Bryant Park cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop (Leah Wong)

On my last day in New York I went to Crumbs Bake Shop across from Bryant Park, as I was in a rush to eat it, get back to my hostel and head to the airport I didn’t make a lot of notes on this cupcake.  The cupcake I had was the Bryant Cake cupcake, I know, I’m lame, but I thought there was no better place to eat a Bryant Park cupcake than in Bryant Park.  This cupcake has chocolate cake with chocolate mousse inside, topped with cream cheese icing, chocolate cake crumbs and white chocolate curls – an absolutely divine cupcake.

Bryant Park cupcake filling (Leah Wong)

Flavour: Bryant Park
Cake: 4/5
Icing: 5/5
Presentation: 4/5
Location: 5/5
Flavour Selection: 5/5
Total: 23/25

This was a very good cupcake, though I did find it to be too big.  The cost of a cupcake is $4.50 here, and definitely worth it.  I love cupcakes, but part of the appeal is the individual size of them.  I felt that this would be a cupcake much better shared, which I find difficult to do with a cupcake, especially this one, as it was slightly flaky and hard to hold together – something I typically find with filled cupcakes.  On a nice day, I would definitely recommend sitting in Bryant Park with a Crumbs cupcake as it was a very nice area.  I did a little damage at the Original Penguin store.  All in all I would recommend checking out Crumbs, just make sure you go with an empty stomach as their supersized cupcakes are difficult to finish alone.

Since I’ve been back in Calgary, I’ve been watching a lot of Food Network as I’d been on withdrawal for the last 8 months.  One new (to me anyways) host caught my eye.  Two of my favourite things are fashion and food – combine together and I instantly swoon.  When I discovered that one of the Food Network hosts whips up meals while wearing Betsey Johnson AND stilettos, well, be still my heart!   Starting as an online show, Bitchin’ Kitchen is now a late night favourite on the Food Network.

Nadia G, the master chef on Bitchin’ Kitchen makes me want to cook in style, so don’t be surprised if you see my cooking up a storm in heels and a gorgeous dress in the fall!  All I need is the perfect apron to protect my beloved dresses.  While I think I might try and make my own, there are many different styles on Etsy for those who cannot sew (or do not have mother’s that they hope will help them!) My favourites are the cupcake and hedgehog aprons from Annie’s Attic, or the cupcake one by Baked With Love Aprons.

Image from Bitchin’ Kitchen.

I recently rented “Coco avant Chanel” starring the lovely Audrey Tatou.  Once I figured out the subtitles on my parents new-ish TV, I fell in love with the film.  On top of stellar performances, the fashion hit the mark.  While the clothes were perfect for the time period, there were many pieces that would work right now.  In the film Coco is constantly taking clothing from Balsan, altering them to fit her own appearance.  With the growing popularity of menswear inspired clothing, women no longer have to borrow from their man’s closet.  One of my favourite looks is this white and blue striped shirt, which is echoed by the nautical trend this season.  You can pick up your own striped boat shirt from Forever 21, Gap, or Aerie.

My absolute favourite look is Coco’s masculine riding look.  Showing the impracticality of trying to wear a dress while riding a horse, this look incorporates practical pieces that would fit into anyone’s wardrobe.  White button-up shirts are a wardrobe staple that can be dressed up for business appropriate looks, or dressed down for casual attire.  Other notes from this outfit are: masculine pants, which can be channeled today with the popular boyfriend pant; the menswear vest; and the necktie tied into a bow, though now, this is often incorporated into a shirt.  While it might look sloppy to put too many menswear pieces together, pairing feminine pieces with menswear inspired pieces to update the look. 

The last part of the film showcases Coco designing her line of clothing.  Though she is wearing a skirt in this photo, her look is still quite basic – although very elegant.  For workwear, a look inspired by Coco Chanel is easy to pull off.  Clean lines and solid colours, paired with classic accessories create a professional outfit.  Buying quality pieces that fit well, is a smart investment as they will last for a long time.

Screenshots borrowed from Fanpop.

Cupcake and Coffee from The Magnolia Bakery

I recently took a little trip to New York City, so of course I had to try a cupcake from the world famous, Magnolia Bakery.  With three locations in Manhattan, I went to the location in the West Village, right across from the Marc by Marc Jacobs store. This is the bakery’s original location, since it opened in 1996.  This bakery has been credited with the “cupcake craze” that emerged in the late 90s.  It is also a stop on the “Sex and the City” tour, as in one episode Carrie and Miranda sample their cupcakes.  I was almost hesitant to try the cupcakes as I’d heard mixed opinions about the bakery’s most popular item.  As they also offered up many tasty looking mini-cheesecakes, I was tempted not to try a cupcake.  However, my inner cupcake connoisseur knew I had to be able to compare all other cupcakes to the one that started the craze.

