Little My Jedi
Online Magazine
Autumn Edition 2012
Welcome to the autumn edition of My Little Jedi online magazine. With the success of the last two issues, I could have not asked for a better outcome and it’s all because of your amazing support and encouragement. I have certainly reached my goal, since the launch in September 2011, we have reached over 90000 readers and almost 3 million page views and amazingly it continues to grow every day. What I wanted to do, more than anything is to create a magazine that reflects my own unique style and also offer great content for our readers to enjoy! I am so blessed to be surrounded with so many passionate and talented people and I believe this really reflects on this current issue. I would like to thank each and every contributor for giving all their love and dedication to their beautiful work. When we step back and consider the ultimate purpose of entertaining is to bring people together especially the ones that are very close to our hearts. This edition is all about celebrating some of the most important and precious events in our lives, such as Easter and Mother’s Day. Grab yourself a cup of tea and I hope you feel inspired. Thank you for reading and have a fabulous Easter! xx Best Wishes,
Contents Contents EASTER FAMILY BRUNCH
10
WHIMSY GARDEN 22 OFF TO MARKET WE GO
30
MY LITTLE JEDI TURNS 2
38
MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON
64
OMBRE GOODNESS
57
AMY ATLAS INTERVIEW
98
Tortilly Adorable
104
EASTER DIY PROJECTS
114
EASTER CAKE POPS
121
LURE ME WITH NEON
141
SHOPPING GUIDE FOR YOUR MUM AND BUB
142
10
Lovely c L
eanne
Party Stylist, Blogger, Store Owner ..........................................................................
Party Styists ..........................................................................
Leanne is mum to three girls, blogger, candy and dessert table designer and owner of the online store {Sweet Style}. She has recently discovered a passion for photography so has her camera out at every chance.
www.sweetstyle.com.au
B
A lex & Sophie
ec
Party Stylist, Blogger, Store Owner .......................................................................... Bec is a mother of three beautiful children. Her love of baking, crafting and colour has seen the birth of RubyJu. At RubyJu they style Dessert Tables and Candy Buffets for all occasions.
www.rubyju.com.au
Alex & Sophie are both mums of 2 gorgeous girls who inspired them to create magical events for their birthdays. They share a common love of styling unique events and from this passion of all things pretty their event styling business Avie & Lulu was born. www.avieandlulu.com
B
Fashion Blogger .......................................................................... Brooke is a mother to three furry children, the editor of the Australia’s premier online shopping directory, The Style Net, and a lover of high heels. Life motto: live beautifully, dream passionately, love completely.
http://thestylenet.com
contributors T
Party Stylist, Blogger, Store Owner .......................................................................... Thetis is a mum of 2 ½ year old Zoe and 1 1 month old Luca. She is the creative director of event company Little Sooti based in Melbourne which was born out of her obsession with kids party styling she discovered after the birth of her daughter.
www.littlesooti.com.au
L
D
Party Stylist, Store Owner .......................................................................... Daisy is a mother of 2 lovely children who are the main inspirations behind Leo & Bella. Her passion is to create a memorable event through candy and dessert table styling. She also has a little obsessions with vintage milk bottles, candy jars and cake stands.
www.facebook.com/Leo.and.Bella
ily
Party Stylist, Blogger, Store Owner .......................................................................... Lilian is a wife and mum of 4 gorgeous girls. Her love of unique Event styling led her to begin her own business called Lily Chic Events. Lilian also owns and runs Shoppe with Lily, an online boutique full of props and sweets and everything in between for any Celebration. She is certainly busy but wouldn't change anything about her life at all
www.lilychicevents.com.au
A lecia
Party Stylist .......................................................................... Alecia is a proud mother of my little girl Ahllia, a wife to a fantastic husband Ray and the women behind Boutique Affairs. She started her venture a little over a year ago and she hasn’t looked back since. She loves her work and she is look forward to seeing what 2012 will bring for her business.
www.boutiqueaffairs.com.au
Lovely c M
Cookie Artist/Baker, Blogger ..........................................................................
http://sweetopia.net
Marian is the creative mind behind the fabulous blog, Sweetopia. Sweetopia.net is the place where she likes to share all things related to her sugar art passion, including how-to’s and recipes. Besides her funny husband and spending time in nature, blogging on Sweetopia makes her happy. Sweetopia has become a labour of love; creating the confections, showing how Marian makes them & communicating with readers.
M indy
Blogger .......................................................................... Mindy is a mother of two energetic kids living in Northern California. When she is not chasing after them, she is crafting and entertaining. As the founder of Creative Juice, she wanted a place to inspire others to create. The blog covers unique tips, ideas, and tutorials for entertaining, kids, home decor, crafts, and more.
http://getcreativejuice.blogspot.com
J acki
Cake Artist, Blogger .......................................................................... Jacki is a baker & creator of Blissfully Sweet Cakes. She founded this business from the love of everything to do with making cakes as well as taking the extra step to ensure the details were what set them apart. Jacki is the proud mother of three beautiful boys - Liam, Ben & Noah - and a wife to her wonderful husband Larry!
http://blissfullysweetcakes.blogspot.com
V icki
Fashion Blogger, Editor .......................................................................... Vicki is a mother to two beautiful teenage daughters, trying to make it with her own business Junior Epitome. She loves blogging about fashion and style for mothers and children.
www.juniorepitome.com
contributors B ec
Graphic Designer, Blogger ..........................................................................
D enin
Cake Artist .......................................................................... Denin is a pastry chef, mother and owner of Spoon and Fork. She explores the serene, yet whimsical stories that exist in simple everyday life through her cookies and cakes. The first sparkles of inspiration came to Denin as a child, as she spent endless hours with her grandmother in the household kitchen.
Bec is the face behind Ruby Ruby Designs, which offers professional and affordable design solutions. She lives in Sydney and can be found running around after her 2 little munchkins. Bec loves all things beautiful, good coffee, markets and oysters.
www.rubyrubydesigns.com.au
G illian
Cake Artist, Sweet Stylist ..........................................................................
