Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Music update: Piwi&Late remake: Angie Stone - I wasn't kidding [J Records]


Last week Juano and I worked hard to finish another of our many building music projects.. I swear we have hundreds of these projects started now but it is always a difficult moment to sit down and decide to finish one.

I think Juano would agree with me when we say this is still not 'finished' or 'perfect' but I feel pat of music making is learning to share what you make with those around you. Nothing can ever be 'perfect' so to say but you can always learn what is good or what can be done better from what you share with others.

So before we head to Spain in a few weeks we will have one more track to put out there. This time we are participating in a remix contest and are currently attempting our skills on putting something different but still with the piwi+late flavaaaa..

Competition details can be found below if you are interested in entering also:

http://www.bpmremixed.com/

Check this out:

https://soundcloud.com/p1w1/out-of-here-baby-piwi-late

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Beauty Update: Moisture overload


As I mentioned previously I want to make sure my skin will be well looked after for my coming months in Spain considering the quality of water over there is nothing like what we have in NZ and also my skin is exposed a lot more to pollution, dust, sun and every other external element over there! Therefore I had a day of creating 2 moisturisers for both me to take to Spain and also for family members here.

My parents absolutely LOVE an over-night moisturiser I made for them a couple of months ago and asked for a top-up so I decided to use the original recipe I used for them as well as adapt it for both a daily face moisturiser.

I have used essential oils: Sweet Orange & Lemon but you can used whatever essential oils you prefer - This is just what I had in my home and want to use the ingredients before I head off overseas.

So I want to share 2 recipes - Created in exactly the same way but just a slight change in ingredients.

Apricot&Coconut Body Cream:












7 Tbl Apricot Kernal
2 Tbl Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Tbl Vitamin E Oil
2 Tbl Organic Beeswax
1 Tbl Coco butter
2 tsp Pure Lanolin
10 Tbl water
1 tsp Vegetable glycerin
20 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
20 Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Method:

1. In a double boiler place Apricot Kernal, Coconut Oil, Vitamin E, Beeswax, Coco butter and lanolin and melt very gently until the beeswax has JUST melted.
2. At the same time put the water and Vegetable glycerin in a separate pot and heat gently until almost boiling.
3. Take both pots off heat and leave on kitchen bench uncovered for approximately 10 minutes or until the oil mixture has a glazed appearance and is almost like a salve.
4. Place the oil mixture into your food processor and pulse for 30 seconds - It will become thick and yellowish in colour.
5. Slowly add the water mixture to the food processor mixing constantly on a slow speed - It will become beautiful and silky-white.
6. Add the essential oil and mix through.
7. Pour into small jars and leave lids off until completely cool.

I would recommend this moisturiser for the body as it does appear quite thick and buttery, alternatively use an overnight cream.

The main ingredient; base oil - Apricot Kernal is recommended for use around the eyes and face as it contains the ability to tighten then skin and also has a astringent quality.



Almond&Coco Butter Cream:

















7 Tbl Almond Oil
2 Tbl Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Tbl Vitamin E Oil
2 Tbl Organic Beeswax
2 Tbl Coco butter
10 Tbl water
1 tsp Vegetable glycerin
20 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
20 Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Same method as above.

Almond Oil has a high fatty acid content and has the ability to penetrate the skin well. I use this moisturiser as my daily face cream in the morning and I opt to use Almond Oil alone at night time before sleeping.


Let me know if you need any help or have any questions about these recipes!

X

Monday, March 11, 2013

Mid-Autumn heat wave and cakes.

There has certainly been a delay with blogging in the last few weeks and that is because I have found myself ridiculously busy working my 'real' job and setting out a plan for our return to Barcelona. I have to say with these beautiful and hot sunny days it is hard to imagine the winter is coming here in New Zealand, everything seems so alive! I walk out of my bedroom (garage) into the garden and all around me I am surrounded by bright bursts of colours throughout the garden. The flowers are going bonkers and the herb garden is bushy. It has been so dry but I always manage to water the garden with left over water from my nephews swimming pool (probably with 1/2 litre of his pee too, grosse I know).

Anyway - continuing on in our summer fashion we have been having many BBQ's and dinners with friends, enjoying the warm afternoon and drinking a beer or two.

