My Love Is Like To Ice, And I To Fire - Edmund Spenser

My love is like to ice, and I to fire:

How comes it then that this her cold so great

Is not dissolved through my so hot desire, 

But harder grows the more I her entreat?

Or how comes it that my exceeding heat

Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold,

But that I burn much more in boiling sweat,

And feel my flames augmented manifold?

What more miraculous thing may be told, 

That fire, which all things melts, should harden ice,

And ice, which is congeal's with senseless cold,

Should kindle fire by wonderful device?

Such is the power of love in gentle mind,

That it can alter all the course of kind.

Why Christmas Is The Worst Time Of Year - Book of Elsa

Why Christmas Is The Worst Time Of Year 

This time of year is hard for me, I don't like Christmas. It only means one thing: spending long periods of time in an enclosed space with Family.

I love my family, I do. Honest. But I've realised after 24 years that I don't like them very much when we are all together. They start to grate at me, my mother constant criticisms, my father asking what am I doing with my life. I don't know is still the answer by the way. And my sisters, well they know how to push my buttons in ways that come 10 pm Christmas Eve all I want for Christmas is to go HOME. sod the presents. 

I would like to add that this is not the familys' fault. The problem lies with me. I've come to realise that I am not a people person and try as I might all other people do is rub me up the wrong way (after awhile).

It wasn't all bad though: watching my nephews open their presents on Christmas morning was pure joy. For that and other small nuggets of happiness dished out throughout the Christmas period and because my mother will never forgive if I don't attend I shall try again next year which I'm told is the spirit of the holidays.

Book of Elsa  

xoxo

My Favourite Brownie Recipe - Book Of Elsa

My Favourite Brownie Recipe 

Made brownies to take over to my mums' on Christmas Eve and this is my favourite recipe. Ever.

By the way you can find the actual recipe here.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 

XO

Making Of: Our First Batch "Oh Naturel" THE BODY BUTTER

Hello everyone! This is our 100th post here at Book Of Elsa and it's a special one...

Very exciting week here because my sister and I made the very first batch of our products ready to sale online (coming soon!). Of course I videoed it all :) hope you like.

Have a great Sunday,

Book Of Elsa 

xo

THE Most Delicious Hot Chocolate of all time - Book of Elsa

THE Most Delicious Hot Chocolate of all time - Book of Elsa

The name says it all, trust me anyone can make this!

Book of Elsa

Mini Marshmallows because they look darn cute but you're free to use whatever you like or to leave them out altogether (but really now is not the time to be healthy)

Squirty Cream needs no explanation but again leave out if you're crazy like that. 

Full fat milk of course :) if you're on a health kick or diet: eat a salad. This is not for you.

Cocoa mix: any mix is lovely but mine is from here

Insomnia - Maya Angelou

Insomnia

There are some nights when

sleep plays coy,

aloof and disdainful.

And all the wiles

that I employ to win

its service to my side

are useless as wounded pride,

and much more painful.

Sunday Afternoon - 23/11/2014

Sunday Afternoon - 23/11/2014

Love watching my baby bro on Sundays afternoon in the freezing cold... No, really I do. Made this video just for him (and the rest of the team) as they did such a great job. Go UPTON!

Book of Elsa

xo 

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives - LOLA SHONEYIN

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by LOLA SHONEYIN

I'm going to keep this brief. I'm entranced. MUST READ NOW!

Elsa

xo

Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday!

Picture below is basically how I spend my Sundays in the dead of autumn/winter...

How do you spend yours??

Elsa

xo

Untitled - Book Of Elsa

Untitled

I am not finished... an incomplete poster child.

Untitled work of art or is it work of war?

Drew a line in the sand, the monster followed my soul 

Ran and ran woke up screaming the monster by my bed

All my twisted thoughts and cannot bring myself to say it

I love this monster, really I do. He's mine.

I've grown with him so go get your own

I try to battle, but fight is futile he's won. Always and Forever.

One of us must die; I fear it'll be him.

Then he'll know peace and I'll be all alone

So here I am on this early morn trying to decide

Am I an act of war or a work of art?

Book of Elsa

CANDLES - BOOK OF ELSA

BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH THESE BEAUTIES FOR A WHILE; YOU SHOULD SEE THE STATE OF MY KITCHEN!! 

LABELS HAVEN'T COME YET BUT I GET SOOOO EXCITED WHEN I MAKE SOMETHING FOR #OHNATUREL CANNOT WAIT TO POST ABOUT IT.

WEBSITE WILL BE LIVE VERY SOON!! MORE BATCHES TO MAKE FIRST BODY CREAMS TOMORROW. KITCHEN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. 

XXO

Babysitting Weekend - Book of Elsa

Babysitting Weekend - Book of ElsaI adore my nephews but, and I'm speaking for experience here looking after them is a mission...

Caramel Croissant Pudding - Nigella Lawson

Caramel Croissant Pudding - Nigella Lawson. 

Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson is one of my favourite books for a number of reasons:

Not only was it the first cookbook I ever bought, I've tried almost all the recipes and love them all. However, the lust I hold for this one is beyond measure and I thought I would share in pictures... how I make it. 

Hopefully Nigella won't mind. You can find this recipe right here.

My Easy Steps To Moving Home

My Easy Steps To Moving Home 

This was going to be a a quick and easy guide to moving home, but as I realised during my own moving process; these things take a lot of planning. Here we go:

1. Make a list of people/companies you need to inform about the move.
2. In order of priority start sending letters or calling depending on the person/company. Bear in mind the council doesn't mind being told up to 3 weeks in advance but the gas and electric company has to be day off (apologies).
3.  If you're planning on taking your TV package i.e. broadband and supplier with you to your new home then you need to let them know in advance as to avoid disrupting your connection as much as possible. also this may be a good time to shop around for a better deal on phone line rental/TV package/broadband. Mind you I realise this will probably be a busy time so don't feel like you have to do everything at once.
4.  PACK!!!!! PACK!!!!!! PACK!!!!! I cannot emphasise this point enough. We all have more stuff (or crap in my case) than we think we do. A little bit everyday the week of your move will save a lot stress on the day. 

Change - Book Of Elsa

CHANGE

Change is a cruel mistress
I yearned for her to take me
Mould into me
Sandblasted into acute definition she
Chiselled at me until I wasn't me
New and different and complicated I became
Better? no.
No man is an island. They say.
A genius alone may as well be an idiot. They say
I wanted to change and I did.
Am I a better person for it, I hear you ask
I have hope but
I'll let you know when I'm done. 

BOOK OF ELSA

Random July Favourites - Goof!!!

Hope you like :-) xxo

The Rose That Grew From Concrete - Tupac Shakur

The Rose That Grew From Concrete 

Did you hear about the rose that grew

from a crack in the concrete? 

Proving nature's law is wrong it 

learned to walk with out having feet. 

Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, 

it learned to breathe fresh air. 

Long live the rose that grew from concrete

when no one else ever cared.

Tupac Shakur

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep - Mary Elizabeth Frye 1905-2004

       Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep 

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

 Mary Elizabeth Frye 

My Life Changing Cookies are HERE!!!!!!

HOPE YOU LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS I DO :-) XOXO

Beach - Book of Elsa

Beach.

Warm sand under sore feet

Wind blowing the cobwebs off a tired face

Waves crash landing on a welcoming shore

All consuming so vast and deep

My ocean is scary; my ocean is beautiful

Floating and at peace water on the mind and in 

The bones

Being dragged back to shore, kicking and screaming

Book of Elsa