Design on the Big Screen: Twilight's Breaking Dawn

When I grow up, I'd like to be a set designer, art director or costume designer for film (or chief editor of a lifestyle mag). If you look beyond the bright lights, you see in their work the magical intersection of fashion, history, dialogue, and, of course, art. The latest movie sets and wardrobe on my mind were crafted for Breaking Dawn by Lorin Flemming (art direction), David Schlesinger (set design) and Michael Wilkinson (costume design). The wedding scene is like an Impressionist painting of, well, dawn breaking through a cloud-filled sky thanks to a palette of violet, gray, blush and beige against an ethereal canopy of blossoms. The honeymoon wardrobe conveys a sense of union between the newlyweds in beachy whites, khakis and blue-grays. The beach house is decked in rich and sensually exotic hues with accents reminiscent of the 1920s, the decade the heads of the Cullen family were married. I'm excited about seeing the rest of the canvas in November!

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Breaking Dawn movie wedding stills via yahoomovies; Bella & Edward honeymoon stills by Andrew Cooper/Summit Entertainment

{ Food for Thought } Deathly Hallows

In honor of my fellow Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and select Slytherins... Also, scroll to the bottom for Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts video with Harry Potter-esque effects.

Official Wizarding World of Harry Potter Cauldron Cakes at Honeydukes. Find another great recipe at bakingdom.

cauldron cakes

cupcakes

3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 c hot, strong-brewed coffee
3/4 c bread flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl and pour hot coffee over it. Whisk until smooth and cool completely in refrigerator (20-30 min).

2. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar into cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (17-20 min). Allow to cool in pans 10 min, cool completely on a wire rack. Best to place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet in the freezer (10-15 min) to make it easier to dip in chocolate.

5. When cupcakes have cooled completely, remove paper liners. Cut a small cone of cake from the center of each one with a paring knife or large decorating tip pressed and twisted.

6. Place 3 chocolate chips in triangular formations on a Silpat or parchment paper.

7. Melt 1c milk/semisweet chocolate. Dip base of each cupcake into melted chocolate. Tap off all excess chocolate and set cakes on chips not pressing too hard but just resting on top. 

mousse filling

1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2-1/2 tbsp hot water
3-1/2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch of salt

1. Combine cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and melt in microwave in 10-sec intervals, stirring between each until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly (5 min).

3. In the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and salt at medium speed until slightly thickened (30 sec). Increase speed to high and continue whipping until soft peaks form (like whipped cream). Whisk in the cocoa mixture until smooth, then fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain.

4. Put mousse in a pastry bag fitted with a rounded tip or in a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off and pipe into the center of each cupcake, overfilling them so it looks like cauldron's potion is bubbling out.

buttercream

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c butter, softened
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 c powdered sugar
1-1/4 c cocoa powder
4-6 tbsp milk, depending on the consistency desired
optional: gold luster dust, a few drops of clear extract (vanilla, almond, lemon, etc.), a small artists' paintbrush for brushing on color, or gold & silver sprinkles

1. Beat butter and shortening in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Beat in confectioners' sugar 1c at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add cocoa powder and 2 tbsp of milk; beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add additional milk as needed for desired consistency (5 tbsp total).

2. Put frosting in a pastry and pipe a wide ring around the edges of each cupcake, then fill the center with a rounded blob of frosting to cover the mousse. Use a knife to make two small slits, one on each side of the cauldron, where the chocolate handles will be placed.

3. When frosting is set and dry, mix gold luster dust with a few drops of clear extract. Brush color over frosting in the center of the cauldron or use sprinkles.

cauldron handles

1. Melt about 1c chocolate in the microwave in ten second intervals, stirring between each. (Maybe adding a little bit of shortening to make it smoother.)
2. Fill a Ziploc bag with melted chocolate, cut off the tip, and pipe wide U-shaped handles onto a cold baking sheet lined with a Silpat or wax/parchment paper. Place one of the cakes on the sheet, then draw the handle next to it, making it just slightly narrower than the top of the cakes. (Make as many as you can fit in case some break later).
3. Place in freezer until ready to use.
4. Remove chocolate handles from freezer and carefully peel off wax paper. Working quickly (to avoid your fingers melting the handles), gently press handles into the slits you marked in the frosting.
Makes about 15 cauldron cakes.

