Whilst doing my usual Sunday morning perusal of blogs I came across the video 'Can I be your friend?' on Slash/Slash. The video brings the actions we use online into the real world and demonstrates just how strange a concept poking people, liking things and announcing our relationship to the world really is. What's stranger still is that the video is to promote a new opera, not the first medium you'd expect to exposure the dangers associated with living our lives online.
"Ever thought how odd your online life is? Ever thought what could go wrong? This film looks forward to ENO's production of Nico Muhly's new opera 'Two Boys'." If that sounds like your kind of thing the opera premieres on the 24th June at the London Coliseum.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
The Cupcake Miracle/Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe
I love cupcakes. In fact, I love cake of any kind but unfortunately I am terrible at baking without supervision. Oddly, I've been told this is because I follow the recipe too much... I think it's more I'm inpatient, rarely have every ingredient and the oven at home likes to burn everything on the right hand side. I like to try to counteract the last aspect by turning things regularly but of course this means my cakes are usually flat as a pancake.
Today I decided to bake at my moms house. I was armed with a good oven, all the ingredients and a peanut butter cupcake recipe that I was determined to follow to the letter... When I took them out of the oven they had risen, cooked to perfection and tasted divine. It was a cupcake miracle.
As a baking retard if I can make this recipe I'm sure anyone can. It's from the book Cupcakes and Muffins: A Collection of 200 Delicious Recipes, but I have shared it with you here so you can try right now. The recipe is apparently for 16 but that must be for massive cupcakes... I got 21 so decided to do half chocolate and half frosted. There was an absolute tonne of frosting left over.
Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line two 12-hole bun tins with 16 paper cases. (I used silicon cases and cooked in two batches.)
3. Place the butter, sugar and peanut butter in a bowl and beat together for 1-2 minutes, or until well mixed.
4. Gradually beat in the eggs, then add the vanilla extract.
5. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cases.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. (15-20 minutes with my moms small cases and fan assisted oven.)
The ingredients are exactly the same as for the cake above but all you need is chocolate spread (I used Nutella) instead of any frosting ingredients.
Today I decided to bake at my moms house. I was armed with a good oven, all the ingredients and a peanut butter cupcake recipe that I was determined to follow to the letter... When I took them out of the oven they had risen, cooked to perfection and tasted divine. It was a cupcake miracle.
My yummy cupcakes :) - I didn't say they looked professional, I said they baked perfectly.
As a baking retard if I can make this recipe I'm sure anyone can. It's from the book Cupcakes and Muffins: A Collection of 200 Delicious Recipes, but I have shared it with you here so you can try right now. The recipe is apparently for 16 but that must be for massive cupcakes... I got 21 so decided to do half chocolate and half frosted. There was an absolute tonne of frosting left over.
Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 55 g/2 oz butter, softened, or soft margarine
- 225 g/8 oz soft light brown sugar
- 115 g/ 4 oz crunch peanut butter (I used smooth because that's what was in the cupboard. They still tasted yummy but didn't have the crunch...obviously.)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten (Apparently I should have beaten by eggs before putting them in with everything else - I didn't.)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225 g/ 8 oz plain flower
- 2 tsp baking powder
Frosting:
- 200 g/7 oz soft cream cheese (I used ricotta.)
- 25 g/1 oz butter, softened
- 225 g/8 oz icing sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line two 12-hole bun tins with 16 paper cases. (I used silicon cases and cooked in two batches.)
3. Place the butter, sugar and peanut butter in a bowl and beat together for 1-2 minutes, or until well mixed.
4. Gradually beat in the eggs, then add the vanilla extract.
5. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cases.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. (15-20 minutes with my moms small cases and fan assisted oven.)
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat together until smooth.
10. Sift the icing sugar into the mixture, beat together until well mixed, then spread the frosting on the top of each cake. (My mom has no sieve. God knows why. This of course meant I had to massively beat my frosting, and the more you beat the cream cheese the softer it gets. This is why my icing is a lot runnier than the one in the book, so it was more pour than spread. Still tastes amazing though!)
