After much contemplation, I decided to purchase the iPhone 3GS and oh my god…is it amazing! Sexy, chic and does everything I want it to and more. Being an SLR user, the camera on the iPhone doesn’t do it for me. But other than that, the iPod function, 3G access, checking my e-mails on the go and not to mention the various Apps there is on offer with the iPhone…far outweighs the horrid camera capabilities available on the iPhone 3GS.

The more I explore it, the more I’m falling in love with it.

Personally, the best thing about the iPhone for me is the ability to Skype with my mum hundreds of miles away at my convenience. With a Skype phone over that her end and my Skype application permanently switched on in my iPhone, calling and speaking to my family at no cost is a huge plus point for me. I reckon I’ve already saved a few quid on calling cards this week…

I’m a huge fan of cupcakes and my ultimate favourite are vanilla cupcakes.

When we first moved in, I was thinking of baking some cupcakes and distributing it amongst our neighbours…just a simple gesture of introducing ourselves to the neighbourhood (we live in a little cul-de-sac) but J’s immediate response was : “Err..why don’t we get them a box of chocolates instead…” Yup..you guessed it…I’m not a good baker…I’ve tried! …I tried cupcakes/cakes/muffins but somehow… they just don’t turn out too great!

Therefore, when I came across this recipe on Saripartygirl’s blog, I thought I would give it one last shot…before I throw in my baking gloves (if there is such a thing) forever and declare myself a baking idiot…there are some things you can’t do and for me, it might just be that I…just…can’t…bake!

So I locked myself in the kitchen and tried it out.

Oh boy…am I glad I did! They turned out perfect! Soft and moist…with that light taste of vanilla with a rich creamy vanilla cream frosting. YUM! I was so proud of myself I was beaming from ear to ear all day. I’m not such a baking idiot after all!

Eventhough, the recipe was pretty much identical to the original, I tweaked it a little and this is my version:

Cupcake Ingredients:

2 cups milk

3 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

0.5 cups of French unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large whole egg

2 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180deg. Line 12-cupcake cases lightly with melted butter and set in cupcake tray.

2. Sift flour and combine with baking powder.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy & gradually add sugar and eggs until well combined and fluffy.

4. Add in half flour mixture and fold. Add in milk and vanilla extract and remaining flour and fold. Do not fold too much. I only folded like 6-8 times.

5.Divide batter into cases and bake for 25 mins.

6. Once done, leave to cool for 1.5hours before frosting.

Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

0.5 cup French unsalted butter

1.5 cups of icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Beat butter until fluffy and gradually add icing sugar, milk & vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy but firm. Taste. If you want it sweeter, add more sugar.

There you have it! The simplest vanilla cupcake recipe I’ve tried which actually works! Now, if you’ll excuse me…I think it’s time for my afternoon tea…

I am so loving the Snake Strapped Heels by Steve Madden (far left) and the Bourne’s Corsage Peep Toe Shoes (far right). Unfortunately, my bank account wouldn’t allow me to purchase a £160+ pair of shoes as pretty as they may be.

If you’re as stretched (financially) like me, the Ted Baker Bow Back Court Shoes (middle) retailing at £90 might be easier on the wallet. I would personally wait for sales…

As if I haven’t got enough little black dresses (LBDs), they just HAD to come out with a gorgeous number which I just have to have….

There comes a point in your life when you wonder to yourself: “Is there more to my life than this?” Who’s to say that this is what I’m destined to be…living rather ordinarily with a job to help pay the bills, a roof over my head and a lovely man to come home to.

We’re entitled to 24 days of annual leave. Is that it? Surely, there’s more to life than working your ass off and looking forward to your 24 days of holiday which you’re apparently entitled to. Every couple of months, you book a 2 week holiday to somewhere exotic and totally different from your usual life and you escape! You escape with this belief that for those 2 weeks, you’re escaping from everything that is you and everything that makes your life the way that it is. Why create something you need to escape from?

“There has to be more…” - I say to my fellow colleagues and the instantaneous response I get from them is: “She’s young..” As if they used to think that but have sinced succumbed to the fact that this what their life is and ever will be.

There is a saying I heard many years ago: “Reach for the moon…for even if you fail, you’ll be amongst the stars”

But what if doing so means risking everything you ever hold dear to your heart? Would you still risk it? Or would you simply sit back and be grateful for what you have thus far. Even if you know, deep down, that you’re destined for something much much greater…