1. The first thing you need to do is pop your popcorn. I just use the raw packeted popcorn (which has no salt or butter added) from the supermarket that I just pop in the microwave for 2 minutes. Although you could buy popcorn kernels and cook them in a saucepan or even one of those cheap popcorn makers which is what I do sometimes if I feel like putting in the extra effort.

2. Next I crushed up my almonds. I started by blending them in the Nutri bullet which I wouldn't recommend as is kind of crushes them too finely. So instead I popped them into a zip lock baggy and smashed them using some weird utensil that I found in the kitchen.

3. Once your popcorn is popped and your almonds are crushed, you can then go ahead and melt your chocolate, again I just melt mine in the microwave because I'm lazy but you can always melt it in a saucepan if you prefer that.

4. Lastly, drizzle the melted chocolate onto the popcorn, sprinkle your crushed almonds on top and add a little bit of salt. You can leave it like that if you prefer a more gooey, wet texture but I like to put mine in the fridge for a bit to let the chocolate harden.

5. Snuggle up with your movie and your delicious popcorn which I promise you will become addicted to and enjoy.

Whats your go to movie snack?

DIY // Make A Scrunchie

I don't know about you but I personally love scrunchies and I am super happy that they are back in fashion. I love just throwing one into a high messy ponytail to add some retro 80's vibes to any outfit. They are super easy to make and cost way less than if you went out and bought one. There are also so many different patterns and styles of material to choose from meaning that your scrunch options are endless.

You will need...

- Material of your choice (the size of the material is totally up to you and how you want your scrunchie to look. For mine I used material strips that were 10x50cm).

- Scissors 

- Sewing machine with chosen cotton threaded through

- Elastic (again the size of the elastic is totally up to you, my elastic pieces were about 15cm long).

- Dress making pins if you need them

Lets Begin!

1. If your material isn't already cut into 10x50cm (or what ever measurements your doing) then do that now. 

2. Fold the material strip long ways with the right sides facing each other and pin along the edge. (If you are confident with the sewing machine then you don't have to pin it down.)

3. With the sewing machine, sew along that edge leaving about a 4cm gap at each end and a 1cm seam allowance. 

4. Next turn the material right side out. 

5. This is where is gets a little confusing, with the right sides facing each other sew the open ends together. 

6. After thats done you should have a hollow tube with a gap in it. Thread the elastic piece into the gap using a safety pin at one end to help feed your way through. Tie the end of the elastic into a double knot.

7. Sew up the remaining gap in the scrunchie and voila you are done! 

Have fun scrunchie making!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

After testing and experimenting with many vegan cookie recipes I think I have finally found the perfect one. These cookies are crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle and I promise that you won't even notice that their vegan. I also made this recipe into a youtube video so if you prefer to watch it in video form you can do so here.

You will need...

1/2 cup of vegan butter (I used Nuttelex)

1 cup of self raising flour

1/2 cup of caster sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar 

1 tsp of vanilla essence

3/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips (I used the nestle dark melts because I had no nestle dark chocolate chips at the time)

Method

1. In an electric mixer you want to mix the room tempreture butter on a low setting.

2. Next you can add in your caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla essence and until well combined.

3. After that you can sift in your flour gradually, stirring in between with a spatula.

4. Next you can pour in the chocolate chips and stir them in.

5. Use your fingers to mould the dough into balls and place them onto baking trays with 6 baking paper. (Remember that they will expand and spread out in the oven so be sure to leave generous gaps between each cookie ball.)

6. Next I use the palm of my hand to flatten out the cookies slightly, this is optional but it makes them look flatter in the end result.

7. You want to cook them in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 10-15 minutes. I cooked mine for 12 minutes and that worked perfectly for me and made them crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. 

8. Once there done cooking you can remove them from the oven and onto a cooling rack to cool and thats it. So easy and delicious!!

If you do end up trying this recipe, let me know what you think of them.

