BAG’n’NOUN

I’ve been participating in a 30 day yoga workshop at my studio where I practice seven days a week from 6-7:30am.  It’s incredible how much more productive you are when you start your day earlier with a workout and asana practice.  Today, when I got home, I read through an old issue of Monocle magazine and discovered a cool accessory line from Japan.  Monocle regularly features items from Japanese designers and craftmakers which is great when you’re in Toronto and looking for new and different. 

My find this morning is BAG’n’NOUN.  The colours and lines of their bags are beautiful, vibrant, functional and statements.  BAG’n’NOUN designs and manufactures all of their bags locally in Osaka and uses high quality duck canvas in their products.  I can’t find a picture of it, but they have an awesome looking duffle bag and I really like their narrow, rectangular shopping bag (pics below) which reminds me of the LV shopping bag. 

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Prairie Girl Bakery

There is a new cupcake shop in downtown Toronto called Prairie Girl bakery.  Located in the financial district, a rather unlikely place for a bakery, Prairie Girl brings much needed colour and sugar to the corner of King and Victoria.  I went in last week with a colleague from work for a visit and taste test.  We tested four mini cupcakes between the two of us, vanilla lemon, red velvet cream cheese, chocolate peppermint and carrot cream cheese.  We both concluded that the icing had good consistency, was soft and whipped tasting, not overly buttery, and packed with flavour (for the lemon icing on the vanilla cupcake).  The cakes themselves were spongy and overall, quite satisfying. 

The merchandising and presentation of the cupcakes in the store is great, however the cupcakes themselves are simple and home baked in their look.  The owner has rows of cupcakes all lined up in the front display cases and on the back shelves giving a visually pleasing effect.  The base of the counter looks like swirls of white cupcake icing that has been carved or molded into the facade. FYI, there is no coffee/beverage in the store, just cupcakes.  Jean, the owner of Prairie Girl Bakery, has created a solid product and is a contender for an overall good tasting cupcake in the city.  They are neither complicated or fussy.  Just simply baked and dressed with icing with a clear attention paid to ingredients and flavour combinations.  I wish her the best of luck on carving out her niche in the financial district.

bakeshop

I was in Prague a couple of weeks ago and checked out this adorable bakery in the middle of Old Town.  I was impressed with the bakery’s stunning poured concrete counter based with its name “Bakeshop” etched in the cement.  Lunch, dessert, baked goods and Bakeshop’s famous sourdough bread is what you’ll find here. 

I tried a couple of cookies along side a cup of tea and while they weren’t the best cookies I’ve ever had in the world, they were good enough for me to return and try something else.   The rest of the baked goods and bread looked amazing and the bakery certainly smelled delicious.  The interior design was interesting with lots of juxtaposition of glass, wood, metal and cement mixed with an ornate high ceiling, cool chandeliere and old posters.  This place is perfect for people watching out their big windows on both sides of the store.

cake stands

Good cake stands are hard to find.  Maybe it’s just me, but I never see interesting cake stands when I am out and about in Toronto.  You can typically find a simple white, round stand, sometimes with a scalloped edge but that’s it.  Perhaps I’m shopping at the wrong stores in Toronto, or maybe Torontonians are not into displaying their cakes and sweets on a pedestal.  Either way, I’ve found a solution: Sweet and Saucy Supply. 

I’ve blogged about Sweet and Saucy Shop before, the bakery run by talented Melody Brandon in Long Beach, California before.  Melody has added a natural extension to her pastry business, cakewear supply, because as her mother told her, people eat with their eyes first- I could not agree more.  Sweet and Saucy Supply offers an impressive, arty and decorative line up of stands, platters, domes and bowls for sale in a wide range of colours.   I cannot confirm yet that they will ship outside of the US, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I tend to prefer whites/blacks/clear glass serving pieces- so here is a sample of my favourites (however, the coloured glass stands are attractive as well):

via sweet and saucy supply

via sweet and saucy supply

via sweet and saucy supply

via sweet and saucy supply

via sweet and saucy supply

one love organics

I love this super cute packaging from One Love Organics, a new skin and body care line from the US.  A company that is driven by producing ethical, natural and environmentally conscious products, One Love Organics will surely be a hit in no time!  Their Skin Saviour product looks like a good moisturizer that I hope to try out.

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via the dieline

bottega louie macarons

It’s been a while since I have reviewed a mac-spot, so I’m filling the void. 

When I think of macarons in Los Angeles, I think of Paulette which I have blogged about before.  Apparently, Bottega Louie has been off my radar, until now.  What an establishment!  Bottega Louie is a serious macaron contender in Los Angeles, among other things.  The review in the LA Times states that Bottega Louie is “big portions, big crowds, and big noise,” the LA Weekly review states “it tries to be all things to all people and succeeds,” however the 2277 reviews on Yelp screams “quality food,” “quality service” and “trendy.”

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via bottega louie

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acme party box company

I am studying to take my Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam in a couple of weeks and this company I found is totally fitting for the material I’m trying to absorb on energy and water waste reduction, using sustainable materials and recycled content. 

For those of you who entertain a lot and can’t stand wasting the decor, gifts, tableware, Acme Party Box Company out of San Francisco offers reusable party accessories and decor items made from sustainable materials so you can rest easy that your party is environmentally friendly.  For example, some of the items Acme sells can be planted in your garden, reused as home decor.  The best part of all this is that you do not need to compromise on style to be environmentally friendly. Acme stuff is so cute and they offer party ideas on their website as well as their blog.

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via 100 layer cake

colourful knives

I am trying to do a bit of spring cleaning this weekend and for me that means, sorting, organizing and (gasp) disposing of some of my old magazines.  It’s a pity that I cannot keep all my magazines because if I did, I would be a candidate for one of those hoarder shows.  Again and again, will power takes over, as does my interest in living a somewhat minimalist lifestyle, and my precious magazines go to the recycling box.  In this particular clean up, I flipped through an old issue of Bon Appetit and came across these vibrant, fun knives by Swiss brand, Kuhn Rikon.  They remind me of a fun accessory for spring to brighten up the kitchen.  Now don’t be fooled by their colour, my friend has a set and they are incredibly sharp- no play toy. 

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via what makes me happy

via aspen grove home

via bon appetit