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Dumbledore quote "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."via happinesssource, cauldron cake recipe via bakergirl, cauldron cakes at Honeydukes by natalie @ calliope

Favorite Holiday Flicks

Give treats. Play tricks. 

Pumpkin in everything.

Hot cider. Warm hearths.

Nick, Frosty and Charlie.

Bubbly here, bubbly there.

Sprinkle your house with red. 

Drink cream. Bake men.

Wrap to your heart's content. 

Create. Give thanks.

I and we. Celebrate.

Spring rejuvenates and refreshes. Anticipation seems to sprout lazily on tree limbs and crawl over lawns. Summer infectiously invigorates; light, color and mood are bright. I think, however, that my favorite time of year is the fall to winter bridge. There is more ready opportunity for celebration in October, November and December than there is in all other months combined. More people are in kind, festive moods, enjoying themselves and helping others enjoy themselves as well.

The lines above list a few of my favorite things about this "holiday bridge". I love holiday concerts, ballets and plays, but I also like to watch a Christmas movie here and there to inject a little jolly. In need of an instant holiday pick-me-up? Rent a few of these online or locally and check tv listings here:

1. White Christmas

I love, love, love technicolor movies, especially those featuring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Irving Berlin was b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t. Listen to one of his songs and your happy-meter reading does a little jump. The soundtrack from this movie is perfect holiday fare...

White Christmas (duh!), The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing (not a newsflash!), Sisters, Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep, Snow (snow, snow snow...), What Can You Do With a General, Love You Didn't Do Right By Me. Then there's Bing's Mele Kalikimaka, which I discovered in the last few years (believe it or not).

2. The Holiday

Watch the movie, want the cottage. And Jude's character's house. And a vacation at Cameron's character's house. And Jack's character to write you a theme song. Oh, and Sophie and Olivia, too.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

A timeless, childhood classic. Even now, as an adult, I drop everything and run to the tv when Charlie Brown holiday specials are playing.

4. Little Women (1994)

Perfect adaptation of the novel. Terrific cast. Gorgeous scenes.

5. Love Actually

One of the best collection of short stories on-film. Fabulous cast. Alan Rickman is amazing. The soundtrack is great too. You'll be singing along to the movie and the silent types watching with you will have to gag you.

6. Mickey's Christmas Carol

Short but so sweet. Plus, it's Mickey, the all-time king of cartoons.

7. The Santa Clause

Tim Allen is just fantastic in this movie. I love the north pole, Judy the Elf ("Thanks, but I'm seeing someone in wrapping.", "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."), and Charlie with the super pinch-able cheeks.

8-9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Santa Clause is Coming to Town
The misfits. Need I say more? High-tech animation can't touch this.

10. Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

An old-fashioned story. I never owned an American Girl doll, but I loved them. Although I was part tomboy, I also loved history and Victoriana, in which the scenes are pretty rich. 

11. A Christmas Carol (1951)

I like black and white movies and that isn't the reason I prefer this version...

12. Home Alone 1

Macaulay was hilarious. I think every kid has shared at least one of Kevin's thoughts at one time.

13. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Natalie Wood was a huge talent at such a young age. She played a great vulnerable little skeptic.

14. Frosty the Snowman

Can you remember the lyrics? For some reason, they just don't stick with me. Frosty the snowman was a jolly, happy soul, with a... and I resort to humming.

15. Family Stone
The last few scenes! That porch, too.

16. Polar Express

17. Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause

18. It's a Wonderful Life

I have mixed feelings about this movie, but it's a classic so on the list it goes.

It's Easter, Peeps!

I love Peeps. They're gross but oh so kitschy-cute. They spark this wonderful childish onslaught of creativity to see what you can make out of Peeps - monsters, architectural marvels, Jenga pieces, fences, play actors, the occasional nasty snack, and... a replica of a scene from an Oscar-winning animated film.