9. To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat together until smooth.
10. Sift the icing sugar into the mixture, beat together until well mixed, then spread the frosting on the top of each cake. (My mom has no sieve. God knows why. This of course meant I had to massively beat my frosting, and the more you beat the cream cheese the softer it gets. This is why my icing is a lot runnier than the one in the book, so it was more pour than spread. Still tastes amazing though!)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
The ingredients are exactly the same as for the cake above but all you need is chocolate spread (I used Nutella) instead of any frosting ingredients.
1. Follow the above method until step 5.
2. Spoon half the mixture into the paper cases then place about 1/2 a teaspoon of chocolate spread into the centre of each.
3. Carefully spoon the remaining mixture into the paper cases so that it completely encloses the chocolate spread.
4. Bake as before.
5. Cool and cover with more chocolate spread.
Voila :) both batches taste absolutely yummy. The chocolate cupcakes are much stickier, with the frosted cupcakes coming across lighter even though they're the same cake. The peanut butter makes the mix rather sticky and heavy but I promise they are divine. If you give either recipe a go let me know!
Sunday, 5 June 2011
BLAC Space Scape
Now I'm back in the Midlands I decided to try my luck and see if Fused Magazine would let me write for them again...and they said yes. I will be writing for Fused/Area Culture Guide online and in print, so keep an eye out for me. For those of you who go to Birmingham uni look out for my reprise in Fused's Student Issue, where I give you the best trends for the coming season...all affordable of course.
My first article went up on Tuesday entitled BLAC Space Scape. (If you follow me on Twitter you'll already know this but I am a bit behind with my blog sorry!) You should read it because it features fabulous jewellery by BLAC and an incredible shoot by creative director Ashley Hilton, who will be graduating this summer. It also features an amazing film of the shoot by Videographer Dima Kalenda.
My first article went up on Tuesday entitled BLAC Space Scape. (If you follow me on Twitter you'll already know this but I am a bit behind with my blog sorry!) You should read it because it features fabulous jewellery by BLAC and an incredible shoot by creative director Ashley Hilton, who will be graduating this summer. It also features an amazing film of the shoot by Videographer Dima Kalenda.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Wallpaper Magazine: Custom Animated Covers
I love Wallpaper Magazine. It's pretty great when it comes to all things design and I relish in all the beautiful architecture, art, products etc that it features. In fact, Wallpaper makes me wish I'd become an architect. Well, I can't be an architect but my work can now grace the cover of their magazine...
Wallpaper are giving readers the chance to create their own animated Wallpaper cover, which will live in their online gallery. Following this you can take a still shot of the animation and for £6 ($10) they'll post you a copy of the August issue anywhere in the world with your customised cover gracing its front. No design degree needed because there's even an easy peasy guide.
The deadline is May 31st and I have zero time. I have an MA to complete after all. So, just in case I don't get time, I think you should all do it and then let me bask in the glory you feel for designing something spectacular and unique.
Wallpaper are giving readers the chance to create their own animated Wallpaper cover, which will live in their online gallery. Following this you can take a still shot of the animation and for £6 ($10) they'll post you a copy of the August issue anywhere in the world with your customised cover gracing its front. No design degree needed because there's even an easy peasy guide.
The deadline is May 31st and I have zero time. I have an MA to complete after all. So, just in case I don't get time, I think you should all do it and then let me bask in the glory you feel for designing something spectacular and unique.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
I need to go somewhere...
I have been sat working away on my MA work for about 12 years now. At least it feels that way, it has completely taken over my life. Oh and I have no money, nothing, nada, ziltch. So I am leaving the North and moving home to the Midlands as I have no more excuses. I have no lectures, it's just time to get on with it.
As well as moving home, which will be a trial I'm sure, I have also had to give up many fun things such as drinking copious amounts of alcohol (I have no money and also no time to waste on hangovers as I am now an extremely professional person), eating three decent meals a day and also holidays. This last one is what gets to me most. I am happy to drink water and eat pasta. I am not happy to be stuck in my little bubble, I want to see the world!
