Let Them Make Cake!

We have to admit: We almost like making cakes more than eating them. Almost.

We recently whipped up this devils-food-with-vanilla-icing-and-fondant cake for a co-workers birthday and were quite pleased with the results. Duff may be the badass cake maker of our fair city, but we're willing to bet our marshmallow and powdered sugar fondant would impress even him. 

To level the playing field we'll leak the recipe after the jump. 

You Gotta Lotta Moxie, Kid

(Image courtesy of ban.do)

(Image courtesy of Steve Madden)

(Image courtesy of Hendricks)

(Image courtesy of shopbop)

The Fall TV season is in full swing and although we have our usual favorites (helloooo Mad Men) there's a new kid in town. HBO's Boardwalk Empire transports viewers to prohibition era Atlantic City where the gangsters are as prevalent as the illegal booze. Thanks to our new weekly addiction we have been absolutely obsessed with the unpolished sexiness of the roaring twenties. Our hearts are still tucked away into Joan's curve-hugging dresses, but we're romanticized by slinky dresses, over-the-top head pieces, and gin-soaked parties that last til dawn. 

So fashion a gimlet, and slip into one of our fabulous flapper picks guaranteed to make you the cats meow.

Shoot 'em Up

We know college is over, but sometimes it's nice to update old favorites. WTMD's First Thursday's concert plays right outside our window, meaning early each month we can count on a bevy of visitors. Typically we just grab some beer and wine and hope it doesn't run out, but for the most recent concert we decided to prepare with an adult take on a college staple. 

We give you: The Hello! Shooter.

There is something far less gauche about slurping vodka-soaked Jello out of a fruit rind as opposed to a jagged Dixie cup, wouldn't you agree? 

(Plus they were super fun to make.)

The Hello! Shooters were a big hit. Easy to make, easy to serve and fun without being (terribly) tacky. If you're feeling nostalgic, directions are after the jump.

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love

Finding friends in unexpected places.

Creative planting.

An Inspired space to read.

Fly Me to the Moon

(Image courtesy of James Tse)

Wouldn't you dance upstairs everyday if this were in your house?

My Goodness, My Daphne

(Image courtesy of nars.com)

For fear of looking a little (ahem) cheap, we typically keep our eye makeup down to a few coats of black mascara and the occasional black liner if we're feeling a bit sassy. This aversion to bold is possibly the result of one too many botched smokey eye attempts that left us looking more raccoon than ravishing. (It could also be that one of us spent seven long years in the make-up free zone that is a Good Catholic Education, thus missing the window for acceptable makeup faux pas.)

  Named after the fearless style maven and heiress to the Guinness fortune, this electrifying violet shadow from NARS called Daphne is guaranteed to kick our make-up routine into high gear. Whether gracing the whole lid or lined thin above the lashes, this shade can go day-to-night and take your look from boring to brilliant. And while it may be a touch on the wild side, we can't think of a better cure for blah.

Into the Wild

(Image courtesy of thelovelylifestyle.)

While we tend to trend toward more classic interior decor, sometimes our inner Peggy Bundy pops out and delivers a fierce slap of ''Look at me!''. This happened most recently when we came across a safari's worth of animal print on Jonathan Adler's desgin site. Whether it be tiger, zebra, or the even the occasional faux snakeskin, a touch of the exotic can take simple to sexy... sort of like accessorizing the perfect LBD with some fabulous leopard Louboutins. 

Mister Adler has personalized exotic tastes by giving customers the chance to put their own mark on his fabulous rugs. Select a print and let your color palate run wild as you choose the final hue for you.

I Can't Find My Cranberries CD

(Image courtesy of TheSartorialist)

We love, love, love a little mustard with (not on) our outfits. This look makes us think of something a 2010 Cher Horowitz would rock... a flirty, clunky heel, high-waisted skirt and totally unexpected banana bag. The perfect look for the next time she has to make a cameo at a Val Party.

Catholic Gilt

(Image courtesy of ApartmentTherapy.)

For a while we have had our eye out for a really great church pew. Their simplistic design and sturdy construction make them the perfect non-flashy statement piece of your room. Pews keep their head down and do their job as highly functional detritus-holder, but outside church walls they can't help but humbly beg for attention. 

We've seen a few at Second Chance that were a little worse for the wear but we're heading back this weekend to see if  any more have popped up. The trunk above is great, but wouldn't a couple mismatched storage baskets look perfect under the pew?

Walking on the Ceiling

We love this Nate Berkus-designed room for being so versatile. It's cozy yet polished, eclectic yet harmonious and best of all- the over-sized windows and doorways create a seamlessly indoor/outdoor respite. We're also intrigued by the idea of heavily polished wood ceilings. The dark overhead wood creates intimacy, while the polished surface serves as a muted reflection of fantastic design.

Can't you see yourself sipping a Gin&Tonic with an old friend in those amazing green chairs?

Mmmm Pie!

Fangbanger Pie

On a mission to redeem an expiring Groupon last weekend, we took an unexpected detour to Home Goods. If you're not familiar with this thrifty wonder, you are truly missing out- it is the Loemann's of home decor and kitchenware. We found three dollar glass vases, a seriously over-sized Lacoste floor pillow, port hole mirrors and best of all, we snagged a fabulous Le Creuset pie pan. For $15 bucks.

On our way to a country party that evening we stopped at the market and picked up some red pears, blueberries and pie crust. Our lovely hostess let us take over her kitchen, and we soon had an impromptu pie crisping in the oven.

While our greedy friends burned their mouths on the fresh-from-the-oven pie, several commented that the blueberry drippings looked like blood. Hence the Fangbanger. Don't worry... even though we whipped up the recipe we'll let you call it whatever you want.

Directions after the jump.

Love to Hate...

 

...Rachel Zoe. Sometimes we can't handle her snotty monotone demands or valley girl catch phrases, but this parody tipped our scales to Like. At least for this week. We love anyone that can make fun of themselves (and husband/assistant/business/image) and do it well. Plus we think she looks per. fec. tion.

ROYGBIV Cupcakes

Sometimes we get home and need a project. We'd seen recipies for rainbow cupcakes around the web and finally were bored enough found the time to try it. It's time consuming but the end result is so deliciously colorful that we will definitely whip these up again soon.

Directions: Make white cake from a box (or from scratch if you're better than us). DONT FORGET to only use egg whites... we almost had a disaster on our hands.

Separate batter into separate bowls and mix in food coloring. Obviously use more coloring for vibrant shades, and don't be afraid to experiment with mixing colors. We think our batter ended up looking like the faux food fight in Hook.

Using a fork, drizzle layers of color into the muffin tins. This part takes forver but requires your complete concentration. Luckily you're making cupcakes so any mess ups will still taste fantastic.

Et voila! After spending a little time in the oven theyre ready to be devoured. We mixed coloring into our icing to spice things up, but if you're more traditional, feel free to stick to boring white.