Gillian is a baker, caker and dessert buffet stylist. Discovering her daughter had a life threatening peanut allergy, made her aware of the problems encountered by people with severe food allergies in sourcing quality cakes and bakes, Gillian developed Crumbs of Comfort Cake Design. Her heart belongs to her husband Simon and their two children Daisy, 5 and Fletcher 2. www.facebook.com/crumbsofcomfortcakedesign
www.spoonandfork.com.au
A
Cake Artist .......................................................................... Alison is a proud wife, and mother to three gorgeous little boys. Through her love of baking, and artistic desire to create stylish cakes and parties for her boys, it wasn’t long before ‘Alison Lawson Cakes’ was born. Alison enjoys spend-
ing time with her family in and around their newly completed home.
www.alisonlawsoncakes.com
What a better way to start the autumn season than with a lovely family Easter brunch, complete with all the trimmings as it very much part of our family tradition! At Easter time we have a family get together for my father’s names day. What makes is even more special this year is that my son is old enough to understand what the Easter bunny & egg hunt is all about. The concept of having a swing table has been pondering in my head for quite some time now and I really wanted to execute it. Finding the perfect tree to hang the table was a challenge and after searching for the perfect location, I chose the beautiful park overlooking the water at Lilli Pilli. The look I was going for was simple, relaxed and chic so I tried to incorporate my love for vintage and rustic decor throughout. The twig wreath centerpiece tied in nicely with the theme and also highlighted the lovely blooms and made them pop. It’s no secret, the cross stitch fabric is one of my favourite and I had to use it as a table runner. While searching for the right dinnerware I came across the beautiful silhouette plates from BHLDN and I was instantly smitten. To go with the rustic décor I used gold plated cutlery, wooden slabs, bow tie napkins and watercolour menu’s. It all came together beautifully at the end. I feel so blessed to be able to work with Dewi and Nicole again. I kept the styling simple and organic which ensures that nothing distracts you from the mouth-watering rustic cakes and sweet bunny macarons made with love by the talented Dewi which were displayed beautifully in the vintage mirrored cabinet. And after every shoot, when it’s all over and the last of the cake crumbs hit the floor, we are left with the most amazing photos, thanks to the uber talented Nicole who captured every single detail magnificently. Have a wonderful Easter! xx Concept & styling – My Little Jedi – www.mylittlejedi.com.au Cakes and macarons – Sweet Bloom Cakes – www.sweetbloomcakes.com.au Centre of Attention Photography - www.centreofattentionphotography.com.au Galvanized cake stands – 96 Styles - www.96styles.com.au
CENTRE OF ATTENTION P H O T O G R A P H Y
A first smile, a laugh, a look, the love between a new family - these are the moments I love to capture! My joy is capturing lifes precious little moments. From the excitment of pregnancy, to a babies first breath, the cheekiness of a toddler, to the love of a beautiful family, each of these are milestones that are to be treasured for eternity!
By Nicole Tanko 0402 278 907 http://www.centreofattentionphotography.com.au/ centreofattentionphotography.com.au
http://blissfullysweetcakes.blogspot.com.au/
Whimsy Garden
This beautiful setting is the perfect backdrop to play host to a whimsical garden party; whether it be for a grown-up little girl or just a grown up girl! “bouquet of delicious treats come together in delicate shades of pink and peach, showcased on a collection of vintage stands� A dessert table which is truly all about the intricate desserts and where simple elements like adding a ruffle on an otherwise ordinary tablecloth make this a truly magical display. Mismatched vintage tea cups in girly pinks will lure guests to sip tea as they enjoy the delicious desserts and take time to sit back and smell the roses. Article written by Alexandra Vardakis Styled By: Avie & Lulu www.avieandlulu.com All Desserts by: Cake Envy www.cakeenvymelbourne.com.au Photography By: Lee Bird Photography www.leebirdphotography.com.au
precious
off to market we go... So this little party is very close to my heart as I created this for my favourite little girl, my daughter. Ahllia Gabriella. One thing that Ahllia and I do all the time is the markets, we are lucky we live in Melbourne there are so many fabulous markets to choose from but one that is a favorite is Camberwell market on a Sunday morning, its filled with fab vintage finds, loads of toys and its filled with dogs, it’s an outside market so but the end of the day I think she has said hello to every single dog there and brought nearly all the toys. So when thinking of her party i wanted something fun and interactive and a little different so I thought why not create her very own market place. I had my work cut out for me but I would work on little things each night to bring her party to life. First her invite, the colour palette that I choose was aqua and soft shades of pink. I love the retro birthday cards that I received when I turned one so I wanted a little girl with that kind of feel. Emma from Emma Smith events created the perfect invite, I was thrilled with what she came up with. Even though it was a market party I want it to be oh so pretty with loads of beautiful flowers scattered through out. I collect beautiful aqua vases over the past few months and these were filled with stunning flowers from “The Bouquets Of Ascha Jolie” I chose to sit the children at a more formal setting with a table filled with flowers, I made all the children’s party hats myself and then used the same material to tie around their napkins. At the front of the market I set up the vintage cash register, this was filled the personalized “market money” also stacked up were shopping baskets. Each child received their own shopping basket and some money to shop the day away.
bake shop
We made the bake shop and I painted it myself. On the stand was her birthday cake a 4 tier vanilla bean Victorian sponge with raspberry cream centre covered in white fondant and topped with handmade sugar roses and aqua berries. I made her cake myself, I don’t consider myself a professional cake maker but I get by with what I know and being my own daughters party I wanted to make her cake with lots of love. Also in the bake shop were the most fabulous cookies (I secretly squealed when I saw these little babies) I wanted to feature the little girl on the invite on the cookies and Helen from Kiss my cakes was my first lady to call on. There were 2 types of cookies Helen made one with the little girl and the second with the aqua gingham that was featured also on the invite. They were very pretty, loved them. There were also mini yoyos with a soft pink centre, vanilla bean cupcake topped with buttercream frosting and handmade cupcake toppers I made out of the same paper I used for her party hats. Along with homemade rocky road. also the children’s favors sat at this stand. I wanted little rustic calico bags with Ahllias favorite cupcake mix inside so the children could take them home and bake with their parents. These were such a big hit, topped off with personal instructions from Ahllia and also feature the little girl printed on the front of the bag. Love.
delectable cookies
fresh flower stand A lover of fresh flowers this is something we always pick up at the markets and little Ahllia is always in there trying to make her own little bouquet, she actually does very well. So I thought why not have her very own florist where the children can pick and choose their own flowers. I had a table set up with my older nieces to help out to wrap the flowers in paper and tied all together with a bow. This was a massive hit not just with the children but the mums loved it. I was nt left with a single flower and im so happy everyone got to make something. Believe it or not even the Dads were up there making flowers for the mums. I think one nice Dad started and then all the rest followed, it was loads of fun and it really set the scene for her party. I chose more vintage looking candy jars then the typical apothecary jars as I think these fit in with the candy store. As there is no Aqua candy in Australia I sourced out a lot of her candy from America, the aqua shimmer gumballs were divine. All put together under my pink and white candy stripe canopy, with aqua gingham lolly bags and pink scales.
