Cox Cookies and Cake + HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I’m really not a big fan of the hype surrounding neither cupcakes nor New Year’s Eve. But I think I’ve found the perfect cake for that last night of the year…and it’s a cupcake.

Last night I walked past this blingy, shiny multi-coloured shop front in Brewer Street in Soho and was nailed to the ground, hypnotised by all the bright lights.

This cupcake and cookie shop is called Cox Cookies and Cake and it’s the brainchild of Canadian-British designer & shoemaker Patrick Cox and master patissier Eric Lanlard and it’s nothing like your average cutesy and cheerful pink cupcake shop.

Oh no, this place is like a psychedelic stripper cave, filled with neon signs, skull-clad cakes and handsome staff wearing studded leather aprons.

Mesmerised by the interior I decided to pop into the shop today and try one of their crazy looking cakes.

I took a long hard look at the different choices: should I choose the Pop Cake – a vanilla cake with a blueberry compote centre, vanilla frosting and decorated with a chocolate Marilyn Monroe? Or maybe the Bling Cake – A raspberry cake with raspberry compote centre and decorated with pink icing and sugar diamonds?

Nah, too ordinary. I left the shop with this one:

The Black Skull Cake. A triple Valrhona chocolate cake with goth black frosting and a dark chocolate jewelled skull. This is one of the shop’s special cupcakes that cost £4 (yes I know, that’s bloody expensive), the classic ones cost a more reasonable £2.50.

But this one was actually worth the money. The cream cheese based frosting was perfect and the skull made of bitter dark chocolate. Even the normally boring sponge cake base was lovely. I’ll definitely be back for more.

So with that last blingy picture there’s just one thing left to say:

A very happy new year to all my dear readers. I hope 2011 will be a good one!

COX COOKIES AND CAKE
13 Brewer Street
Soho, London
Website

Who wore it best? – Sparkly gold Jaeger blazer

I bought this sparkly Jaeger blazer in one of my favourite Danish charity shops many years ago. I can’t remember the exact price, but it was probably between £5-10. I’ve only ever worn it once and that was at a Christmas party last year (evidence to the left).

So when we got invited to a “Bling”-themed party it was time to pull this little darling out of the closet again. All was well, and I felt well-prepared for the party.

But that was only until the husband snatched it and decided that it looked better on him. Let’s have a little side-by-side comparison:

And I of course had to agree! Must be the way he so trendily has puffed up the sleeves. So off he went to the party, looking like a slightly deranged Las Vegas magician (he did decide to leave the 3D glasses at home though).

And I was left with the second-best option: SILVER, in the shape of this oversized second-hand top which I also found in a Danish charity shop many years ago.

Second-hand find: the most glittery of gold belts

I never say no to some bling, especially not so close to Christmas. So of course I had to check out this belt when I spotted it in the window of one of the charity shops on West End Lane.

From a distance it could have been just another cheap glitter belt, but when I picked it up it was really heavy and well-made with gold “scales” hand-sewn on to a thick woven fabric. Price 6 pounds.

I’ll probably wear it with an all-black outfit, like the one below where it brightens up a an otherwise boring black jeans & t-shirt combo.

Galibardy – affordable bling with a twist

Photo: Mette Bassett

For et stykke tid siden blev mine øjne lokket til af en smykkestand lige ved indgangen (i enden med madboderne) til det dejlige indendørs søndagsmarked i Østlondon, Sunday UpMarket.

Bag standen stod ejeren af smykkemærket Galibardy, og jeg endte med at gå derfra med Bambi her til omkring 21 pund. Firmaet har specialiseret sig i spøjse halskæder, brocher og ringe med alt fra dødningehoveder til pantere, en kanin i en hat, bittesmå grønne æbler og bier.

Priserne er lave, men de fleste smykker er lavet af messing og de ser meget dyrere ud, end de er. Galibardy har haft en stand på markedet, hver gang jeg har været forbi, men du kan også shoppe online på www.galibardy.co.uk.

English: A while back I was visiting the lovely Sunday UpMarket in East London when my eyes were drawn to a stall selling jewellery with a quirky twist. Behind the stall was the owner of the company Galibardy, who has  specialised  in affordable, modern jewellery with humour and a story to tell.

I ended up buying the Bambi necklace in brass, price: 21 pounds.

You can shop at their stall in East (it has been there every time I’ve been there and is located right by the entrance, before the food stalls) or online at www.galibardy.co.uk.

Photo via galibardy.co.uk

Photo via galibardy.co.uk

Photo via galibardy.co.uk

Photo via galibardy.co.uk

Photo via galibardy.co.uk