Garden Tea Party – Styled by Whimsy Petite Styling

Spring is in the air, and now is the perfect time to get to planning for a sweet garden tea party {of course any time of year is a wonderful time for a tea party don’t you think?}.
I know a lot of you loved the Tea Party Theme post we shared recently and now I am excited to share with you exclusive images and details of a sweet Springtime Tea party styled by Whimsy Petite Styling, Brisbane. Don’t miss also a special offer for our Life’s Little Celebrations readers at the end of this post! =)

For Tash, stylist at Whimsy Petite Styling, Spring evokes images of blue skies & green grass, pretty spring blooms & summer dresses, sophisticated garden soirees and afternoons filled with casual delight!

These images were her inspiration behind this gorgeous  4th birthday party.
As Tash explains “This was to be a sophisticated tea party for little ladies, not sparing any of the trims.  From beautiful handmade linens, to antique fine china, luscious floral arrangements and a homemade menu to delight the tastebuds. The little guests were to enjoy an afternoon of good old fashioned high society living”.

Guests arrived in pretty dresses with beautiful spring inspired accessories – instantly setting the tone for a delightful afternoon soiree.
Despite the best laid plans the day of the party did not in fact bring blue skies for the most part – thankfully a well sized deck was at hand to allow the soiree to go ahead.

I love the look of this table dressed with linen tablecloths and pretty pastel colour tableware! Oh and how lovely are those pretty personalised party hats which doubled as place settings?

Antique tea cups were the perfect vessel for jelly cups.  Topped with a dollop of cream and raspberry, the little guests felt quite grown up using their “grown up” tea cups which is a great way of using pretty teaware for the little one’s!

The menu consisted of old fashioned homemade treats: Fruit Kebabs {with dipping marshmallow}, chocolate brownies, lemon tarts, finger sandwiches, jelly cups, and individual serves in Robert Gordon cups of old fashioned sweets and caramel popcorn.
Adults also enjoyed a selection of cheese and fruit platters at their table.

Despite the disappointment of not having the table set up under the shade of the trees on the beautiful green lawn as planned, the weather did manage to hold out long enough for guests to enjoy old fashioned lawn games of egg and spoon races,a  three legged race, an egg hunt and relays. A bunting created start and finish lines which added sweet character to the lovely back yard – what a great idea!

4 year olds love getting crafty don’t they!  Whimsy Petite Styling came up with a quaint idea of each of the girls decorating their own flower pot which would be their take home gift.  Each guest received their own apron, brushes and ready to paint pot.  Seedling trays were used as paint pallets and painted old tins for the water to wash the brushes off in.  You can just imagine the wonderful time they would have had creating bright pots which dried while they enjoyed other party activities.  The girls then took these home with a packet of spring flower seeds to plant and enjoy in the coming weeks. What a unique party favour!

For those of you planning a tea party theme here are Whimsy Petites top tips for a great tea party:

•    It doesn’t have to cost you the earth!  You’d be surprised what you probably already have around the house to use as tableware, props etc.  And if you don’t have any…it won’t take long to find someone who does!
•    The best way to use your fine china….is to actually use it!  Dust off Grans old tea set and get some joy out of it! Not using your old china makes it brittle – then no one will get to enjoy it {I always say there’s no point saving it for the queens visit…I don’t think she will ever come!}
•    Consider safety and practicality too….we use melamine plates at children’s place setting to reduce likely hood of breakage { other platters and teacups on the setting in this party are all antique china}
•    If you don’t have any old cups and saucers you can find them easily enough at second hand stores.  A mismatched setting always adds character and interest to the table so don’t be too worried about finding complete sets.
•    Be sure to press your table linen – a crisp clean cloth lays the foundation for a beautiful, sophisticated table setting.
•    Coordinate your colour palette and be sure to flow it throughout the event
•    Flowers are a must! They are an essential element to creating a beautiful spring atmosphere to a tea party, and there are so many beautiful blooms to choose from!  Place a number of arrangements around the party to create atmosphere and bring the delight of a spring garden to all corners of the party
•    Use items like cookie jars, ornate glasses or recycled jars as vessels for pretty spring blooms.
•    Keep your menu simple.  Bite sized finger foods is ideal for this type of party….and traditional homemade foods are the perfect option for this theme
•    Be sure not to forget the adults at the soiree – provide a simple range of refreshments and nibbles for them too
•    Keep games simple and fun – they don’t have to be about winning prizes – children love old fashioned games like, relay races, hoola hoops or scavenger hunts..these keep them giggling and occupied for ages
•    Hang reusable decorations like pom poms, lanterns or buntings – they all look fabulous rehung in a little ones bedroom or playroom; and are a lasting reminder of the celebration they had
•    Keep thank you gifts simple and in keeping with the theme – a garden pot with seeds; a single tea set with cookies; a pretty headband and accessories….something that will last and bring joy to your guests which will generally last longer than the car ride home.

