ice cream

When Ice Cream Met Macaron

July 21, 2016July 18, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

In the world of cute treats there are two major champions: the macaron, and the ice cream cone. Both are beloved by all, both taste truly delicious no matter what the season (though I firmly believe everything tastes better in the Summer) and both seem to garner the most attention when it comes to Instagram photos. In short, these two desserts are winning in the world of food trends, so what do you get when you bring them together?

It’s possible you might just break the internet… or at least cause a few cavities!

This summer Delysèes , an amazing French Patisserie around the corner from #thepastelpalace, started churning out gelato-filled giant macarons. In other words, a macaron ice cream sandwich! You can imagine how fast we got down the the shop when we heard the news, and honestly they exceeded all of our wildest ice cream + macaron baby dreams! They were so incredible in fact that in the end they really store the show in my newest Revolve outfit post (that said, how delightful is this white lace romper?)

Macaron ice cream sandwiches via Delysees, Romper and shoes via REVOLVE, Vintage hat

Dear Diary Party Time

RAOP is 3!

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

And just like that, three years have flown by since I decided my world needed to get a lot more colourful. Random Acts of Pastel was never meant to be a business powerhouse or a super brand – it has always been about fun, happiness, and love. Over the past three years the world I exist within has changed drastically in almost every way imaginable, but my baseline stays the same. I do what I love, because I love to do it, and my main goal isn’t to sell you guys things or create awesome advertising – it’s to make as many people as I can smile every single day. I hope that message hasn’t been lost in translation, and I thank each and every one of you for supporting me and following along as RAOP grows from a funny idea to a dreamy lifestyle. Without you, I wouldn’t be here, and I am so incredibly grateful to have the privilege to do what I do.

Every year team RAOP celebrates with a cake. Year one I was the only “staff”, so I made little mini ombre layer cakes. Year two Johanna had come aboard to start helping out, so we loaded up on donuts and made a donut cake (which we later devoured between the two of us!). This year the RAOP family has grown even more to include Jo as my right hand, our new intern Olivia, our awesome agency Shine Influencers, plus endless clients, friends, and helpers (including my bf Josh, who I’ve proclaimed head of video and tech support) who all come together to make this sparkly dream world of mine a reality. The conclusion? We needed a much bigger cake!

Luckily Marble Slab came to the rescue just in time for our long weekend + Pride weekend third birthday. We have a lot to celebrate today, so we loaded up a mint chocolate chip heart-shaped cake with sprinkles and fizzy cotton candy bits for the occasion. We figured there was no better time than this epic day filled with reasons to party to share our #MarbleSlabMoments– and guess what? Even though it’s our birthday, we have a sweet gift for you too!

I’m giving away three $25 gift cards from @marbleslabcan on Instagram! Share a photo of a special moment you love to celebrate in life on Instagram and tag #marbleslabmoments by July 10th 2016 to be entered to win!

Dress Up

What’s Your Flavour?

August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

No matter how long I’ve been away, it’s always such a treat when I get to visit Vancouver again. I’m always eager to try out new spots I’ve seen on Instagram or heard about from friends, but I also can’t help but return to special spots from my past again and again.

This last trip was no different- I tried the junky vegan goodness at Meet for the first time, sipped tasty cocktails on the patio at Wild Tale, and basically ordered everything on the menu at Tacofino. When everything new was crossed off of my list, I circled back to some of my go-to spots, like Sweet Bake Shop, Cartems, and Rain or Shine Ice Cream.

But of course a trip to my hometown wouldn’t be complete without a stop at one of my favourite childhood places, La Casa Gelato.

The fact that I’ve always loved this place says a lot about who I grew up to be. With over 500 flavours on site, this ice cream shop is massive, and the entire building and surrounding area is painted pink (including the parking lot and the building across the street!) In short, it’s always been high on my Vancouver must-see list, and in more recent years it has become my all-time favourite place to take photos and try tasty new flavours. This summer’s choice was Dragonfruit, and conveniently it matched my outfit!

Shoes from ASOS, Skirt via Style Check In, Top from Aritzia, Sunglasses from High Street Fashion Stores

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Vegan Mint Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

March 17, 2014April 4, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

To be totally honest, things haven’t been feeling so glittery the past couple days. The weather has been fluctuating from warm to cold to colder, and it’s hard to even force myself out of the house when I’m just waiting for Spring to set in. I’ve also been re-examining a lot of issues in my life, and though at this point I’m working hard to mend them, it has still been hard to admit not everything is perfect and make some changes.

In times like these, when the days seem a little less fun than they usually do here in my little pastel castle, I like to think of the things that make me happy: my friends, my pets, my wonderful partner, the promise of a big garden this year, confetti explosions, vegan ice cream and home made vegan chocolate chip cookies.

I’m not really sure how I ended up with the easiest vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe of all time. Handwritten in a kitchen notebook, I have a feeling this delicious and simple creation was handed down to me by a friend, but I can’t really be sure. Regardless, it has become one of the key recipes I’ve come to rely on when I need a quick and comforting treat. The added decadence of ice cream makes these tasty little sandwiches the perfect cure for the blues, or the perfect treat for an upcoming Spring celebration. I hope they bring some warmth to your home and your heart too!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegan sugar
3/4 cup golden brown sugar
1 cup whipped Earth Balance
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 bag of vegan chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life brand)
1 tub of vegan ice cream (I used Luna and Larry’s Mint Galactica)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 370 degrees Celsius