you mook

thank you ilovegreyskies for sharing these cute "mooks"

size matters

The manipulation of size has often been played with by many artists over the years (Claes Oldenburg, Louise Nevelson, Ron Mueck), distorting reality into something more akin to fantasy and fairy tale. One of my favorite set designers Simon Costin took this idea, but mixed it up a little. Not only did his model crouch within a glass greenhouse, but lean on a larger-than-life apple and pose amidst tiny chairs. This difference between the model as a giant (but also as a smaller, fragile being) creates a more visually interesting contrast. To put it simply, it's fun. (And to finish off the spread, he hangs bedroom furniture from a tree. I'm in love.)

papercuts

These cut paper pieces I found via flickr are incredibly adorable (and beautiful too!) For more from this artist, visit Elle's flickr.

if life gives you lemons...

With a day off from school, and hyped on the magic of snow, I decided to bake today. I started with a lemon cream cupcake, then a quarter inch of fresh homemade lemon curd, topped with an airy swirl of meringue topping. Sweet and fluffy, these lemony summer cupcakes juxtapose the wintry weather perfectly.

maybe sometimes

I'm not always a fan of artist/set designer Michael Howells, but sometimes, when he gets it right, I'm truly blown away.

iced and spiced

I've always enjoyed baking, and when I came across this recipe for chai tea cupcakes, I had to try it out. Rather than the buttercream, I chose to make a spiced cream cheese frosting instead. They were delicious.