A few key things happened after I got married.
A change of title from Miss to Mrs, an update to 'married' on my facebook status, a brief pondering of what will become of my now redundant 'I heart my boyfriend' t-shirt, and the strangest of all- a sudden and inexplicable explosion of sweet and sugary foods in my diet.
I kid you not, the day immediately after the wedding, it was sugar overload.
Although I've heard of the phenomenon, I've always thought myself immune to the seductive advances of the 'I can finally let myself go now that I'm married' club but, seriously, what other explanation can there be?
This sunny Tuesday afternoon I succumbed to the temptation of delicious honey from New Zealand brand J. Friend and Co. which I acquired during a Saturday shopping trip to Simon Johnson. I was drawn to the pretty packaging and interesting varieties with odd little names like 'Vipers Bugloss' that I struggle to pronounce. The poetic description on the back reads 'light pollen and floral notes with a distinctive vanilla taste'. Sounds good right? Well, boy is it ever. It can be eaten straight from the jar. No need for useless intermediary items like toast or crackers... or a spoon. Nuh-uh.
However, I can't go past the combination of honey and lemon tea. One of my faves.
For a less conventional serving suggestion (that I discovered only just today) -place a generous dollop of honey directly onto a slice of lemon and enjoy. Where has this concept been my whole life?
{ photos by amy moss }
Ice-Cream Sandwiches are among my favourites in the "Ice-Cream" family.
After an exquisite meal at an elegant french restaurant, I have been known to politely refuse a chef prepared crème brûlée, under the pretext of 'fullness', in order to leave early and take an ungraceful dive into the nearest 7-eleven to acquire a, somewhat less fancy but, in my opinion, equally delicious, mass-produced dessert known as The Monaco Bar Ice-Cream Sandwich.
I am not ashamed by this fact. I stand by my love for these delectable creatures.
So, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this recipe for ice-cream sandwich goodness on Tartelette!
Firstly, Helen has used my Ice-Cream Parlour cup designs in her beautiful photos! 5 points right there already.
Secondly, she provides a gluten free recipe for the cookies! "Hooray!" shouts my supposed wheat allergy.
Perhaps now, instead of indulging in convenience store, pre-prepared packages of sin I can instead learn to make these delightful goodies for myself and also avoid the minor wheat-related tummy ailments. Now all that's left to do is actually get me in the kitchen.
{ photography by Helene Dujardin }
Love the labelled jars for homemade jam, marmalade, chutney, pickles and home-grown herbs from Burgon & Ball.
Described as being "a gathering place for sea goers who seek warmth", San Francisco's Outerlands looks like the ideal cafe for a cosy brunch with comforting, homey fare. Great name too! If only I lived in SF.
Last year I was approached by The Cool Hunter to style some photos for a pitch to McDonalds for an upmarket pop-up restaurant for fashion week. The concept was to give McDonalds food a complete makeover and re-brand the fast food giant with an aesthetic suitable for a 5 star restaurant. (Read more about it here). I designed packaging that incorporates familiar high-end fashion branding and worked with photographer Marija Ivkovic to create some wonderful shots!
Above are the various concepts we came up with including Paul Smith Sundaes that incorporates a gorgeous cupcake wrapper design by The Cupcake Wrapper Co. Just in case you're interested, the cutlery used in these shots are Seletti disposables that we spray painted white.
We also did a whole series of a black packaging alternatives but I think the white ended up being the most effective.
McFancy is such a fantastic concept and I felt extremely honoured to be a part of the team that brought it to life. It was also amazing to meet talented photographer Marija Ivkovic whose enthusiasm and constant positive energy made her a real joy to work with. Check out her amazing Photobooth for event hire.
Loads of colourful inspiration in a series of visual books depicting various aspects of Paris lifestyle. By family run Japanese publishing house Paumes. I'd love to collect them all!
I've long been a fan of Sanna Annukka's gorgeous folk art inspired illustrations. I'm really loving her tin designs for Marks and Spencer's biscuits (top) and Paulig Coffee (bottom).
A hand-blended combination of two of my favourite things- belgian chocolate and gourmet teas- what could be better? I love the pretty water-colour illustrations on the packaging too. Choclatea bars from Smile Chocolatiers
Meet Mr and Mrs Egghead. An impulse purchase that was the combined result of sifting through cheap kitsch in touristy beachside shops and a kind of crazed frivolity that comes with finally being on holiday. Maybe it was just a little too much sun, I don't know, but I thought these eggcups found in Phillip Island, Victoria were the most adorable little things ever and I instantly had to have them. And now I do.
The Penguin Parade was AMAZING, by the way.
One of my favourite blogs of all time is A Field Journal. I'm sure many of you have seen it before and are well aware of just how truly inspiring it is! Through her breathtaking photo-styling and the most adorable creative projects, Livy conjures up a perfect little world in which to get lost.
Last week was 'Apple Week' where Livy provided some tempting autumn-inspired apple recipes accompanied, of course, by her signature gorgeous imagery.
Feast your eyes on these: Apple Cider, Candied Apples, Caramel Apples and Apple Crisp. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Very cute table design with recipes and free printables including these little flags in a multitude of pretty patterns from Morning by Foley.
This cutie-pie set of christmas themed stamps from Aspen & Brown would make great embellishments for cards, tags and giftwrap this Christmas.
These chocolate filled Peppermint Meringues would make an attractive and delectable addition to your Christmas table. Get the recipe from Martha.
Also check out her Heavenly Holiday Desserts. I find her Hazelnut Praline Torte to be particularly striking.
Stunning in their simplicity and natural aesthetic, wooden
tableware has become a recent fascination of mine, especially pieces of
the miniature variety! They add such a beautiful touch to a table
design- great for parties and entertaining! Continue for more info on
my own personal collection as well as items on the wishlist!
Read more...
It was just before Christmas last year and my mother and I were in a
car headed towards Armadale when we discovered a little shop packed to
the brim with brightly coloured packages in a variety of beautiful and
exotic patterns. We were intrigued! Continue for more details and pics.
Read more...
The cutest food/drink containers in the prettiest colours...
Top: Superb branding for New York Cafe "Moomah" by Apartment One. Via Unruly Things
Bottom: The cutest little cupcake wrappers from The Cupcake Wrapper co. Available here.
Get all the details for how to re-create this exquisite blue and white, winter themed dessert buffet presented by The Inspired Bride and Bake it Pretty. Check it out here! (Via Erin Vale Design)
Whether used for favours or simply as a cup that guests can use to
collect their own selection of treats from your party's candy buffet,
the festive colours in this cup design allow for use at any occasion-
parties, weddings or even the upcoming Christmas and holiday season.
"La Dolce Vita" - Italian for "The Sweet Life" is a somewhat fitting
title for a cup with a solitary life purpose to contain lots of
delicious candy- No? Continue for more pics, ideas and to download your
free paper cup cover design!
Read more...
Was flicking through old editions of Inside Out magazine, garnering inspiration for some future projects when I happened upon this gorgeous table design by stylist Jenny Louey in their Xmas 07 edition. I love the surprising juxtaposition of cherries with Haigh's chocolate frogs- I think it strikes a lovely balance between sophistication and whimsy. I also love the rich colour scheme with deep reds and browns and the inclusion of easily sourced, everyday food items like Petit écolier biscuits and Lamingtons within such a stylish and elegant context. Gorgeous! Is it too early to be pondering Christmas?
I'm not normally a fan of such novelty items but this cluster of cookies greeting card was simply too pretty to ignore. From Matomeno.
