In my magazine reading adventures, I find that sometimes the best tips and treasures are not the huge main spreads. But, more of the teeny little articles thrown in. One such article threw me into a fit of desire. I must admit. I have not been a huge sugar girl my whole life. I have preferred the chips and dips route. However, my mom, well, she is one of those people that will order one of each of the most delectable desserts at fancy places. As she says, you know, "just to taste." And I must say, once you taste really good desserts, your taste buds can really change. That is how I find myself in this desperate daydream….
I want, I want, I want a delicious dessert. I was reading my April issue of House and Garden, minding my own business. When all of a sudden, I read that Mary Canales, a graduate of Chez Pannise and the pastry chef at Alice Walter's Temple of cuisine for 9 years, recently opened Ici. The following H&G article photograph prompted my desire….
So, I was wondering….If any of you are in the Berkeley California area, could you please please head over to the Elmwood district and have one of these desserts for me? I promise if you eat it with me in mind, you won't have to count any of the calories???? Just take your credit card and go have as many as you want.. hee hee….
As soon as the show is over, I am having a dessert party, even if it is alone at The Cup Cafe (above, pic taken from here), which is located in the Hotel Congress. A wonderful place you should visit if you are ever here in Tucson. It also houses one of the only nightclubs I will visit in town, Club Congress.
Then I am going thrifting. As my inspirations for such are very high, after reading the 2nd article of intrigue in the March 2007 Domino Issue, titled, "Secondhand (love) story." About Linda and John Meyers who have turned their thrifting passion into an amazing interior-design biz! My Dream! Below, check it out! Now wait, it gets better! John does custom art, send in a pic of you, your pets, anything and he will make you a custom portrait!!!! Check it out WARYMEYERS.com.
I think I will take a short cuddle (after a warm shower, like Risa) in my cushy bed, with my new favorite calming pillow. It is a tiny little thing that is one of my favorite possessions right now. It is 3 parts cushy, one part lavender, I think? Whatever it is, I have had it by my nose since it arrived and I love it!!
Guess who it is from? It is from the lovely & charming, amongst many other things, Bitter Betty. My name (1 outta 3) was picked to help celebrate her blogiversary! Happy belated Blogiversary Bitter Betty!!! Yippee! And there was more…Lucky me!!!
I hope you are having delightful days!!!! Thanks for sticking with me during this busy show preparation time!!! I really appreciate it! It means alot to see your smiling comments!!! xxo,Vanessa
ps: Grin Grin, the pieces are out of the kiln.. Oh my GOOoooddddddness!! They are fun!!!!! After the show, they will go into the Etsy shop regularly!!!!
pss: Another treasure in the mailbox! Can't wait to tell you about it!!!!
so glad you like it mydear.. Indeed 3 parts squishy and 1 part lavendar from my forest floor garden.
cheers and happiness to you.
oooh, those desserts are lovely to look at, and i’m sure just as yummy for the tummy…
i do love pretty things to eat, there is a dessert shop in Toronto called ‘Duffelets’ and i adore their tarts….
the lavender pillow…very pretty and i love lavender, one of my fave scents!!
going to the store later to see that Domino issue, since i’m into secondhand love.
Whoaaaaaa, look at those cakes! Wait, those aren’t just cakes, those are little edible art pieces!!!! But I just went gaga over the wine tree too! Gosh, I’ll take a forest of those please! (Am I a lush? Sometimes yes.)
I have nixed the crappy kitty litter cake in exchange for the Chocolate fountain with yummy dippers… so in a way, I’m catering to sweet teeth today 🙂 *i’ll probably forget my camera!*
Umm, pick me up on your way out Thriftin! I’m getting my shoes on now… heh heh
Want you to know I had to stop in the middle of your post and go have a bite of chocolate! My hubby and I were in the bay area checking out a job thing for him last week and boy do I wish I had known about your wish then, nothing would make me happier than granting it! Oh, I think I know what I want from your shop, I think my life will not be complete without a plate/bowl/something ceramic! Have a great day!
Oh Vanessa how I have missed your blog the last few days!! But I am all caught up now! Those plates are beyond divine – I love them!!! Your show – how exciting – I hope preps are going well , busy busy. Oh I wish I could have a real (or even a virtual) tour – cannot wait to see all the glorious photos I know you will post.
As for cake – well seeign those photos is torture to my soul. I am a cake addict. I love it. Too much. Except I have to be off it for a wee while, on surgeons orders and Mark is keeping watch. I shall have to eat cake in my dreams!!! Or paint cake, or something.
Stay well and have a great week!!!
xxx
What a yumm-delish-i-fied link!!!! The whole decon/recon clothes thing was my dream once upon a time and it is enjoying a renaisance with my oldest baby (pics soon).Oh to go thrifting with Vanessa,where would we start,the jewelry section,the linens, the furniture,the clothes ,perhaps we would just devide and conquer! Yep,no prisoners on our thriftventure! As for sweets,well I likem’ fine but,if I am going to spend my sweets calories ,I want Japanese Mochi!!!!
What wonderful goodies you have been getting! I love love love the lavender pillow. What a clever way to do one! Cute! I want in on your mailbox goodies. Ha! Isn’t mail fun? I think so!
xo,
Karen Beth 🙂
What lovely plates…Thank you for keeping us all in the loop with your busy preparations, it’s been so fun, like being there without having to sweat it out with you!
