When I was 14, a banana cream pie recipe stumped me.

I can’t remember if it was the fact that Australia didn’t have the right kind of cream I needed or if I simply purchased the wrong one. At any rate, I had decided to make a banana cream pie. I ended up with banana cream soup.

It’s the only recipe that I didn’t try making again upon failing at a first attempt. Therefore, it was the only recipe that defeated me. As a burgeoning home cook and baker, that fact simply would not do.

A friend of mine and I had been talking about getting pie for a year (literally), and a few weekends ago he was in town for a visit. To honor the occasion, I decided that it was as good a time as ever to finally conquer the banana pie recipe. (It helped that I already had the majority of the ingredients on hand.)

I’m proud to report that the banana cream pie was a smashing success. To say that my friends and I devoured the pie would be an understatement!

The post 25 Before 25: Conquer Making a Banana Cream Pie appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Today’s guide is brought to you by Kate, a Winchester native!

Winchester is a fascinating city – first off, it’s not the size you’d expect for a city. In fact, it’s tiny. But it has a Royal Charter to say it’s a city, so size isn’t important. At least, that’s what I told my Geography teacher in Year 8 when she had the cheek to refer to it as a “market town”. It used to be the capital of Wessex, and was an important city in England for a long time and is still the county town of Hampshire, fending off competition from the far-bigger Southampton. So it deserves some respect.

As you’d expect, Winchester’s packed full of history and however carefully you try and spot everything of historical significance, you’re bound to miss something, especially if you explore Hampshire’s other attractions (the county Winchester is in). But with our insider’s guide you’ll have the best chance possible..

Tell me then, where should I go in Winchester?

The most popular destination is Winchester Cathedral, proud owner of the “Longest Nave in Europe” title. First built in 1079, it almost collapsed at the start of the 20th century and had to be restored by a diver called William Walker. It contains Jane Austen’s grave, along with many bishops and other historical figures.

Then there’s the Great Hall, containing the Round Table of the legendary King Arthur. There’s the statue of the slightly-less-legendary King Alfred. There’s the City Museum, which will tell you the story of the city and nearby is the 15th century Buttercross, a stone structure where the youth of the city often congregate, listening to the buskers on the High Street.

And what should I do in Winchester?

Well, sightseeing is the obvious starting point. Should you get bored of walking around the historical sights of the city, you can climb St Giles’ Hill and picnic there, with the whole city spread below you. You can see as far as the hospital and prison, and it makes for a charming view, the mix of modern and ancient architecture. The green roof of the 19th century Guildhall particularly stands out.

If you’re looking for a day trip out of the city, there’s the famous Marwell Zoo nearby with its hundreds of species of animals, or there are huge shopping malls with multiplex cinemas in Basingstoke and Southampton. There’s also some scenic countryside around and it’s close to both the South Downs and the New Forest, which are preserved for their natural beauty.

I’m hungry/thirsty/tired – if there anywhere I can get a drink nearby?

You’re in luck! Winchester had – at last count – 42 pubs within a mile radius of the centre. A favourite among locals is the Royal Oak, which claims to be the oldest bar in England and dates from 1002 (current building is from 1630 though!). Next door is the equally-historical building that houses Ask, a modern Italian restaurant. For more food choices, you’ll also find Pizza Express at the bottom of town, next to a working watermill and Dim T at the top of the High Street, for affordable but great dim sum.

If you prefer your food less affordable, some big chefs have restaurants in Winchester – notably Raymond Blanc (Brasserie Blanc) and Jamie Oliver (Jamie’s Italian). The food is, naturally, pricier but it’s worth treating yourself!

And where can I find something to take home?

As mentioned before, the bigger cities of Hampshire are the places to go for huge malls – the Brooks Centre in Winchester is small and not over-full of shops. But lately, a few higher-end stores have opened on the High St, such as Jack Wills (clothing) and Cath Kidston (quirky homewares). Plus, there are hidden streets of specialist shops, such as the jewellery stores on Parchment Street and the antique booksellers of St George’s Street. And there are lots and lots of charity stores, if you love a bargain. The people of Winchester often throw away some good, designer clothes! There are some great vintage clothes store, which are worth a look.

I’m sold! Where do I stay?

There are a few nice accommodation options around Winchester. The gorgeous Lainston House is out in the countryside, near the village of Sparsholt and dates from the 17th century. With 63 acres of parkland, it’s a pretty impressive place to stay. For a more budget option, try the Winchester Hotel and Spa, a few minutes’ walk from the station. It’s a modern hotel, with a swimming pool and lots of amenities.

Anything else I need to know?

