To celebrate Christmas I am running a special giveaway to give FOUR winners some wonderful prizes from some of the businesses in the Life’s Little Celebrations children’s party directory
The prizes available (all valued between $50-$150) are shown below and entry is via the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post!
PRIZES:
Petite Portions:
Stunning ruffled compote made of amber pressed glass features the thumbprint pattern throughout its ruffled cup.
Sweetcheeks cookies and cakes: a box of 20 signature sugar cookies up to the value of $149 (inc packing and postage). Can be used up to June 30th 2014 and posted Australia wide.
Cookies will be designed and created by Danielle from Sweetcheeks cookies and cake to match the prize value
Paper Blossom Creations:
Winner receives a total printable Christmas package: personalised Christmas card, 2014 calendar and family tree print. Digital files only – to be printed by the recipient
Perfect kids party shop:
Winner receives a Glass Xmas tree jar from Robert Gordon Australia. The Jar measures 36cm high is great for lollies, cookies and other homemade treats. Winner also receives 2 x sets of Wilton cupcake combo packs (worth $4.95 each) which include 24 baking cases and matching toppers in the ‘Woodland Friends’ and ‘Secret Santa’ styles
Winner receives a full set of the “Jolly Christmas” printable package AND a full set of party printables of your choice.Total value $120
My Little Table designs:
Winner receives a gorgeous wooden mixer set by Le Toy Van – a fantastic christmas gift which is the perfect addition to your child’s play area. Let them bake up a storm!
Set includes a mixing bowl, pretend flour, milk, sugar and break apart egg. All the vital ingredients to whip up some delicious pretend cakes and cookies.
$55.00 @ mylittletable.com.au
Sweet Celebrations:
Winner receives complete party styling pack in a choice of pink, hot pink, red, blue, green, yellow or black.
Includes: 12 x Paper Eskimo paper plate, 12 x Paper Eskimo paper cups, 1 x pack paper straws (25pk), 1 x pack cupcake baking cups (25pk), 1 x 3 tier cupcake stand, 1 x popcorn boxes (10pk), 1 x ice cream cups & spoons (12pk), 1 x lolly boxes (12pk), 1 x party hats (12pk), 1 x napkins (20pk) , 1 x bunting
Actual products may vary between colours in design, but the same type of products will be provided.
Sugarlicious:
Winner receives a “Christmas DIY Acrylic Lolly Jar kit”. Everything you need for a mini lolly buffet for 18 guests.
Love the occasion:
Choice of a beautiful French linen Santa Sack in either red OR navy as well as a set of 12 ‘classic scratchie bon bons’ where you scratch away to reveal a Christmas joke.
WIN $100 worth of christmas gift wrap, ribbons, tags and embellishments from The Party Parlour to help you wrap simply stylish gifts this christmas.
2 x “Night before Christmas” packs available. Each pack includes 1 x Santa cookie mix, 1 Reindeer food cookie mix, one milk bottle and candy cane straw
Edgehouse Design:
Winner receives a complete package including Christmas inspired printables, chocolate wrappers, tags, decor and gift voucher.
TERMS:
Only open to Australian residents.
There will be 4 winners:
The first winner will receive their choice of 5 prizes
The second winner will receive their choice of 4 prizes of what is remaining
The third winner will receive their choice of 2 prizes of what is remaining
The fourth winner will receive the 2 remaining prizes
Winners will be drawn on Thursday 12th December.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone!
Are you wanting to bring a bit of pink into your christmas this year? Silver is mixed beautifully with pink for the Christmas season so here is a collection of items to help bring some pink & silver into your home!
If you’re still not convinced about pink & silver together for Christmas – here is some inspiration to start you off…..
Christmas tree – Make It Lovely Blog
Christmas Decorated website
The Lovely Lifestyle site
Convinced?
You may not have a pink or a white christmas tree but you can still use lots of pink and silver items to decorate in these colours.