Exclusive LLC reader offer

If you loved the pretty bunting and just gorgeous party hat’s used in this tea party then you are going to love this special offer available to YOU!

Whimsy Petite would like to offer the readers of Life’s Little Celebrations a wonderful Tea Party themed discount to celebrate the coming of spring and the successful launch of their business this year.
Start styling your own spring themed tea party with this wonderful offer of a 3m handmade fabric bunting plus a custom styled party hat in coordinating colours of your choice. Normal price of $55.  LLC special only $40. {based on a cardstock hat with fabric trim – reinforced fabric hats also available at an additional cost}

This exclusive special is only valid to Lifes Little Celebration readers and is valid from date of blog post until September 15th 2011. Please allow up to 28 days for production of goods ordered, limited to the first 20 orders received.
Email Tash {whimsypetite@hotmail.com} before September 15th to order your exclusive pack, be sure to quote the special code of LLC TEA PARTY to get your discount.
If you would like inspiration or help in creating a fabulous Tea party or any other soiree of your own,  contact Tash to discuss Whimsy Petites event styling services, party packs or inspiration boards.

Thank you Tash for sharing this wonderful party with us and this beautiful bunting & party hat offer !

250 Liker Giveaway

It has astounded me that 250 + of you have joined Life’s Little Celebrations journey so far!

I had much smaller expectations for this blog, but it is amazing how things work out isn’t it?

To celebrate this – I’d love to give you the chance to win a bunch of goodies which I have purchased from Mon Tresor based around a red/white theme since a red/white palette can really work into SO many different party themes. You can view these items on my facebook page.

All you have to do is comment below stating what is your favourite party theme of all time!

Entries close Saturday 30th July at 6pm (AEST) and I will use random.org to draw a number. Whoever is the corresponding comment to that number will win our prize pack!

As simple as that =)

Good luck and thanks again for being a part of this blog to help you celebrate your little one’s!

Tanya

Pretty Tea Party Theme

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes…

Spring is around the corner and the perfect time to be thinking about a tea party for your little girl. I just adore this theme…the lace, fresh flowers, scrumptious tiny treats served on gorgeous tableware.

This theme is a beautiful chance to decorate with lots of pretty things! If you prefer to HIRE some tableware, check the end of this post for some tea party hire companies!

For help or inspiration for the tea party you are planning please contact me at lifeslittlec@gmail.com for information about my Custom Online party styling services which you can read about here.

To set the scene here are some sweet invitations and printable selections:

 

 

 

 

Decorations for this party are perfect for being used afterward in your daughters bedroom or for future girly theme parties, which make them worth the extra money you spend on them. These shabby chic and floral buntings could be used many times over!

 

 

A few other delightful options:

 

 

 

These fabric chains would look so lovely dangling around your tea party area with its pretty pattern. It’s a unique decoration that your little girl is sure to want in her bedroom afterward!

Could lantern’s get any more sweeter than this?

Love the lace look of this lantern:

This white paper sunburst would look gorgeous contrasted with pink:

If your tea party setting is outdoors these hanging lanterns would really dress up the garden:

For a really personal touch, these custom made fabric lanterns by Whimsy Petite Styling would look just darling for a tea party!

Also adore this custom made party hat also by Whimsy Petite Styling! I saw both these items in a recent feature of a tea party by Whimsy Petite Styling and thought they were just beautiful and love that they can be custom made to work in with the fabrics you are using for your tea party! Watch out for an upcoming blog post featuring this tea party and a SPECIAL OFFER for all of you!