If you want to go anywhere outside the city, it’s worth hiring a car. There are trains to the other major cities, but for exploring the countryside public transport is patchy at best. If you visit on the first weekend of July, you may well encounter the city’s annual Hat Fair – an arts festival of street theatre and music. Well worth seeing!

While you’re out and about, keep your eyes peeling for the quirky bits of history, like the metal boot sign above Clarks the shoe shop. Or the 19th century stationers. Or the wooden-beamed WH Smith, with Round Table wall art. Everywhere you look, there’s something interesting. Enjoy your visit!

Kate Milner is a freelance writer and a blogger at London With a Toddler. She can also be found on Twitter.

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Sure, I might have only been here two days and maybe the majority of my time here has been occupied by work. And I have been here before, twice. But my God, this city has so much to offer that I love. Matcha green tea lattes and Uniqlo, for a start. Cable cars and gorgeous architecture and historical districts and great food and awesome people and just, wow, I’m in love.

I’ve never been able to see myself in DC indefinitely but I also haven’t really been able to sense where within the US I would go if I were to relocate in a few years. Now, I might have an answer. Even if San Francisco doesn’t turn out to be the answer, I at least have a little more clarity in what I’d want in a city I would relocate to later on down the road.

Aside from falling in love with San Francisco, traveling for work has also been a new experience. This is my first business trip and I’ve enjoyed it so far, although I could do without the early wake-ups that are a result of needing to report to work at 6 a.m.! I don’t even miss my bed; such is the luxury of having a king-sized bed when on work travel.

Beauty
I love The Beauty Department’s makeup tips and their tip for perfect eyeshadow blending is most excellent as I’m slowly mastering the smokey eye technique.

Life
I loved Jennifer’s grandfather’s poem “When the Lilacs Bloom.”

Olga writes about the drafting, drafting and re-drafting process of writing.

Sarah sums up why writing a short bio is a daunting task.

Like Shannon, I consider myself a writer; like Shannon, I am better at the telling than I am at the imagining. Writing is a skill that can pay, as long as you play your cards right.

Shayes writes about how Stephen King’s advice to “kill your darlings” when writing books has affected her approach to working on her first novel.

Online
I can totally relate to Clem’s post about feeling old on the Internet. Was it really pushing ten (!!) years ago that I started dabbling in writing in online journals?

The post Link Love, Vol. 17 appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

R told me to throw it out. She actually pleaded, “For the love of God Manda, please just throw it out.” This is coming from the girl who doesn’t ever wash her makeup brushes, so I knew that I should REALLY just throw out my beloved mascara.

(Sorry for sharing with the world that you don’t wash your makeup brushes ever, R.)

It was with a heavy heart that I threw it out. Luckily, I already had several new mascaras to try out in my stash, thanks to a combination of mascara tubes courtesy of Ipsy and cashing in some coupons at the drugstore several weeks ago.

I had picked up Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express mascara at the drugstore, thinking that it would be the same as the tube I had thrown out. I knew there was a chance that it wouldn’t be exactly the same since I wasn’t 100% sure what type of mascara I threw out considering the markings on the tube had worn off a long time ago. Still, I assumed it would be close enough. Wrong! Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the brush is different than my old one. In all likelihood, the formula is probably a little different too, but I can say for certain that the brush is probably the main reason why my lashes aren’t as volumized as I’d like them to be.

The moral of this story is to not get so attached to an old mascara that is discontinued and have no new favorites lined up to replace the discontinued one. My lashes are fairly lengthy naturally, so I like to use mascara for volume rather than length. Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express mascara is fairly good, but I’m a little disheartened that it’s not turning out to be a replacement for my beloved old mascara.

Anyone got any tried and true mascaras they can recommend? My one requirement for mascara is that it’s at a drugstore-friendly price.

The post When You Don’t Replace Mascara Every Three Months appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

I was really impressed with the atmosphere at LiLLie’s. I think that may have been the most impressive part of my experience, actually. It was a small, cozy restaurant that had an intimate atmosphere that I could see being perfect for an quiet brunch or romantic date night. My friend and I were seated by the window, and I enjoyed the view that the seating provided.

I ordered “the schnitzel,” which was comprised of “lightly breaded chicken breast, two over easy eggs, lemon, roasted potatoes, arugula.” The eggs and schnitzel were cooked to perfection and the arugula side salad with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes was the perfect size. However, I would have appreciated more than four (small) measly roasted potato wedges as well as a more seasoned plate. The eggs and schnitzel may have been cooked wonderfully, but it was sorely lacking some salt and pepper. Easily remedied on my own, but our table didn’t have either, and our server was nowhere to be found for the entirety of our meal.

