The Clothing Show Wrap Up

Set up. Lots to do.

Getting there.

Open for business.
(Can you spot Diana hiding in the background?)

Last minute inspiration!
I was inspired by Sweet Paul's beautiful styling and ran out to buy a chalk board the day before the show.

Handprinted, handmade canvas tote bags. (Coming soon to our shop). Though I designed them all, my personal favorite is the Grey Dots tote (pictured left). Diana prefers the red birds.

Handprinted, handmade tea towels in cotton and linen.

Café aprons and reversible kids aprons. Again, coming soon to the shop.

A broader selection of adult apron, coming soon.

And finally, thanks so much to everyone who stopped by our booth with kind words about our collection. We were really happy to meet you all.

::: Nathalie

The Clothing Show 2010

Day One: Shop set up. We changed the layout again one hour before doors open.

New product alert! We introduced our collection of handmade, handprinted tea towels at the show.

It's our last day at the Clothing Show and while we're sad to leave, we're just looking forward to going home and relaxing for the remainder of the weekend. Thanks to everyone who's stopped by.

Nathalie & Diana

Things We Love

We're furiously prepping for the Clothing Show which starts this Friday. Hope we'll see some of you there!

While working, it's essential that we have entertainment. We've been listening to a lot of audiobooks and have been streaming TV shows online, so you can only imagine our excitement when we found out that Netflix is now available in Canada! Right now they're giving out a one month free trial, afterwards it's only $7.99 a month! Crazy. Be sure to check it out.

Back to work,

Nathalie & Diana

Inspiring Rooms

I pulled these pictures from a blog some weeks ago and it's too bad that I can't remember which one it was. The colours and patters are something I could refer to later when designing tea towel or tote bags. Definitely a good starting point for designing my accessories.

I also love the classic elements mixed with contemporary. I want my studio to look like the second room - simple, elegant, modern, neutral palette with a light touch of colour.

::: Nathalie

Update: Source was in my own blog list: cococozy.com.

Sneak Peek: Tea Towels

100% unbleached cotton tea towel. Original design, screen printed and handmade.

100% cotton tea towel, handmade. Ikea fabric. Original crosses pattern overtop stenciled by hand.

We'll be debuting new collections from The Lime Shop at the Clothing Show this September. Expect to see a line of aprons especially designed for kids and cool tea towels to dress up your kitchen.

::: Nathalie

Recipe: Vanilla Cake with Summer Fruit

Chatelaine's Vanilla Cake with Summer Fruit

I've been awol from the blog lately since I've been working on the launch of the official Lime Shop website. It's up and running now so make sure you check it out!

Since I've been so busy, I've hardly had the time to bake but as soon as I saw this cake in my mum's Chatelaine, I knew I had to try it.

It's pretty simple to make and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

I followed the directions exactly as stated in the recipe. In regards to cooking time, I found 65 mins was a little too much . I had checked the cake at 50 mins, but found the middle still needed cooking. (It's a lot of batter that you're baking through.) 65 mins was too much since the cake was a deep brown color and the edges where too tough for my liking. I resolved this by cutting away the edges of the cake to reveal the nice moist cake inside.

Decorating this cake could not have been easier. You literally drizzle your icing on top (if it's too runny, just add more icing sugar to thicken it) and decorate it with fruit.

The recipe calls for 2 peaches, thinly sliced. There was no way I could fit 2 peaches on this cake so I reserved the remaining slices in a bowl. My guests where more than happy to pass the bowl around the table and top their cake with additional fruit.

If you need a simple cake to impress your guests, definitely give this one a try. Just be sure to bake the actual cake an hour or two before your guests arrive to give it time to cool down before decorating it.

::: Nathalie

CHATELAINE'S VANILLA CAKE WITH SUMMER FRUIT

Makes 12 Servings

FOR CAKE:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups milk

FOR ICING:

3 tbsp milk

2 cups sifted icing sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 160 g containers berries

2 thinly sliced peaches

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a 9x13-in. glass baking dish with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper. Spray again. Stir flour with baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until butter is creamy. Add sugar. Cream together until fluffy.

3. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Beat well to incorporate. On low speed, add a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour.

4. Scrape into prepared pan. Smooth top gently. Bake in centre of oven until it is deep golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean, 65 to 75 min. If cake becomes deep golden before it is done baking, cover very loosely with foil. Cool on a rack 10 min, then remove from pan and cool completely, about 2 hours.

5. Whisk milk into icing sugar until smooth. Whisk in extract. Spread over cooled cake. Slice cake, then serve topped with berries and peaches.

Review: Cupid's Gourmet Cupcakes

I was super excited when Diana introduced me to Cupid's Gourmet Cupcakes. This adorable shop carries fun flavours like The Princess (Vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream frosting), Pucker Up (Lemon yogurt cake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest and lemon buttercream frosting), Chai High (Chai tea buttermilk cake with chai tea cream cheese frosting) and my favorite, the Red Velvet.

What makes Cupid's so great are the recipes. The cakes are soft, moist and subtly sweet. The light creamy frostings perfectly complement their paired cakes. Bonus for those with nut allergies, Cupid's prides themselves on being nut-free.

Personally, I love that Cupid's cupcakes aren't greasy. Have you ever had a greasy cupcake? It spoils the whole experience. Just a few months ago, I ordered a red velvet cupcake from a restaurant that was so oily, it left pools of grease on my plate and hands. Not to worry, that won't happen at Cupid's.

With clean decor of white tiles and accessories, Cupid's is warm and inviting. Their Daily Flavours are beautifully displayed as soon as you walk in. The open back area gives you a peak at the busy bakers in the kitchen working on orders for showers and special occasions.

As mentioned, Cupid's rotates flavours. Check out their website for the schedule. Full Cupcakes are priced at $2.50 each, $12.90 for half a dozen and $24.96 for a dozen. Mini cupcakes are priced at $1.15 each, $6.50 for half a dozen and $12.90 for a dozen.

Make sure you go early because they typically sell out well before days end. The shop is open Tues - Fri 10am - 7pm, Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 11am - 5pm and is closed Mondays. Be sure to stop by, these cakes are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

::: Nathalie