Herman the German

When a colleague gave me a potent bowl containing a beige sloppy mixture, I was unsure as to whether I wanted to accept it. She went on to introduce me to Herman, a German Friendship cake that was now entrusted to my care for the next 10 days (whether I liked it or not).



Early Days

I love baking and complain that I don't get to practise enough. So Herman was a little 10 day project to feed my baking habit. However, it couldn't have come at a worse time. What with packing the final items in our house, to moving it around parts of the country and excessively cleaning before we left yesterday morning, Herman didn't get the attention or commitment I would have liked to have given 'him.'

I started a daily photo diary on Instagram. Although this doesn't last the full 10 days. Once the novelty began to wear off and moving day got ever closer I slacked a little. I also defied the instructions by using self-raising flour rather than plain flour and brown sugar as the instructions did not specify. I think it should have been white sugar as the mixture became much darker than the mixture I was given. I also forgot to glaze with melted butter and sugar before putting in the oven. Nevertheless the result was surprising delicious.

The finished masterpiece

Having been almost put off my the smell of the living, bubbling mixture in the kitchen I was apprehensive as to what the final result would taste like. I had a slice straight out the oven, while the apple was still hot and gooey. It went down very well at work too.

The most difficult thing was logistics. Day 9, the day you hand out 3 portions of the mixture to friends to carry on, was a work day. The only bakers at my work were given the same batch that I received and they didn't want to do it again. So two other unsuspecting colleagues started their day with a smelly bowl of Herman on their desks. The third batch went to fellow baking addict and blogger Claire. I'm sure she'll be posting on her experience with Herman over the next few days.

Overall I had a love hate relationship with Herman. I'd definitely do it again, although when I'm in a much more settled situation.

Have you been given Herman the German in the past? How did you get on with 'him'?

L x

A letter to David Cameron

If you read a few of my recent posts, you'll know that my fiance and I are just over 5 weeks away from stepping into the unknown to look for a country that supports a more positive lifestyle, opportunities, freedom and a friendlier culture. The closer we get to our leaving date the more I am finding aspects of Britain anger me.

For 24 years Britain has been my home and I was luckily enough to have a rich upbringing, not necessarily in monetary terms but in the experiences that were accessible to me, the close, loving family who brought me up and supported me through everything and the education that has got me to where I am now. However, I can't help but feel disappointed in those pulling the strings of the puppet that is Britain. I was one of the thousands who voted and supported the Conservative policies pre-election and I feel let down. So I've been toying with the idea of sending a letter to 'David Cameron' / his letter opener and reader. My current draft is an incoherent rant at particular aspects of our culture or policies that I see as ludicrous. I imagine him opening it and transforming before his eyes into a screaming letter, like the Howlers in Harry Potter. As I'm unsure as to whether to rewrite, to form a more balanced, less rant like letter I thought I'd use my little blog as an outlet to air my somewhat irritated opinion.

My reasons for the letter would be, that we are leaving the country and I wanted voice my reasons for doing so. I do not envisage you to be reading this yourself, however just knowing I have put pen to paper before departing is enough for me.

Key points;

• Why is that my small shopping trolley of fresh produce costs £80 and lasts me just under a week for 2 people, compared to a family sized shopping trolley full of fizzy drinks, crisps, biscuits and ready meals comes to a grand total of £44.12. This actually happened and their total bill has stuck with me. A family, 2 children were present. The children and the father were all overweight. Why is that those striving to keep themselves in better health and take on advice about eating healthily seem to be penalised for it?
• The tax credits system has changed for some families meaning that they wont get the allowance amount they have become accustomed to. They interviewed a lady affected by the changes on the evening news. Her final word on the whole case, "I was better off on the dole." Is the government actually aware that they have created a nation where laziness is incentivised in the form of monetary aid.
• Certain benefits are meant to go towards items that allow the individual basic human rights; food, water, clothes, etc. when the concept was originally created. Why not then give those claiming benefits a credit type card that can only be spent on certain items and declined when buying excessive amounts of luxuries? Surely that's a simple concept that could be developed to resolve the reliance that many have on the benefit system.
• University fees! For a country that was renowned for it's 1st class education system, I'd rather study somewhere like Australia for the amount that students must pay now. The rich/poor, middle/lower class old-style system that the country once seemed adamant to cut itself away from has only been reinstated through the astronomical fees that Universities may now legally charge.
• I don't believe we have true freedom of speech. Of course be considerate to others but political correctness has become an uncomfortable mess.
• Let's look to those with booming economies and united cultures. Borrow their policies. Look to countries producing high volumes of homegrown produce for example. Replicate their processes. We know that British farmers are experiencing difficult times and consumers are finding produce expensive to buy. Cutting down on imports should theoretically make food cheaper as the costs associated with imports are not attached.
• Britain doesn't seems to tackle problems at the root, rather bring in a number of solutions to deal with the effects. An example of this that made me laugh - additions to the driving test (essentially make it more difficult to pass) to try to cut down on the number of young driver incidents. Personally, I think the problem starts well before driving. Those likely to be a danger to others when driving are likely to be less respectful and considerate of others than those who pose less of a risk. Respect and consideration is a problem that starts years before a child learns to drive and additions to the driving test will not solve this.

