Sweet Paul - a Pretty Lovely Mag!

There has been a quiet revolution out there in the lifestyle press, led by a 50-year-old Norwegian-born gentleman named Paul 'Sweet Paul' Lowe who lives and works in New York City as a food and craft stylist, and looks like a bearded teddy bear 'chasing the sweet things in life' - and yes this might as well include honey and hives of habitation...

Welcome to the world of Sweet Paul, a digital and print magazine that is creatively revisiting lifestyle, and where - refreshingly - normality is the new luxury. There is an honest, authentic love for the home in Sweet Paul's approach that has been honed and crafted over the last six years, with a consistent attention to detail and an eye for beauty in the everyday. There is a thoughtful art direction to the modern home with enough nostalgia and countrified hands-on approach in the homemade and handmade that makes us want to cosy up on our sofa with the mag like a family member to soak up some inspiration, before cracking on with the new projects!

DIY Rubber Stamp

Sweet Paul's honesty verges on humility in its approach to recipes, entertaining, DIY, kids or pets that truly makes this magazine an inclusive family-focused, family-friendly publication that involves everyone in. It celebrates the lifestyle without the drama, the lifestyle that lives in or near the city or further afield, and yet the city's noise is pared down of its hustle and bustle.

Glitter Acorns

Angel Chocolate Easter Eggs

Family gatherings and other joyful celebrations of life are given centrestage. Everyone is truly invited here, in a rare balancing act! There is no poncey editorial tone, no political message, no megalomaniac overpaid chefs dishing out impossible recipes, no pretentious interior designers talking down to us readers; no intimidating displays of lavishness or brash. Everything is at its place. Everything is paced, measured, tasteful and tasty! Sweet Paul gently nudges us to bring in elegance into the every day, in a sweet and pretty lovely way! Sweetness has never tasted so good!

Lunch Bowl with Cauliflower, Avocado and Eggs

Sources: The publishing adventure of Sweet Paul quarterly magazine kicked off in Spring 2010. If you are a late starter, Sweet Paul's got it all covered for you! Thus do rest assured that you won't be missing out as all of Sweet Paul's back copies are still available to purchase here. And why look back when you can look forward? Purchase an annual print subscription of Sweet Paul magazine (4 issues) via this link or a digital PDF subscription via Gumroad. Meanwhile (1) Sweet Paul's latest edition, Issue 25/ Summer 2016 is available to read online, via Issuu, the digital magazine platform. (2) DIY Rubber Stamp by Sweet Paul. (3-4) There is Sweet Paul inspiration for every season and holiday under the sun: (3) Glitter Acorns for Christmas and (4) Angel Chocolate Easter Eggs. (5) A quick bite with some bite: Lunch Bowl with Cauliflower, Avocado and Eggs by Sweet Paul. (6) The print version of the latest magazine issue may be purchased here for a cool $18.00 and the PDF version via Gumroad for a sweet $2.99. It's your call, folks! And for that extra generous dollop of sweetness, you have 280+ pages of it in a book, as Sweet Paul Eat and Make: Charming Recipes and Kitchen Crafts You Will Love! We just can't get enough!

Palm Sunday Twists & Turns

In the Christian calendar, Palm Sunday (also referred to as Passion Sunday) celebrates the triumphal arrival of Jesus Christ on colt-back in the city of Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection, where the population welcomed him by waving palms and laying them on his path, as a sign of gratitude.

Palm Sunday heralds the start of the Holy Week, which culminates into the Easter celebrations. Traditionally Christians take palms or box, olive, willow or yew branches to their local church on Palm Sunday for those to be blessed by the priest and bring good fortune to abodes and households. The branches are kept for one year, and laid on a mantelpiece, vanity, cabinet or other chosen piece of furniture, or placed between a cross/ holy picture frame mounted on the wall and the actual wall itself. Some Christians place the blessed palms on the graves of loved ones. Some will hang a piece of palm frond woven into a cross by the rear view mirror of their car.

Now whether you are a believer or not, you cannot fail to recognise that some of those palm pieces are works of Art all to themselves as the fresh, young and tender leaves are split, bent and painstakingly interwoven into intricate patterns, creating religious representations or more abstract ones. In Corsica, the event makes the local news every year without fail, as both the religious fervour and the craft are celebrated.

However in recent years, the local palm trees have been suffering from major setbacks in the form of red palm weevil infestations brought by trade imports from the Far East, via container ships and contaminated wood pallets. As a result, it is becoming difficult to source healthy young and tender palm. Meanwhile we need to ensure that the palm-weaving craft, a fragile piece of cultural heritage, is shared and carried through from one generation to the next, or it may one day vanish altogether once the elders and other individuals in the know are gone.

Featured here is a proud example of Corsican craft applied to Corsican palm. There is a lot going on in the technique (look at those layers!), and Mirabelle is very admirative of it! So pretty in its sophisticated simplicity!

Source: All photography by Mirabelle.

Dreamy Creamy Textures

Lent is upon us, and Mirabelle is trying to be a good girl and resist the sinful temptation of sweets. Whether you follow Lent or try not to disappoint your waistline, here is a happy compromise with your conscience. By only aiming for the pictures rather than the actual subjects, we shall satisfy our visual senses... rather than our palates. Yet those pictures are so darn tasty, the satisfaction goes far beyond the visual! Let's treat ourselves and feast our eyes!

Sources: (1) Vanilla White Chocolate Selector Slab by Hotel Chocolat. (2) Maple Pecan Buttercream Frosting by The Food Charlatan. (3) Cherry Buttercream Frosting from the Cherry Limeade Cake by I Am Baker. (4) Chocolate and Rosewater Meringues (Meringhe Variegate: Cioccolato e Acqua di Rose) by Volevo Fare Lo Chef. (5) Cider Pomegranate Smash by Clara Persis. (6) Spicy Chocolate Bark with Chipotle and Almonds by Foodiecrush.

A Gold-Speckled Easter

I'm dreaming of a golden Easter day...

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the eggtops glisten

And children listen

To hear the crackling sounds of Easter...

Source: (1) 'DIY Confetti-Dipped Easter Eggs' by Studio DIY. (2) 'Golden Marbled Easter Eggs DIY' by She Knows (Holidays & Seasons). (3) 'Gold and Pastel Eggs' by Honest to Nod. (4) 'Gold Glitter Dipped Pink Painted Eggs', photography by Emily Faulstich, also recently featured in Sköna Hem. (5) 'Dipped Easter Eggs' by Fabulous K.