candy shop
I chose more vintage looking candy jars then the typical apothecary jars as I think these fit in with the candy store. As there is no Aqua candy in Australia I sourced out a lot of her candy from America, the aqua shimmer gumballs were divine. All put together under my pink and white candy stripe canopy, with aqua ginham lolly bags and pink scales. All in all it was a great day for my family. Like any mother that throws a party at home it is a little stressful. Im can be super organized (at times) and I had my check lists leading up to her special day. I got there in the end. This year I really made a point of enjoying her party, last years birthday I must admit I didn’t I spent the whole day running around, cleaning up and missed out chatting to all our guests. This year I really made a point that once all my food was served that was it I was done. We also had pony rides so being able to sit and enjoy her excitement on the horses was the best. I think that ill be doing this every year its my new pac to myself. The mess wont go anywhere but the day quickly ticks on so don’t miss out. Styling and cake by Boutique Affairs - www.boutiqueaffairs.com.au/ Cookies by Kiss My Cakes - www.kissmycakes.com.au Invitation by Emma Smith Event Stationary - www.emmasmith.com.au/ Flowers by The Bouquets of Ascha Jolie - www.aschajolie.com.au/ Photography by Lee Bird Photography- www.leebirdphotography.com.au/
Wow, how time flies when you are having fun! I can’t believe that My Little Jedi is 2 years old and most importantly how much it has grown and developed over these 2 years. Most small business owners would agree that running a business from home is not easy, it takes a lot of patience, determination and hard work. I feel so blessed for all the amazing opportunities and experiences that I’ve encountered and most importantly the friends I’ve made along the way. What I have learnt along the way is that if you are passionate and determined you can do anything! One of my favourite quotes is “if your dreams don’t scare you they aren’t big enough”! I was determined not to let this special occasion pass unnoticed so I decided to put together a little dessert table. I would also like to thank my dear friend Dewi from Sweet Bloom Cakes for making the most magnificent hand-painted blossom cake & cookies to celebrate the birthday of My Little Jedi. Thank you all for your amazing support and encouragement for these past two years and I can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring for my business. Happy Birthday My Little Jedi! Hip hip hooray! Styling and Photography – My Little Jedi Hand painted cake and cookies – Sweet Bloom Cakes
Feminine Easter Decor
I had lots of fun creating this sweet little table in two of my favourite colours, a gorgeous shade of Mint and Watermelon. With Easter in mind, and the last days of summer I wanted to create a simple and pretty table where my little girl Zoe could enjoy. I had a beautiful 2 tiered cake in mint with made with 2 stunning delicate flowers. Desserts were chocolate chip vanilla cupcakes, mud chocolate cake balls, sweet little cookies with a buttercream frosting and some of Zoe’s favourite sweets, marshmallows. I love silk linen, it just gives a warm luxurious look especially thrown imperfectly on the table as I have. I painted some old picture frames and used these as the backdrop against a back fence. Handmade flowers in a coral colour were also used as the back drop, I really love the effect it had. Beautiful peach coloured roses were placed in recycled clear jars and scattered around the table. On the surrounding ground I had some handmade paper fans, a painted wooden crate, apothecary jar with marshmallows placed on a white washed timber stool. I had lots of fun styling this little soiree, and most of all it was simple and Zoe had fun helping put it together, model and then of course enjoy the treats afterwards. Design & Styling: Little Sooti Events - http://www.littlesooti.com.au Laura Cioccia Photography - http://www.lauraciocciaphotography.com Cake & Desserts: Sweetcheeks Cookies & Cakes http://www.sweetcheekscookiesandcakes.com.au
“With Easter in mind, and the last days of summer I wanted to create a simple and pretty table where my little girl Zoe could enjoy...�
Beautiful peach coloured roses were placed in recycled clear jars & scattered around the table.
http://littlesooti.com.au
http://www.lauraciocciaphotography.com/
Easter Loveliness Nothing says Easter more to me than Bunnies, easter eggs and sweet treats. The simple idea for this table came when thinking about our sweet bunny popping out of the cake and into his garden - pretty flower cookies and cupcakes and together with egg shaped cake pops. The perfect place for the Easter Bunny to spend an enjoyable day feasting of delicious delights. Sweet Treats by Blissfully Sweet Cakes www.blissfullysweetcakes.blogspot.com Table design, cake stands, glass jars and props by Sweet Style www.sweetstyle.com.au
scrumptious Easter desserts
ombre goo
odness
recipe by Blissfully Sweet recipe by Blissfully Sweet Cakes
Delicious Ombre
Marshmallows
After searching far and wide for a marshmallow recipe that would suit my son’s egg allergy, I finally found and adapted one to suit my needs. An egg free marshmallow! Not only is this recipe egg free, it is also super easy and super yummy! Ingredients: • 1 ½ cups caster sugar • 2 tablespoons gelatine powder • 1 teaspoon flavour extract (I use a vanilla/citrus extract) • Food colourings (I used a lilac colour)
Method 1. Line an 10” (25cm) square baking tin with baking paper. Make sure that you allow enough baking paper to overhang so that you can remove the marshmallows at the end. 2. Combine the caster sugar with 2/3 cup hot water in a saucepan over medium to low heat. Simmer and stir for a few minutes or until sugar dissolves and your syrup is clear. 3. Add the gelatine powder to 2/3 cup cold water in a jug. Stir together with a fork until combined. Pour the gelatine mixture into your hot syrup. Then simmer and stir for a few minutes or until gelatine has dissolved and mixture is clear. Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. 4. Set aside to cool to room temperature (will take approx. 30-40 minutes). 5. Beat sugar and gelatine mixture on high for 6 to 10 minutes with your mixer. The marshmallow mixture should become very thick and glossy (like a meringue). Add your flavour extract and beat in until combined. 6. At this point, you can add in your colourings. To make an ombre coloured marshmallow (as pictured), start with the lightest colour first. Add in a small amount at a time of the colour and then beat til combined. Spread 1/3 of the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Then add in a little more colour to the remaining mixture until you get the colour you like. Then spread another 1/3 of the marshmallow mixture on top of the other layer and then repeat with the last 1/3 by adding in more colour to achieve your darkest shade. Smooth the surface as best you can and work fast!! The mixture starts setting quite quickly. 7. Leave to set for a few hours, or overnight. You can make this marshmallow up to a few days ahead, just remove from the pan and keep in the baking paper and put into an airtight container. (I would suggest to only cut up the marshmallow before serving or plating) 8. When it is time to cut up the marshmallows, dip your straight edged knife into cornflour and cut into squares in one fluid movement. Continue to dip your knife into the flour if the knife becomes sticky.
Notes • Any flavourings can be used – for the best result, use only the best flavour extracts! Never, ever use “essence” – this is only a hybrid of an extract and not a very nice flavour at all! Recipe by Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes www.blissfullysweetcakes.blogspot.com
Delightfully sweet touches for every event.
Sweet Style’s gorgeou s dessert and candy tables a dd the perfe ct, personal tou ch to every occasion. And with Sweet Style’s beautiful glass jars, cake stands , twine, paper products, candy, styling products – and more! – available through our online store, it’s an unforgettable way to help you style (and sweeten) your next event.
