Category: Blog

Sunday Stumble…

Sunday already! The weeks seem to be whizzing by at the moment and here’s me slowly adjusting to Autumn, it’ll be winter before we know it.

So this week has been crazy busy, I’ve been busy working on my e-books, was interviewed for a great podcast series and tried out co-working – but more about that later.

Shall we get on with this weeks very wordy stumble then?

Watching…
I am currently obsessed with Hotel Secrets – a great new series on Sky Atlantic hosted by Richard E Grant who delves in to the world of the hotel business. I find hotels absolutely fascinating. One of my first jobs was working at the Celtic Manor Resort. I worked via an agency so tried out a variety of positions from pot washer to chambermaid and I remember desperately wanting a career in hotel management.  If I ever win the lotto I’ve got fabulous plans for a few derelict properties in Newport and Cardiff!

Experiencing…
This week I tried out co-working. I had a few hours to spare after a meeting in Birmingham so thought it would be the PERFECT time to get my head down and in to my e-book. I don’t work too well in coffee shops, I’m so nosey that instead of working I get sucked in to people watching and eavesdropping on conversations – great for when I’m writing fiction but not SO good when I’m trying to write an e-book about having a fabulous Christmas*

I visited The Moseley Exchange, it cost £10 for 3 hours and quite honestly it was fabulous. The people were so friendly (check out a fellow co-workers website – Fandango media) and welcoming it’s a shame I don’t live in Moseley because I’d be a regular. I will however be checking out the Cardiff equivalent very soon!

Gossiping with…

I was SO honoured to be asked to record a podcast with the amazing Dave Thackeray of Talknology. We were supposed to be having a good old chat about tech stuff but instead we got totally lost in the moment and discussed everything – a total brain dump if you will. You can hear my podcast on the Talknology or download it from iTunes. Visit the site to hear some superb podcasts from more sensible, grown up people!

Reading…

  Would you jump off the social media bandwagon? – The Day I Decided to Stop

 Want to find out how to write an effective hotel review?

 Tony Adam wrote all about why he loves working in coffee shops

 Want to build a blog you love? Rachel from InSpacesBetween has compiled a great post on designing a fantastic blog.

 The super gorgeous Emily from amummytoo.co.uk whipped up some Welsh cakes this week.

 And finally sticking with the foodie theme, there is a luscious recipe over at Lipstick & Cake for Pink Macaroons and Rosewater Cupcakes. 

Just a few things before I say goodbye…

* If you’d like to be amongst the first to know about my new e-book then sign up to my newsletter – a weekly round up of posts as well as something a little extra each week. 

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Also – Instagram is now offering web profiles – here’s mine http://instagram.com/rachaelphillips 

 

Autumn: Fall, leaves, fall

Providing that it’s not raining I love autumn. There’s something about the cold, crisp air, interlaced with bright sunshine that makes the world look beautiful.


leaves

 

duck

‘Fall, leaves, fall’ by Emily Bronte

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

24 Hours in Madrid – Pictures

Hotel

I had a 24 hours in Madrid and a super early flight the next day so I chose to stay at the Axor Feria. I didn’t expect much but if you’re ever in Madrid and need somewhere fabulous and funky to stay – The Axor Feria is your place.

A design hotel, the Axor Feria costs just $53 per night. It’s clean, modern and has different zones including chill out, wii, news and technology which are communal spaces for guests to enjoy.

The Feria doesn’t have a bar or restaurant but instead guests can use the facilities of the next door Axor Barajas. I didn’t sample the food but a bottle of good quality white wine was just €10.

Metro

Madrid has the best metro system! It’s the second largest metro network in Europe after London and I found it extremely easy to navigate – which is surprising since I manage to get lost every time when it comes to the tube.

A single ticket costs around €1.50 but there’s also tourist tickets available at €5.20 for one day and €8.80 for two. If you’re using the bus and metro to get around then you may find a ten journey metro bus ticket useful €9.30 and lasts for several days!


Museo Romanticismo


Continue reading “24 Hours in Madrid – Pictures”

Sunday Stumble

I’m going to dive right in to this week Sunday stumble…

This week I’ve been…

Eating: Roast Sausage and Butternut Squash with Tuscan Fries. On Friday I was treated to this gorgeous feast. Recipe from Tesco.

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Loving: I had some fabulous (free) mini cards made up for my blog. I LOVE moo.com

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Continue reading “Sunday Stumble”

Chocolate Nutella Fudge Recipe

I’m afraid that I’m still slightly addicted to Nutella. I blame Kirsty of things that have caught my eye for sharing nutella boards on pinterest – it’s encouraged me to continue this love affair.

Anyway, I made some Nutella Fudge – gooey, chocolatey, super simple to make and perfect for the weekend.