Autumn Essentials

Autumn is here! Which means the weather is cooling down and the leaves are changing colour. When I think of autumn I imagine myself snuggled up in bed, drinking hot chocolate and watching a film or going for a walk wearing a sweater and feeling the satisfaction of stepping on autumn leaves and hearing them crunch. Anyways, here are my autumn essentials.

I have very dry lips as it is but as the weather begins to cool it gets a lot worse and they need some extra special attention. To fix this I like to treat them to a lip scrub and the Lush Bubblegum Scrub is my favourite. It smells delicious and once your done scrubbing your lips, you can lick it off although it doesn't taste as nice as you would think. I'm pretty sure lush needs to bring out a cinnamon spice flavour lip scrub for this time of here but for now bubblegum will do. After scrubbing my lips and getting all the dead skin off (ew) I like to moisturise them. Lucas Papaw Ointment has been my favourite lip balm for years, so i'll lather on a thick layer of that and dry, chapped lips will no longer be a problem. 

As it gets colder and rain becomes a daily occurrence, you are going to be stuck inside a lot. To stop myself from being bored out of my brain I like to read (and watch films). I am currently reading Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Its a wonderful novel that combines old haunting photographs with a peculiar story that will send chills down your spine. And if you finish that book, there are two more in the series that will keep you occupied for days on end. Whilst reading I recommend lighting a candle and munching on some Red Rock Deli Sweet Potato Chips (yes they are vegan). When I first tried these chips I didn't like them but they grew on me and now i'm obsessed. I bought 3 packets at the super market last week as they were on sale and I couldn't resist. I think the orange chip colours reminds me of the autumn leaves making these the perfect snack for a rainy day inside. 

As much as we would like to stay inside all autumn, we can't and there are days when we have to leave the house. This means we have to rug up in some warmer clothes. I absolutely love sweaters and recently I have purchased a couple of new ones. The cream one in the photos is from Glassons and I love it, the neck line can be left as is or you can roll it down for a different look. Its also cropped so its perfect to wear with a high waisted skirt. Which brings me onto my next essential; TIGHTS! Throughout autumn, tights will become your new best friend. It can be frustrating wanting to wear a skirt or a dress but its too cold to, well chuck some tights on underneath and your good to go. My favourite tights are from Bonds which I have been wearing tons recently. 

My last essential is of course a scarf. I have been on a serious hunt for the perfect plaid scarf and low and behold I found it. Its by the brand Princess Highway and I love it. The material is perfect, the colours are perfect and it will keep your neck nice a toasty when your outside. Plus its so big that if you ever want to have a spontaneous picnic, just throw this on the ground and you have a picnic blanket.

Those are my autumn essentials. What are yours?

My Cruelty Free Skincare Routine

Today I am going to share all the products that I use on my skin for my skincare routine. All the products that I use are natural, cruelty free and vegan so you can be saving the planet as well as cleaning your skin. What's your favourite skincare product?

Botani Purify Facial Cleanser

The first thing I do in my sincare routine is wash my face with a gentle cleanser. I found this one at the health shop and decided to purchase it. It is quite basic and I wouldn't say there is anything special about it but it cleans my skin and that is what cleansers are for. I use this in the morning as soon as I wake up and at night before I go to bed. 

Lush Enzymion Moisturiser

This moisturiser is by far my favourite product in my entire skincare routine. I absolutely love all Lush products and when I purchased this I had very high hopes and in no way did it disappoint. I have pretty oily skin and this feels so light when I apply it. It sinks in so quickly and leaves you feeling fresh and calm. I'd say the only down sides to this product is that it was a little pricey for a Lush product and the pot is very small but the overall moisturiser is amazing so I can't complain. I already know that I will definitely be going to purchase this again and again and again. 

Botani Rescue Acne Cream

This Botani Rescue Acne Cream is absolutely perfect for those little pesky spots that just don't want to leave your face. I like to take a cotton swab or a makeup pad and dip it in and then apply to the affected area. Try not to use your fingers to apply this as you don't want to spread the bacteria from your pimple back into the jar. What I love about this product is that its all natural so you know that your not making your acne worse by applying a bunch of yucky chemicals. 