For simply delicious inspiration, visit www.sweetstyle.com.au today.
blissfullysweetcakes.blogspot.com
fit to be
www.etsy.com/shop/BrownPaperBicycle
www.mylittlejedi.com.au
dyed
http://www.cb2.com
www.anthropologie.com
www.anthropologie.com
http://society6.com
www.anthropologie.com
http://www.containerstore.com
Charming
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a day that I love to share with my family, especially with my mother, grandmother and sister. It is really special to have the three generations of mother’s altogether. Our Mother’s day celebrations are often spent relaxing, and eating good food and pausing to take a moment and appreciate the beauty of motherhood itself. The inspiration for my Mother’s day dessert table evolved from a yellow and gold teacup that my grandmother gave me years ago. Yellow isn’t a colour I choose often but I think that it lends itself to a dessert table beautifully. The desserts chosen for the table were all hand made from recipes that we all love and grew up with plus a few new favourites such as lemon & poppy seed cake pops and lemon meringue macarons. The old time favourites included my mother’s citrus bundt cakes, nanna’s vanilla bean biscuits and my sister’s lemon cupcakes. The table was finished with handmade decorations that were relaxed and easy, made to flow with the feel of the day. The tags were hand crafted using different patterned papers and just a few simple embellishments. The daisy chain, also created with different pretty papers, was a reflection of those days spent crafting with my mother and sister as a child. Flowers were added into little cream pourers to brighten up the table and, in celebration of some pretty amazing women, a splash of glamour was added with touches of gold glitter and some gold tassel bunting. Article written by: Bec Styling: www.rubyju.com.au Photography: www.rubyju.com.au
“Our Mothers day celebrations are often spen to take a moment and appreciate
nt relaxing and eating good food and pausing e the beauty of motherhood itself.�
http://rubyju.com.au
http://inviteme.com.au/
www.bhldn.com http://www.bhldn.com
www.mylittlejedi.com.au http://inviteme.com.au/ http://www.larkmade.com.au
http://www.larkmade.com.au
www.etsy.com/shop/RetroNaNa
Mum Makes the Perfect Bow We had a relaxing picnic brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day. The theme of the affair is “Mum Makes the Perfect Bow” which reminded me a lot when I was little, I would only trust my mother to tie the big bow behind my dress and I can’t wait to do the same for my little girl and tying the perfect bow on my little boy’s sneakers. Mother’s Day is a family affair with the young and old and what better way to celebrate it than on a picnic table in the park. Where the little ones can run wild and the older ones can sit back and enjoy the day. On the table we had a 3 tier bow cake accompanied by some delicious vanilla bean cupcakes. We also served orange and mango lemonade in vintage milk bottles. We also had a mini yoghurt bar with a selection of toppings. Which included some mandarins, dried bananas, yummy pearl sprinkles, honeycomb and butterscotch sprinkles, mint choc beans and caramel topping. Yoghurt were served in adorable ice-cream glasses. A few bouquets of flowers were added to complete and add colour to the picnic dessert table. Concept & Styling : Leo & Bella http://www.facebook.com/Leo.and.Bella Cake Stands, Drink Dispenser & Milk by Leo & Bella Cake & Cupcakes : Cake-a-lishious http://www.cake-a-lishious.com Stationery: Ham & Pea Design & Paperie http://www.hamandpea.com Flowers: Muesli & Yoghurt http://www.muesliandyoghurt.com.au White Sparks Photography http://www.whitesparkphotography.com
happy mother’s day
www.facebook.com/Leo.and.Bella
http://www.lifeslittlecelebrations.org/
http://www.toutmonamour.com.au
Japan has always held a special place in our hearts. Especially since it is the country where my husband and I were blessed with the birth of our beautiful son. Motherhood is a highly respected institution in Japanese society. It is still a sacred responsibility that women are expected to accomplish once married. The other local mothers embraced me into their community and I was honoured to be accepted into their culture. To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I wanted to revive the feeling I had when I first saw my son’s face. We opted for a Japanese style picnic luncheon in a park. The design has been brooding in my head for quite some time now. Chiyogami (Japanese paper) and fabric were important inspirations for the designs. I have been collecting and hoarding a plethora of beautiful flotsam and jetsam, from when we were living in Japan and during our recent visit there. The picnic mother’s day luncheon was to celebrate with a typical every day bento, consisting of onigiri (rice balls), tamagoyaki (sweeten omelette) and steamed broccoli. After lunch, we enjoyed green tea with hand painted chiyogami pattern cookies and cupcakes. We finished our picnic with some delightfully colourful Japanese lollies. My son was so excited to give me a pretty stylised Japanese necklace and adorable chiyogami wrapped pencils. Consept, styling, cookies and cakes: Spoon and Fork http://www.spoonandfork.com.au Photography: Teresa Simonetti - http://www.teresasimonetti.com
Brekky Love I Love breakfast. It’s my favourite meal of the day. My husband never ate breakfast before he met me. Now, we have brekky together before we start our day and our weekends begin with brunch – sitting inside.. or on a sunny morning, outside. I designed this inspiring table because breakfast brings us together daily. Our lives are so busy, but we always make time for ‘our’ breakfast. I can just imagine waking up and being told ‘breakfast is ready’. Then being led outside to this amazing selection. How romantic! {I forgot to mention that aside loving breakfast… we love sweets for breakfast even more.} If it works for the French, it works for us! Sweets such as butter cream cakes, edible rose petal cupcakes, red velvet whoopee pies, individual apple pies, meringues, amazing cookies, raspberry soufflés, baked cheesecakes…anything sweet really! {Teemed with a creamy vanilla latte…yum!} I wanted to create a magical display of sweets and flowers. Every girls dream. {I know it’s mine}. The beds are dressed with beautiful ruffled linen, coupled with lace heart pillows. It looks so inviting that I’m sure after tasting that magical display you would want to clear it up and snuggle up outside for a lovely siesta… I really enjoyed seeing my husband get caught up in this table design. It was like breakfast was finally something he could relate too. He has come so far in four years…now to get him to recreate this for our Anniversary…Enjoy! Concept & Styling – Lily Chic Events www.lilychicevents.com.au Photography – Lee Bird Photography www.leebirdphotography.com.au Printables – Jennifer Birkhead Design www.jenniferbirkheaddesign.com Sweets – Kiss me Kate www.kissmekate.net.au Wooden Word – Leegirl Pretties www.leegirlpretties.webs.com Ruffled Linen – Tout Mon Amour www.toutmonamour.com.au Lace Heart Pillows - Emporium Housewares www.emporiumhousewares.com Props – Shoppe with Lily www.shoppewithlily.com.au
love is sweet
www.lilychicevents.com.au
My Little Jedi has created a range of trendy party printables which arrive in your inbox in PDF format. All you need to do is print them off in the comfort of your own home and voila, you have all you need to decorate your party! What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your special event and announce it in style. With these pre-designed party packs, planning a party has never been easier and so much fun! Your guests will be amazed, inspired and in awe of your creativity! Each party pack is customized and comes with the following: ♥ Invitation ♥ Happy birthday banner ♥ Food labels/candy jar labels ♥ Cupcake toppers ♥ Chocolate wrapper ♥ Party favour box ♥ Water bottle label ♥ Cupcake wrapper ♥ Party hat www.mylittlejedi.com.au
Little Milla
