Long Weekends are lovely

Have a lovely weekend, and a long one if you're in Canada! It's our Thanksgiving on Monday. Can't wait.
(By the way, I love my friend's purple shoes.)

Back soon!
Janis

City Living

Have you had a good week so far? Hope so!

I shot a another city condo today, this time for Mark Pritchard - a very talented interior designer. I always marvel at the clever ways he works in storage space into condos. He's a magic man. Here are a few pics from the shoot. Wish I could show them all, but I can't...just yet. ;) Love the black side table, above. You can find it at Provide.

Loved the cushions, from Provide. A fantastic shop here in Vancouver. 

My dream dining table. Love the pops of colour in the trio of paintings. 

Perfectly organized kitchen, with pull out "counters" hidden amongst the cupboards.

The bedroom was so calming. Loved the dark wood panelled "wall" with the glow of light framing it.

I actually shot Mark's home, that he shares with his husband Daryl, a few years ago for Style At Home. You can check it out here. 

Have a good day! Back soon.

Janis

Baked

I'm having the laziest of lazy days. My first full day off in quite some time, so I'm catching up on emails, and doing a little baking. How's your Monday going (or gone!)?

This cake is so good, and perfect for the rainy day we're having here in Vancouver. The combo of the spice cake, pears and walnuts is perfect. I'm thinking of making this for Thanksgiving next week. Hmmm.

Pear Upside Down Spice Cake - serves about 8

For topping (or bottom, depending on how you look at it):

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, sliced in thin pieces

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pears, cored and cut into thin slices

a handful of walnut halves

For spice cake:

2 3/4 cup whole spelt flour (you can use all purpose flour if you like!)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

To make the topping: Lightly spray a 9" cake pan with cooking spray. Layer bottom of pan with the 1/4 cup cold butter slices, then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over top. Add the layer of pear slices and walnuts. 

To make the spice cake: Preheat oven to 350f. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In another bowl, beat the 1/2 cup softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, applesauce, and milk until well blended. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, into liquid mixture until well blended. Pour cake mixture over layered pears and walnuts, spreading out batter evenly. Bake for 20 minutes at 350f, then lower oven to 325f and bake for another 25 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted in centre of cake, comes out clean. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, before turning out onto a cake plate. Enjoy!!

That's it for today! Back soon.

Janis

Sunday Observations (and a couple from Saturday!)

How was your weekend? Hope you had a fun one! I spent a lot of time at the idsWest show, so thought I'd share some of it with you. It's a pretty long list of "observations", but it was a pretty great show, so it was hard to narrow down!

Must have a fatboy, one of these days. So comfortable! 

The fantastic team, Artsy!Dartsy! put together an amazing group of young designers. Pictured top left is ceramic art by Sarah Peloquin-Ladany, bottom left is nuum planter by Lavinia Chu. 

Inform Interiors is a beautiful modern furniture store located in the Gastown area of Vancouver. Loved those chairs (top left).

The Tom Dixon Pub. I think I need those copper pendant lights. They give off the most flattering light ;)

A very cute scene at the Montauk display.

Rubbish Rehab, from Seattle. This husband and wife team are pretty fantastic upholsterers. Wish I met them before a certain chair re-do. If you have a minute, check out their shop! I have my eye on a few of the mid-century style chairs. Love.

This is Barbara Hulanicki, of Biba fame. I've had a bit of an obsession with her for years, so there was no way I was going to miss her at the idsWest show. If you need a refresher on this incredibly talented and creative woman, click here. You will love her too ;)

Last but not least, a Saturday observation...

It was so nice to be asked to shoot the Design Sponge event last night. Great to meet Grace Bonney and Amy Azzarito. Always fun to hang out with Jan of Poppytalk and Denise Lui of Artsy!Dartsy! too. 

That's it for Sunday! Back soon.

Janis

Happy Friday!

I hope you've all had a great week! Any big plans for the weekend? I'll be shooting Grace Bonney's, queen of Design Sponge, book signing, at Anthropologie in Vancouver tomorrow night. If you're attending, please say hi. I'll be hanging out with Jan, of Poppytalk, as well!

I leave you with a couple of images from a shoot for House and Home, the other day. Can't wait to show you the entire, amazing, home!

Have a lovely weekend!

Back on Sunday!
Janis

Baked

Hello new week! My last super busy week for a bit and, I have to admit, I'm looking forward to a wee break. How's your week shaping up?

These cookies help me when I'm glued to my computer. So good. I make them with spelt and whole wheat flour, and they taste just as good as using all purpose flour. My wheat experiment continues ;)

Double Chocolate Macadamia Cookies - makes about 24

1/2 cup whole wheat flour*

1/2 cup spelt flour*

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup mixed white and dark chocolate, chopped into pieces

3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

* you can substitute the whole wheat and spelt flours for one cup all purpose. 

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. 

Whisk together the flours and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Add the flour mixture and mix together well. Add the chocolate pieces and nuts and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between each. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown around edges. Cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

Sunday Observations

I have to admit, I was very happy to wake up to side-ways rain, as I had heaps of editing to do from the past week. It's amazing how fast things can snowball. Ouch.

Other than editing hundreds of images, this is what I observed today......

I sewed up a set of coasters, with vintage fabric, and baked some house shaped cookies, to add to a house warming gift. I love the abstract floral pattern.

That was my Sunday. What did you get up to? Hope you had a lovely day!

Back soon.

Janis