Frank Body

I tried Frank Body a few years ago after seeing it blow up all over Instagram and can I just say that it is has helped so much with my acne scarring. It is a coffee bean scrub that I personally like to use whilst I'm in the shower around 3-4 times a week. I mainly use it on my face to help with my acne and acne scars but you can use it all over your body. Its 100% natural and only has like 5 ingredients so you know that it isn't harming your skin. Also quick tip; if you don't like the smell of coffee then this product is not for you. 

Whats In My Bag?

I couldn't decide whether I wanted to film a whats in my bag and put it on youtube or do a blog post about it, in the end I decided to do a blog post as you can probably tell while reading this. I personally think what someone keeps in there handbag says a lot about them and who they are. So for all you nosy people out there (including me) who just like to know what others keep in there handbag then this is for you.

Dangerfield Crossbody Satchel

A couple of months ago I spotted this bag in Dangerfield and I immediately fell in love but I knew that I didn't need a new handbag and it just wasn't a priority purchase so I walked away. From that moment forward I could not stop thinking about this bag, I know, I am so dramatic but I seriously could not stop thinking about this one bag so a few days ago I gave in and I purchased the bag. I usually only buy bags in black just because I know that it will match with everything but I wanted to try something a little different and I think the brown colour just makes it look a lot more vintage and old and I love that. From what I can tell the bag is made extremely well made and was a very reasonable price. It has a detachable strap so you can wear it cross body or you can just hold it by the little handle. It is the perfect size to hold everything I need and overall I just love it.

You can shop the bag here.

Wallet

My wallet is probably the oldest thing ever and I should probably invest in a new one soon but for now I am just using a pink Bluebird one. Its nothing special but it does the trick.  

Phone

I usually never leave the house without my phone and I suppose most people don't either. I currently have a silver iPhone 6 which I quite like, the only reason I upgraded was for the better camera quality which is great. Im also currently loving the app Best Fiends which I used to call Best Friends before I noticed that there was no r in the word.

Sunglasses

These sunglasses are by the brand LeSpecs and when I received them as a gift for christmas I really loved them. They were the perfect shape for my face, they were really comfortable and I wore them everywhere. But as a couple of months went by and they broke and I was shattered. I tried to fix them which sort of worked but there really wonky now and don't really sit right.

Hand Sanitiser 

I think hand sanitiser is a 100% necessity for every bag. I use it almost everyday whether I am at a shopping centre or in a public toilet. The one I have is just from the Supermarket and I am not sure whether is is vegan and cruelty free or not so if you know of any good vegan hand sanitisers then please let me know.

Vicks Inhaler 

If you are like me and get hay fever, allergies, etc then you need a Vicks Inhaler. You pretty much just stick it up your nose and then sniff and it just clears your nose. Its a good thing to have in your bag incase you need it one day, plus it is quite small and takes up hardly any room.

Perfume

The Vanillary Perfume from Lush is always lurking around my bag no matter what. I wear it daily and because the bottle is only 10ml, it fits perfectly in your bag. Also vanilla is one of my favourite scents so it is the perfect combination.  

Paw Paw Ointment

There is nothing worse than sticky, gross lip balms that tastes disgusting and Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment is none of those things. I constantly have really dry chapped lips and I am always picking at or biting my lips. I can truly say that this ointment has saved my life. It is extremely versatile and can be used on insect bites, burns, sunburn, cuts and minor open wounds. 

Pen

You never know when your going to need to write something down and having a pen can just save your life sometimes. 

Ear Phones

I always have ear phones in my bag no matter what. They take up no space and always come in handy when I'm bored and want to jam to some tunes.

Portable Phone Charger

I actually got this as a freebee when I purchased my phone. It is a nifty little rectangle box that you basically charge up and then when you are out and your phone runs out you can just plug it into this and it will charge. So handy!

What are your handbag necessities? x