"Let Them Eat Cake!"

A term taken out of context at the time, there is no proof as to whether or not Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, really did make that comment.  They say the line was said in response to French proletariat who asked The Crown what they should eat in the midst of a bread famine in the 1760's.[1] 

My favourite portrayal of Marie Antoinette is in Sofia Coppola's version (which I can never get enough of).  Although a misconception, Marie is portrayed as a gluttonous woman. The truth of the matter is that she actually was said to have been quite generous to the poor and even cut back her staff during her reign to show frugality to the citizens of France.

Either way, "Let them eat cake" truly coins Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, as the epitome of indulgence, decadence and, well, desserts!

Take a look at this video from BabyCherie Sweets blog:

I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow - Marie Antoinette Video

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

In fact, I love Marie Antoinette ad her lifestyle so much that I themed our wedding after her (with a few alterations of course):

The decor...

 

The feathers.....

The dessert.....

And, of course, the CAKE.......

My cake was made by the fabulous Diana Shin at Papillon Cakes.  Here are some more of her wonderful creations....

Some other spectacular cakes at Cake Opera Co. by artist Alexandria Pellegrino...

 

Until next time,
Pink and sparkles
xoxo

Macaron is the new cupcake

If, when you die, heaven asks: "and what was your favourite part about earth"...I will say, dessert! Any kind of dessert, ANY!

Not only do desserts look pretty, but they touch a part of your soul that, really, nothing else can.  So, after I consumed an entire row of Premium Plus crackers and about a quarter jar of Nutella, I found myself craving macarons!

These lovelies should not be confused with the macaroon, made of coconut and stuff:

But, where did these delightful decadences come from?

Well, the name macaron is derived from the Italian name for paste, "maccarone". During the Renaissance they were thought to have been popular in Venice and made a French debut in 1533 when Catherine of Siena married Henry II.

In the 1880s, the double-decker macaron we know today as the "Gerbet" macaron, filled with cream, was invented by the French pâtisserie Ladurée. (info from Wikipedia)

Either way they make my stomach happy and any occasion pretty.

 This site has a very special entry on macarons. 

How about some Macaron jewelry???

Bobbette & Belle must have the BEST macarons in Toronto.  Retail, they sell their macarons at Holt Renfrew Cafe on Bloor St., or you can contact Bobbette & Belle directly to place an order for your next special occasion:

And if you find yourself in France...stop by Ladurée for the best macarons in the world.

Oh and I cant leave without an ode to my two favourite things in the world:

Tomorrow...I will continue with the wonderful world of dessert and my dedication to Marie Antoinette.

Till next time,

Pink and Sparkles

xoxo

Brooms and Aprons and Dusters, OH MY!

I am fully aware of the psychology behind cleaning; its a control mechanism in which, if completed successfully (or to your liking), you achieve a sense of control over your environment and life.  I am also fully aware that I enjoy this little control mechanism as its ritual repeats itself every Saturday morning - at least I know one thing is constant and completely in my hands to manage.  And to that I say, why the hell not! (Ok, ok, lets be honest, some weekends I have to hold myself back from calling Molly Maid, I swear).

But, after a cup of coffee and two slices of pumpernickel toast with peanut butter and jam, I am ready to slap on the gloves for some much needed sloughing, shining, sterilization and serenity.

One rule: the humble abode will not be cleaned with anything "humble". Oh no, I have plenty of fun things to make the Saturday morning shape-up thoroughly fabulous.  Observe:

Pretty gloves and aprons from Carolyn's Kitchen Online!

And for chasing those dust balls away: 

Awesome tea towel and duster above from Fabu-licious

If you want to know a bit more about just how to clean the proper way, use this book I bought (yes, I know mom, you taught me well but - I gotta research everything on my own xo):

You can get the book online at Chapters.

Till next time,

Pink and sparkles

xoxo

F is for Martinis.....

Enough said!

Its FRIDAY and that means Martini and Movie night for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a sucker for a good martini and by martini, I mean the original, authentic, one and only dry gin (sometimes dirty) martini. For the record, the Cosmopolitain, Chocolate, Lychee, Apple etc. martinis are not, I repeat, not real martinis; they are mixed drinks in a martini glass. Period.

They say the martini started in 1862   in a town called Martinez, California, USA.  A miner struck gold and went into a saloon to celebrate - the bartender called it a "Martinez special" and gave him some gin with sweet vermouth.

Others say it originated from the Martini Rosso import (sweet red vermouth from Italy) in the 1870's.  Bartenders would mix the Vermouth with gin to clarify the colour and called it a Martini.

The truth of the matter is that noone really has a concrete history on the magnificent martini but I know one thing for sure - they are the happiest part of my week!

Here are some awesome martini glasses I enjoy:

Gorgeous, right?  They can be purchased at Swarovski.com ($500 / pair).

Check out these fun glasses from Got Martini:

 Also from  Got Martini, a fun one just for, well, fun:

I can't leave without sharing the recipe for the perfect, classic martini:

Classic Martini Ingredients

75ml (or approx 2+ 1/2 oz) Gin
15ml (or approx 1/4 oz) Dry Vermouth
1 green olive OR a twist of lemon peel
6 ice cubes

Classic Martini Directions

Into a mixing glass, toss a handful of ice cubes (about half a dozen), then pour in the Gin and the Vermouth.
Stir well. Some may prefer shaken!
Strain and pour into a martini glass.
To finish, either drop a green olive into the bottom of the martini glass OR arrange a twist of lemon peel on the edge of the martini glass.

Thats all for today...have a fabulous Friday.

Enjoy and CHEERS!!!

Dream home

I know I'm not the only one who Googles their dream home. I promise you, I WILL have this house one day.

All images from: http://www.dreamhomedesignusa.com/

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nothing much...

because im tired...too tired to even capitalize. i can use a bit of punctuation but i kinda shut my brain off when i get home from work. lately, its been crazier than usual and my typing is obviously stressing my husband out right now, so im gonna have to stop.

night!