Fairy Garden Party You can’t beat a good old fashioned fairy party. Every little girl should have at least one! The fairy garden theme was inspired by Amanda’s daughter Milla and her enduring love affair of all things "fairy". She adores dressing up and already appreciating the fine-art of accessorising (!), needs little excuse to pop on a pair of wings. Fairy Sparkles entertained the children as they nibbled on homemade fairy goodies cake pop fairy wands, butterfly biscuits, magic marshmallow and fairy kisses. Fairy games, music and take-home fairy dust and fairy wands were a big hit. Amanda incorporated soft pastel colours for a whimsical feel and pink and green were chosen because they are the birthday girl's favourite colours. The inclusion of oversized, hand-made paper flowers and butterflies to the dessert scaled down the contents of the buffet, making her little winged guests feel they were real fairies celebrating in an oversized, magical garden. Amanda worked hard to ensure the dessert table was true to the fairy theme but more importantly, that Milla and her fairy friends thought it magical and marvellous. And the proof was in the fairy, pudding, they all had a fairy-tastic time. Printables + partyware: www.inviteme.com.au Photography: Jess from www.whitesparkphotography.com
Amy’s Amy’s
Book
Book
1. Congratulations on your first book! As a leading party stylist you have already written a lot about dessert tables and reached a huge audience through your blog. What was the inspiration behind writing the “Sweet Designs” book? I’ve had ideas of these dessert tables (and many others) for years. It was an incredible relief to finally get them out of my head and into a book. As for the content, a lot of inspiration for how I organized the book came from what I thought my readers would want. I wanted to put together a one-stop shop to give readers the confidence to create their own “Amy Atlas” table. 2. Please tell us what is “Sweet Designs” all about? Sweet Designs is the first book created for making sweets/candy tables. While the pictures are beautiful, it is not intended to be a coffee table book. I created it so people can use it as a reference not only for inspiration, but also as a guide for all of my sweet styling tips. Think of it as a sweets styling bible. Readers don’t have to feel committed to make entire dessert tables. You can make any of the desserts and crafts as stand-alone items. I also encourage my readers to mix and match desserts and crafts to make their own creations. The book has over 100 of my recipes, 75 of my crafting instructions, and is filled with my styling tips. There are more than 250 never-seen-before photos as well!
3. What has been your favourite aspect of putting the book together? This book was a labor love. It is my first book and I truly tried to embrace every aspect of it. That being said, I loved the photo shoots. It was crazy and stressful but I finally got to see ideas that I had floating around in my mind come to life. 4. How long did the entire process take from start to finish? About three years! First, there is the proposal process and pitching it to publishers. I then had to conceptualize all of the tables, create recipes and crafts, and write the book. There are several rounds of edits. Then there is the design phase of the book. Now we’re finally in the marketing phase. It is a huge endeavor. 5. What was the hardest thing about the book writing experience? I had so many photos and tips that I wanted share that it was very difficult for me to keep it within the page constraints. In order to keep the price point low so that it would be affordable, I had to cut some photos and content. 6. “Sweet Designs” must be a dream come true for you….what was the feeling like when you held your book for the very first time? I was able to hold a mock-up book during the first week of pre-sales during our video trailer shoot. That was fantastic, but it wasn’t the actual book. I will let you know soon as I get to hold it in my hands in the next couple of weeks.
Oscar Ready Walk of Fame
Brownies}
For the Brownies: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup Dutch cocoa 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 4 large eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons vanilla extract For the Frosting: 12 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, melted (I love Callebaut, Valrhona, and Ghirardelli) Gold luster dust, I get this here - http://www.nycake.com/petaldusts-2.aspx Vanilla extract Small paintbrush 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 325F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting paper drape slightly over the short edges. Spray parchment paper with nonstick pan spray. Sift flour and cocoa in a bowl; set aside. 2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently; set aside to cool. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined and smooth. Whisk in chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until just combined. 3. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until just set and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit overnight. 4. Use a sharp knife (with this Star_Template) or a star cookie cutter dipped into hot water and wiped off. If you are using a cutter, after lifting out the brownie with it, gently stretch the cutter open to help release the star. Set stars on a wire rack. http://www.amyatlas.com Copyright Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It, Hyperion Books 2012 Photography by Johnny Miller.
5. Working with one brownie at a time, dip the top of each star into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off. Set them on the site rack and chill in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
red carpet
desserts
6. Place 1/2 teaspoon of gold luster dust in a small bowl or cup. Stir in a few drops of the vanilla extract to create a paint like consistency. With a small, clean paintbrush, brush a layer of gold luster onto the top of each brownie. Let dry. 7. Line a square tray with licorice wheels, arrange the glittering stars on top, and set on the table.
Tortilly Adorable hosted by Kate Landers
Finding out that our precious 4 month old son Noah has severe plagiocephaly and torticollis, was a shock--we thought, "What is this? What did we do wrong? Are we the worst parents on the planet?" I kept thinking, "Does our sweet baby really have to suffer through wearing a medical helmet 23 hours a day, for 4 solid months?" GUILT was the first feeling that filled our hearts, wishing we could have done something to prevent this. Soon after was a flood of tears, I only wished I could wear the helmet in his place. {IMPORTANT NOTE: We realized walking down the halls of Children's Hospital after Noah's appointment, that we are truly blessed with SUCH a healthy child, and that there are far more serious and truly devestating diseases and conditions that afflict children, so we knew deep down that we are fortunate that Noah is healthy and this diagnosis is very slight in comparison to so many other illnesses parents face with their children--my heart goes out to those families, as what I have experienced isn't even close to what they have.} As I hopped online to learn more about plagiocephaly and torticollis, I found some comfort in the fact that the helmet treatment, in addition to physical therapy for the torticollis, often provides outstanding results to prevent permanent deformities of the head and face. If caught early enough, as in our case, we have excellent chances of great success for Noah. I hope this featured event will raise awareness to new or expectant moms to ask your child's pediatrician about these conditions/how to prevent them, and the importance of "tummy time"!!! It was from my research for support groups and tips from other moms online who have had a child with a helmet, that I discovered so many parents feeling tremendous guilt as I had. I wanted to do something creative to help parents cope (personal coping mechanism in the works here as well, of course)--as it is said the babies adapt very easily to their helmets--it's often harder on the parents/caregivers. Therefore as a party designerand stylist, I decided to throw a party! This party was not only to debut his helmet to our immediate family, but also to educate them on his condition, teach them the physical therapy exercises they can do when taking care of Noah, and provide creative answers to give people should they ask about Noah and his helmet. Planning this party was therepeutic for me, and I hope planning a helmet party might be helpful for others as well (especially as ther are other medical conditions that offer helmet therapy)!
