The Dark Side of the Moon

It could be the cold NY weather blues better known as S.A.D: Seasonal Affective Disorder or my current financial restraints, better known as LOFD: Lack of Funds Disorder. Either way I find myself in the house, on the computer, and engaged in a purely, private, sinful, hedonistic delight......the art of coveting.

This blog is my attempt to make this misuse of time beneficial to all. I will share my must haves, my inspirations, and my current creations... so that hopefully it will spread a little sunshine into everyone's inbox...

WISHLIST:
Chanel Tattoo Stockings, Hair Jewelry, Black Velvet walls, and Indoor Butterfly Gardens

Chanel is having fun this coming season with temporary tattoos. As someone thinking of removing her 15 year old rebellion tattoo i suggest going this route. Get the edge for $78 and take them off pain-free whenever you like.

Speaking of pain-free these Yves Saint Laurent platforms make me weak in the knees but are surprising comfortable on the feet! I lasted an entire photo shoot in these puppies with out going to the reserve flats waiting for me in my kit bag. These may hurt your pocket if you purchase but if your a sz 10 you can rent them for an evening out on www.luckyfemme.com

I know it can be a bit morbid...but I have always adored the back story and intimate beauty of Victorian Mourning Jewelry. It is in keeping with the current goth vampire phase but the originator of the trend was Queen Victoria. After the death of her husband Prince Albert she rocked mourning jewelry and frocks for the rest of her life.

Most mourning jewelry is made from Jet, fossilized driftwood, it has also been referred to as black amber. Most jet was retrieved from digs but "Washed" jet was gathered as it came ashore on the coast of England. If you want to purchase pieces try to find some made from "Whitby Jet" (the leading company of jet retrieval at the time). These memento pieces memorialized lost loved ones by incorporating a lock of hair, photo, or inscription. Common shapes were anchors, hearts, and crosses; representing: faith, charity, and hope.


I love this pendant! Labeled Lavinia October 3, 1850 it is made with a jet or enameled front, with inlaid pearl and woven hair for remembrance...Its a little old skool "vial of my brothers blood Angelina Jolie" but i still find them beautiful and romantic. These pieces are available online at different destinations but the best deals i found were on Ebay.






The nail polish technique i am loving right now:
Mixing a matte nail bed with a gloss rim and or gloss moon........
Shout out to Polish Bar in Brooklyn I just love it there...
The colors i adore at the moment: Licorice and Chinchilly by Essie....


The same dark romantic aesthetic fits into the home by adding beautiful lace graphic or sexy velvet flocked luxury wall paper from Romo Fabrics. This paper adds intrigue and glam to the feel of your home. These wall coverings are made and shipped in London. Luxury and quality unparalleled.

A wall mural is also a great way to add drama to a space without committing to an entire room motif. This one for $394 is designed by graphic artist Cole Gerst and sold at www.designyourwall.com

I wanted to suggest a few multimedia design projects that tap the vein of this style. Black lace appliques, lace wallpaper and black butterflies...gorgeous. Cutting pieces of lace and spraying them with 3MM adhesive allows you to create a wall mural, wrap a flower vase, or make a beautiful picture mat. Another project uses high gloss lacquer spray paint on everyday items like a tired old chair mirror or picture frames... Then use black satin or velvet to cover chair cushions or for picture matting to make an instant statement. Last project is a 3D wall applique. Here a die cut in the shape of a butterfly was used to create the shape. You can find one in a shape that fits your taste or cut out shape from thick paper like bristol board and fold to have one flat surface to affix to the wall.

After the rush of winning the Ebay auction, wallpapering a wall and walking all day in gorgeous pumps i suggest celebrating the day with yet a little more decadence: a beverage and a dessert. My favorite nightcap is a small glass of Patron Cafe XO, coffee infused tequila. It is sweet with a little kick. Serve on ice or follow this recipe (click for the video): Ladies Night.

If your day still isn't sweet enough i want to share this AMAZING dark chocolate dessert. I fell in love with pure dark chocolate on my last trip to the Costa Rica (click for the photos, don't worry they arent corny). After a plane ride, 4 hour van shuttle, one hour convoy in an open bed truck, and 2 hour hike up a dried river bed, I found myself in the middle of a tropical rainforest where lucky for me cocoa grows right on the trees (if i had known i might have made this trek a while ago!!!...after all that a treat was well needed...as well as sleep.

We roasted the seeds, removed the hulls, and ground them into powder. Then we put it on the fire and added brown sugar. It melted into dark warm gooey goodness....Whenever i want to remember that night i make this delicious Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar Pound Cake:
I originally found the recipe on www.epicurious.com but i have added my non-dairy substitutions

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (I use Hecker's unbleached flour)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (I use pure cocoa powder no milk chocolate!)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream (8 1/2 ounces) (I use wildwood sour cream a vegan option)
• 2 1/4 sticks (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened (I dont eat dairy so i use Earth Balance organic buttery spread, soy butter)
  
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I use cane sugar or stevia powder)
  
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use pure vanilla)
  
• 6 large eggs (I use organic hormone free eggs or you can use applesauce, pureed bananas, pureed dates, or Ener-G Egg Replacer when you need the "binding" properties of eggs. To achieve the "thickening" qualities of eggs in pie fillings or custards, I use agar-agar, kudzu, arrowroot, cornstarch, or flour.)
• 3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I dont eat dairy so i use Earth Balance organic buttery spread, soy butter)

Do not preheat oven! Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan, knock out any excess flour.

Into a small bowl sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. In another small bowl stir together baking soda and sour cream.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer (preferably a standing electric mixer) beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in extracts and add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately in batches, beating until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and put in middle of cold oven. Set oven to 350°F and bake cake 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and turn out onto rack to cool completely. Pound cake keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 week. Alternatively, pound cake may be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, 3 months.

Chop bittersweet chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth. Transfer glaze to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch). (Alternatively, transfer glaze to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and press out excess air. Snip off 1 corner, making a small hole.) Pipe glaze back and forth over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let glaze set 30 minutes at room temperature.

Serve cake with dollops of sour cream and strawberries.

Ill end this lovely session as I began it, talking about the weather. Every year i buy a umbrella from the man on the street corner and it lasts me about three uses...this year (albeit late in the game) I am thinking of purchasing a big girl umbrella. So in keeping with the theme ill go with this one. A black heart umbrella. What do you think?

Enjoy the covets of the day everyone, I hope you drool and partake!

---Happy Hunting