Naked cakes

Naked cakes seem to be a bit of a trend, so I was keen to try out the method. Basicly, it's a style of icing a more formal or party cake, where the layers are still visible and no outer covering of frosting or icing is applied. Often fresh flowers are used for decoration.

Photo by Sarah Ryan

I decided I'd try it out so made two nice butter cakes.

Knee high socks

Can you get away with knee high socks if you're not a schoolgirl? I hope so, as I think they're great!

                                                                             Photo by Sarah Ryan

Take a look at the recent summer 2015 Prada runway shows where they look fantastic with just-to-the-knee length skirts (and the most amazing shoes).

Appliqué scarf

Appliqué:  [Pronunciation: ap-li-kay]   (n.) ornamentation, as a cutout design, that is sewn on to or otherwise applied to a piece of material (Source: OED online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 17 April 2015)

Now I am a bit of a scarf fan...so making another scarf was inevitable really...

 

 Photo by Sarah Ryan

So....I just happened to buy 50cm of cheesecloth, and 20cm of a white lace fabric.

A sweet brekky bite

Now I'm not a food critic, but so far my ratio here is a bit down on the food side, so a food-related post seemed in order.
What I like about Hobart bites at the moment is nicely described by Oonagh from Little Missy Patisserie when she said how she loves how the local bakeries/patisseries are showcasing their own specialities and uniqueness. Which I think hits the nail on the head.

Photo by Sarah Ryan

After a very lean day yesterday, I balanced it out by dropping in for a breakfast treat at Small Fry.

The doughnuts here have become a niche sweet treat, handmade each day with varying flavours. I chose Tiramisu, which had an espresso icing and a creamy mascarpone filling. Need I say it was delicous? It was.

There was also Apple Crumble (which I've had before - yum) and a Very Berry which was also very tempting. 

And I should add that following that, my other meals today will be laden with vegetables and chia seeds and natural yogurt and all good things like that! (Well, that's the plan...)

Metallic magic

I was quite excited about metallics there for a bit, but now there's just a nice warm hum about the highlight and interest they provide in all sorts of different situations.....like...
...in boots...

                                             Photo by Sarah Ryan                                                    Photo by Sarah Ryan

...or to add an accent to an outfit...

                                             Photo by Sarah Ryan                                    Photo by Sarah Ryan

 I love these light fittings...

 

Photo by Sarah Ryan

Loving denim!

I can't believe how I'm so loving denim! It's everywhere, and FABULOUS!

And I'm not just talking about a pair of denim jeans. Don't get me wrong, denim jeans are great.
But its denim jackets too (pssst....have a look at the Burberry denim jackets purely for some inspiration) - they are fantastic.
The prices are astounding but the designer labels set the trends for the more affordable store versions that you'll see in the mainstream shops...

 

Photo by Sarah Ryan

Yes, denim jackets WITH the denim jeans...

Ombré ruffle cake

Ombré: (adj.) having tones of colour that shade into each other, graduating from light to dark                           (Source: OED online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 3 April 2015)

Ruffle: (n.) A strip of lace or other material, gathered along one edge to make an ornamental frill or decoration (Source: OED online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 3 April 2015).

So...strips of fondant icing, gradually becoming darker in colour, making frills to decorate the side of a cake!

There are several different methods to do this, mainly whether the frills face upwards (like mine) or downwards (a bit trickier as they tend to want to sit flat against the side of the cake).

Arm knitting

The INFINITY SCARF was a project that I got caught up in trying out, making about ten before deciding that it wouldn't be suitable as a class project!

Photo by Sarah Ryan

BUT  they can be made in well under 2 hours (I found it took a bit longer than the suggested 1/2 hour)