Last weekend I made a classic Edmonds banana cake with Lemon & Coconut icing.

Expect this week a blog entry or two for the next BEAUTY UPDATE. I have lots of potions to make before I set off to Spain. Considering the water quality in Barcelona is so crap and full of pretty much everything I want to make sure I take some great oil mixtures and moisturisers to really protect my hair and skin.

Have a lovely week everyone!


Friday, March 1, 2013

Spiced mince with hummus (Good eats update)


I once had a wonderful flat mate in Barcelona who was from a Swedish-Kurdish background and she used to make on occasion these delicious spiced meat balls stuffed with Feta. This week I tried to replicate something similar that followed the paleo diet for my family.

This delicious recipe is a bit time consuming so is always best prepared ahead of time - The actual cooking time needed is minimal! I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend help me out in the kitchen so I assigned him all the boring jobs hehe..

There were 3 separate dishes I made to complement each other - Spiced meat balls, Hummus & a beetroot and yogurt salad. This meal feeds approximately 6 people.

My Mexican kitchen hand 
Ready to be cooked!

Spiced meatballs

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 kg of Prime beef mince
250g Feta cheese
2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 egg
Almond meal
1 tsp sea salt

Method:
1. In a large bowel mix together well the mince, spices, egg and salt. Mix till even in consistency
2. Take small portions of the mince into your hands and roll into an oval shape
3. Insert a small piece of feta inside the meat ball and close over
4. Roll the meat ball in Almond meal and set aside to complete the rest
5. To cook - For 30 minutes slowly cook the meatballs on a BBQ or optionally pan-fry





Hummus

Ingredients:
2x 300g Canned chickpeas
2 Tbsp Tahini
Juice of a lemon
1 Garlic clove
Salt to taste
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil (depending on what consistency you prefer)
Smoked paprika

Method:
1. Drain and wash the chickpeas and place in a food processor - Plus for 30 seconds
2. Add all ingredients and blend till smooth
3. Scoop all hummus into the bowl of your choice and pour a little extra oil and sprinkle some smoked paprika on top.




Beetroot & Yogurt Salad

Ingredients:
4-5 Beetroot
1 Red pepper
15 Cherri tomatoes (home grown preferred - 'tis the season)
1 Bag of baby spinach
Large bunch of free Basil
1/2 cup of natural Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of broken almonds

1. Wash, peel and cut the beetroot into 2cm squared pieces
2. Mix the beetroot in a roasting dish with a little rice bran oil and salt.
3. Put into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes or until just cooked.
4. Take out of over and let completely cool.
5. Cut the pepper and tomatoes and place in a large salad bowl with the spinach loose underneath.
6. Cut the basil loosely and mix into the salad bowl.
7. Place the cooled beetroot on top of the salad and pour the yogurt on top
8. Finish the salad off by sprinkling the broken almonds on top.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family did!

X

Friday, February 22, 2013

Not just dreaming of gazpacho


Hola amigos! TGIF!

My tickets are finally booked for Spain and I have less than 3 months left here in beautiful New Zealand. This summer has been amazing - I have barely seen rain and the sun has been shining all summer long. There has been one thing however that I have been missing and that is my favorite summer cool-down drink/soup Gazpacho.

When I was living in Spain the first time I was taught how to make Gazpacho from a lovely Spanish woman I was staying with (back in 2008). And ever since then I have been drinking cartons of gazpacho throughout the long summer spanish days. It is so common to drink there you can just roll into the local shop and buy a carton of it in whatever size you want. It is perfect when it is so hot your appetite is off and you do not feel like eating.

There is such a variety of recipes but here is one I used today and it was a total hit with the family.

Ingredients:

1Kg of Ripe tomatoes

1 small green capsicum

2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
3 Tbsp of Olive oil
2 Tbsp of White wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. To first remove the skins of the tomatoes place the tomatoes in a boiling pot of water for a few seconds. The skin should start to split.
2. Remove them from the water and peel the skin off.
3. Put the tomatoes in a food processor along with all other ingredients and blend until smooth
4. Pour into a jug with a lot of ice and drink!

Olé!!!!!!









Friday, February 15, 2013

Snow balls - Raw treats!


