Fresh on the shelves, imprintable holiday invitations by a certain Mr. Boddington:

With these on hand, it’s ever so tempting to host a bash. It can be a rocky time of year, so why not take it on the rocks?

You know we love all things paper – a seemingly simple yet versatile material that is often taken for granted. It can be used to communicate ideas, from a few strokes of a brush to create a simple gesture to a thought provoking tome. It is a material that has been with us for over 1000 years and is as relevant today as it was centuries ago.

And it looks like we’re not the only ones who feel this way. Check out the latest show at PEEL Gallery and Shop:

In the exhibit, PAPERcuts, PEEL takes the work of 9 international and national artists and designers who transform the material from functional objects to works of fine art.

“With the coming of the digital age, many wondered about the future of paper. The artists of PAPERcuts have embraced the versatility of paper,” states PEEL founder Steven Hempel. So the next time you’re by the pH shop, stop by 4411 Montrose for the 411 on fiber fine art.

I GOTTA tell ya – we’re just MOBBED with new products from our Italian amicos at NAVA Design!
Getta loada the Hole in Twelve diary by photog-turned-designer Alessandro Esteri:

An’ while you’re at it, why not wrap your new acrylic nails around one-a these beauties:

More genteel than guido, more tony than Tony, these new notebooks, calendars and writing utensils will make your daily routine slightly more sleek. You won’t want to spill your macchiatto on these made-in-Milan gems.
Take the hip and horizontal Wire-O calendar by Dario Serio:

So what the hell are ya doin’ still readin’ this?? Ya nava can getta enougha NAVA!

It’s an impromptu fresh-baked goods Friday at pH! All day we’ve been digging into Emily’s apple turnovers, Elizabeth’s cranberry scones and Haelim’s chocolate cake. The winner?

Haelim’s Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
200 gm plain flour
50 gm good quality cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate
1 tin/400gm sweetened condensed milk
150 gm butter melted
2 tsp good quality vanilla essence
150 ml water

For the chocolate icing:
225 gm cooking chocolate
100 gm unsalted butter

Method:
Grease and line the bottom of a 9” square cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper. In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, mix with a spoon and sieve once to make the mixture uniform. Preheat the oven at about 100 to 120 degrees centigrade. Add in the condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and water. Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon just until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps. This shouldn’t take more than a minute with an electric hand mixer/beater. Be careful not to over beat as this tends to stiffen the batter which might result into a harder textured cake. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for an hour at 150 degree centigrade.
For the icing, break the chocolate into chunks and melt it slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water (a double boiler). Mix in the butter and stir until the icing has the consistency of thick pouring cream. Place the cake on a cooling rack and over the icing, smoothening the top and sides with a palette knife. Allow to set and decorate as desired or savour it as it is.

This time, Haelim added extra flaked almonds to the batter. “That’s delish,” in the words of Amanda.

Wouldn’t want you to Mies out on this other pH pastry find:
Last night at Berlin art space Haunch of Venison, an audience comprised of pastry-art group Kreemart and the American Patrons of the Tate indulged in an installation performance piece revolving around new takes on cake.

Argentine artist Leandro Erlich crafted a masterful work with Guido Mogni of New York café Sant Ambroeus. At first sight, though, the cake seemed to be missing from the mock shrinks’s office supposedly devoted to his work.

Walking closer, one realized that the Mies van der Rohe-designed Barcelona couch was made of chocolate, each pleat, button, and stitch lovingly rendered with a thick coating that looked (and felt) eerily like leather.

As a maid brandished serving utensils and sliced into the couch, she revealed the glorious truth: a moist, buttery layer cake with hints of cream, coffee, and liquor buried inside. The pillow was even softer, fashioned from an airy angel food cake spiked with vanilla.

Viewers had difficulty deciding whether to stare or eat, but quickly settled on the latter. Check out the scrumptious details at artinfo.