Today we're super-stoked to share an excerpt from our friend (and former Poppytalk contributor), Lyndsay Sung of Coco Cake Land's new cookbook (out today), called appropriately, Coco Cake Land, Cute and Pretty Party Cakes to Bake and Decorate. 

We've been fans of Lyndsay's baking ever since we tried some of her delicious mini cupcakes at a local craft show many moons ago, and have since enjoyed her many Bake O'Clock blog posts as a contributor here on Poppytalk, and have loved watching Lyndsay perfect her craft and see her small business grow throughout the years.  So we couldn't be prouder to help launch her adorable new book today which I'm sure will be become a staple in every home baker's library.  Let's take a look!

Summer always has us dreaming of a nice little cabin getaway, especially on the beach. And wouldn't it be nice if it was yours? Stumbled upon this quaint little cabin overlooking a beautiful water view here in the Pacific Northwest recently and thought it was a perfect size for a small family vacation cottage, and quite obtainable to build really.

We are super stoked to share with you today an excerpt from former Poppytalk contributor, Rachel Mae Smith's new book, Hello Color, 25 Bright Ideas for DIY Decor.  As many of you know, Rachel's past projects here and on her own site, The Crafted Life are always super colourful, so creating a book filled with colour was inevitable! The result is a gorgeous collection of projects with home decor in mind. Divided into four chapters the book covers each room in your home, The Living Room, The Dining Room, The Kitchen and The Bedroom. The craft we're sharing today is from the bedroom category, featuring a cute makeover of wooden hangers using temporary tattoos and and a little Mod Podge. So clever!  Let's take a look!

Hey IKEA fans! We just got a sneak peek of the new 2019 IKEA catalogue and are excited to share a a few favourites, along with a few cool decorating tricks we spotted. This year marks IKEA's 75th anniversary, and they are celebrating by switching things up in their newest catalogue, featuring seven fictional homes, all with their own unique spaces, styles, sizes and budgets. Along with these open house style shots, there's also a fantastic selection of old favourites, and smart, stylish, affordable solutions that IKEA always seems to do so well.

Let's take a look!

Cersaie 2018, the largest tile and bath fair of the year, is nearly upon us and although we won't be going this year, we do have a sneak peek or two from some of our favourite tile makers we visited when we were in Bologna, Italy back in 2016.

Following the great success of Lea Ceramiche's wood effect collections, including the innovative versions such as the award-winning Type 32 and the more traditional, but equally refined ones, Lea is now presenting a new collection with distinctive features: Bio Select.

Inspired by iconic American novelist, the late Jack Kerouac, this adorable portable radio (and bluetooth speakers) have definitely been added to our wish list of things to take to the beach this summer.  Dubbed,  On the Road (“OTR”) by it's makers, Muzen, the tiny held-held is a nod to 60s design but is brought into modern day using high fidelity loudspeakers that one can plug into all devices, making music portable. The radio will be launching at this summer's NY Now event (August 12 - 15/18 - Booth 3956). For more info visit muzenaudio.com. So cute right?

Our latest hotel-style find (meaning, we're bookmarking a little design inspiration here), is this incredible and peaceful getaway Airstream in Malibu we found on Airbnb recently. As it's page boasts, "Escape civilization on your own private deck with unrivaled views of the Santa Monica mountains rolling down to the Pacific ocean below". And we're loving that deck!

Originally built by a nature-loving Malibu designer as his personal getaway from a busy hectic schedule, the Airstream was stripped down to its bare aluminum studs, into a large studio with three large frameless glass panels that slide open to a huge cantilevered deck surrounded by pristine and untouched nature just a short drive away from LA.

Let's take a look!

BC-based ceramicist, Genevieve Dionne  will be presenting a selection of her recent new ceramic works starting next Thursday, July 19th/18, hosted by Hinterland Design. The collection will include ceramic drawings, small vessels, and larger red clay vessels that she's recently been working on.