Sweet Little Noah
“This party was not only to debut his helmet to our immediate family, but also to educate them on his condition, teach them the physical therapy exercises they can do when taking care of Noah & provide creative answers to give people should they ask about Noah and his helmet�
THEME: I wanted to do something cute, sweet, and appropriate for a baby. My husband Ryan and I immediately thought of turtle shells when we saw the helmet, and decided on a turtle theme. Torticollis sounded like tortoise, and we turned it into "tortilly", and since Noah and other babies we saw with helmets at Children's Hospital were so darn adorable in their helmets, we thought we'd call it a "Tortilly Adorable" party. COLOR-SCHEME: I wanted something fun, preppy and gender neutral, so we selected a madras pattern, turtle silhouettes, and a periwinkle/lime sherbet color story, with accents in light blue, yellow and white. Paula of Frog Prince Paperie generously donated her time in custom creating the most DARLING set of party printables for our party (see link below to download your set for free!) DESSERTS: With the party being for adults, we knew it wasn't about what to serve baby, but what to serve our guests. So we opted for a cake (adorned with a darling fondant turtle), cupcakes decorated with the printable cupcake toppers, and cookies (both madras with fondant baby turtle toppers as well as turtle shaped cookies). Everyone was able to eat a slice of cake, and take home some cookies to enjoy later. DESSERT TABLE DESIGN: I went with a very small sofa table so I wouldn't go overboard adding too many sweets. I saw the brilliant idea of a paper plate backdrop by Piggy Bank Parties, and decided to go that route, making it a double-layer of plates to look like the details on the back of a turtle shell. I used white platters and cake stands to match the table, and just HAD to throw in some candy, so we filled darling glass milk bottles with gorgeous shimmery gumballs and those infamous striped paper straws--it added pops of color, and I have to say everyone LOVED the gumballs and took them home to enjoy later. Little did we know that Noah's helmet was going to be a periwinkle color--we ordered light blue and expected it as such--we in fact LOVE the color he got, and I couldn't resist placing it on the dessert table (since it wasn't officially worn yet) to get a great photo, the color a perfect match! We also stacked the white favor cartons on the table, which were full of adorable printable stickers, glitter glue, faux flowers and other goodies to decorate helmets with. ACTIVITY: Everyone said they wished they could wear a helmet in Noah's place so we went with that, and had everyone wear and decorate helmets they brought/we provided at the party! We set up a table with all the fun supplies, so guests could pick and choose how to decorate their helmets. We look forward to Noah's next appointment, where we will bring in a set of printables and the downloadable free helmet stickers designed & donated by so many fabulous designers, hoping that they may offer them to other families going in and finding out their child needs a helmet, too. Noah is doing great, and I think a celebration will be in order to commemorate when the treatment is done! If you would like to download the Tortilly Cute Party Printables by Frog Prince Paperie, please click on the link below. VENDOR CREDITS: Party Styling: Kate Landers Party Printabels: Frog Prince Paperie Cake: Cakes and Kids Cookies: Bambella Cookies Cookie Fondant Toppers: Cakes and Kids Platters and Cake stands: Layla Grayce Striped Paper Straws: Polka Dot Market White Favor Cartons: Polka Dot Market
click here to download
http://www.scribd.com/collections/3505446/Tortilly-Cute-Helmet-Party
Lavish Easter
Cookies
Growing up in our family, Easter meant celebrating our faith and new beginnings. Besides attending Church, we had fun with Easter traditions at home - coloring Easter eggs and hunting for our baskets early Easter morning, always a competition for my brothers and I, to see who would find their basket first. For some reason the Easter Bunny always hid Mom and Dad's in the same spot (the oven), but ours were in trickier and trickier places as we got older. We were never disappointed with what the Easter Bunny brought us, and enjoying delicious chocolate eggs after a period of abstaining from sweets (difficult for me! ;-) was always a treat! Easter breakfast was also special, as Mom would bring out the Zopf she had made (a traditional Swiss braided or plaited bread), and we would discuss the antics of the morning. We've continued those celebrations in our home, and it's fun to be on the other end of planning the Easter activities. The only tradition I need to learn and share with my own family now, is the Zopf bread. Mom and I plan to get together this Easter season so I can improve my Zopf making! Our circle of family has now also grown larger, so our Easter traditions have expanded to meeting up with extended family over a delicious Easter meal. Wishing everyone a sweet and peaceful Easter season! blog: http://www.sweetopia.net facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetopia twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sweetopia youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetopiautube?blend=9&ob=5
Easter Hunt Cookies
http://sweetopia.net/
http://www.pieceofcakeparties.com.au/
www.facebook.com/toyhire
/ u .a m o .c e ir h y o t s t o http://tinyt
recipe by Crumbs of Comfort Cake Design
Easter Cake Pops
Ingredients: • 1 cake – 8 inch (20cm) already baked with crusts removed. • 1 cup of frosting (buttercream or ganache) • 1 packet of candy melts or 250g white chocolate • Jelly beans • Sugar hearts • Cake pop sticks • Black food colour gel or edible ink pen • Ribbon Method: 1. Place cake (crusts removed) in large bowl and crumble with fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. Add frosting to make a moist mixture. 2. Measure a tablespoon of mixture and roll in hands to form a ball. Continue rolling balls until mixture is finished. Place cake balls in fridge for an hour or freezer for 10 minutes. 3. Place the candy melts or chocolate in microwave, and heat in 30 second intervals until completely melted. Do not be tempted to leave for longer or chocolate will burn. 4. Remove cake balls from fridge. Dip the tip of cake pop stick into melted chocolate and insert half way into cake ball. 5. Dip the tip of the jelly beans in the melted chocolate and press gently into cake pop. Holding the tip of the stick dip entire cake pop in chocolate and gently tap off excess chocolate. Place on stand and allow to dry. 6. Using a toothpick to apply a little of the melted chocolate to the back of the sugar hearts to attach to cake pop. Allow to dry and decorate with ribbon. Tips • If you don’t fancy baking the cake yourself – a shop bought mud cake will be fine. Halve the amount of frosting. • If your chocolate seem too thick when dipping add a tablespoon of melted copha or vegetable oil. Recipe by Gillian Brown of Crumbs of Comfort Cake Design www.facebook.com/crumbsofcomfortcakedesign
recipe by Alison Lawson Cakes
Pastel
Easter Favours
Besides, the irresistible aroma of milk chocolate, there is something about a pastel colour palette that screams Easter! Ever so sweet visions of lemon, blue, lilac, mint, and pink. The perfect recipe for understated Easter prettiness. Add a sweet collection of mini meringues, as well as a very cute box, and you have found the perfect Easter favour! Feel free to use your own basic meringue recipe, or try mine out below. It’s a very simple version, lending itself well to different colours and flavours. As a divine Easter Favour idea, package the pastel mini meringues into gorgeous little favour boxes, being sure to include a mix of each pastel colour. Tie each box off with a pretty ribbon, and you have one very sweet and pretty Easter Favour to send your guests home with. Happy Easter from Alison Lawson Cakes
Tip: If you pipe your meringues larger than the size mentioned above, you will need to adjust the baking time, as they will take longer to cook.
