The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake- Perfect ideas for Mother's Day

If you want to show your mum a bit of love this March 10^th, but are a bit strapped for cash, why not get your chef hat on and bake her some beautiful, scrummy cupcakes?!

We found a great recipe for ‘The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake’ on thefrostedcupcakes.blogspot.co.uk

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

 2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon pure (not imitation) vanilla extract

2/3 cup whole milk

Working by cups is so much easier than weighing everything exactly (and means less washing up at the end!)

Combine everything in a bowl and mix until you get a runny kind of batter, then fill cupcake cases half full with the mixture.

Bake for about 15 minutes on a medium heat, and check on them- they are done when a toothpick comes out of a cake without batter stuck to it. (That can be your tester one- chef’s privileges!)

Make sure they are a nice golden brown on top too.

Pop them out onto a cooling rack, and after a few minutes you can frost and decorate to your heart’s content, try a pink butter icing and edible pearls and flowers for a cake that will look almost too good to eat!

To compliment your delicious cakes perfectly, how about our Polaroid Vintage Letter Tile ‘Yummy Mummy’ Card ?! A beautiful floral card that any mother would love! It can even be personalised at EllieEllie HQ and be sent straight to the recipient. (oooh we’re so good to you!)  

Find it here.

Time to Lose the LBD!

Ladies, its time to hang up your LBD! Slim fit maxi dresses are paving the way for sophistication and elegance.

Designers like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen began the trend, and if you fancy following in their footsteps go for bold colours and jewel tones, but keep the accessories simple. Deep red and velvet appear throughout, which adds to the luxuriousness of this trend. Perfect for the ‘English Rose’ complexion, wear a strong coloured lipstick to compliment the outfit, and contrast your pale skin.

Two British design houses leading the way, there is an air of patriotism to both collections, especially with the red and white colour palette.

If you ate too many chocolates over Valentine’s Day, these dresses cover up a plethora of body sins too!

Get your Purple on!

February is the month of the Aquarius, and the beautiful amethyst birthstone.

Purple is wonderfully romantic, and to keep the romance going strong after Valentine’s Day, we think an outfit choice dedicated to the colour is perfect for this week!

From aubergine to magenta, go get your purple on! We love these happy and sad face tights! Utterly adorable, and you can cross your legs to show how your day is going! Team it with a cute little dress, some sharp Vans and Ellie Ellie's Recycled Stamp Necklace to add a bit of charm t'boot.

Dress- Topshop

Tights- ASOS

Shoes- Vans

Stamp Necklace- Ellie Ellie

So many celebrities have been spotted rocking the look too!

Blake Lively and Lauren Conrad have both been seen giving their outfits an injection of colour with shades of purple. Purple is hot right now.

Crafty Coasters

We found a great crafty present idea on Apartmenttherapy.com to add a unique and quirky look to your table! Just take a couple of slices of birch from a craft or flower shop, and trace your design through some carbon paper onto the wood. Paint or colour in however you fancy, and you have the perfect personal coaster for guests at a party, or something lovely for the home to make for the coming of Mother’s Day!

To keep your decorations looking perfect for longer, simply paint over or spray with some varnish.

Not quite as crafty but you still want something personal and from the heart? Ellie Ellie has just launched their NEW Personalised Map Paperweight, which you can personalise with any town or city from around the world. Handmade in Ellie Ellie's Sussex based HQ, each one is totally unique for the individual. Gorgeously nostalgic and useful! What more could you want? 

 If however, you're one step ahead of the game and have already got Mother's Day on the brain, why not try one of these..

A gorgeous chunk of silver plated, memory hinting awesomeness! A timeless piece to be treasured. Personalisation is up to you, world is your oyster! How about the location of a fantastic family holiday, or where her children were born? Go for it, she'll love it. Check it out, here.