Kevin Schmidt, 'dIY HIFI, 2014 - 16, wood Lowther DX55 speakers, DIY kit tube amplifier, cables, hardware. Courtesy of the Artist and Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver

Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots
Jul 14–Oct 28, 2018
Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby

DIY-Inspired Creations Unveiled at the VAG

A new interactive installation happening at the Vancouver Art Gallery this summer will have DIY-er's and nerdy audiophiles alike converging to see BC-based Multimedia artist, Kevin Schmidt's interactive installation, We Are the Robots.

The exhibition spotlight's Schmidt, who draws on aspects of conceptual and performance art while embodying the do-it-yourself (DIY) sensibilities of an amateur inventor. The title, We Are The Robots is inspired by the origin of the word robot, in Czech robota, meaning "forced work". Showcasing Schmidt's exploration of DIY knowledge production, the presentation points at the utopian aspects of mass knowledge distribution that we see over the Internet, like how-to videos on YouTube for example, and the pressures to commodify and brand knowledge that circulates through this system.  Schmidt uses this interactive electronic art installation to pose questions about the nature of DIY projects and its' impact on both the environment and our values.

The seawall from Steveston Village to the Britannia Shipyards here in Richmond, B.C. is one of my favourite places to go for a stroll after dinner in the summer. Many of the buildings at the shipyard were built from 1885 onwards, where multi-ethnic residents (Chinese, European, Indigenous Peoples and Japanese) lived and worked at the Britannia Cannery and Britannia Shipyards. The historic site is also a place you can visit to see how they lived. The bunkhouses especially, are my favourite, and if only they still made such quaint places to live now. Some are painted in hues that remind me of homes you may see in the northern parts of Europe or the Maritimes here in Canada, and others have unpainted weathered siding which really asks the question, "why do we even paint"? I love the look of the one above especially (almost looks black , but is unpainted). Last night on our stroll I snapped a few pics. It was golden hour and the light was beautiful.  Let's take a look:

With the big heatwave that seems to be covering most of North American this past week, it's time to dig up some cool treat recipes to keep the temperatures down! And if you're like us, and don't want to incorporate a lot of sugar (spiking up that insulin level) which most conventional recipes or products tend to offer, here's a few non-sugar, non dairy (good fat) alternatives from our archives. Happy Friday!

1. Blueberry Swirl Coconut Ice Cream
(Above) We've taken our favorite coconut based ice cream recipe and added a swirl of fresh blueberry syrup (sans sugar). Click here for the recipe.

This post is in partnership with Society6. Society6 recently added wallpapers and murals to their product family which are printed on self-adhesive woven polyester fabric panels that are easy to stick on and off without messing up your walls. 

In our final installment of our series, "3 Murals, 3 Spaces, 3 Parts",  we chose a mural which makes us feel like we're right in the middle of a spaghetti western. Joshua Tree / California Desert by Adventure Awaits was an obvious choice for us, since Joshua Tree is on our must-see list of places to go. And, pssst! I think this one just might be my favourite.

Room For Tuesday

Always on the lookout for the cool decorating tricks for outdoor summer space projects, we've been collecting a few ideas on our Patio + Deck Pinterest board this past month or so, and think we have  a few gems to share in a proper round-up with you. So many talented ideas out there, from carports to quaint backyard cabins, here's a few outdoor spaces that have caught our eye as of late!

1.  Carport Makeover
(Above) The oh-so-talented Sarah of Room For Tuesday created the most adorable outdoor dining space in what? Yes, her carport! And how beautiful.  Check out her blog for the amazing transformation before and after!

Fans old and new of Field Notes will be happy to hear they just launched a new set of notebooks for the summer to collect. The space-themed set, "Three Missions", celebrates fifty years since America was in the midst of a historic quest to land a man on the Moon.

This post is in partnership with Society6. Society6 recently added wallpapers and murals to their product family which are printed on self-adhesive woven polyester fabric panels that are easy to stick on and off without messing up your walls. 

Continuing with our series, "3 Murals, 3 Spaces, 3 Parts",  today we're sharing the next mural we picked, OK by Anna Dorfman. Anna (whom many of you may remember), is from the much-loved blog, Door Sixteen. She's also a book designer based in New Mexico via New York, and we've always been a fan of her style. Her OK Mural, I thought, would be the perfect pick-me-up in our home studio, especially with our grey winters here in the Pacific Northwest.