Cheese, Say Cheese, Cheese Please !

Hope you are going to aim at eating lots of CHEESE today... today is National Cheese Day, ofcourse that is in america! The good people of AMUL Co-operative are you listeneing ? We need a cheese day !!! I'll be marking June 4th on my calendar to celebrate properly next year with one (or ten) of these cheesy recipes.

You know these diamond ads kind of make you want to analyse your relationships !! I am not a diamond kind of a girl, but i do measure up Kunal's love for me. He who loves his cheese more than anything else especially when its slightly char/ burnt and is flaking from the top of his lasagne, he who keeps it on the side and savours it in his last bite, offered me his best part and let me have the whole thing !!! I had my AWWWW moment... nothing like a tear in those diamond adverts but something that lets me sleep with a smile on my face :)

Mignon Kitchen Cheese Bags
Coeur de Neufchatel Heart-Shaped Cheese
Kitchen Papers By Cake Cheese Markers
Quitokeeto / Jacob May Black Walnut Cheese Board


Ofcourse, watch this space tomorrow to learn how to make your own mozzarella! I am on a cheese-pedition !!

VINTAGE ENGLISH GARDEN

For today's Etsy Faves, I invite you into my English cottage garden surrounded by sweet smelling blooms to soak up the sun in our vintage floral frocks and sip rose petal tea. Won't you join me?


English Rose Soap by Ravenscourt Apothecary
Vintage Style Floral Watch by FreeForme
Floral Print Bow Bandeau Set by Amourouse
English Garden Herbal Tea by Willow Rose Body Care
Rose Garden Fabric Leaves by Jane Joss
Cotton Voile Floral Day Dress by Manika Atelier
English Garden Wedding Invitation by Fercute
Vintage Floral Earrings by Memory Vendor

A SCHOOL BUS TURNED VACATION HOME

Marco Khalil and Caroline West bought the bus in 2012 after returning from an Oregon buying trip with their VW bus. Marco was disappointed that he could not fit a large vintage railroad sign within, so they decided to hunt for a larger vehicle. A quick search on Craigslist Vancouver turned up a vintage school bus for a bargain price. Because they wanted the bus to be a multipurpose truck, pop-up shop venue for their company Eight Inch Rule and an open-plan mobile cabin, they removed nearly everything in the bus – the seats, stanchions, heaters. They first recovered the floor in an utilitarian vinyl tile. Then they added a timber daybed and a cubby unit comprised of vintage wood crates – both of which are easily removable when the bus needs to fulfill its cargo-carrying role as a truck. The full renovation took ten days. Now the bus, which they call Riley, serves as the backyard cabin on their property. Marco and Caroline regularly use the bus as a mobile cabin and, whenever they can, they book their favorite seaside site at a local RV park that provides everything they need – a firepit, BBQ, coastal beach walks and a modern bath facility. This summer they plan to take the bus a little further afield to the American San Juan Islands for a little summer retreat. 

Photography: Caroline West

Image above: “Our 1979 GMC / BlueBird school bus, 36 passenger shortbus version. We named it Riley, as in ‘The Life of Riley,’ which pretty well sums up the contented quality of life aboard.”

Image above: “A wide angle view of the interior and a view of our favourite seaside campsite.”

See more of the school bus after the jump!

Image above: “The handmade cushions were made by Caroline using graphic vintage cereal sacking as appliqué. The handmade canvas window blinds feature magnets to secure them to the bus’s steel shell.”

Image above: “Vintage American boys’ adventure story books set in a Libby’s roast beef packing crate with a metal fire engine toy.”

Image above: “Wood toggles and canvas are components of the handmade cushions by Caroline using vintage boat signaling flags as appliqués.”

Image above: “A 1950s cautionary street sign was a San Francisco vintage shop find. An industrial design classic by American Seating Co., the streamlined school chair dates back to the 1940s. The window blind was made from a portion of an Adelaide, Australia tram destination blind from the 1930s. A real ‘barn find,’ these were discovered in a hayloft in the Australian countryside and purchased for a trifle.”