Not once were my friend and I asked if we wanted anything to drink (we didn’t want anything besides water, but it’s customary to be asked), or how our food was, or if we wanted anything else to eat (dessert?). Not once did I even see our server, actually, so I’m not sure how we would have flagged her down had we decided to request salt and pepper or something besides water. It’s not like the place was packed; we were one of three tables and were the second of the three to be seated.

Did I enjoy my experience at LiLLie’s? I suppose. But mainly because my meal cost a total of $12 including tax. Would I have enjoyed it if I didn’t have a Scoutmob? In all likelihood, no. There are some great restaurants in DC so I’d much rather be spending my time and money there rather than a mediocre one.

The post Eating Out in DC: LiLLie’s Restaurant appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

The theme for May was Spring Fling. Ipsy COMPLETELY outdid themselves this month, guys. I know I am generally impressed with Ipsy every month (which is a great thing for a monthly subscription service!) but this is the best Ipsy bag I have received, hands down. (It definitely tops any Birchbox that I ever had.) Why is this month’s bag so great, you ask? Well, just check out the brands included (and the size of the items!)

For previous Ipsy boxes I’ve received, check out this tag.

• ZOYA: Nail polish in “Blu”
  Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments puts beauty, fashion and style into every bottle with innovative custom color creations and fashion trend adaptation resulting in a truly luxury cosmetic experience. The award-winning, ultra long-wearing Zoya formula is also vegan friendly and Big5Free.
  I’ve been wanting to try a Zoya polish for forever as everyone always raves about it, but I never did so I am thrilled to have received this in my Ipsy bag. “Blu” is a pretty light blue pastel that I don’t have and have been wanting for a while, so I am happy with this. I can’t wait to pair it with some of my glitter polishes.
• Pacifica: Bronzing Body Butter
  Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter: Treat, enhance and illuminate. This unique Body Butter – bursting, with crushed pearls, mineral color and ultra-nourishing phytonutrients – leaves skin healthy, moisturized, smooth and sun-kissed-sexy. Coconut oil, tropical extracts, antioxidants and sea minerals hydrate and nourish.
  I LOVED the Pacifica blood orange body butter included in my January Ipsy bag and am equally pleased with this. I don’t own a bronzing body butter and this smells awesome (coconut!)
• NuMe: Finishing Serum
  This light, greaseless, and humidity resistant formula delivers a straight-up glossy finish. NuMe Finishing Serum protects your hair from environmental and physical stress, treating split ends and sealing hair with added, brilliant shine. Our advanced formula is made with lightweight silicones, vitamins, and an antioxidant designed to tame fly-aways and frizz.
  I love that this focuses on split ends because um, I totally have them. I like to rotate through my hair oils and serums so this will be added to my rotation.
• Juice Beauty: Reflecting Gloss in “Fig”
  This exclusive, pre-launch of the Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss will give your lips brilliant shine while keeping them healthy and nourished. A combination of antioxidant-rich acai and goji berries, natural minerals and sweet agave nectar that will give your lips radiant color! Made with certified organic ingredients.
  This gloss is fairly pigmented, yet sheer, and goes on without being too sticky. I don’t have a color like it but I find that it’s more suited to me than I would have imagined! Perhaps I need to stray out of my lip color comfort zone more.
• yaby: Concealer in “Buff”
  yaby concealers have a creamy texture and are extremely easy to apply. They are highly pigmented to correct any imperfection on the face and body, are creamy and gentle for around the eyes and are tear proof! Vegan friendly and contains no animal byproducts.
  I mean… it’s concealer. Nothing too exciting here. Luckily, it’s a perfect match for my skin tone. I stuck this refill in my glamRx palette I got in my March Ipsy bag.
• Urban Decay: Moondust Eyeshadow in “Stargazer”
  New technology gives Moondust an amazing effect not found in traditional pressed-powder shadows. It feels like a cream but goes on like a powder to create a smooth, brilliantly reflective look. The result? Sexy, twinkling sparkle with a ton of depth and movement. Works best when applied with your fingers. For extra intense color payout, try it wet.
  This was a bonus item! A full-sized Urban Decay eyeshadow; impressive, right?! Stargazer is a pretty lime-gold with brown undertones. I don’t have anything like it and can totally see how using it as a pop of color in the center of the lid would totally jazz up a look.

The post Ipsy: Spring Fling (May 2013) appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Personally, I’m torn about the direction I want my blog to go in when it comes to advertising.