This is a very simple and delicious recipe for all sweet-lovers.. No processed sugar added and simple raw ingredients to take away the guilt of enjoying this sweet and tasty surprise.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup Raw cocoa
1/4 cup Extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup Coconut
1 Vanilla bean pod
A pinch of sea salt


Method:
1. In a big bowl mix all ingredients till it is mixed well and has a sticky consistency
2. take small amounts and roll into balls with the palms of your hands
3. Roll the ball in more coconut and put into a storage container
4. Place in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour





So delicious and easy to make!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Beauty update: Olive&Coconut Body Butter

My big brother is currently visiting from China for a family friends wedding - Plus it is winter there right now so he came to grab a few rays of sun. He works as an explorer for a Chinese mining company in Mongolia so spends much of his time either on the field in the middle of nowhere or running around Bejing at the office. We all know that the pollution levels in a big city like Beijing have to take a massive toll on your skin as well as working on the field in the Mongolian desert you have to deal with things like... extreme cold, living in a tent for weeks, no showers, crappy food and long hours working. Needless to say I quite happily assumed him as one of my patients and set about creating a body butter for him that will protect his skin form the harsh conditions and stop it from drying out constantly.

Ulziit Ovoo Exploration camp - My brother uses the Mongolian
yurt as sleeping accommodation.
I have chosen in this body butter to use extra virgin olive and extra virgin coconut as my base oils as well as use my usual ingredients of coco butter and beeswax. I have also put a decent amount of pure lanolin to this mixture to really fortify the skin during those cold months.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Tbl Beeswax
2 Tbl Coco Butter
2 tsp Pure Lanolin
1 cup of water
30 drops sweet orange essential oil

Method:
1. In a double boiler slowly melt together all ingredients minus the water
2. In a separate pot at the same time slowly heat the cup of water till almost boiling
3. Take both pots off heat and let cool for 10 minutes
4. In the food processor scrape out all of the oil combination and pulse for 10 seconds
5. Slowly add the water to the oil mixture keeping the processor at a low speed constantly
6. Once all water is added pulse again for 10 seconds
7. Mix in the essential oil of your choice and pulse again for 5-10 seconds
8. Pour in pots and let cool before sealing.




Enjoy!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Trend Report : Print Mixing



Print Mixing is one of the scariest trends at the moment, but I think it’s one of the most exciting and liberating. When in life have we had the opportunity to break all the fashion rules and actually look awesomely cool doing it?

Celebrities are starting to hook on to the trend, but it still hasn’t reached that totally commercial market just yet. I still think this is an upcoming trend which will make others envious of your eclectic and quirky style. There are a few tricks for those shy of jumping straight in, a la Dries Van Noten (my favourite print mixing designer, who I think actually coined the look almost a decade ago)
 I’ll go into the different ways to wear mixed prints further on, but first take a look at some of the famous stars rocking this look! (Including the amazing Miranda Kerr - right-, who would look good in a big black sack anyway, but hey!)
Whitney Port


                                           Gwen Stefani                                          

Miranda Kerr with raggamuffin & friend



If the idea of print mixing seems intimidating or like a bit of a visual overload, you can tone it down a touch in the following ways...



Print Mixing for Wimps :

1.                                      Keep it tonal, i.e. blue print with blue print
Keep it Tonal



2.                                               Mix a neutral print with a neutral print
Neutrals Together

3.       Keep each print to two or three colours max, so there is not too much going  on at once
4.       Another easy way to wear, is to match your print with a stripe (see below stripe top with floral pant) Stripes are so common place that people don’t think of them so much as a print, meaning you can get a relatively watered down version of this look, quite easily
Having an oufit made up of two of the same type of print, but in different scales and/or colours is another fun way of mixing print. For example, large spot with small spot or large scale stripe with small scale stripe. See below :



Stripe on Stripe



                                               
      Stripe with Floral in Neutral Tones



Stripe as an Easy Mixing Piece




GET THE LOOK

From left: ASOS, Karen Walker, ASOS, Kate Sylvester 



...and I LOVE this clutch, so let's end on a fab note! :)

ASOS


x

Monday, February 4, 2013

Changing it up!