Enjoy the browsing, starting with some hanging decorations for around your home and the tree:
Mode silver christmas wreath – MYER
Pink bauble garland – Lark
Silver pom poms – Fluffy Decorations for any occasion
Pink tissue honeycomb fan – Occasion by Design
Silver lanterns – Just Party Supplies
Bright pink tissue pom pom – Little Red Chick
Star lanterns – Saffy & May
Tassel garland – Bickiboo
Pink baubles – MYER
Butterfly fairy tree decorations – Domayne
Mode metal wire ball – MYER
Jewel beaded encrusted decoration – Pillow Talk
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Silver plated ornament to place a message inside – The Little Big Company
Flamingo tree decoration – Domayne
Venice heart decoration – Domayne
Origami pink snowflake decoration – Carousel Boutique
Christmas silver star – Dusk
Hanging word decoration – Pillow Talk
A few items for the table top:
Pink star – Carousel Boutique
Oversized glitter pine cones – Pottery Barn
Pink christmas angel – Just a touch of everything
Fuschia flocked stag – David Jones
Silver sleigh set of 2 – Peters of Kensington
Red and pink mini tree – TYPO
Silver crown – Carousel Boutique
Silver cupcake stand – Peters of Kensington
Elegant beverage dispenser – The Little Big Company
Now for your gift wrapping:
Silver chevron christmas gift wrap – The Party Parlour
Silver christmas gift tags – Down That Little Lane
Silver shimmer twine – Ruby Rabbit
Glitter ribbon – Hunt and Style
And a little something for under the tree:
Pink Santa Sack – Down That Little Lane
Is pink featuring in your Christmas this year?
Today I am delighted to share with you a unique baby shower styled by Lettuce & Co. I love that it is based around a classic nursery rhyme which is always good inspiration for a baby shower. My favourite element has to be the drinks setting on the vintage pram and the sweet cake bunting to match the rhyme!
Lisa from Lettuce & Co writes – This gorgeous baby shower took us back in time. The time the nursery rhyme was sung to us by our grandmothers to the time we were singing and dancing to the rhyme ourselves with our little friends.
There is just so much to love about it with its vintage rustic theme. Despite the nursery rhyme’s old history the vibrant colours of the oranges and lemons bring it to life, which is what we were celebrating after all, a new life! Our client didn’t know what she was having either, so these colours worked perfectly whether it was to be a boy or a girl.
The rhyme in almost its entirety (for those that had forgotten it!) hung above the old wooden table filled with orange and lemon goodness and the vintage pram was a real find and works just beautifully as the drinks station, laden with homemade lemonade and flowers.
In keeping with the themes old history but celebrating the new life, we worked the cakes and desserts around the old and the new.
Tangy lemon curd mousse pots and layered orange cakes with buttercream topped with orange zest, ‘jam drop’ biscuits filled with orange marmalade and lemon curd and dusted with icing sugar had a real rustic feel to them, mini lemon meringues and the gorgeous citrus cake, with ruffles.
A lovingly handmade bunting by us girls with cut out children signifying the ‘oranges and lemons’ game took centre of the cake.
Credits:
Styling & Design, Floral & Stationery: lettuce & co
Cake & Biscuits: Cakes & Biscuits by Lisa
Desserts: Sweet Empire
Photography: Willem dirk du Toit
Thank you Lettuce & Co for sharing this event with us!
Today I am introducing you to the most divine little chairs for hire from my blog sponsor Little Wish Parties in Sydney!
I had my eye on these chairs for a while to use at one of my daughter’s parties however it was at my daughter’s 3rd birthday I finally had a “kids table” set up.
While us adults made do on normal sofa’s and dining chairs, the little girls felt like true princesses on these special chairs!
Little Wish Parties, who are the original providers of these chairs, is run by a lovely mum of four, Michelle who is truly passionate about these unique stylish chairs.
Besides the chairs, you can hire a range of accessories to suit your colour scheme and theme such as chair cushions and chair decorations!:
The chairs are available in gold, silver, black and white and you can mix and match with the cushion colours to suit any theme (or you can choose to have them without cushions!).
Boys are not forgotten and with the accessories available at Little Wish Parties, these chairs can suit even the most boyish of themes. I love this Superhero chair cover!:
To find out more about how to hire these chairs along with other unique hire items (including tables, cake stands and more), visit Little Wish Parties website here, and the facebook page here.
One party which always has “wowed” me was a Mystical Mermaid party by the lovely Kate of Kate Landers Events in the USA.
It was beautiful, unique and so detailed. I am a big fan of her work and I am thrilled to share an interview with her today where she talks about some styling tips as well as party planning tips for mum’s. So much useful advice in this interview – I hope you enjoy it!
My favourite party styled by you is the Mystical mermaid party. How do you plan and dream up such a beautiful event? Do you tackle one area at a time (eg: first stationery, then decorations etc) or brainstorm all the ideas together?
Thank you so much Tanya!
Sometimes a single item serves as a source of inspiration (like a vintage tarnished candelabra), other times it is a color-scheme, flower, creature…in the event of the Mystical Mermaid Party, it was working off of a wish list from a mom who wanted a mermaid party that was non-traditional.
