When the Public Relations consultant of Coco Bonbons contacted me about sending me some samples of the baby and toddler clothes, I could not pass on this opportunity.

I usually do not talk about clothes and I do not have any children but I imagine that many parents with young children in my circle would be thrilled to test drive the clothes for me. And they did as you can see from these pictures. Everyone that saw the clothes were in awe.

Girls Collections

A colleague even commented that she would like to wear the pink Paisley Coat. There is a lot of detailed in their clothes. Girl accessories include coordinating tights, hats and muff.

The Partridge and the Owl are both cute except for their dress patterns. Go for the Paper Dolls Dress instead.

Boy Collections

For a baby boy, I wanted to see the Robot collection. The shirt boasts a robot appliqu while the wrench zipper pull on the chest pocket is adorable. The wrench zipper pull is duplicated on the pants.

From the Fall 2008 catalogue, I like the Boys blue and brown Bonbon collection plus the gray and orange Helicopter series, especially the Helicopter overall. The other boy patterns are too themed for my taste.

The Assessment

The parents who participated in the test drive only have good comments about the clothes. They fit well and they are well made.

The rest of the fall 2008 collection is as charming. If you are looking for a gift to parents with young children or if you are hosting a casual chic event, you can find suitable clothes at Coco Bonbons for babies, toddlers and kids wearing up to size 8.

SOURCING:
+ Robot Collection Tee with Red Sleeves price: $26.50 USD
+ Robot Collection Red Cargo Pant price: $36 USD
+ Paisley Collection Fall Coat price: $105 USD
+ Paisley Collection Knit Shirt with Ruffles price: $26.50 USD
+ Paisley Collection Skirt by Coco Bonbons price: $60 USD
+ Paisley Collection Tights price: $22 USD
+ Photos taken by the participating parents - rights reserved

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+ Give your thumb Up or Down to Coco Bonbons

I enjoy reading the Home and Garden section of The New York Times because they showcase amazing homes.

This week, The New York Times featured a couple who moved from a great rent-control apartment located on an upscale New York Citys neighborhood to renovate two basement units that used to be the turbine room of the old Standard Mill in Minneapolis. It is quite a change of pace.

The Needs

The owners are a couple who now runs their business from home. They operate Hopkins-Baumann, an editorial design studio for magazine and book publishers.

The couple wanted to fit a business office, a guest suite, a kitchen, a media room and a professional library on top of the standard home amenities in 2600 square feet.

They hired Geoffrey Warner of Alchemy Architects in St. Paul, the architect behind the weeHouse modular prefab projects. Strangely, Geoffrey Warner never did a condo unit before. It is interesting since doing a renovation is very different than building a new construction.

Creating Tensions Between the Elements of A Room

The kitchen is sleek and modern. The high rectangular stainless steel Valcucine kitchen's hoods oppose the industrial relics. By creating tensions, you can add lots of visual interests to your home decor. It is not an easy task to recreate that look. So I suggest you leave that design trick to visual art professionals.

Go Over The Top On a Few Details

I like that they kept some references to the turbine room. We can see some part of the four-feet deep foundation wall separating the two original units. Instead of repairing the crevasses, they used the wall imperfections as niches to harbor knickknacks.

The 50-foot floor track stretches from dining room to office to unite the office conference table to the dining room. A cheaper option would have been to use ordinary casters. By opting for the track, they own a conversation piece.

The metal beam is stunning. I enjoy how they nicely display the wooden art pieces on the edge. Do not miss to check out the huge arched window; it is so charming.

MORE READING:
+ Via The New Time Times
+ Photos by Michelle Litvin for The New York Times rights reserved
+ Bottom photos: Arado weeHouse and Marfa weeHouse

Here are more cakes supplies so your guests will be in awe. After all, it is worth investing time and money since cakes play a major role in every party. These come from the Fall and Halloween catalogue at Fancy Flours.

Cake Stand Wrappers

Finish up your presentation with a laser-cut paper wrapper that goes around your favorite cake stand. Notice that the cupcakes wrappers are for presentation purposes only. Use the standard paper cups to bake your cupcakes.

Cookie Stencils

I rely on stencils to quickly decorate cookies and cakes. Grab a few stencils for your Thanksgiving dinner. You may want to add to your collection of cookie cutters.