I'm conscious of the number of lines in this post. So I'm going to leave it there.
If you've got this far, well done you and apologies for the rant.
David Cameron, if you're reading please leave a comment below or email me, I'd love to hear your views.

L x

p.s. The last sentence is completely tongue in cheek...although it would amazing.
p.p.s. I live in the south-east where a lot of the above holds true. I appreciate that not everywhere in Britain is like this. I have been to some very beautiful and welcoming parts of the UK.

How to: pack your life away

Just 8 more sleeps in the house that has become our home.  Whilst emptying the contents of the loft yesterday evening the realisation of moving finally dawned on me. Amongst piles of dusty boxes, a collection of VHS videos (yes VHS?! retro), books, photos and the Christmas Tree, the impending move date suddenly felt very real. Relics of our life packed into the spare room waiting to be lovingly packed, wrapped and stored.

I welcome the organised chaos that moving brings. My inner Monica is unleashed and set to work on packing boxes by type, organising clothes by item and of course labelling all that I can get my hands on. In the last 6 years I have packed up and moved 7 times. Granted, 4 of those moving days were to and froing between University and my parents’ house a couple of times. Still, this will be my eighth moving experience and therefore feel fully qualified in the skills necessary for packing your life away.

Let’s start with the wardrobe. I found this difficult to organise this time round, being that we are not moving to Canada immediately. My usual wardrobe organisation rule book has been set aside. As I’ll be living with my parents for the month before we set off, there is a healthy rail of items that I will not be taking with me but cannot begin packing for storage. These are my daily work staples and warmer jumpers that are necessary during the unpredictable Spring time weather. Then the other half of the rails are essential must-take-with-me pieces. Ruthless decision making is going to be needed this weekend as I’m certain that all of this weighs over the 23kg allowance, excluding the weight of the shoes that I’ve selected to accompany my adventures in Canada.

I am a self-confessed hoarder of ‘keepsakes.’ Trinkets, photos, a 20 year old tin of assorted buttons, broken, worthless jewellery, postcards, a floppy, worn childhood teddy bear and a box of thumbed and annotated novels from University that I cannot part with. Mainly down to the hours buried in the University library reading and cross referencing. The money spent on this relatively small box of books makes it hard for me to donate them. I would feel like I was literally burning money. Each item has a warm, loving memory attached that keeps me from throwing them to one side. Along with my keepsakes I have carefully packed little decorative pieces that I have on windowsills or sideboards. Although, I’m a total minimalist, (you only have to look at my Home Inspiration board on Pinterest to see the interior style I strive for) a few tasteful ornaments and photo frames displaying my favourite memories are proudly displayed.

Duvets, bed linen, cushions and my fiancés beloved telly will be left to last. As will emptying the fridge and doing the last load of washing up before we step out of our home for the last time and close our red front door behind us.

We have created a happy and comfortable home which will be sad to leave. The walls of our house have seen us tackle everything that has been thrown at us, seen us laugh and cry but moreover seen us become a strong and loving team. Memories that we treasure forever originate from within our home. Will I shed a tear next week on moving day? We’ll see.

L x

Right on our doorstep

Amongst the excitement, chaotic packing and dreams of new beginnings, there is a small glowing feeling in the pit of my stomach. Some days that glow resembles fear or sadness. Other days it leaves me feeling nervous. I guess the ‘unknown’ has a powerful way of pulling these emotions from you.

My recent trip to Devon was full of memories and laughter with my family. I found myself watching, as if from a distance, on the conversations we were having or the games we were playing. As though to ink every moment into my memory. I’m blessed with an extremely loving family and will of course miss moments with them. Attached to every photo (above) is a vivid, happy memory. The beauty of a photo is its ability to pull you back to that moment in time. A particular feeling,  smell or noise from the surroundings at that point in your past come flowing back. I posted a few of my photos from Devon before but I couldn’t resist sharing a few more.

The land and adventures to be had on your own doorstep are endless. Every time I visit Devon I am amazed once again. Perhaps this is due to having spent many a week in Devon as a child. Looking at the scenery, eating in the same coffee shops or exploring the same toy shop where we used to spend all our pennies, bring  a surge of memories.