People who know me know I have serious issues with spending money on clothes.. I either buy a LOT and end up regretting the bad choices in clothes I made OR I just buy nothing and my close friends over the years have constantly provided me hand-me-downs. I am the youngest of 3 children so the excitement of receiving these second hand items is ingrained in my very being.

Fellow wolverine Kimberley is a perfect example of one of the many people who provide me goodies - However her hand-me-downs are often in perfect condition and barely touched... the joys of working in the fashion industry!

My bank account is drying out this month after a busy summer and instead of being able to buy new things I dug up a few garments and my sewing machine and set to work...

My first items were: A hand-me-down singlet from my friend Hechan (This must be at LEAST a few years old now, a bit out of shape but I still love to wear it!). I always wore this singlet tucked into high waisted pants or skirts but found it was too long and so sometimes looked a bit strange... Next was my awesome acid-wash high waisted jeans I got from my lovely friend Erika and her store Vintage-Me. These jeans either shrunk or my legs have got fatter... so to the point they no longer are comfortable to wear and I am always scared I am going to split them!

So I made the grey singlet a crop top with a pocket made from the left over denim from my jeans. I love high waisted pants so I just chopped off the tight legs on my jeans and now they are a pair of nice shorts for the summer!


It wasn't till after I made the alterations that Kimberley told me to blog about it, so I apologise for the 'Before' photos! I just had to dig up what I could find!

My second item: A play-suit bought from a second-hand store in Toulouse, France with my friend Raukura. I LOVE this playsuit and have worn it so much over the past few years that it started to get a bit raggy looking. From the beginning this playsuit was quite a lot too big for me but I didn't mind at all. Now I have taken the floppy sleeves off and hemmed it with a blue ribbon. I also took it in quite a bit from the 2 front seams. I love it!!


Get creative this summer and save your money I say!!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

NEW RELEASE! Aces&Bases (Piwi&Late)


Last week my alter-ego Piwi and her partner in crime John Late released a new re-make of the ever-so-awesome 90's track 'All that she wants' by Ace of Bass.

Click the link below to hear the track - Feel free to provide feedback, but please no haters!

Aces&Basses

X

Facial steam - What is it really doing?

Since I started my adventure in natural cosmetics and remedies I have been giving myself a facial steam on a weekly basis. At first I didn't really like it and found it hard to relax breathing in this hot air under towel, but now I have learnt to really enjoy it and my skin has definitely seen the benefits.

Steam encourages the pores of the skin to perspire and breathe which allows moisture to seep to deeper layers of your skin. It relaxes muscle tissues, plumps those wrinkles, brings oxygenated blood to the surface of you skin and boosts circulation.

If you are feel like your skin is lacking some shine and glow I would really suggest doing a simple facial steam - I convinced my boyfriend to give it a go yesterday and he absolutely LOVED it.

Do not underestimate the STEAM..






Ingredients:
3 cups water
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
Crushed fennel seeds
rosemary
lavender

A little bit of info about the ingredients...
Apple cider vinegar is used in this steam purely for its properties of bringing the skin to its natural pH level and leaves the skin nice and soft. Fennel seeds when used in a steam have hydrating benefits and also smell divine. Lavender for its relaxing aroma and has a natural calming effect on our central nervous system. Rosemary is known to have cell-regenerating properties as well antiseptic properties.

Method:
1. boil the water and vinegar together.
2. Take off heat and add fennel seeds and herbs.
3. Place lid on the pot and leave to brew for 5 minutes
4. Place a large towel over your head and shoulders, creating a tent with the pot underneath
5. Immerse your face in the steam (about 20cm away from water)
6. Stay like this for 10 minutes.
7. Cool your face off with luke warm water and pat dry.
8. Always a great idea to follow this with a face mask.

The face mask I chose after this facial steam was similar to my previous banana concoction which I thought was a great idea after a long weekend in the sun... My skin needed some extra hydration!



Ingredients:
1/2 Banana
2 Tbsp Cream
1 tsp Apricot Kernel Oil

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Apply to face and recline as this face mask does not really dry and can drip if you are not careful!
3. Leave on for 20 minutes and then remove with a face cloth.

Happy steaming!

p.s If you have any direct concerns or are unsure whether this would suit your skin type please feel free to contact me and I may be able to suggest something more suitable :)

X