A vintage valentine’s Day

05/04/201515/09/2019

Valentine’s day usually slips by me unnoticed each year. My time is so valuable and with 8 children at home, I have to choose my party styling endeavours very carefully.Valentine’s Day comes hot on the heels of our wedding anniversary and just before our first birthday of the year, so I have conceded that I simply must let this love fest go. This year however, I was in for a pleasant surprise when some ladies in our church wanted to have a Valentine’s day party. I couldn’t possibly let an opportunity like this pass me by, so it was with reluctance and hesitation (not!) that I asked if they would like me to put together a small dessert table. I had less than a week to throw a few things together and bake like crazy for our sweet little vintage Valentine’s Day celebration. I enjoyed it so much that I think I might just have to squeeze it into my yearly party planning schedule.

Part 2 : A day to remember.

03/04/201515/09/2019

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Engagement photo shoot. Part 1

02/04/201515/09/2019

Last week I was delighted to be a part of organising a romantic afternoon tea for a special young couple who were getting engaged. The groom- to- be enlisted my help in setting up a pretty tea table out in a wooded grove where he surprised his sweet girl and asked for her hand in marriage. As you may notice from the photos, the location was actually an old historical cemetery – not the first place you would imagine proposing to your girlfriend! But this grove was beautiful. It was a private, shady hideaway that oozed charm and character. The requested colour was yellow, with a distinctly vintage feel. The bride-to-be loves chocolate and peanut butter, and so the afternoon tea was a simple affair, with my own Chunky Monkey cupcakes, chips and dip (her favourite snack food), and peanut butter chocolate. Perhaps the most exciting element of the table was the placement of the engagement ring. I have an old silver dish with a lid that slides over the top. I tied the gorgeous ring with yellow string and laid it on a bed of crocheted doilies to be discovered by the lovely lady. It was all very romantic. For the props, I strung a few of my handmade doily hoops from the trees, along with some old timber frames and a yellow fabric garland. Other vintage props were scattered around the setting.

The stage is set. Stay tuned to see what happens next!!

Shabby Chic high tea party

18/01/201515/09/2019

Last year I had the honour of creating a high tea party for a group of sweet young ladies who wanted a fanciful afternoon tea together. A shabby theme was chosen, with soft pink and green being the main colour scheme, with an added hint of lilac.

Vintage woodland Christmas

27/12/201415/09/2019

I am very excited about sharing my Woodland Christmas table with you. Our family celebrated together in late November before our oldest three left for missions. Months ago I decided on this whimsical theme and began searching for moss table runners, tree slices, berries and gold deer topped mason jars..(which I could NOT find anywhere on the web or in the shops until last week!!) Not to worry, I found some christmas decorations and spray painted them gold before gluing them onto mason jars.

Mary Had a Little Lamb Party

07/11/201415/09/2019

Every year in October our beautiful Jacaranda trees bloom. Last spring I made a resolution to start a new family tradition by having an annual tea party under these spectacular trees.

This birthday garden party was the inaugural celebration.

Tea for two.

23/05/201415/09/2019

As a full time mother of many, my days are so often filled with endless piles of laundry, mountains of dirty dishes and seemingly mundane jobs that keep going on and on and on….

Beauty, peace and order can seem so far away at times.

1940’s Australian bush tea party

16/05/201415/09/2019

One of our daughter’s friends was turning 16 and wanted a 1940’s style tea party in a wooded grove on their family farm. It was so delightful planning this party as we are very close friends with the family and I was graciously given free reign over the styling and baking!

Noah’s Easter Christening

29/04/201415/09/2019

A week before easter, I received a phone call from a lovely client who wanted a cake for her dear little grandson’s Christening which was to be celebrated on Easter Sunday. When she casually mentioned that his name was Noah, I knew right away that this would be an opportunity to create something very special. Our family has a Heavenly son called Noah and I felt such a heart connection to this display.

Pink milk & cookies

14/04/201415/09/2019

It has been quite a year this year! Not only have we said farewell to our oldest son as he ventures out of the nest to embrace his future, but our darling youngest baby has just turned two! Not a big deal to a lot of people I guess, but when you have been pregnant and birthing babies for almost twenty years, this is a milestone indeed! Not so much having a two year old, but having a two year old and not being pregnant with the next one!!!! This is a first for Mama Bear.