Sidebar Ads
I debated for a while with using Passionfruit Ads to host ads in my sidebar to other blogs. I’ve found that it’s a good way to discover new websites that are relevant to the website that the ad is on, and it’s a simple enough set up. Except that every time I view a site that has Passionfruit Ads enabled in their sidebar, it doesn’t seem to load. I don’t think it’s fair to charge someone for ad space (even if the rate is more than reasonable) for an ad that just won’t appear. (Something to address, Passionfruit! Take note.)

Of course, I could always offer advertising space manually and have all the transactions done through Paypal. Automated makes life a lot easier but if the best automated system I know of doesn’t work as well as manually doing it, then that kind of decides the situation for itself.

Sponsored Posts
This is a tricky one. I don’t mind sidebar ads because they’re not intrusive to the reading experience. But sponsored posts? It’s ridiculously easy for one bad sponsored post to leave a bad taste in a reader’s mouth that might not ever leave. Building a readership involves building trust, trust that the blogger is sharing his or her own individual opinion. Not that sponsored posts restrict a blogger from doing so, but it’s always a red flag when a blogger addresses a subject they never have before and the post is sponsored. It’s also a red flag when there are multiple sponsored posts in a row and the blog loses its sense of self. (It’s always a sad day when I unsubscribe from a blog that’s fallen victim to that situation.)

Then we get to the more important question: what is a reasonable rate for a sponsored post? What blog/social media stats are taken into account when deciding on this number? Is there any difference between a sponsored post and a paid link in the eyes of Google, who will strip PageRank stats off those who are caught selling space for paid links?

Product Reviews
I am more than comfortable with doing product reviews (having done one before) as long as the product is something that is in line with my interests and makes sense on my blog. As a general rule, I don’t accept monetary compensation for a product review as that could be grounds for someone to accuse me of my review being biased. I just ask that the product or experience is provided to me free of charge.

What are your thoughts on blog monetizing? Which method(s) have worked best for you?

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Luckily, a major stressor has been lifted (more on this to come!) and I can fully focus my energies where they need to be for the next week and a half in preparation for my first business trip! I’m taking off on Friday to go to San Francisco for a few days, which is very exciting. I know it will be a lot of work before, during and after the trip, but this is a great professional opportunity and I am determined to get all I can out of it. On a personal note, I’m also hoping that Cindy and I can coordinate our schedules so that we can meet up over dinner like we did when she was in DC in January!

Beauty
Beauty is in the (critical) eye of the beholder, as Sarah reminds us.

Family
Sarah shares words of wisdom from her mom and aunts.

Kathleen’s mom is awesome. Here’s seven reasons why.

Food
I love using fruit in savory dishes, so this grilled chicken with blackberry sweet and sour sauce sounds amazing.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes? Yes please!!

Life
Marjorie’s take on living alone makes me all the more excited for a positive outlook towards my upcoming housing change.

Money
I’m retooling my budget and reevaluating my approach to budgeting, so I appreciated Pear’s post about how she tricks her mind into thinking she has less as a motivator for better saving strategies. (As an aside, anyone got any budgeting tips they’d like to share?)

Girl Meets Debt explains why an emergency fund isn’t necessary for her right now.

The post Link Love, Vol. 16 appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

It was glorious.

So glorious, in fact, that now I am a little more indifferent towards being as vigorous about staying in the loop as I was before I went on vacation. I think this is a good thing overall; I was definitely a little too dependent on social media and email before. But I am a little surprised to see just how long it’s taking me to fully get back on the grid. It’s taking me a little longer to reply to emails, I check Twitter and Facebook more infrequently, and I struggle a little with coming up with blog idea topics.

(The irony of writing this post is that I probably will start tweeting incessantly and come up with tons of blog entry ideas after I hit “publish.” Oh, well.)

A big chunk of the reasoning behind my new-fangled stance towards social media is the fact that life has become incredibly busy and stressful this month, so my priorities have shifted temporarily and currently lie elsewhere. When you’re scrambling to make sure nothing gets derailed in a busy and stressful time, staying on top of a Twitter feed naturally takes a back seat.

I’m not naive enough to make an outlandish statement like, “My social media habits are changed forever!!” but right now I am definitely in a transitional phase. It will pass soon enough, I’m sure; all phases do. But in the meantime, I’m going to focus on myself/”real life” and concentrate on not spreading myself too thin.

The post The After Effects of My Social Media Detox appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

My friends and I went to St. Augustine for spring break senior year of college. We picked St. Augustine somewhat by accident; we had considered other beach-y locations but eventually had to rule them out due to cost. When I remembered that G has told me countless stories of childhood summers he spent at St. Augustine with his family, I suggested the city as one we, too, could go to. It was a brilliant decision as I fell in love with the city.