I knew she wanted something free-spirited, magical, soft, feminine, fanciful. I instantly thought of a shabby-chic inspired look with vintage treasures you would find at the bottom of the ocean. I loved the idea of creating a space where the guests would feel like mermaids.
Thus, a low-table and chair cushions on sand on the “sea floor” as mermaids would possibly dine. Draped tulle above to give that feeling of being under the ocean.
Lots of seashells and starfish, sea glass (but in a non-traditional white and pale pink), pearls, ruffles…things mermaids might like to collect. Mermaids were, after all, known to steal pretty things from ships lost at sea. Taking that bit of folklore gave me a springboard to jump off of.
The dessert table was also inspired by all things you would find under the sea. I named them appropriately as well. It was a dreamy party.
You recently celebrated your own son’s Noah’s 1st birthday. How did the planning differ for you in planning your own child’s celebration compared to clients events in the past?
Any tips for stylists who also plan their own children’s parties and perhaps feel more pressure to prepare a “perfect party” since they are stylists themselves?
Planning your own child’s party is completely different than planning someone else’s. It really tugged at my heartstrings planning my son’s first (and recently, second!) birthday parties.
I wanted everything perfect, yet at the same time more than anything, I wanted to be fully present for the parties.
Therefore, I made sure to hire a professional photographer to capture everything for me, so that I could be with my husband and Noah and savor the moment. I am so thrilled I did. Of course there was a bit of added pressure, I think, to make everything perfect–but more because of my own perfectionism than anything else.
I think it was very clear to me–this was my son’s party, not something to wow others. Of course I hoped that my parties for my son would inspire others when planning their own child’s birthday parties, but the focus was on him.
You have mentioned the importance of creating an ‘experience’ for the children at a birthday party. As mum’s in the midst of party planning do you have tips on what we should keep in mind when planning to ensure the party is an “experience” for the guests?
I believe the key is trying to look at the party through the eyes of a child.
For example, if it is a woodland fairy party, imagine what you can do to create an environment to inspire the child’s own imagination, to give them props to feel like a fairy!
Whether that be wings and a wand, a little toadstool to sit on or jar of fairy dust to sprinkle…it is creating an environment that nurtures their imagination, fuels them to feel transported to a land of wonder for an hour or two.
Do you have any tips for mum’s wanting to create a beautiful celebration but on a budget?
Yes! First: a smaller guest list and hosting a party mid-afternoon really keeps costs down. Have as many guests as the age the child is turning (ie if turning five, have five guests, plus/minus two). This helps keep everyone from getting overstimulated and gives you the opportunity to buy that party favor you really want to give out because you aren’t buying 30 of them!
Also, by hosting mid-afternoon, you do not need to serve a meal. Simple healthy fruit and a birthday cake with beverage is all you need. It is really that simple.
When it comes to decorations, take simple balloons and tie pretty gingham, satin or grosgrain ribbons on them to make them that much more stylish. Very easy, inexpensive and looks so much more stylish.
Using solid colored party plates and cups will look beautiful, and homemade party hats (pretty crafting paper or fabrics adorned with tissue festooning or ruffled ribbon) makes such a statement.
One party favor can be spectacular, and cost less than a bag full of many smaller trinkets. A book with a personalized bookplate, beautifully decorated cookie–great favors.
When going onsite to style a party, what are your “must-have’s” that you always carry with you?
I am sure I will forget some. Off the top of my head, scotch tape, glue dots, fishing line, scissors, mini glue gun and glue sticks, ribbon, baker’s twine, band aids, ribbon, upholstery pins and mini hammer…stuff to hang props, trim frayed edges, cover up a stain…
Have you ever had something you had planned for go wrong on the day of the event? How did you deal with it?
YES! Absolutely. Deep breath. Cupcakes get damaged in transit–get basic white frosted supermarket cupcakes as a back up. Always have extra party favors in case guests’ siblings come along. Just a couple things that help.
Expect the unexpected. And remember, no one is perfect. Focusing the joy of the birthday child’s face and all of his or her guests, reminds you what is really important.
What is the most important attitude for a mum to have on the day of their child’s celebration in the midst of all the busyness!
Stay in the moment. Imagine yourself a week from now, looking back. How do you want to remember the party? Do you want to see your child blow out the candles? Do you want to help your child hand out the party favors? Make sure you have a family member or babysitter to help with the duties you want done, and celebrate the life of your precious child!
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Thank you so much Kate for sharing your thoughts, advice and inspirations with us all!
See more of Kate Lander’s work on her site here.
