kate spade

I forgot that some Kate Spade employees came by the shop a few weeks ago to get hooks for their pop-up shop in London, Covent Garden. They ended up with about 40 hooks, and didn't care if they matched as they were going to paint them all. Tonight I accidentally came across the result!

Not too shabby, I think... A fun way to have a funky look while still staying uniform and letting the merchandise talk :)

toast home autumn 09

The clothes at Toast always look comfy and cozy, which is something I find very important when the weather starts getting crispy (like right now!!). Their photos also make me want to go out into the English countryside and find a secluded cottage to lock myself away in.

However... this weekend I am looking forward to a weekend adventure with friends to Stonehenge and then Bath! Strangely, out of the four of us, I am the only one who has been to both.... and I am the only one who is not British... ah well. :)

yogurt lime cake with blackberry sauce

I made this Lime and Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce on Sunday night. It was/is super tasty, just the right amount of zing! And I did substitute olive oil for vegetable oil, as Ste and I have decided that vegetable makes us break out. But I really like the special taste that olive oil gives when combined with citrus and the sweet tartness of the blackberries!

Definitely try it out!

Cake
1 cup whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt (this is the ideal; however, I had success with 2% Greek yogurt)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (olive oil works as well, for a slightly different flavor profile)
1 cup sugar
zest of one lime
1/4 cup lime juice
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Sauce
12 ounces fresh blackberries (frozen should work as well, but you should start with half the water)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan with oil (I used a butter and flour spray out of habit, which works as well) and line the bottom with parchment paper if the pan is not springform.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, sugar, lime zest and juice. Add the eggs one by one, whisking well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, right over your yogurt batter. Stir with a spoon until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen. If you’re using the springform pan, unclasp the sides. Otherwise, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Make sauce: Combine blackberries, water, sugar and lime juice in blender or food processor. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Do ahead: This cake keeps very well for up to three days (or so I hear, but have not practiced), wrapped in plastic at room temperature. The sauce can be made up three days in advance, as well. It can also be frozen for future uses.

bunny of the week 54

Fifi limited edition pins found here

How cute is that?

Hard to resist, but at $40 I might be able to :/

morris & co

Recently my Mom forwarded me to Morris & Co, a company who still makes William Morris fabrics. After oohing and ahhing over the pictures online and downloading their pdf catalogues to browse through, I saw that you could order free samples of four prints! I made my selections and recently received my four squares of fabric.

top row: Brer Rabbit and Rose & Thistle

bottom row: Bird & Anemone & Honeysuckle Bull

Even though you can't see a rabbit on it, I really like the colors of Brer Rabbit. As I'm sure the prices are well out of range, I guess I'll just have to piece the four of these together and hang them somewhere to display their prettiness :)

swedish house

I just liked the simplicity of it.

Primary colors marrying well with each other is Sweden to me.

bunny of the week 53

William Morris Rabbits

newest acquisitions

A collage of my newest tile acquisitions. Wasn't so sure about the top left corner one until Ste pointed out it looks kind of Native American, so now I'm quite attached. I have finally added some German art nouveau tiles to my collection as well (middle in top row and middle in second row).

Many of the German tiles are extraordinary, very geometric and... German? Don't know how else to describe them. Hopefully I will be able to add to my knowledge of Belgian and German tiles soon :)

The one on the far left in the third row is very fun, if fit together in a whole set of the tiles, the shells interlock and repeat. The one right next to it (third row, middle) is a Voysey design, and Ste refers to the one in the bottom left hand corner as a "Transformer" tile (yes, like the movie).

Which is your favorite?

time for a post

Sorry I have been MIA, this past week has been very busy and tiring and all I want to do in the morning or evenings is fall fast asleep and try to recoop lost hours. More regular postings will resume shortly :)

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