The Cinemagraphs By Jamie Beck

Just found these stunning images. New York City-based fashion photographer Jamie Beck, in collaboration with Kevin Burg, a web designer with a background in video and motion graphics, has created a series of gorgeous animated GIFs she calls “cinemagraphs” . They are really well done, subtle and sophisticated. I LOVE them and I think they are glamorous and mesmerizing. Check out her collection.

That's How Everybody Should Feel ;)

Breakfast Berry Crisp

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

for the fruit:

600g (1L/4c) mixed berries

50g (0.25c) brown sugar (or more, depending upon how sweet the fruit is)

2dspn (1.5Tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)

the juice of one orange

For the topping:

60g (0.5c) rolled oats

40g (0.3c) sweet desiccated coconut

20g (2Tbsp) pumpkin seeds

20g (2Tbsp) sunflower seeds

20g (2Tbsp) sliced almonds

25g (2Tbsp) brown sugar

pinch of salt

pinch of nutmeg

0.5tsp cinnamon

0.25tsp ground ginger

3Tbsp maple syrup

2Tbsp soft butter

0.5tsp vanilla

yoghurt and honey for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Butter a 2.5L (11c) baking dish.

Mix fruit with 50g brown sugar, cornflour and orange juice. Tip into the prepared baking dish.

Mix the topping ingredients together, rubbing in the butter, to make a nubbly, rubbly topping. Strew onto the fruit.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the fruit blurbles and boils and the the topping has turned a golden brown.

Serve warm or cold with yoghurt and honey (or sweetened whipped cream or ice cream).

GOLDEN SPARKLE

Above some suggestions if you would like to add some gold to your table:

1. Midas Glassware is dipped in a bath of gold, by Swedish designers Front
2. Porcelain teapot with gold finish
3. Dotted 23k Gold Mug from Baileys Doesn’t Bark
4. Tree Bomb Mug from ferm LIVING
5. Dotted 23k Gold Plate from Baileys Doesn’t Bark

'Geronimo' Spring 2011

Love the cute clothing and dreamy photography for Geronimo's Spring 2011 collection.

MIRATIS: NEW ONLINE SHOP



Large Spanish Lace Jug

  

Large Triangular Crochet Vase



Large Flower Bowl

 

Large Torn Bowl



Pretty products from Miratis, a new online shop offering contemporary products for the home. Miratis (“mirus” meaning wonderful/astonishing/wonderful and “artes” meaning the skill of art and craft) gives immediate access to a hand-picked selection of some of the most exciting designers and makers in Europe and beyond from textiles to glass, ceramics to metal and more.

Quote Of The Day

Pistachio- Raspberries Cheese Cake

Cheesecake was always my favorite dessert. This version of cheese cake is classic New York-style that sits atop a nutty pistachio-flavored crust and is topped with seasonal fresh fruit. Here, raspberries is used, but feel free to try strawberries, blueberries, or kiwi. The combination of vanilla paste and vanilla extract makes for a strong infusion of flavor.

(Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, serves 10)

Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust: 

• ¼ cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling: 

• 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature for at least 6 hours
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste, or seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• ½ cup apricot jam
• ½ cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, pulsed in a food processor until coarsely ground
• 3 (1/2-pint) containers raspberries
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
• 
  
• Directions:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bring water to a boil for a water bath. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 2-inch cake pan; set aside. 2. To make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the pistachios with the sugar and the salt until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and butter, and mix to combine. Press the graham cracker mixture over the bottom of the buttered pan. Set aside. 3. To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and vanilla paste or seeds on medium-high speed, scraping down the bowl several times, until the mixture is completely smooth, about 5 minutes. 4. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the eggs one at a time, until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the sour cream until blended. 5. Place the cake pan in a roasting pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cake pan-it will come all of the way to the top of the pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour in the boiling water to come about ½ inch up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the filling is set but still jiggles slightly in the center, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Chill for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, in the pan. 6. To finish, heat the bottom of the pan over a flame or an electric element to loosen the crust. Invert the pan onto a 9-inch cake round or large plate. Remove the pan from the cake and invert once more onto a 9-inch round or large plate so the crust is on the bottom. In a small saucepan, warm the strained jam over low heat until liquid. Strain through a fine strainer. Brush the top and sides of the cheesecake with the strained jam. Cover the top of the cake with a single layer of raspberries. Holding the cake with one hand under the bottom, and working over a sheet pan to catch the excess, gently press the ground pistachios all around the side of the cake. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. TECHNIQUE TIP: Cheesecakes are traditionally made in springform pans wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a water bath. Water often leaks into the pans, creating a soggy crust. Instead, as with this recipe, try making cheesecakes in a regular cake pan to ensure that water won't leak into the pan. To serve the cake, remove it from the refrigerator, then heat it over a flame or electric element just enough to warm the sugar and butter in the crust; invert the pan and the cake will release easily.

  via here

‘Piece of Cake’ Layer Slicing Kit

Trying to make the perfect layer cake try this ‘Piece of Cake’ Layer Slicing Kit . It allows you to slice uniform layers. I'm excited already can't wait to buy it!

