Pavlova {Recipe and Tips}

On the weekend the family got together to celebrate my parents anniversary. We all went out for dinner and then everyone came back to our house for dessert. My aunt, who was visiting from Halifax, made her famous Pavlova. The crunchy meringue and the whipped cream and fruit makes for a delicious combination. We managed to finish off a huge one in a matter of minutes!

Yum!

Pavlova

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Set oven to 300 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on parchment. (or bigger if you are doubling the recipe)
Beat the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Add the sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, beating until mixture is stiff and shiny, then beat in cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla.
Spread meringue to fit circle on the parchment hallowing out the centre slightly.
Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until meringue is lightly browned.
To serve, top with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Serve immediately.
Double the recipe to make one like above.

 Here are a few tips on making the perfect Pavlova. (From Australia's Women's Weekly)

Around the House and Some Links

 Last week we had a few trees removed in preparation for the landscaping/pool that is about to start in our backyard. If I wasn't so lazy busy I would love to try making one of these log tables.

Go here and here (this one is good) for step by step instructions.

I have been trying to "banish the beige" by injecting a little bit of colour into the house.

See those cool graphics on the two photos above?
You can add words and doodles to your photos too, it's really simple...
all you need is the new A Beautiful Mess App.

Here are a few other links of interest...

For a delicious looking fudge recipe click here.
Do you love artichokes like I do? I am going to try this real soon...click here.
Father's Day is this Sunday. If you have small kids and need a quick and easy card go here.
Or go here for this free Father's Day mini bunting and card to print.

No need to buy wrapping paper, have a photo printed on larger paper at a copy shop ($2-3) and use it instead!
Click here for instructions.

Do you read online magazines? Check out the latest issue of Lonny Magazine where you can see lots of pretty stuff...

Like this...

and this...isn't this a great idea for a shop window?

Getting Busy

I am in the city for the next 3 days participating in this...

I will report back soon. ;-)

Pink {Again!}

I live in a house with four boys, I don't wear pink, up until recently I owned nothing of significance in pink, but I love looking at images with pink.
Some of the firsts posts I did on this blog were about pink, find them here, here, and here.

I went all girly and bought a few pillows in pink for the guest room and I even found a wool blanket in the prettiest shade of pinky-coral at Value Village. I have no idea what I am going to do with it, but it was too nice to pass on.

 And thanks to a gift from my sister in-law, my new favourite perfume is pink too!

One of the great things about blogging is the chance to "play" with things I wouldn't normally have a chance to experiment with. I am probably not going to paint a room pink, or invest in a bright pink sofa, but I can go crazing virtually cutting and pasting things that inspire me.

Have you ever tried the app Pic Collage? It is so much fun. Here are a couple of collages I made using lots of  PINK.

Have a great day everyone!

Modern and Feminine

I am starting a new little series called...

 Every now and then I will feature a property that will make you fall in love with tiny spaces.

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know how much I like a pint sized space. For me nothing is more cozy and appealing from a design/living perspective than a well decorated and organized condo or apartment.

Living a paired down life can seem like you are giving up a lot, but really it can offer a whole lot of positives too. Less space is easy to clean and maintain, is usually cheaper and may also allow access to popular locations that would other wise be too expensive.

 More and more people, especially in major cities, are living in less square footage than ever before, it is not unusual to see apartments as small as 400 square feet. It's easy to live well with less if you keep a few points in mind...

• limit visual clutter
• buy and use only what you love
• use clever storage ideas
• don't be afraid of colour
• if necessary use smaller appliances
• use vertical storage, install kitchen cupboards to ceiling
• large furniture can be used in moderation
• don't use all small pieces, too much furniture looks cluttered
• have closets fitted with custom systems to utilize every inch
• purge often
• consider multitasking furniture
• use mirror to visually expand a space
• use lucite or glass pieces

The first space I have for you incorporates the trifecta of design for me: modern, girly and sparkly!

This gorgeous Toronto condo is designed by Jessica Kelly.

Floor Plans: I am a Nerd.

One of my favourite things to do is to study floor plans. I especially like small space plans, cottage plans and apartment/condo plans. I know what you are thinking...Geek!, with a capital G!
I've been known to collect those big and glossy folders full of new build condo plans from various show rooms around the city. (Toronto has more new buildings going up than any other place in the world)
I search on line for plans, study the MLS listings and even clip plans out of magazines.




I have a cute floor plan dish that shows an old city apartment that was a gift from my parents.




This was the plan for our old house...

 After many hours of "space plan analysis" I picked this layout (from many) because it was the most practical, had no waisted space and had a good size mudroom. On more than one occasion neighbours who had picked bigger homes remarked on how well this model functioned and regretted paying more for models with waisted space, such as massive hallways that took square footage from the rooms.

This is the main floor of our new house...

I love that it is a fairly open plan, but not too open. I am also really enjoying the large family room windows, the butler's pantry and the big dining room.

So... you can imagine how super excited I was when I found these floor plans of famous TV shows...4 of my all time faves.

Aren't they fun?
Have a great day everyone!

Designer Profile

Lynn Morgan Design 

Yeah, it's Friday! Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

 

Love of the Week

I haven't done a 'Love of the Week' for ages and ages.
I came across this California beach house and knew right away that it would be perfect for this series!

This second home was built over 30 years ago and was recently remodelled by Scavullo Design. I love the understated and unfussy beach vibe. The mix of a few well chosen beach inspired accessories with modern elements is just perfect. I especially love the tulip table (my favourite table, ever) the exposed beams and those sliding doors!

Arm Candy

As I was cruising the internet over the last few days I noticed that the "arm party" is still alive and well.

All bracelets from Target.

One of my new favourite stores, Massimo Dutti, has a nice collection of leather and metal bracelets that I really love. I would be happy to own any of these...especially the gold one on the bottom.

 Etsy is full of interesting bracelets. I really like these...

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You can never go wrong with Forever 21 for cheap inexpensive bracelets. (That is if you can stand the lines at the cash)
All of these are under $15.00...

If you are looking for a bracelet for a bridesmaid, christening/confirmation/1st Communion/graduation gift...

Heather, a blog friend of mine makes these lovely bracelets at her shop Tilly and Tabitha.

Or if you are feeling particularly crafty you could try making something like this..

Instructions here.

What are you wearing on your wrists?