What I Wish I Were Reading...

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Corinne May Botz, looks to be absolutely fantastic. The book depicts diorama crime scenes created in the 1940's by Frances Glessner Lee, a Chicago heiress with a passion for forensic study.
I am a great fan of things in miniature, but am especially intrigued when something of actual size is accidentally included, the usual suspects are oftentimes plants and hinges, or other hardware. However, the vignettes in this collection are brilliantly detailed and aesthetically sound. They surprise the viewer with a dark twist, and were intended to be used ( and still are today) as a training tool. The factual base of these grizzly scenes works in opposition to their innocent, doll house appearance. A sublime duality.

This fun site, created by Erin Hooper Bush, allows you to interactively explore a few of the dioramas... http://www.deathindiorama.com/index.html
and this will direct you to the page for Of Dolls & Murder, a documentary about the scenes and their creator... http://www.ofdollsandmurder.com/

Et Voila! Choclolate Guinness Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing (and a little Bailey's)

Preheat your oven to 350F. Pour 8 ounces of Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add 9 ounces of unsalted butter (pats) and heat until the butter melts. Then, whisk in 6 tbsp of cocoa and 2 cups of sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together 5 fluid ounces of sour cream, 2 eggs and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract... pour into the saucepan. Stir. Whisk in 2 cups of flour and 2 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Pour the batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the icing, beat 10 ounces of cream cheese until smooth, add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, Bailey's (to taste- if your adding a lot, cut back on the cream slightly) and beat until spreadable. Ice cupcakes when they are COMPLETELY cooled. My new favorite cake :)

Saturday Morning Ritual

Artisan bread + wood-fired oven + espresso = oh so happy me. Lately i have made a habit of going to Soltane Breads and Spreads, a bakery/coffee shop located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. It has become very difficult to choose between my favorite, croissant or the delectable candied ginger scone. Check out their website here - www.breadsandspreads.org/

Ode to a slice of Chocolate Guinness Cake

Devoured at I Made it for You, Pitfield Street, London.

The Elk in the Woods

...where I read this in the newspaper...

(The Elk in the Woods is located in Camden Passage, London)

Gardens

I've returned to England...

...to look for the heart I left here long ago.

Wallet Size

I keep a lot of photographs in my phone, mainly because I think of it more as a camera rather than a telephone. I keep photos of people and places I love.
Recently I was strolling through the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and happened upon these pocket portraits. I wondered, if I had lived then, how MANY of these things would I be lugging around?

Imminent Disaster ...let's hope not.

When I was young I had my bags packed. I should say bag. I should more specifically mention that this "bag" was my grandmother's old purse. Patent leather, white, large ball clasp, two shoulder straps (which would allow me to wear it as a backpack, unfortunately, then, the ball clasp hit me mid-spine) and utterly and completely mine. I stored in it my most prized possessions...awards from kindergarten, small toys, trinkets mostly, and my intent? As I told anyone who would ask, "It's my disaster bag." I remember packing it after watching a rather unsettling news broadcast about a hurricane and resulting flood. I remember packing it in case of emergency. I remember my mother asking me why it didn't contain any clean underwear.

Airstream living has forced me to be more...I won't say efficient, because I've been reluctant...let's just say, ready. It occurred to me the other day, I have a disaster bag once again! This happened completely by accident. There are definite, hard to ignore similarities, though, vintage bag, filled with trinkets, toys, mementos, photos...only this time slightly more practical- it does contain my passport...but still no underwear.

Lunatic

I am enthralled by these stereoscopic lunar photographs from the London Stereographic Society. As a young girl I remember watching Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker stood gazing at a dual sunset on Tatooine, and thinking, how great would it be to have two suns...or two moons... I guess these photos come close.

It's not camping if you live there...

...and I must say, the biggest challenge is the extremely spotty internet connection.

London Loves...

I have a long list, here are a few examples...

Coffee at Allpress

Hidden drawings at Spitalfields Market

Architecture

Roast Dinners. This one, from Frizzante, Hackney City Farm.

Do Ho Suh's installation at Tate Modern

Borough Market

Owl Cookies at Borough Market

Lewis Chessmen at the British Museum

I Love This...

The Tweed Run from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

Enraptured

...by this image.

Do click the link and see for yourself...a feature in the premier issue of Port magazine, out this month.

Guilty as charged...

Whenever I am caught ooo-ing and aahh-ing over something I see in a shop, I am usually asked by my significant other, "Is that something you need or something you just want?"  Well of course it's something I want, silly.  I just don't understand the question.
The fantastic and (sigh) obscure objects of desire that follow are this week's preoccupation.

Terry Graziano's beautiful navy and black cloche

Striking and scientific, comets wall chart

Exquisite vintage twin desk lamps