Here’s what you need…

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 70g salted butter
• 190g Nutella
• 226g chocolate chips {any good quality chocolate will do}
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Here’s how you do it… Continue reading “Chocolate Nutella Fudge Recipe”

(Sunday) Monday Stumble

Hello! Well I’m back from Spain so expect lots of new travel posts coming up in the next week or so. The one thing I love about going on holiday is that it gives you that breathing space to think about things and figure out what it is you want to do and where you want to go – the kind of space that “real life” just doesn’t seem to provide.

One thing I had a think about was this Sunday stumble series of posts. I love sharing articles and blog posts from around the web but I want to add a bit of pizazz. So rather than just a list of wonderful things you can read from this week I’ll be giving a bit of a weekly run down – everything from where I’ve been to things I love.

Hope you enjoy!

This week I’ve been…

Loving: Parma Violet Candles

I bought one of these a while back from a show I attended and it lasted so long that it was worth the £8.50 price tag. Since the winter nights are drawing in I thought it was time I treated myself to another one.

£8.50 from John Lewis

 

 Reading:6 things every blogger should know about photography – I love this post from Helena La Petite. We all know that photographs make a blog post great and Helena gives great tips.

Delighted Momma has done a great blog post about the health and beauty benefits of coconut oil. I’ve been a huge fan of coconut oil for a while now and read the blog post and you’ll see a few reasons why!

God bless Gala Darling and her tips on surviving your saturn return. if you’re nearly 30 (or 60) then you’re going to want to read this. Saturn is a tough bird to conquer and your first Saturn return is notoriously difficult but with these tips you should be able to ease yourself through it.

For more Saturn sorcery then check out The Saturn Sisters
You may enjoy this article about a fat, moustachioed orphan finding a home in the New York Times
Finally, not so much a “reading” but there was a great radio four program on how we’re relying more on our digital devices and how this is having an affect on our memory. It’s only 30 minutes and you can catch it on BBC iPlayer (or download the digital human podcast)

Visiting: Well, I’ve kind of been distracted by Spain and will do some seperate posts but I have to just quickly tell you about this amazing hotel in Madrid. The Axor Feria – it’s an airport hotel which was the ideal base for my whirlwind tour of Madrid but turns out it’s probably one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Cheap, modern and great service. Not to mention a bottle of nice wine was only €10 in the hotel bar. It had different zones such as wii, news, technology and chill out which were all big communal areas for residents to chill out. Free wi-fi, shuttle bus to and from the airport and a bus stop at the end of the road that will get you to the centre of Madrid with ease.  It cost just £39 per night through booking.com

Listening to:  Robbie Williams – Candy. I do love a bit of Robbie, I can’t deny it and I am absolutely loving – LOVING – his new song.

Should I check my email?

Hola from a warm and gorgeous Madrid…I was planning on doing a few travel related posts before I left but in typical Rachael style I didn´t quite have the time. Anyhoo, I´m just checking out the cyber-suite in the ultra modern Axor Feria (review will be up when I´m back) so thought I´d pop on, check my email and write a small post…

I usually like to shut down when I go away but with the lure of free wi-fi and lots of exciting projects on the boil I buckled. Which then reminded me that I wanted to share this great infographic by Dell…

Should I check my email?

 

 

 

Right, that´s enough from me, I have wine to drink and tapas to sample. Next stop – Palma!

Adios!

 

How to make Nutella Hot Chocolate

I think that we can safely say that winter has arrived. Luckily for me I’ve not yet had my “summer” holiday yet so I’m holding on to the fact that I’ll get a bit of sunshine before I have to succumb to chunky knits and boots.

However, there is an upside to this dreary weather – HOT CHOCOLATE! And keeping in with my Nutella obsession (I could literally post Nutella recipes all day long – trust me)

Here is how to make Nutella hot chocolate…

Continue reading “How to make Nutella Hot Chocolate”

Camembert and Broccoli Puff PastryTart – Feeds 4 for under £5

I just love puff pastry. It’s so versatile and quick. Whenever I’m stuck for an idea of what to make the puff pastry tart usually makes an appearance.

These Camembert and broccoli tarts were the perfect Friday night dinner

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I bought all my ingredients from Aldi which when you’re after veggies and cheese is the place with the best price tag.
As well as being utterly gorgeous these tarts are also extremely easy to make.
What you need:

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Goodwood Revival 2012

OK so I know it’s Wednesday but how was your weekend? Mine was fabulous – I channelled my inner Audrey Hepburn and headed to The Goodwood Revival festival – and had an absolute blast.
vintageipad

It was my first time at the festival and I was a little apprehensive since I’m not a huge fan of cars and motor racing but I’ve been converted. To be honest, anything with a great champagne bar and I’m bound to fall in love.

stirlingmoss

– Sir Stirling Moss

Anyway for those of you not in the know, The Goodwood Revival festival is a mix of classic cars, aviation and vintage fashion.

It’s a great opportunity to dress up, enjoy some old school glamour and enter a time capsule of the 1940s, 50s and 60s.  Continue reading “Goodwood Revival 2012”