I love Club Congress, but haven’t been in quite a while, I think the last time was with my ex about 12 years ago (oh dear) But, my sister worked at The Cup when she lived down there…And it’s a perfect place to celebrate.
We have a lovely French pastry place here called Sweet Tarts…run by a fun smarmy Frenchman, with the most delicious things you’ve ever had…Oh my! We absolutley must go…you will swoon! I’ve heard people say that you can’t even get pastries that good IN France…
Even on my sickbed, those desserts are calling out to me! I’m glad to see that your pottery turned out ok! Nothing broken or cracked, I hope.
What a wonderful idea, a surrogate cake tasters/eaters…all the pleasure none of the callories.
Don’t have time to write much, need to see what you have in your Esty shop 🙂
i have lived here in seattle for ten years, but before that i lived just north of berkeley, and i am still kicking myself for never having gone to chez panisse! one day though…my sisters still live in driving distance of s.f.! i just recently bought a cookbook at a thrift store that was a chez panisse cookbook. well, when i got it home and looked at it a bit more, i realized it was actually chez panisse desserts cookbook! yum! (are you a sex in the city fan too?! i was wondering from your line, “breath that is bated”)!
Can’t wait to see those pieces in the Etsy shop! Wish that I was born w/out a sweet tooth, sad thing is that all my teeth are sweet! It’s a trouble. 🙂
Ooh, how can you tempt us with such pretty dessert pictures? I’m glad it’s for a good cause where no calories are added with you in mind 🙂 What a pity I’m not in California, otherwise I would gladly take the challenge! Don’t you just love Google? love that all information in at the end of our fingertips, Research Research!
I believe that with your thrifting passion and taste, you could setup such an interior design business too (at least I’ve already commissioned you for the Craft room :)). Love your illos today, glad you came up for air.
I am with you on treats, I prefer savory over sweet, but those cakes and sweets look delicious!! That place is in Berkeley?? I decided that after I get my master’s here in T-Town, I am going to apply to UC Berkeley, they have the top SOC department in the US and I want to go there. If I get in, then I’ll go to Ici to celebrate!! Maybe we should take a trip this summer, you can go thrifting and I can go to the fabric stores!!
cake, cake, cake…..oh I have such a sweet tooth it’s not even funny. I could survive on cakes and fashion magazines alone I think.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
wish tickets: Anahata Catkin makes them (papayalicious) – I believe – but I picked them up at Frances in Scottsdale:
602.279.5467
http://www.francesvintage.com
xox – eb.
yes I wish I’d gotten more
hope this helps
Oh, I would like these dessert over here in Norway. Can you help me 🙂
ya know, when i was little i was not much a of a candy girl but the older i get the more of a sweet tooth i develop. especially for anything involving chocolate. chocolate!!! mmmmm…
i want to start a thrifting interior design business. oh, what fun! to get paid to scour thrift shops, and estate sales, and flea markets…it would be a dream!
enjoy your snuggle with the pillow. i love lavendar. more mmmm…and you know how i love a shower and a pillow.
🙂
ohmygoodness- you caught me in a moment of weakness with those pics. i have a sudden need for cake.
I wish I could go find that incredible pastry shop…oh the one with the lines, like drawing!! mmmm
thanks for the link, what great design work they do….love the rooms!!
AND, your pieces out of the kiln look scrumptious! I don’t think you’ll have anything left for your etsy shop.
Great post as always…whan is that show????
Can`t wait to see pics…
your post is making me drool and that is not a good look!
what delightful pictures…my hubby’s Uncle owns a cake shop…it smells so good so I avoid going there!!!
not long until your show!! very exciting!
what a beautiful pillow – toile is my favourite fabric ever!!!
I need to head out to Berkeley sometime – I will go and suffer through some ice cream for you. I promise. And Tartine is within walking distance of my house. If you come to San Frnacisco, you know who you can share a cocnut cream pie with. The cookbook – worth every penny, for the pictures alone.
Very inspiring Vanessa! That tartine book – must have that, and Domino too!
Desserts are wonderful. Nothing can beat the key lime pie at Joe’s Stonecrab in Miami.
I’m with your Mum on this one, this post is making my mouth water, but then your blog often has that effect on me!
Oh I so wish I could help you but Italy is a tiny bit to distant! I did have gorgeous desserts at a restaurant over here last week though.. anyway, your post put me in a good mood, thanks!
Those sweet and divine (‘goddelijk’ in Dutch) looking desserts must be evil, why else does they make you want to eat as much sugar as you can get? Anyway, I always find it very satisfying to only wátch people (I prefere me friends) eat sweets, and after that I take a big bite of my beautiful green colourred apple. I have found a nice balance between healthy and unhealthy sweets!:D
We have a great pastry spot its called the Riviera, it is so good they have the best brownies, and the best cafe con leche. the brownies are moist and thick and they put sugar on the bottom. so yummy.
Hi ! I just popped in …cuz Sherrie(Giggles) said you had a great blog! She is right! I thoroughly enjoyed reading some of your hilarious posts1 I love the one about the fence gut and all the intrigue! I also see Mz Smoochie Lips is here! SHE crazeee!
So many things you bring for us, like show and tell, I don’t know where to look first, it is all good!!