St. Augustine has the distinction of being the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States. Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain in 1513; St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. The city is filled with historic streets, Spanish style architecture and is located along a beautiful, beautiful beach.

Things To See
St. Augustine Beach
This is kind of a no-brainer but you really can’t go to St. Augustine without spending some time along the beautiful beach. Even if you’re not a beach person and don’t enjoy beaches for the sand and surf, at least check it out for how pretty the beach is.

The Fountain of Youth
Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain during his search for the famed Fountain of Youth. Well, the Fountain of Youth is in St. Augustine! It’s located in an archeological park that also has exhibits about Pedro Menendez, another Spanish conqueror; the native Timucua Indians; the work of Spanish missionaries; and a historic cannon firing demonstration. There are also peacocks and squirrels running around the park!

St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum
Being such an old city, St. Augustine has had its fair share of pirates roaming the city and burning buildings to the ground back in its day. The Pirate and Treasure Museum has tons of interactive exhibits that take you back to the very beginning of the history of piracy. The collection of rare pirate artifacts is one of the largest authentic collections in the world.

Lightner Museum
The Lightner Museum occupies three floors of the former Hotel Alcazar, which had been built to appeal to wealthy tourists in the 1800′s. As you can imagine, it’s a gorgeous building. The museum’s artifacts are mainly American Victorian antiquities. If antiquities aren’t your thing, the building itself is worth checking out.

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum
I have a thing for lighthouses and the St. Augustine one doesn’t disappoint. The museum portion of the building is about living and working in the lighthouse back in the day. Also, apparently the lighthouse is haunted…

Things To Do
Go on Walking Tours of the City
Between pub crawls, walking tours and ghost tours, walking tours of St. Augustine are a great way of exploring the city. I went on a ghost tour and had a great time. St. Augustine definitely does have a ghostly/spooky history, and the ghost tour did a great job of telling us about the city’s history but not in a way that made me sleepless for weeks.

Go Old Town (particularly St. George Street)
St. George Street is a pedestrian street that has lots of restaurants and little shops to pop into. I purchased a few pieces of jewelry as keepsakes of my trip as well as some shirts and one of my friends almost left St. George Street with a baby turtle as a pet, so there’s lots of stuff to check out in the area. If nothing else, just wander along the street and soak up the distinctive St. Augustine atmosphere that St. George Street has to offer.

Tour the Wine and Chocolate Factories
I love wine and chocolate, so of course I jumped on the chance to tour the San Sebastian Winery and the Whetstone Chocolate Factory. I particularly enjoyed the chocolate factory tour because we were taken behind the scenes and allowed to help out with production, not to mention able to sample lots of different kinds of chocolate!

Flagler College Legacy Tour
Henry Flagler, an American industrialist, has left his mark all over St. Augustine. Aside from Hotel Alcazar, this is most apparent with Flagler College. Formerly the Hotel Ponce de Leon, it is considered one of the best examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. In its heyday, dignitaries and the upper class graced the halls of this building, and its home to the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows in the world.

Where to Eat
A1A Ale Works
The drinks and seafood at A1A Ale Works are spot on. If you’re seated upstairs, you have a great view of the Bridge of Lions, which connects downtown St. Augustine to Anastasia Island. A1A Ale Works does on-site brewing and makes everything from scratch. Great seafood and awesome drinks – what more can you ask for?

Sunset Grille
Located on Anastasia Island, Sunset Grille boasts to be the 33-time winner of “The Great Chowder Debate.” It has a very family-friendly menu and everything is pretty good. Because Sunset Grille was close to where I stayed, I ate there several times and had a good experience each time.

Pizzalley’s Chianti Room
You can’t go to Pizzalley’s Chianti Room and not order the breadsticks. They are like heaven on earth and are by FAR the best breadsticks I’ve ever had. Of course, the rest of the food there is amazing, and I think I had the best cannolis of my life (with chocolate cream!). But even if you’re not into Italian food, THE BREADSTICKS. You absolutely have to try them. Plus, it’s not a badly priced restaurant at all.

The Beachcomber Restaurant
Beachcomber is literally on the beach and is a great place to eat if you’re going to be on the beach all day. It’s got a great, laid-back atmosphere and kind of has a hole-in-the-wall vibe. The service is very friendly and I love its proximity to the water.

Pop n Off, Hyppo
Two of my favorite snack spots in St. Augustine were Pop n Off and Hypoo, a gourmet popcorn and gourmet popsicle shop, respectively. I had dill pickle popcorn from Pop n Off and a pineapple cilantro popsicle from Hyppo. Both are flavors I now associate with St. Augustine, so I highly recommend checking them out if you’re craving a snack.

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