A lot. It’s perfect and I could probably eat it three times a day, every day, for a few years before I ever tired of it. These accessories available through Vincon would only serve to feed my cereal addiction in a more attractive way. So long ugly cardboard boxes and soggy spoonfuls. The stainless steel cereal dispenser is attractive enough to leave on the counter and the cereal spoon lets you eat first, drink second. (The spoons would also be fantastic to use with soup.)
Mike Perry is a jack of all trades when it comes to design. Art direction, illustrations, typography, web? Check, check, check and check. I’ve mentioned his book – Hand Job: A Catalogue of Type – before and it’s been hanging out on my Wish List for a few months. Thanks to a Barnes & Noble gift card that won’t be the case for much longer. Hand Job is only one of his projects, just take a look at his site to see the lengthy list of accomplishments Perry has under his belt. In his spare time he runs a small design studio in Brooklyn. I’m 99% positive the man has no time for sleep.
The Pantone Pen Print is one of the coolest, most original ideas I’ve seen in awhile. Daniel Eatock actually completed the project back in 2006, but I’ve only just heard about it. It consisted of one complete set of Letraset TRIA Pantone markers arranged in the color spectrum and left for one month sitting on their uncapped points on a stack of 500 sheets of uncoated white paper. The results were incredible. The ink bled through 73 sheets of the paper. The numbering of each sheet corresponds to its position within the stack furthest from the top (i.e. 1/73, etc.). The pricing also corresponded similarly with 1/73 valued at £1, 2/73 at £2, etc. Of course by now everything has been sold out for ages, but I think a little home experimentation and patience might be in order on my part…
The Schott Swiesel Bar Special Tritan Saucer Champagne glass is pretty much perfect. It’s the champagne glass I picture being used in old Hollywood films where the ladies call everyone “Dahling” and the gents walk around with cigars between their teeth while bubbly sloshes onto the carpet. In other words, perfect for New Year’s.
The New Year’s edition of On the Rocks had to include something featuring a little bubbly. The Lava Lamp looks like a classy way to ring in the new year. You know, if that’s the way you’re looking to do it…
Ingredients: – 6 oz chilled champagne (or sparkling wine) – 1 tbsp Ocean Spray Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries – 1/6 oz fresh lemon juice
Pour chilled champagne (or sparkling wine) into a champagne flute. Add sweetened dried cranberries. Let it sit for a moment. Cranberries will begin to slowly float up and down in glass. Serve while chilled.
A big thank you to desire to inspire for mentioning Design Crush in their Holiday Reading Part 1 post! Stop by and check out all the fantastic blogs mentioned in parts 1 and 2.
On another note, posting will still be sparse through January 8th as I’ll be traveling through then. I hope everyone had an unforgettable holiday!
It’s time to do laundry and start packing for my trip home to Pennsylvania. I leave bright and (too) early at 6AM tomorrow and only have about a million things to get done before then. I hope you all have an unforgettable Christmas filled with family, friends and memories. Gushy, but true. I’ll be posting sporadically through the new year and things will be back to normal starting January 9th. Cheers!
No worries, you didn’t wake up to an On the Rocks Wednesday. It is, in fact, Friday and for most of us the last day of work before the Big Day. This special time of year always seems to call for a little extra something. And by something I of course mean alcohol. Maybe it’s the mental stress of this glorious season, or the madness of the malls, or even your blessedly loved family. Whatever the case, a drink (or ten) noticeably helps lubricate your social skills and up your tolerance level of just about everything. On that note, I give you the be all and end all of holiday beverages: eggnog. Now grab your Bullwinkle glass and get started!
Ingredients: – 8 large eggs – 4 egg yolks – 1 cup granulated sugar – 5 cups whole milk – 1 1/2 cup dark rum – 1 cup 80 proof Kentucky straight bourbon – 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract – 1/2 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg – 2 cups whipping cream – 2 tbsp superfine sugar
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg,s yolks and granulated sugar until smooth. Pour into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in milk, gradually, blending well with each addition. Heat slowly over very low heat, stirring steadily, until the mixture reaches 160 – 170F on an instant read thermometer. The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, the line will remain distinct and the custard sauce is done.
Pour the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into large bowl. Stir in vanilla, rum, bourbon and nutmeg. Let mixture cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least three hours and or up to one day.
Just before serving, whip cream to very soft peaks, beating in, superfine sugar as you go. Gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve from a chilled punch bowl or ladle into individual martini glasses, garnishing with grated nutmeg if desired.
Samples, Seconds & Surprises is an amazing Etsy shop I stumbled across recently and absolutely adore. “Samples” are pieces with new glazes, “Seconds” are slightly imperfect pieces and “Surprises” are just that. I especially love the Gourmet Collection which reintroduces the disposable tin food container in fine porcelain. The color choices are spot on – these fun pieces just wouldn’t look right in anything other than vibrant, bright hues.