Figurines

As a complement to my Alice in Wonderland birthday party story, you can top your cupcakes, birthday cake or even decorating the centerpieces with Alice in Wonderland Figures. The set contains 8 plastic painted figurines.

I noticed that Fancy Flours sell the Cathedral Bundt Cake Pan cheaper than the source I found yesterday. But their assortment of Bundt cake pans is smaller.

You can rate Fancy Flours on local.kimvallee.com; it is a simple way for you to bookmark the site for later.

SOURCING:
+ Cake Stand Wrapper Spider Web price: $10 USD
+ Cupcake Wrapper Spider Web price: $14 USD, pack of 10
+ 3D Hunchback Spiders price: $2.50 per dozen
+ Fall Leaves Cookie Top price: $13.50 USD, set of three
+ Cake Stand Wrapper Red Heart price: $10 USD
+ Alice in Wonderland Figures price: $35 USD
+ Via Fine Stationery

RELATED POST:
+ Honey-Glazed Beehive Cake and Pretty Bundt Cakes

If you are a fan of Pushing Daisies, you get the chance to eat a free pie in a dcor inspired by the shows set this September.

The Walt Disney network converted an Airstream trailer into a moving Pie Hole restaurant. The tour started last week in Los Angeles and will continue until September 29th, 2008. A total of 10 major US cities will be visited. The next stop is San Francisco and the last stop will be New York City.

Balloons, fun freebies and pie goodies will be distributed. I read on Advertising Age that guests of the restaurant will receive "Pushing Daisies" magnets, pie-cutters and spatulas.

I watched the show with my husband; I think he even likes it more than me. If you live in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia or New York, relax the old-fashioned way at the Pie Hole trailer.

Pie Recipes

Visit the microsite for the Touch of Wonder Tour to get three pie recipes: Neds Apple Pie, Neds One Minute Blueberry Pie (which does not really take a minute to prepare) and Neds Georgia Peach Cobbler.

My only complaint to ABC about the recipes is about not respecting the value of my time. Why not offer us a way to easily print the recipes?

SOURCING:
+ Pushing Daisies Touch of Wonder Tour
+ Via Advertising Age

Casting moulds help you bake pretty impressive cakes. Store a few models for when you entertain.

Cakes baked inside a silicone mould are easier to remove but it seems the more detailed patterns are still made in metal. With proper preparation and careful handling, you will be able to create a crisp surface.

Honey-Glazed Beehive Birthday Cake

My friend Nat baked and decorated the honey-glazed beehive cake for her mothers birthday. She also crafted the bees with almond paste. Look how gorgeous it is! Nat is very talented; she always surprised me with all her know-how.

Nat baked the Honey-Glazed Beehive Cake recipe that was on the cover of June 2008 Martha Stewart Living magazine. You will need the Beehive Cake Pan available at Williams-Sonoma. Canadians can order the pan by calling any of the 6 Canadians Williams-Sonoma stores.

Bundt Cake Design Ideas

The Beehive Cake Pan is produced by Nordic Ware, a brand renowned for the Bundt cakes. They made pretty cool patterned pans. A Bundt cake is my exception to the rule. I prefer a non stick pan because it is so important to get accurate lines defining the pattern.

Margo Murdock Murphy of Stockton, California for her Chocolate Cabernet Flavors di 'vine' Wine Cake at the 2006 Bundts Across America contest. Her cake looks so tasty. You can bake her non cake mix base recipe created especially for the Martha Stewart Show.

Carry around your cake in style with the Bundt Cake Keeper. Its cover twists and locks to a base plate. The clear dome means you can admire it without affecting its freshness.

I may have seen these bundt cake pans at Les Touilleurs last winter. Looking at the finished products, I feel I need to do some shopping.

If you are looking for more recipes, check out Bundt Cake Bliss, a bundt cake book that people seem to appreciate.

SOURCING:
+ Beehive Cake Pan at Williams-Sonoma price: $36 USD
+ Bundt Cake Keeper at Williams-Sonoma price; $22 USD
+ Nordic Ware Nonstick Cathedral Bundt Pan at Cooking.com price: $31.99 USD
+ Chocolate Wine Cake Recipe by Margot Murdock Murphy
+ Nordic Ware Fleur-de-Lis Bundt Pan at Cooking.com price; $39.99 USD
+ Bundt Cake Bliss: Delicious Desserts from Midwest Kitchens price: $11.53 USD