Smoky Not Smudgy 2014

This is an overview of my experience at the 2014 annual Smoky Not Smudgy charity event at Imperial College London. Inshallah I will be uploading more pictures of the fashion show and all the goodies that I somehow accumulated later on. So keep an eye out for more upcoming details!

So, last Sunday I hopped onto a train with some chums and headed to the extremely well-known Smoky Not Smudgy event in Kensington. This was my first time at Smoky Not Smudgy, and leading up to the event I was really excited as it's built quite a reputation for itself, being promoted on various hijab blogs and vlogs, and featuring a great mix of stalls, bloggers, workshops and fashion shows,  showcasing modest yet stylish clothing. I've been following the event for a few years now and have been impressed with the commitment of the volunteers and the variety of stalls and activities that the event itself offers.

  

Let's Bake: Candlelight Caramel Cake

This is the perfect cake if you're looking for a real winter warmer pud. It's a really straightforward cake to make and doesn't take long to bake. Two layers of super light caramel pecan cake sandwich a creamy caramel buttercream before being draped in a flourish of more caramel buttercream and a garnish (or mindless scattering) of pecans and chocolate bits. Caramel cake has been on my mind for a while now, and after an endless struggle to find a recipe that didn't contain an ounce of salt (i'm afraid salted caramel doesn't quite cut it for me) I ended up adapting a fabulous recipe from The Pink Whisk and added pecans to give the cake more substance. 

In terms of decorating, I tried to go for effortless chic, but to be honest I just really wanted to eat the cake so I quickly slathered on some buttercream, aimlessly threw on some pecans and chocolate, and dribbled some caramel on the side. My peeps seems to like the whole look, but to be honest I think they were just grateful that a cake had been baked, so I  went with the whole messy-but-so-totally-2014-vibe. I've seen this look a lot recently, where the poor cake is left to fend for itself beneath a pile of sweets, fruits or whatever else may lurking in the kitchen cupboards.  

The Shackles are Released

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Merciful

I’ve been meaning to write a blog for a while now, having silently scoured the blogging scene for a jolly good few years and since the last time I shared  my personal musings were back in the uniform days (aka school...eek). So with the encouragement of a few special people, you know who you are, I’ve  finally managed to park myself down and compile this long overdue blog crammed with my over-zealous thoughts, passions and a few snazzy photographs courtesy of moi. And so the shackles of my very stubborn self have been prised open, allowing me, and anyone else hovering around, to indulge in the small treasures of life that I have encountered along the way. Whether it’s travelling the globe, stuffing your face with cake or hijabi fashion, I hope to reignite my love for writing and explore the wondrous delights of this world.

Welcome to A Traveller’s Treasurebox