Sweet Meringues Ingredients: 4 large egg whites Pinch of salt 220g (1 cup) caster sugar Edible Food Colours – pink, blue, green, yellow and purple You will also need Four large baking trays Non-stick baking paper A small piping tube (I used a small star, but feel free to experiment with size as well as shape) Five (5) small bowls to hold the coloured mixture Five (5) disposable piping bags. Method: 1. After preheating your oven to 120 degrees Celsius, line four (4) baking trays with non-stick baking paper. 2. Separate the egg whites from four (4) eggs into a small bowl. Transfer each egg white into a mixing bowl separately. Do not think of adding an egg white that has been stained by a yolk, as it will not whisk properly‌trust me on this! 3. Add the salt and whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer or beaters until soft peaks form. 4 Start adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Give a short whisk after each new tablespoon full until all of the sugar is incorporated. Whisk for a further 2-3 minutes or until the mixture looks beautiful and glossy. Test if the sugar has dissolved by rubbing some mixture between your fingers. If it is silky smooth, stop whisking. If the mixture feels grainy, keep whisking and test again in another minute. 5. Divide the mixture between five (5) small bowls, and use a small amount of each food colour to achieve pastel shades of lemon, blue, lilac, mint and pink. 6. Insert a piping tube of your choice into a disposable piping bag and half fill with your first coloured meringue mixture. Pipe small amounts of mixture onto baking paper (2cm round), leaving approximately 3cm between each meringue. Remove piping tube, and clean under warm running water. Insert dried tube into a new piping bag, and add the next colour. Continue piping and swapping bags, until all of the coloured meringue mixture has been piped onto the trays. Makes about 100 mini meringues. 7. Place the mini meringues into the oven and reduce the temperature to 90 degrees Celsius. Bake the mini meringues for forty (40) minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the mini meringues to cool in the oven for one (1) hour. Recipe by Alison Lawson Cakes www.alisonlawsoncakes.com
http://www.luceo.com.au/
Stylish, educational gifts & nurs ery interior s for babies & children
Shop online
sweetcreations.com.au info@sweetcreation s.com.au ~ facebook.com/pag es/Sweet-Creations/13269194989 8
Easter Decor
diy speckled egg nest
speckled egg nest STEP 1. Collect dry grass or straw, large cake platter and a large bowl just smaller than the platter. STEP 2. Create a nest shape in the bowl and spray with water to fully moisten. Allow to dry overnight so that nest will retain shape whenremoved STEP 3. Paint wooden eggs shades of yellow, blue, and green. Spatter eggs using a toothbrush and metallic brown paint. DIY project by Mindy of http://getcreativejuice.blogspot.com
3d egg decor
3d easter decor STEP 1. Collect large paint samples of various colors and cut into egg shape using a template. STEP 2. Take three cut out eggs and use double sided tape to secure in 3D shape. STEP 3. Suspend fishing line and bobbers from chandelier. STEP 4. Slide 3D egg over the bobbers at various heights. DIY project by Mindy of http://getcreativejuice.blogspot.com
tissue paper window dĂŠcor
tissue paper window dÊcor STEP 1. Collect various shades of tissue paper. Using the light shades, cut out large eggs using a template STEP 2. Using the bright shades, cut strips of tissue paper of various thickness STEP 3. Layer the strips of tissue over the egg overlapping slightly and securing with a very small amount of glue STEP 4. Trim off the excess tissue paper around edge of egg STEP 5. Gently hold the egg to the window and spray heavy starch until completely saturated and it will cling in place STEP 6. Very carefully press the egg to the window pushing out from the center toward the edges STEP 7. Wipe away surrounding drips with towel and blot over egg to remove excess STEP 8. It will stay in place for as long as you like – if the edges begin to curl away from the window, respray with starch to secure STEP 9. To remove - spray with water to saturate and wipe away
DIY project by Mindy of http://getcreativejuice.blogspot.com
http://getcreativejuice.blogspot.com.au/
ttp://alisonlawsoncakes.com
h
www.facebook.com/alisonlawsoncakes
http://www.millieabroad.com.au/
http://www.shannonmorton.com.au/
lure me with neon www.harpereventdesign.com.au
http://www.outliving.com.au/
http://www.net-a-porter.com http://www.cambridgesatchel.co.uk
http://www.ministyle.com.au
http://www.modcloth.com
http://www.net-a-porter.com http://www.zara.com http://www.abchome.com
Vicki’s Pick {for your mum}
http://www.mimco.com.au
www.glasshousefragrances.com
www.myperfume.com.au www.kikki-k.com.au
www.tabletonic.com.au
www.honeyhoney.com.au
www.readings.com.au
www.net-a-porter.com
www.papierdamour.com.au
http://www.samanthawills.com/
www.magshop.com.au
http://shoppegirls.blogspot.com.au
Things We love
For MUMS &
little tots by brooke from the style net
http://thestylenet.com/
Diamonds In our Hearts This delightfully charming necklace in rose gold vermeil has a heart centrepiece featuring a 0.02 ct diamond and has recently been spotted on Miranda Kerr. This is our favourite Mother’s Day gift and will guarantee to rocket you to the top of the ‘favourite child’ list! Available at Miijo.com [AU$165]. http://www.miijo.com
Flora and Fauna L’avion have launched a collection of illustrated, limited edition scarves that are literally to-die-for! Each scarf has a hand rolled edge, a signature ‘L’ charm on one corner and is made from 100% silk chiffon. Available at L’avion [AU$150] http://www.lavion.com.au
Moroccan Inspired Designed to jazz up the table setting, these Moroccan placemats are made from recycled tyres and shoe soles saved from landfill. They look good and do good! If your mum loves homewares and interiors, she will love these. Available at State of Green [AU$79.95] http://www.stateofgreen.com.au
Trans-Season Chic Gasparre Cashmere has become our “go to� label for chic, everyday pieces that exude quality and style. Launched by Sydney based Rebecca McGeoch in 2010, this young label is one to watch [and bookmark!]. The At Sea Cover is the perfect trans-seasonal staple that is ideal for layering. A blend of 90% modal and 10% cashmere, this piece can be worn all year round for any occasion. Available at Gasparre Cashmere [AU$349]. http://www.gasparrecashmere.com