Here are my favorite Peep creations from Washington Post's 4th Annual Peeps Diorama Contest:

 

1. based on Pixar's UP; 2. based on "Goodnight Moon"

 

1. based on "Alice in Wonderland"; 2. based on "Madeline"

 

1. Pres. Obama with Bo (Simon likes to walk me this way sometimes); 2. First Family's dedication to health (super cool veggies)

 

1. DC Nationals' Presidents Race; 2. DC Blizzard '10 (the Peep trapped in car!)

 

1. Synchronized Peeping; 2. Creating MasterPeeps (insane level of detail - Peeps skeleton!)

 

1. Hitchcock's The Peeps; 2. riff on Chick-fil-A ad (look at the mini signs!)

Exuberant Pairings: Favorite Flicks

Movies, like any art form, have the power to evoke, inspire, question and elate. These are some of our favorite picks in random order, along with a few goodies inspired by these flicks. Our Exuberant Pairings are a great gift idea - grab a movie in the theme of your gift of choice and take both to share with the lucky recipient. A meaningful gift to remind them of that special or "just because" moment you helped them celebrate!

1. Bottle Shock: There are certain moments in history when America has proven itself to the world. One such moment, however, never got the recognition it deserved - the famous 1976 'Judgment of Paris' tastings, which changed the history of wine forever. Told through the lives of a father who sacrificed everything to create the perfect hand-crafted chardonnay and an unwitting British wine shop owner who hoped to revive his own failing Parisian business by sponsoring a competition which pitted the traditional French powerhouse against the California upstarts.
: blind wine tasting kit to test even your most know-it-all friends

2. Son of Rambow: A love letter to the movies set in the 1980s. Will is a shy young boy who is different from other kids because of his family’s religion which does not allow him to have friends at school or watch television. He gets into a fight with Lee, a tough kid constantly getting into trouble. Lee forces Will to help him make a homemade version of FIRST BLOOD. After watching the original, Will is captivated and writes his own sequel, casting himself as the son of “Rambow”. The boys use imagination and grit to launch the project and bond as blood-brothers. Soon the entire school wants to participate, including the ultra-cool French exchange student, jeopardizing the integrity of the production as well as Will and Lee's growing friendship.
: a little camo coverage for boys and grown-up camo for dad

3. Paris, Je T'aime: Eighteen famed directors present his or her own short story for this cinematic homage to the City of Light. A slew of indie actors come together for these pieces, each featuring a different cast of characters. Each tale is markedly unique and specific to the quirky style of its director with some relying on sparse dialogue and vivid imagery. Mysterious and magical, evoking the city’s romance and longing.
: puzzling love in pewter

4. Vitus: Vitus is a 12-year-old boy who seems to be from another planet--he has hearing like a bat, plays piano like a virtuoso and studies encyclopedias. His love of flying and mischief offers him a chance at a normal childhood; but when Vitus employs a ruse, his future as a piano virtuoso falls at risk.
: classic instruments help develop an ear for sounds, strengthen dexterity, reinforce color identification

5. Love Actually: Cynics believe we live in a world of hatred and greed. Love actually, the equal-opportunity mischief-maker, is causing chaos for all. Laughter, havoc, heart-break, choice and risk - exciting, unexpected, inconvenient and inexplicable. Set in London, this ultimate romantic comedy weaves together a spectacular number of love affairs into one amazing story.
: modern portable totes travel in style

6. WALL-E: One of the most moving love stories, this animated film with virtually no dialogue features a photorealistic world. Amidst a desolate and polluted future Earth, WALL-E the robot and his pet cockroach are the last living things on Earth. WALL-E allocates and disposes human waste for 700 years simply because no one turned him off when the human race left the now-hostile planet. Eve, an assertive automaton crashes from above, becoming the object of his infatuation. At the drop of a hat, the tender and inquisitive little guy follows her back into the dangerous unknown.
: flower planting kit in biodegradable bag spread green

7. Joyeux Noël: Based on a true event during World War I, this is a touching tale of an unlikely, if fleeting, reconciliation amidst battle. Trenches occupied by French and Scottish troops lay a mere hairbreadth away from their German counterparts, to the point where an alarm clock in the French trench can be heard in all three dugouts. Suddenly, and entirely accidentally, Christmas Day brings a magical moment of humanity event to war history.
: soccer-themed reusable water bottle soccer, the international sport

*Film descriptions referenced from IMDB and RottenTomatoes.