see: le bel ete

this quirky little short
for vanessa bruno, s/s '10
featuring lou doillon
is full of whimsy and sweet languor all at once...

hear: say hello

let's say hello to september.

summer came and went so fast.
and since my last post:
i've assembled a bedframe,
gone to the zoo
(i got to pet stingrays!)
attended a beautiful, and oh so glamorous wedding
(complete with a photobooth!),
as well as a surprise engagement party,
where we also found out that our
girlfriend who tied the knot last year
is now a mommy-to-be at three months!

it was a lovely season.
and though gone are the sun-drenched days
that seem to go on forever
and the sun now sleeps earlier and earlier,
i hope the fall promises things that are just as lovely.
i kick it off in london, then the big apple
so really, how can it not be lovely?

and now, for some rosie thomas and sufjan stevens cover
(the most adorable of them all!) ...



would he hold me
and never let me go...
would he let me borrow his old winter coat...

taste: a summery weekend (finally!)

it finally feels like summer here!
weekend weather was superbly hot
and on friday we had a lovely soiree
at a friend-slash-colleague's
quaint 2nd floor balcony
in the heart of kensington market.
and can i please tell you about the food:
pesto & spinach sausages, veal burgers with goat cheese
and sundried tomatoes, washed down with lots
and lots of beer, and sweet yellow mangoes for dessert.

saturday came and the summer heat
decided to stay a little while more.
so my parents threw an impromptu family bbq.
i made grilled vegetable antipasti:
zucchini, yellow, green and red peppers,
and onions all primly blackened and
caramelized, sliced and tossed in garlic
flavoured olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt
& pepper.i also made a fresh summer salad:
cucumbers, red onion, avocado, lots of dill,
chunks of brie, and a touch of lime juice and coarse salt.
the humid night wore on as we ate
ice cream and watermelon.

then, i had the most wonderful sunday evening.
the boy's parents and grandparents threw me
a little surprise birthday dinner.
we had: shrimp har gow, spring rolls, and
chicken corn soup to start. then, ginger and garlic lobster
with traditional chinese sweet dough bread, and
chicken in szechuan peanut sauce.
his parents know how much i love his
maternal grandparents and truly consider
them as my own. they are among the most
wonderful and extraordinary people i know,
and i could not have asked for a better
early birthday and end to the summery weekend.

---
images from martha stewart

see: she sells seashells...

calypso st. barth seems to have
captured the light hidden
in the coils of a seashell
in their most delicate pieces...

taste: ice cream cupcakes

i love cupcakes, ice cream, and martha stewart.
i am not great at baking, but most of the time, it turns out pretty good.
i can't wait to try and make these.
(mostly i think it's a genius excuse to eat cupcakes and gelato at once).


What you need:
(makes 4 dozen mini cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
14 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

4 pints ice cream and gelato, slightly softened

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl. Transfer bowl to mixer, and add egg, yolk, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is well combined and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide batter among liners, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 30 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks, and let cool completely. (Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days.)
4. using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, press a scoop of ice cream or gelato on top of each cupcake.

---
this morning, i got into a car accident.
i am ok.
our poor car is not.