As I take my seat on the plane, set for Canada, the preparation and efforts that we have taken to get us to that point, I see washing away and with the next wave, a feeling of relief and anticipation for what awaits beyond will fall upon me. From the moment we step off that plane, we will begin to etch out new memories and Canada will quickly become a special place and I will have a new doorstep to explore.

No matter what, the doorstep that I grew up on will always bring me fond memories that I will often find myself revisiting.

L x

Popular Posts

At the beginning of this month I posted my top tips for blogging having been a fully fledged 'blogger' for 3 months. One of the best things about blogging, is knowing that what you write is appreciate by others, no matter how many times we tell ourselves to write for you only. I could spend hours analysing my Google analytics or Blogger stats. At first I did. I don't think this is uncommon as I have read of other newbie bloggers excerising the same habit. It must be the marketer in me, who likes to analyse data to find out what makes people tick.

I thought I'd share A Girl's Imagination Top 3 posts for the past 3 months;

H&M Spring/Summer 2012: The Trends

This was my first fashion event held with a popular high-street brand and I really loved looking over the items before they hit the shops. I came away with a very long wish list. Great to hear from the top buyers too, with their Spring/Summer recommendations.

A 'Tuscan Retreat'

I wrote this to highlight the beauty and tranquility of Tuscany. Over the past years I have visited a number of times. It remains as one of my favourite place I have ever visited. My cousin and her family offer holiday rentals in stunning settings. So this was a shout out for her too and all the amazing work she does!

"Be a force of Beauty"

If you are an advocate of BareMinerals you may have heard this statement before. Their most recent campaign is inspiring and unique and I'm glad that it has reached so many people. Hopefully it has helped to increase awareness. I am not affliated with this campaign, I simply believe that an emphasis on real natural beauty should be made in the beauty industry.


H&M was an amazing experience. Tuscany and the Bare Minerals Campaign are both subjects that I am very passionate about. So I am really pleased that these have topped as my most popular posts.

Is there a particular post I've written that you really enjoyed that perhaps doesn't appear here? I'd love to know what types of post readers enjoy.

L x

Life lately, in images

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So here is a small collection of photos taken on my phone over the past couple of weeks.

Last week I flew to Copenhagen for a meeting. I have been to Copenhagen about 7 times but only to the office and of course, airport. It was a nice change to see some of the city. On arrival at the hotel a personal message was waiting for me on the TV in my room. Little, thoughtful touches like this make me a very happy customer. I was also gobsmacked to find a kettle and English tea provided in the room! In every Scandinavian hotel I have stayed in over the past 2 years, never has there been a kettle to make a proper English brew!

Before dinner a colleague of mine and I went up to the sky bar. The bar had huge swings rather than chairs to sit on and served delicious Japanese snacks. Really trendy with a fantastic atmosphere. (Sushi n Sticks was the name of the Resturant/Bar) There was also a glass floor which screamed photo opportunity!

I finished off my trip to Copenhagen with a good shop in H&M at the airport.

This weekend we starting packing up our life ready for our trip to Canada. Saturday night we treated ourselves to GBK. I haven't been in here in so long. Loving the new restaurant layout and creative menu. I opted for the Classic Cheeseburger. One of the best burgers I've had in ages!

L x

Birthday bakes

Since working in an office it has baffled me as to why on your birthday you bring in cakes for your colleagues to join in your celebrations. What I find more interesting is the unspoken competition to buy your cakes from the best shop or at least not from the cheapest supermarket. Ridiculous if you ask me. My answer to this silliness...bake your own!

Baked goods are not subject to the supermarket superiority rankings. There is never any left over, the effort is appreciated and it gives you an excuse to bake until your hearts' content.

For my birthday a couple of weeks ago I made the Hummingbird Bakery Carrot Cake but portioned it into cupcake cases rather than a single celebration cake.These went down exceedingly well as Kipling would say. This is the third time I have made carrot cake and this was my best batch yet. That will have something to do with my new oven no doubt!

A little dark around the edges and a tad wonky!

I also attempted the Strawberry and White Chocolate Cream Cake from the Great British Bake Off book. This is an excellent cake to accompany the spring time weather. I will certainly bake this again before I leave. The sponge was ever so light and though the title of the cake makes it sound like quite sickly, it was almost the opposite. The strawberries added to the spring/summer feel and gave a hint of 'freshness' to the cake. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I could have gorged on the whole cake!

What are your favourite bakes?

L x

The adventure starts here...

2012 is set to be a big year. You might have heard me say this before. Over the past month my fiance and I have been preparing for what is about to make this year our most exciting yet.

On the 4th June, with all our worldly possessions in a geeky, gap-year looking rucksack strapped to our backs, we will sleepily step off a plane onto Canadian soil. Our first stop, Montreal. Preparations are really gathering momentum now. I get a sudden flutter of butterflies in my stomach when I imagine making my way to the airport, taking in my last views (for some time at least) of the English countryside.

