Hello, yes I’ve been absent!

But I cannot wait to let you know that I’ve booked a plane ticket to Japan for the end of the year! R is already learning how to say “biru”.

I am very excited because this made me take out the journal I drew/wrote in when I went there in 2008 and flipped through it. I am ALL THE MORE excited because now I have an excuse to buy Hello Sandwich‘s Tokyo Guide! Which I did. Just.

I am such a big fan of her blog! I bought the pdf version for $10 (aud). And I’m going to have a look at it now.

You can buy her pdf guide or Hard copy zine here.

kthxbye

I have another thing to add to my list of Jamie Oliver favourites, his CHEEKY MUGS! I remember letting out a bit of a chuckle when I first saw them. It was absolutely J.O.’s style! I think they’re really cute and make excellent gifts. In fact, I bought them to thank 2 friends who played host and they had a bit of a laughter when they saw what I had chosen for them.

Here are a couple of my favourites.

You can see the rest of the collection here.

Are you already thinking of who to get these mugs for?

I was initially afraid that it wouldn’t fit into my pseudo oven (aka the microwave oven) but was pleasantly surprised that it could. It also doesn’t look as big as how it looks in the pictures.

I used a pre-mix out of pure laziness as I had a box of Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Rainbow Chip cake mix in my pantry. I must have bought it together with the frosting a while ago from Cold Storage. AND because I only had one box, I didn’t really read the instructions that came together with the pan (see first pic). I just followed the simple primary-one-instructions, threw in 3 eggs, vegetable oil and water, used the husband’s arm strength, then divided the batter into the 2 parts.

The cakes look really gross here. Erm, I initially had the oven set to 170degrees, but the top part seemed to bake really quickly and the insides just kept bubbling. Then I set it to 150degrees. If you read the many  worldwide forum pages on the Wilton Giant Cupcake pan, you will realise that many struggled with the baking. I did too. So, after reading their posts, I decided to routinely turn the pans around so that the browning would be even (okay don’t see the picture). Also, one part was done before the other, due to the different depths of the pan. Because of this, I actually removed the baked cake halfway (while holding a plate against the one that was uncooked to keep it in) and then chucking the rest of the pan back into the oven.

I loved how they came out!

Then it was time to level the base and the top of the 2 separate cakes. If you’re a little anal or have ocd, your quirk will serve you well. If you’re hurried and impatient like me, you’ll find that your cake in the end might be a little lopsided because you didn’t have patience to even the cake out. Here the husband demonstrates to me how I should slice the cake in a straight neat line – he’s showing me it can be done with our normal knives because it will prevent me (he hopes) from buying ANOTHER knife just for this.

Look how beautiful the rainbow chips came out! BETTY CROCKER RAWKS!

I then ‘glued’ the top together with the bottom by spreading the top of the base with my frosting. Before I forget, these were the only decorative stuff I bought / had at home.

I used the Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip frosting earlier to act as the ‘glue’ between the 2 cakes. The CakeMate frosting on the far right was something my mom brought back for me from Melbourne. V handy!

***THIS IS WHERE I STOPPED TAKING PICTURES BECAUSE FROSTING AND DECORATING WAS A VERY MESSY AFFAIR ***

WANT TO SEE THE FINAL CAKE???

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TA DA!

I know the frosting is not perfect. That’s where my pocky strawberry and sprinkles came in handy – I used so much to hide ALL the flaws.

But for a first timer, I think it went alright.

If you’re interested, you can buy the Giant Cupcake Pan from Amazon.com HERE.

I also searched around and found out that “Bake it Yourself” along Bukit Timah Road also stocks it – SEE HERE.

If you don’t mind paying a little more for the convenience of not having to buy it online and want to take a look at the pan first, head down to “Bake it Yourself”.

Bake it Yourself
182 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229 853

source: Paper Exploits

Paper Exploits sells handmade personalised stationary and accepts custom orders for cards, bookmarks, letterheads etc. In fact, the pretty card that you see above was made for a customer who had asked her to design a card that was meant for a friend who was leaving for London.

source: Paper Exploits

This was another one of the custom cards which Kelly made for a customer who wanted a Thank You card for her mentor teacher.

Kelly makes many more beautiful things and if you’re looking for a customised gift for your loved one, drop by Kelly’s website to have a look at all the work she’s done thus far! I’m sure you’re gonna fall in love with some of her beautiful creations, just like I have.

PAPER EXPLOITS
Website: http://paperexploits.wordpress.com/

I think it has to do with the fact that I finally cleared my desk at the office, and that made me embark on a search for aesthetically pleasing table organisers to beautify the space. But that’s another post for another day. So. Kitchenware. Looking for stationery indirectly (I don’t know how) got me started on pretty kitchenware.

Pretty kitchenware like these from Shinzi Katoh:

I have realised that my kitchenware directly affects my desire to eat. These baking dishes and toaster plates look so kawaii, that I cannot wait to get one so that I can pack lunch to work everyday. I imagine the experience of putting my prepared lunch into the microwave at work to be so much more amazing.

