Minimal Masterpiece

I am blown away by the new cookbook that Ikea just came out with, “Hembakat är Bäst” (Homemade is Best). The styling was done by Evelina Bratell and the photography is by Carl Kleiner. I have a decent collection of cookbooks and even though I don't have room for any more in my apartment, I might have to make an exception for this one. I'm used to seeing a very organic, lush manner of food styling. Leave it to the Swedes to come up with something so quietly beautiful. When I think about the Swedish aesthetic I think of modesty, practicality, and accessibility. These qualities manifest themselves into work that is timeless and elegant. Not only is it stunning to look at, but it's so much easier to follow when you have such clear visuals guiding you.

Eve-il

How to persuade a package-design loving female to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Exhibit A:



If I was a young woman in the 1970's, this pack of cigarettes would have really appealed to me. The early days of targeted marketing:





You're not going to be beautiful if you smoke those cigarettes!

When it all went downhill:

Golden Glow

I was scrolling through a slideshow of art-inspired wedding cakes on the Martha Stewart Weddings website and this Gustav Klimt-inspired cake really caught my eye. The pastry chef, Wendy Kromer, did a great job of distilling the Klimt aesthetic into an edible work of art. Klimt paintings carry a feeling of opulence that could easy be overwrought when interpreted in another medium. There's something really striking about the delicate nature of gold leaf.



Over the past year I've been really drawn to gold, a warm golden glow can be so visually captivating. A more ephemeral example of this is Horsetail Falls, a natural wonder that can only be described as sublime and luminescent.



Gold is ubiquitous. It can be used or interpreted in a myriad of ways; symbolically, decoratively or naturally.

I'll end with a little more golden eye candy below..

Where Has the Time Gone?

It's been a long time since I've posted, the whole summer in fact! Summer is usually my favorite time of year, and this summer had some major highlights. But one can only handle so many 90-something degree days in a three month span, until you're just ready for fall. I'm ready for fall foliage, homemade apple pie, new exhibitions at my favorite museums, and more blog posting!

*Timeless Watch by Rogan