Getting Nautical Mi Primavera is the place to go for preppy, high end designer clothes‌well according to Gwyneth Paltrow that is! Gwyneth is a big fan of Mi Primavera and we have to agree with her, their range of clothing and accessories is ultra-chic. We particularly love these nautical stripes: www.miprimavera.co.uk
Popping with Zoku The patented Zoku Quick Pop Maker freezes ice pops in as little as seven minutes right on your countertop without electricity. You love it already right?!? The Zoku allows you to make striped pops, yoghurt pops or flavoured core pops at a moment’s notice. P.S. This is fantastic idea for your family over the Easter break. Instead of giving the kiddies sugar loaded chocolate, let them create healthy Quick Pops for a healthier treat. http://www.limetreekids.com.au
Mad About Mushrooms These hooded baby blankets are the perfect baby shower gift idea. Made from 100% cashmere, each blanket has a pompom at the end of the hood and is guaranteed to delight the mommy-to-be. Luxury chic. Available at Clara De Paris [CA $92] http://www.claradeparis.com/
Divine Cashmere These hooded baby blankets are the perfect baby shower gift idea. Made from 100% cashmere, each blanket has a pompom at the end of the hood and is guaranteed to delight the mommy-to-be. Luxury chic. Available at Clara De Paris [CA $92] http://www.claradeparis.com/
thestylenet.com
Editors pick for mothers day http://www.mimco.com.au
www.ray-ban.com/australia http://shop.countryroad.com.au
http://shop.countryroad.com.au
http://www.katespade.com
http://www.chanel.com
http://www.katespade.com
http://www.witchery.com.au http://www.katespade.comh
ttp://www.katespade.com
www.facebook.com/RubyRubyDesigns
Mothers Day Card Every Mum should get a card from their children on Mother's Day - and a handmade card makes it that little more special. Keep it simple with handprints for the younger one's or if they are feeling arty - let them loose! Otherwise here is a free printable card she will be sure to love.
Jewellery Make Mum feel special with a memorable piece of handmade jewellery. I have a special piece from Halle Jay with my children's names stamped, which I love wearing close to my heart. www.madeit.com.au/HalleJay
High Tea Treat your Mum to a day of feeling like a Queen at High Tea. Luckily, they are very popular now, and not hard to find, but my favourite in Sydney is at The Tea Room Queen Victoria Building. I think a D.I.Y effort would be as equally special. Setup a tea party at home, complete with scones, cupcakes and mismatched china. https://www.thetearoom.com.au
Custom Made Soft Toy Have a softie made from you child's drawing‌ too cute! http://childsown.wordpress.com
10 ways to spoil your Mum this Mother's Day by bec from ruby ruby designs
Breakfast in Bed After Mum has had her sleep in, nothing beats Bacon and Eggs (or pancakes in my case) cooked by somebody else. To keep it simple for the kiddies, fruit salad or store bought banana bread would also be lovely. http://happpynesss.tumblr.com/post/1379581026
day spa or a little 'down time' Treat Mum to a relaxing day spa experience, or just some 'down time'. A quiet room, a book to read, good movie and a block of chocolate (or glass of wine). http://www.westelm.com
Flowers Nothing says 'I love you' like a sweet handpicked posy. Mason Jars have a classic feel perfectly suited for your posy. www.etsy.com/shop/postroadvintage
photoshoot Surprise Mum by booking in a Family photoshoot - memories that she can cherish forever. www.centreofattentionphotography.com.au
Cleaning A 'yes' day Who doesn’t want a ‘yes’ day? No arguments, every wish and demand fulfilled - bliss! Have a wonderful Mothers Day! Love Bec xx
Who hate's cleaning - me! Help make Mum's life that little bit easier and organise a cleaner to come in, as a one off, or on a regular basis, she will be sure to appreciate it.
free printable {click here}
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83760063
write your mum a note & tell her how much you Love Her
Amy’s 1. Tell us a little about YOU, the winner of STC? I am a freelance food photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa and mom of a 2 year old girl- Nina- I love to have parties and dress her up! We have pretend tea parties a lot; we adore all things that are pretty and sweet. My favourite sweet treat is macarons! 2. What was the inspiration behind your dessert table? I love the circus. I remember as a little girl it was all very magical to me, and we always got toffee apples, popcorn and sweets! 3. What is your day profession and what is your dream profession? Day profession: Photographer, Dream profession: to design and own a kids fashion and dècor label. 4. Would you consider pursuing a career in dessert table styling? Not right now- I but I like to do it for fun- and I can do it every year for my and Nina's birthday parties! 5. Who is your favourite party stylist? I like Amy Atlas
Sweet Table
Contest Winner Vanessa Lewis
6. What would be your best 3 tips for someone thinking of styling their own dessert table? 1. Get a theme, then a focus point, maybe a cake, and arrange things around the main element, stand back and look at the balance of colour and elements. 2. It must be fun but functional- use different levels, but easily accessible, also use different containers. 3. It works well to use a colour or pattern to tie it all together. http://sweettablecontest.com/south-africa
"I love the circus. I remember as a little girl it was all very magical to me, and we always got toffee apples, popcorn and sweets!"
www.2bites.com.au
Easter Delights http://www.lindt.com
http://www.dlea.com.au http://www.divinechocolate.com
http://www.dlea.com.au
http://www.dlea.com.au
www.divinechocolate.com
http://www.dlea.com.au
http://www.dlea.com.au
http://www.prettymylove.com/ www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-My-Love/303963856286761?sk=wall
http://www.pompomprincess.com.au/
http://www.boxedaffair.com.au/
charming styles for your
www.leonaedmiston.com
http://vintagebaby.com.au/
http://vintagebaby.com.au/
www.babysgotstyle.com.au
www.babysgotstyle.com.au
http://vintagebaby.com.au/
http://vintagebaby.com.au/ www.etsy.com/shop/mikodesign www.sweetcreations.com.au
http://www.ecotoys.com.au
http://www.sendatoy.com.au
http://www.sendatoy.com.au
http://www.sendatoy.com.au http://www.sweetcreations.com.au
We are thankful for Our fabulous contributors & Supportive and amazing readers! If you are interested in advertising or becoming a contributor please send me an email: vesna@mylittlejedi.com.au
Have a fabulous Easter & HAPPY Mothers Day! xx