Vanilla Cupcake from Magnolia Bakery (Leah Wong)

Flavour: Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream
Cake: 4/5
Icing: 4/5
Presentation: 5/5
Flavour Selection: 4/5
Location: 5/5
Total: 22/25

Initially I found the icing on the cupcake a little too sweet, and considering I have a major sweet tooth, that’s saying something.  The more I ate, the better it got.  For once, I was happy not to have the cupcake towered high with icing, as it was super sweet.  There were quite a few flavours to choose from, but they were all pretty standard.  The cake was good, but not anything special.  Overall, the cupcake was worth it, though I can’t see standing in hours for a good, but standard cupcake.  As I went first thing in the morning on a Thursday, there was no line up, but I’d been warned by friends that I should be prepared to stand in line.  I adore the location of the West Village location, it was right across from Marc by Marc Jacobs, down the street from James Perse, and a few blocks from a major sale at Olive & Bette’s.  While it wasn’t the best cupcake I’ve ever had, it’s easy to tell how they are the basis of a craze, which other bakers have built upon and improved.

Today would have been Audrey Hepburn’s birthday, which I celebrated by watching “How to Steal a Million” one of my favourite of her films.  A romantic comedy and heist movie all in one, this movie is a must-see.  On top of the enjoyable plot line, I adore the fashion in this movie – which, of course were designed by Givenchy.  In December, during an auction of costumes worn by Audrey, the black lace dress and jacket alone were sold for a whopping £60,000.

The classic fashion sense of Audrey Hepburn is timeless, meaning that even today clothing from her movies can be used as inspiration.  The black lace dress, especially, can be incorporated into anyone’s wardrobe, with the rising popularity of lace in stores.  Black lace dresses from ModCloth and Ruche are modern day interpretations of this famous dress.  In the movie it is paired with a gorgeous matching eyemask, dramatic eyeshadow and statement earrings.  Though this look was meant to blend in at the Ritz bar, the elegance of this outfit is far from understated.  When shopping for a lace dress, keep Audrey’s ladylike elegance in mind, and steer clear of the super-short mini dress from American Apparel.

Another main feature of Audrey’s look in the film, is her bee-hive hair.  Though this look might seem best left to the 1960s, Jessica Schroeder of What I Wore proves this look can be updated and worn in the present.  Other accessories worn by Audrey which showcase the best of the sixties are the pillbox hat and the round, oversized sunglasses, popularized by Jackie O.

With each costume change, Audrey has a different statement coat.  Each style is quite different, but all are equally gorgeous.  As retailers are slashing prices on their winter stock, keep your eyes open for statement coats for next winter (or if you’re in Calgary, like me you can probably start enjoying them now!)  The Venice Biennial Jacket from ModCloth and the Holly Golightly Trench from Lulus are just a couple coats that echo Audrey’s elegance.

Screenshots borrowed from Movie Title Stills Collection and Fanpop.

Japanese Ginger Cupcake from For the Love of Cake (Leah Wong)

This post is a long time coming, I went to For the Love of Cake back in March, but never got around to posting my review.  I first heard about For the Love of Cake because of their Mancakes - you read right – a cupcake made for the men in your life.  These decadent cakes use “man-worthy” ingredients; the flavours range from Maple Bacon to Guinness Chocolate. The other specialty at For the Love of Cake, is the 4-dimensional cupcake, made up of cake, icing, garnish and filing.

On my trip to For the Love of Cake, I made it not too long before closing, meaning I was faced with end of day selection.  The only two flavours offered up were Japanese Ginger and Maple Bacon – being a vegetarian I obviously chose the former.  According to their website the Japanese Ginger is “A tangy ginger cupcake filled with a plum sake reduction and topped with cream cheese frosting and a plum slice covered in a sake glaze.” Needless to say I was intrigued by the complex list of ingredients.

Cupcake Filling (Leah Wong)

Icing: 5/5
Cake: 5/5
Presentation: 5/5
Location: 2.5/5
Selection: 5/5
Total: 22.5/25

While there were only two flavours available when I went into the store, at the beginning of each day, the bakery tweets (@4theloveofcake) the selection for the day.  At the beginning of the day there are around nine flavours available, so if you want to have full pick, go early in the day!

As I tried the cupcake a while ago, and do not remember the specifics, I can’t go into detail about it.  I would however, recommend going to For the Love of Cake to try their cupcakes for yourself.  The flavours are complex, while there was minimal icing, with the filling I did not desire more.

Currently, Liberty Village seems quite the trek for a cupcake, as the area is not fully developed.  I think as the area grows, it will become a much more desirable area to check out.  Right now, there is a cute boutique located next to the shop, which I would recommend to any fashionista.