baked explorations

I posted about Baked, the most amazing bakery in the world, located in Redhook, Brooklyn last year when I paid them a visit and sampled a fabulous chocolate, ginger cookie.  With cookie and cookbook in hand, I returned to Toronto to try out a couple recipes and see if I could figure out the cookie recipe.  I actually emailed Baked and got a lovely response indicating that the recipe was for bakery batches, not the home cook but to stay tuned for the next cookbook for a recipe.  It’s here!!!!! Baked Explorations is on the market and I am going to order my copy right away.  I’m sooo excited 🙂

via the dog's breakfast

via modern domestic

via LA Weekly

more posters

I am starting to collect items so I can fill my condo walls which are depressingly bare at the moment.  So far, I’ve stuck to posters and prints which I plan on framing and either displaying on shelves or hanging.  In my hunt for the interesting, unusual and quirky, here are a couple more posters that I have found from an online design store called Epla in Norway.  Sadly, I will not be ordering these posters from Norway, as I typically draw the line for shipping in the US as much as I would love to have them decorate my space.  I guess it means I have to make a trip to my design mecca (any scandinavian country).  Awww shucks!

via Epla

via Epla

stylish dinnerware

via kim vallee

via kim vallee

movember?

As Movember winds down in the next week, I thought this post would be applicable to all the guys out there measuring how they did growing their stashes to raise money for prostate cancer.

via laughing squid

wrapping

My attention has been turned to wrapping over the past couple weeks.  Firstly, I have been to Ikea more than I would like to admit gathering items for the condo.  Every time i’m in there at the check out counter, I can’t help but look to the gift wrapping collections of bows, wrapping paper, ribbon and ornaments, they have so “conveniently” placed around the check out aisle.  I have resisted purchasing Ikea wrapping paper so far as I am still working through some roles I bought last year.   However, last week I made my yearly pilgramage to the Ashley’s Warehouse sale in Toronto to stock up on gifts, home items and wrapping accessories.  What I love about the Ashley’s sale is that they have a massive wall of ribbon at discounted prices, all colour coded, and ready for an imaginative gift wrapping.  I picked up three spools this time, in different patterns (gingham, polka dots, checks) in purples and greys.  When I saw a similarly themed post on Lorajean’s Magazine, I was ready to put my purchases into practice.  Fortunately for me I have a reason to wrap gifts.  Tomorrow night, one of my close girl friends is getting married and I put together an entire beverage themed gift for her that will involve wrapping lots of boxes.

via lorajean's magazine