What is making this worse is The Cool Hunter's Facebook page, which keeps tormenting me with pictures of places I want to go. They call their albums things like "Private Pools", "Treescape" and "Amazing Places to Visit Around the World" that are filled with pictures that are supposed to inspire but what they actually do is cause jealousy. They may as well be called "Haha Laura can't go here! :p" (Please note that :p has actually raspberry blowing side effects in my head and is shortly followed by an evil laugh.)
Anyway, because I'm incredibly cruel and I'm sure you're all sat at a desk/on a couch/somewhere equally uninspiring I have picked my favourites from the Amazing Places to Experience Around the Globe album. There are a lot! And a lot more that are on the 'go to' list. I hope to fill you with the joy of knowing you'll possibly never visit some of these. Unless you're Richard Branson. In which case: Hello Richard. What a lovely tie you're wearing. I am a big fan of your aeroplanes and I've heard your private island is lovely. Care to go out for dinner?
As well as moving home, which will be a trial I'm sure, I have also had to give up many fun things such as drinking copious amounts of alcohol (I have no money and also no time to waste on hangovers as I am now an extremely professional person), eating three decent meals a day and also holidays. This last one is what gets to me most. I am happy to drink water and eat pasta. I am not happy to be stuck in my little bubble, I want to see the world!
What is making this worse is The Cool Hunter's Facebook page, which keeps tormenting me with pictures of places I want to go. They call their albums things like "Private Pools", "Treescape" and "Amazing Places to Visit Around the World" that are filled with pictures that are supposed to inspire but what they actually do is cause jealousy. They may as well be called "Haha Laura can't go here! :p" (Please note that :p has actually raspberry blowing side effects in my head and is shortly followed by an evil laugh.)
Anyway, because I'm incredibly cruel and I'm sure you're all sat at a desk/on a couch/somewhere equally uninspiring I have picked my favourites from the Amazing Places to Experience Around the Globe album. There are a lot! And a lot more that are on the 'go to' list. I hope to fill you with the joy of knowing you'll possibly never visit some of these. Unless you're Richard Branson. In which case: Hello Richard. What a lovely tie you're wearing. I am a big fan of your aeroplanes and I've heard your private island is lovely. Care to go out for dinner?
Marble Caves, Chile Chico, Chile
Gruta do Lago Azul(Blue Lake Cave), Bonito, Brazil.
Berry Head, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada
Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada
The Wave, Arizona
Hang En Cave, Vietnam
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Cellardoor Magazine: Get it Loud in the Library
Recently I wrote an article for Cellardoor Magazine's Spring Fling Issue. It's all about Get it Loud in Libraries, featuring Pegasus Bridge and The Good Natured as the next up and coming talent spotted in the library. To see the article properly click the link and turn to p.78-81. I hope you like it!
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Doppelganger: Images of the Human Being
This new book, which Cool Hunting recently featured, includes "bizarre, creepy and altogether stunning visions of digitally-influnced identity." Due to the nature of my MA topic I have been reading a lot about the influence of the digital on our personalities, intelligence etc. it is very interesting to see it represented in a visual way. It is imagery like this that could inspire the digitally influenced fashion and lifestyle trends that are developing.
"Exploring what deeply concerns people emotionally and representing it pictorially is one of the most interesting things happening in art and visual culture today," explains editor Robert Klanten in the book's preface. From tangible, more conventional layers like costumes and masks to photo-technical renderings and artistic manipulations, this sizeable coffee-table tome reveals the innumerable permutations of human form that have emerged in this very short span of time. Perhaps the result of its translation from German, Doppelganger's preface can seem a little abstruse at times, which hardly seems to matter given that the rest of the book's evocative and unsettling images speak for themselves." (from Cool Hunting)
"Exploring what deeply concerns people emotionally and representing it pictorially is one of the most interesting things happening in art and visual culture today," explains editor Robert Klanten in the book's preface. From tangible, more conventional layers like costumes and masks to photo-technical renderings and artistic manipulations, this sizeable coffee-table tome reveals the innumerable permutations of human form that have emerged in this very short span of time. Perhaps the result of its translation from German, Doppelganger's preface can seem a little abstruse at times, which hardly seems to matter given that the rest of the book's evocative and unsettling images speak for themselves." (from Cool Hunting)
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