Thomas Kral

I just love how this artist 'upgrades' old jars + bottles to make them better than new ...

Especially love the gold foiling. 

Gorman Winter 2011

 Loving the color palette in Gorman's quirky + eclectic Winter 2011 collection.

Lillian Bassman

Lillian Bassman was born in 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. She reigns today as the doyenne, one of the last great women photographers of the post war period. She was married to Paul Himmel in 1935 and is one of the truly great artist couples, literally of the last Century, they have been married for more that 73 years!

Lillian Bassman’s work in black and white is the experimental and romantic vision, as seen mostly in Harper’s Bazaar in the 1950’s that brought a sophisticated, new aesthetic to print photography. From the 1940’s Bassman was at the cutting edge of fashion working as both fashion photographer and art director for Harpers Bazaar. At Junior Bazaar she worked with young photographers such as Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, Louis Faurer, Arnold Newman and Paul Himmel. Then under Russian émigré and Modernist guru Alexey Brodovitch (and while using George Hoyningen-Huene’s darkroom), Bassman started shooting pictures herself – diffuse, moody images with an idiosyncratic vocabulary of gestures and an unsettling edge. With their blurred silhouettes and unusual compositions – a gown modelled in a window to resemble a butterfly, a dramatic lingerie model covering her face, a pair of arms hugging naked shoulders- Bassman’s images flirts with abstraction and conjures up a sensuous dream world. Bassman soon was in constant demand and, in addition to her editorial work shot campaigns for Chanel and Balenciaga.

By the 1970’s Bassman’s interest in pure form began to clash with fashion’s changing aesthetic. Her increasing disenchantment led her to abandon fashion photography in favour of her own projects. In a bold attempt to free herself creatively from the past, she jettisoned 40 years of negatives and prints – her life’s work. Over twenty years later, luck resurrected a forgotten bag, brimful of hundreds of images. Now Bassman is enjoying a resurgence at fashions forefront, with exhibitions at museums and galleries worldwide. At 87, she is now working with digital technology and abstract colour photography to create a new series of work. Her work stands testimony to one of the great creative personalities of our time.

Rainbow Pancakes

Servings:   12 pancakes with fruit skewers

Ingredients:

·        2 cups Bisquick baking mix or any pancake mix

·        1 cup milk

·        2  eggs

·        red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple food color

·        red fruit: raspberries or strawberries

·        orange fruit: oranges

·        yellow fruit: pineapple or bananas

·        green fruit: kiwis or green grapes

·        blue fruit: blueberries

·        purple fruit: purple grapes or blackberries

·        6 inch bamboo skewers

Directions:

• Choose one fruit for each color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Cut fruit into one inch cubes. String one fruit from each color onto the skewer in rainbow order. Repeat this until you have 12 fruit skewers.
• In a small bowl combine the Bisquick mix, milk, and eggs until blended. Separate mixture evenly into 6 small bowls (around 1/2 cup each). Dye each bowl one of the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Cook pancakes by pouring 1/4 cup of batter onto a hot greased skillet or griddle. This will make two pancakes of each color.
• Stack cooked pancakes in rainbow order and insert 6 fruit skewers into the pancakes creating a rainbow shape.
• Serve with maple syrup.
• Makes 2 stacks of complete rainbows with 2 fruit rainbows

Quote Of The Day

Hilton Pattaya, Thailand

Located in one of the most stunning districts of Thailand, the Hilton Pattaya Hotel offers startling design, generally found in a piece of abstract art. With architecture as stylish and elegant, gracefully flowing like the sea it sits on, the getaway provides the guest serenity in both form and function.  An ultramodern design with traditional Southeast Asian aesthetic elements, the Hilton Pattaya Hotel offers calming gardens surrounded by a unique waterway that runs along the exterior’s entirety. Complete with an outdoor lounge and an infinity pool, this hotel offers the amenities and view of a tropical escape.

Gold Staples in a Pinch!

I was in desperate need of gold staples but couldn’t find any locally and didn’t have time to order them. I improvised with a gold permanent pen and violá instant gold staples!

While staples come in a plethora of colors now a days, it’s fun to make your own. I imagine that this would work with any permanent marker as well and it’s a good trick when you’re in a bind!

Look Of The Day



Lanvin Skirt



WOODLAND PAPERCUTS

These Woodland Papercuts wedding suites are simply gorgeous. You can 

Treasure Chest

By Sass & Bide "I Found Treasure Harness"

This piece is gorgeously stunning! 

Quote Of The Day

Istanbul EDITION Hotel

The brand new luxury lifestyle EDITION Hotel is scheduled to operate and make its European debut in Istanbul this Month.  With the extraordinary, 20,000 square foot, three-floor ESPA spa,  Istanbul EDITION Hotel offers its guests an incomparable spa experience integrating beauty, health, and wellness in a setting of fine design and luxury.  An inimitable experience; a stylish immersion into breathtaking contemporary design with influences of Turkish tradition.