#littlebitofpretty
Snapped in Noho in Copenhagen.
Surrounded By Hygge In Copenhagen
I was recently incredibly lucky to be hosted by Wonderful Copenhagen for an educational trip to the city. The focus was on finding out more about venues in my capacity as an event manager. It was a magical, whirlwind trip and beautifully themed around the concept of hygge. I am so drawn to the city. The possibilities there seem endless. The perfect place for events of all shapes and sizes.
#WHPmagical
Instagram post a new weekend hashtag project every week and I love the way it sparks creativity. This week it’s #WHPmagical. Here’s my entry.
Be the one who brings the light.
Jødekager - Danish Christmas Cookies
Inspired by my recent trips to Copenhagen I made jødekager this weekend. I tried these with hot chocolate while on a canal tour of the city surrounded by fairylights. I read up about their origins online and it seems they were originally made in Jewish bakeries around the city and it became a tradition to make them with children at Christmas.
They are so simple to make and look so pretty. I used the below recipe from Nordic Food & Living.
Ingredients
150g butter
250g plain flour
100g sugar
1 egg
For the topping
50g almonds, chopped
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Method
Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour in a large mixing bowl until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and stir. Then add one of the eggs and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. It’s quite messy but satisfying when the dough comes together. Pop the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Cover a board or work surface with flour and roll out the dough so that it is about 3 - 4 mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out approx. 40 - 50 small cookies. I made circles and stars to be a little extra Christmassy.
Whisk the second egg and brush a little on each cookie. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle a fair amount on each one. Then sprinkle the chopped almonds on too. I put almonds on about half of my biscuits so that there were some for everyone’s taste.
Bake in batches for about 7 - 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to move them onto a rack to cool.
Enjoy! Or pop a few into pretty paper bags and share them with friends and family.
Sunday Song - I See You
This song opened the Art Is Everywhere show this weekend and is 8 minutes of retro loveliness. It’s exceptional on headphones. You can see my piece of art inspired by it below the video.
Art Is Everywhere
This weekend Maryanne Hobbs hosted her wonderful annual Art Is Everywhere show dedicated to creativity. Listeners are encouraged to make art while they listen to the music and interviews with inspiring artists. This year’s show included conversations with Blondey McCoy, Will Gompertz and Martin Parr. I was particularly swept away by a piece with Kate Tempest talking about how she became inspired by William Blake. In her words, “I was meant to discover this person’s poetry…”
Below is one of the pieces I submitted on Twitter during the show.
#littlebitofpretty
Every time I think I'm over London, I fall back in love with it.
Ink & Podcasts
Simple things. Brushlettering and Estee Lalonde’s new podcast, On The Line, an honest and refreshing listen about every day issues for women.
Movie - A Star Is Born
“And there's one reason we're supposed to be here is to say something so people want to hear. So you got to grab it, and you don't apologise, and you don't worry about why they're listening, or how long they're going to be listening for, you just tell them what you want to say.”
I had several friends who had seen this film and couldn’t stop talking about it. I finally saw it this weekend. Wow. What a movie. There are very few films that come together so perfectly as this one does. The chemistry between the actors, the script, the direction, the passion, the pure artistry. In the interview below, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga discuss their creative connection and the collaborative experience. Bradley talks about how he couldn’t direct until he had something to say and how he wanted so much for the film to connect and heal.
I loved the movie. But what I really loved was the creativity, the story telling and the total commitment the actors have to the whole process.
A Piece About The Guts & Gore of Creativity by Chris Addison
“There are two ways into a theatre...”
Chris Addison shared this blog post on Twitter this week and I’m glad it jumped out of the scrolling sea. Chris talks about how all creatives compare themselves to others but how it’s nonsensical to compare your messy, gritty, frustrating, enlightening experience to the finished product of any one else. The piece made me empathise with others and importantly empathise with myself. Creating is hard. It taps into your purest self and your keenest vulnerabilities. A brilliant read.