Apart from buying them in his official website, The Little Happyshop (which also carries stationery, bags and paper goods) also sells them! In fact, The Little Happyshop also holds regular roadshows in Singapore so check the website or facebook page to find out more information.

I really like this baking dish:

How lovely would a banana loaf or butter cake look in it!!

The Happy Littleshop

www.facebook.com/happyshop
www.TheLittleHappyshop.com

D had the Nigiri Sushi set. The fish was fresh and I guess he liked it but he wasn’t really blown away, unlike the first time we had lunch at Yoshida. Maybe it’s expectations that brought him down because he had heard raving reviews before visiting.

I, on the other hand, ordered the Mazechirashi. Marinated pieces of fresh sashimi, uni, ikura and tamago castello (this was delicious!) on a bed of rice with freshly grated wasabi. Honestly couldn’t ask for more. This is a dish I’d definitely go back for again and again.

The lunch set menus are priced very reasonably. The mains come with a little appetiser, mixed salad and a trio of desserts to round off the meal.

With a place like Aoki that serves a good lunch, I reckon dinner would be great. If I’m in the mood for a big splurge of course.

AOKI RESAURANT
1 Scotts Road
#02-17 Shaw Centre
Singapore
Tel: 65 6333 8015
Website: http://www.aoki-restaurant.com.sg/webtop2/

Possibly inspired by Bakerella – the queen of Cake/Cupcake pops, a friend (happyinmytummy.com) attempted to create her very own and ta-da!!:

How cute are they! I think they make pretty cute wedding/birthday gifts <3

Here are other lovely cake pop ideas by Bakerella:

Want to make your own? Click away!:

How To Make Cake Pops

Red Velvet Cake Pop Recipe

I am absolutely in love with this shop! It’s fortunate (or unfortunate) that I’m no longer living in Melbourne because I would spend my every paycheck there. Located in North Melbourne, it stocks a range of lovelies from art, stationery, prints and independent publications. But guess what the good news is?

They ship to quite a number of countries like Europe, America and many Asian countries like Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and SINGAPORE!

While I’m sure the online shop doesn’t include everything in their shop, I already have a few I’d like to buy online like:

the Old Book Covered Journals

and the Penguin Mugs

Go check it out!

xoxo

ORLANDO AND IVY

GF, 424 Victoria Street North Melbourne, Victoria 3051
+61 3 9329 8848
shop@orlandoandivy.com
www.orlandoandivy.com

Can anyone tell me that this is not pretty?!

I am absolutely smitten with the look of this bag.

The Alexa was designed and created by Emma Hill, creative director of Mulberry. Inspired by Alexa Chung, one of the It girls in the UK, she decided to put elements of Mulberry’s iconic Bayswater and the Elkington when she saw Alexa Chung carrying the Elkington, part of Mulberry’s line of men’s briefcases. The Alexa is great for the day at work or a weekend out. I think it looks fantastic in Oak which is the colour you see above. As the bag wears in, the leather will become softer and will develop a slightly vintage look.

The Alexa is available in a variety of colours and comes in 2 sizes. It’s said to have a waiting list in some countries because it was the It bag for a period of time (I know there’s one in Hong Kong).

So go down to your nearest Mulberry store and check it out. I guarantee you will fall in love with it just as I have.

This was one of the places I wanted to go to during my last visit to Sydney in May. What caught my eye was the fact that this place is opened by an ex-DJ of Ministry of Sound from the UK! An award winning one to boot. After reading a couple of reviews which seemed quite favourable, I finally made my way there with D when he came to visit.

We missed out on having breakfast (we were late, my fault) which was really what I had wanted to try but settled for lunch instead. So D order the Bangers & Mash which I thought were pretty good. The mash was especially smooth and the savoury gravy with the onions were a perfect complement. I had to stop myself from constantly reaching over to D’s plate for the mash. That’s how much I liked it.

I had the so-called “healthier” option which was called a Fish Sarnie (effectively what was a Fish Finger Sandwich). It was simple with 3 freshly fried fish fingers with homemade tartar sauce sandwiched between 2 slices of sourdough bread. I did enjoy it but I thought the fish fingers were slightly over fried on that occasion. Nonetheless, was still a good choice. Next time though, I’m heading straight for the mash.

The other thing I love about the cafe is that drawing on the wall. It was basically drawn over the whole wall and even on the ceiling as well. I guess I liked the idea of how the owner was really making the place ‘HIM’ by having the headphones drawn and how it stood for what he was doing before moving to Australia and making a switch in careers. Basically I was drawn in by how the whole place was set up with the light bulbs, communal tables and all.

Am definitely going to return to try the Breakfast Stack (see here. And maybe the Wagyu Burger too which supposedly is a popular item. Hopefully soon.

Bangbang Espresso Bar & Café
113 Reservoir St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Sydney, Australia
Tel: 612 9281 0018

Opening Hours:
Weekdays 8am – 4pm, Saturday 8am – 2pm