Montreal, Quebec (Image from Pinterest)

A part of me can't believe that we are actually doing this. Until we are stood in the center of Montreal on our first day, perhaps I'll believe it then.

As this adventure has been a dream of ours for some time we thought we would treat ourselves to a 'little' event that would act as the cherry on the cake...the Montreal F1! If you follow F1 you will know that this season has been unpredictable and full of drama. A perfect year to go along as a spectator.

What has been only in my imagination for some time is now becoming a reality. A reality that I can begin to share in my little bubble that is A Girl's Imagination.

If you live in Canada or have travelled/visited please recommend any must sees! I haven't had a chance to open our travel guide yet. I probably start reading this and make plans on the plane. So any ideas, send them this way.

Lx

Family Mini Break

Last Saturday morning began in the dark for me. Before the sun had rose, I had already eaten breakfast, dressed and was sat in the back of my parents car, on the way to pick up my cousin. Our road trip had began. We were on our way to Devon.

Devon, in particular, Torcross near Dartmouth, is a really special place for us. I have been visiting for as long as I can remember and I think my Mum has for as long as she can remember. A caravan holiday in Devon was a ridiculously exciting prospect for an 8 year old. Nans, Grandads, Cousins, Parents, Aunts and Uncles made their way to Devon for a weekend or week every summer. The highlight for me and brother was getting a dingy every year, although that usually only lasted a day at the most!

My Nan's ashes are in Devon which has made it even more special in recent years. I haven't been back for 7 years. I was hoping I hadn't grown out of the expectation that Devon always brought when younger. This year we stayed in a little 2 bed bungalow at the far end of Torcross beach. Literally felt like a 10 year for a week, playing on the beach, burning marsh mellows over a fire and searching rock pools for crabs left behind by the tide.

Devon is the real Garden of England in my opinion. I live in Kent and it doesn't hold a patch of beauty in relation to the vast countryside and lengthy coast line that Devon has to offer...

Taking the coastal walk to the town with an amazing view ahead

Such beautiful weather made it all the more picture perfect

Rock-pooling

That black hump is a seal's head! Only my non David Attenborough excitement scared it off

Our little beach fire

The view from our little 'shack' on the hill

...see what I mean?!

I absolutely loved my week in Devon. I will have a few more pictures and posts on my trip over the coming weeks.

L x

Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays are usually a time for reflection. To look back over your life, how you’ve got to this point, would you have done things differently and how you wish to move forward. This year I am only looking forward as I could have huge news in the next couple of weeks... So rather than reflect back on how I reached the lovely age of 24, I thought I’d reflect on life as a blogger for 3 months. 

The main lessons learnt while blogging are;

Don't let writers block stop you

Write for you. I’m sure you’ve read this before on a number of blogs. Every blogger needs reminding of this every time they have a wobbly moment. There isn’t a set of rules to personal blogging. Let your writing reflect your personality. Share the things you love. Create your own rules, try not to let another blog that you read devotedly cloud your own little space. 

One of my first SLR shots

Invest in a good camera. The easiest way to create content is through images. What is the story behind the picture or your thoughts on the object or place in the image? I always have a camera of sorts close to hand, be it my phone, compact digital camera or my new SLR. Get it to the habit of taking photos and you’ll never be stuck for content. Since posting images with the SLR I am much happier with the quality and the look and feel of my blog. However SLR’s are quite pricey but don’t fret, compact digital cameras are so so reasonably priced and take brilliant pictures. 

You’ll never have enough time. I could easily sit and write, tweak my layout, edit photos and tweet all day and night. Blogging is time consuming. Like with anything you enjoy, you want to spend all your time and efforts nurturing. Know this when you start. I started out with an unrealistic idea of how I would manage my time and found myself pretty deflated quickly, as you may have read here. 

It’s all about the content. Forget blogs that look as though they have been designed by a world class graphic designer, it’s the content that counts. Great content will keep readers coming back for more. And where you are in it for viewing numbers of not, sometimes it is nice to know that what you are writing engages others. I can’t help but get excited when I reach a new stats record or when someone comments on a post. 

Connect. One of the best things about blogging has been making connections with other bloggers. There is so much to learn out there and so many bloggers who have been around for a lot longer who have experienced new social media platforms and trends. Listen and learn as much as you can! You can also forge great friendships. After all, all bloggers have a least one thing in common – your blog. 

And finally…Enjoy it.  

I’ve learnt so much these past 3 months. Things that have helped my career, like learning more about how people connect online. I’ve been inspired by other bloggers and my readers which has been the highlight. To know you have inspired at least one other is a very special feeling. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

L x

My birthday was actually last Friday - however wireless technology hadn't quite reached the area we were staying in Devon, hence the late post. I'm back online!! Hurahhh!