Image above: “Caroline’s handmade cushions are made with vintage grain sacking.”

Image above: “A vintage school house chemistry lab stool used as a side table.”

Image above: “A simplified globe by Denoyer-Geppert, c.1950s is favoured for its two-tone palate
– a numerical transit bus number identifier sits in the background.”

Image above: “We have a vintage collection of mugs from the Boy Scouts of America (1970s); they have vibrant graphics and are virtually indestructible at the campsite.”

Image above: “An old canvas yacht club pennant acts as our ‘house flag’ as well as a handy window prop.”

Image above: “I built the timber daybed with convertibility in mind; quick release for complete removal or left in place without upholstery as a product display deck when Riley is in pop-up shop mode. The vintage suitcases tuck neatly beneath for stowage of our camping kitchenalia.”

Image above: “The antique shipping trunk in an unusual cube format sports a construct of leather, cane, canvas and brass, all with a wonderful patina and makers mark from Croydon, London. The C. M. initials are original and a happy coincidence. Placed alongside the settee, it acts as end table and blanket box. The vintage lamp has been wired into the bus’s 12 volt power system.”

Image above: The original bi-fold door actuator.

Image above: The magnetically secured window blinds made by Caroline have labels made by the same company that made her school uniform labels when she was a schoolgirl.

I dream of a CAFE

I’ve spent some of the best years of my life living in a cute cafe .. or dreaming of my own cute cafe with my friend of many years ..Raghuvir ! And its when I stop and see someone's dream of a small Bakery becoming something Big - i think its worth a mention .. even if it is half way across the world in Green Point, somewhere in the middle of the United States of America ... I wish I could personally go there and hear some inspiring stories from its owners - and how they fulfilled their dream ? I think my retirement plan is still that - To own an ART CAFE .. which will bring both my passions under one roof. A GIRL IS ALLOWED TO DREAM !!

Originally from Norway, Nina Brondmo opened her delicious, bread-filled hotspot in an old home in Williamsburg in 2009. Its sweet treats, sandwiches, salads and desserts developed a devoted following almost instantaneously and fans now come from far and wide to not only sample the delicious food, but to admire the decor – a look that is uniquely Nina’s. A bit of old-world charm mixed with handmade touches (Nina’s good friend painted beautiful scenery and signage on the shop’s windows and doors). 

Photographs by Maxwell Tielman

Click through for the rest of the story after the jump!

Bakeri’s Greenpoint location was born out of a need for more baking space. Nina explained that the Williamsburg location was so cramped that they sought out a larger space where they could devote more real estate to daily baking and shuttle the food back and forth based on the other location’s needs. But word of the new location has spread quickly and already locals have been dropping by to get coffee and fresh breads until the lunch service is in full swing (hopefully next week).

It’s easy to be blinded by one stunning wall in the space, dominated by the incredible wallpaper creation of French designer, Nathalie Lété. After seeing the paper in an Anthropologie catalog, Nina fell in love with it and quickly found herself in a hunt for the last remaining rolls (Nathalie only produced 100 rolls). Luckily, she was able to find two rolls in Europe and after they were installed, the space was flooded with colorful images and bright, cheerful flowers.

In addition to the wallpaper (which I’m pretty sure is bound to be an Instagram “most photographed” contestant soon), Bakeri’s Greenpoint space also features interior decorations, from tables and lighting to mirrors and display cases, that are almost entirely salvaged. Nina told us that she is always picking up pieces here and there during her travels and bringing them home to find a new space in her bakeries.

The most striking found feature is definitely the grand doors that form Bakeri’s entrance. Salvaged from Bedford-Stuyvesant, the doors are part of a beautiful and elaborate storefront Nina had designed and built to accommodate commercial ovens – and to welcome patrons in style. Nina’s good friend painted the gold floral detailing on the side panels and door windows, a delicate touch that highlights Nina’s attention to details at every step.

So many new restaurants open with an instantly “worn in” look these days, but without the heart and soul that makes it feel real. Nina has done such a beautiful job creating a space that feels homey and worn-in, but with the warm welcoming feel that comes with a space much, much older.