One of the beautiful features at a tea party is the table! So for your table here are a few choices of fabric and paper tablecloth and table runner options which will keep your table looking charming but within budget:

A tea party is a great excuse for you to buy some gorgeous teaware (although if you wish to hire instead, check out the end of this post)! Depending on the age of your little one’s they could use them to drink some refreshments, or you could use them mainly for decoration or as a take home gift with some sweets wrapped inside. You could pile pretty tea cups on top of each other or lay out a full tea set for a beautiful tea party centerpiece. Here is a selection to inspire you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some cute options which the little one’s can safely drink out of, and which double as a lovely gift for the birthday girl too:

This set comes with this pink cardboard suitcase which also provides a styling idea.

You could use these white vintage suitcases to display an elegant tea set:

A few more options the little one’s will love:

 

Here are some more unbreakable choices for tableware, perfect for little hands. Just because they are paper doesn’t mean they can’t look pretty!

 

Doilies are so sweet to use at a tea party to decorate a table:

Also love this idea of doily placecards:

You could recreate the effect with these plain white doilies:

Nothing says tea party like tiered cake stands! They give such height to a table setting and really display the treats in an irresistible manner!

 

 

Ruffles on a cake stand? Yes please!

These are some great options if you prefer a simple and elegant look which you can work into many different party themes:

And an unbreakable option for those little one’s who still want a tea party but may not be ready for the real crockery:

Besides tiered cake stands you can also fill your table with other lovely tableware for serving your delicacies:

These mini cakestands are just so adorable!

 

Wrap some delicate paper or tie some lace or ribbon around these cones and use them to serve all sorts of treats:

Lovely baking cups for your cupcakes and muffins:

For your main birthday cake, these cake stands are so fitting for a gorgeous tea party and will ensure your cake stands out amongst all the other beautiful tableware that is being used on the day:

A cute cake bunting to dress up a simple cake:

 

Now for some extra special touches for this pretty tea party!

Having a tea party doesn’t mean the little one’s have to drink tea! They could drink an assortment of juices, punches and lemonade. However if they do want to experience a bit of the tea experience, then I love this “She-Tea” junior blend made especially for the little one’s with a natural fruit infusion! It naturally caffeine-free, contains no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, and has no added sugar. These would also make a great take home gift:

A sweet tray to serve drinks from, or to display a tea setting:

Tall candle holders look great on a tea party table and these off white holders would work well with some pink or green candles:

Some special ideas for labeling of your sweets, treats, drinks etc:

 

Just to make your food look even more irresistible are these food flags to sit on your canapes!

A gorgeous tea bag box you could use to serve sweets/lollies in, cutlery or just for decoration:

This collection of wooden serving trays have lovely fabric patterns on them which really dress them up. This is one of many designs they have available:

If you are having a candy buffet then this glass teapot would work well in carrying the tea party theme through:

To add a bit of a garden touch, these grass placemats can be used for centerpieces, a base for a tea set display or as lovely placemats on the table:

Such a beautiful menu card holder  which could be set up to display a menu of the food being served, or a welcome or birthday message:

Lovely vintage teaspoons for the little one’s to use or take home:

Fresh flowers are a must for a tea party! You could display them in pretty floral bowls, coloured glass vases or for a unique look I love this vintage style bottle to hold one or two stems in. A few of these along your table would look divine:

For a pretty unbreakable vase option, this teapot vase (which has a waterproof base) would look so cute on your table!:

An absolutely gorgeous tea cart which would make a stunning feature at the tea party, and could be used to serve food/drink from as well. It would make a lovely item in your garden for after the party as well:

These captivating umbrella’s and parasol’s would dress up the tea party area and could even be hung upside down for a unique decoration. I’m sure the girls will love playing with them too!

 

A lovely garden parasol which you could keep permanently in your garden:

This delicate birdcage would really compliment an outdoor teaparty setting!

Another “wow” factor piece is this pink chandelier. It is just stunning and would look amazing in your home afterward, ensuring that this splurge is well worth it:

These picnic blankets from Amelie’s Room are handmade of quality fabrics. A new range is coming in August and they would be perfect for a tea party setting laid out on the lawn:

These sweet prints would look lovely in your party area!

 

A delightful table setting for your little girl which you could use on the day of the party for her and her friends or to just set up a lovely tea-setting for decoration:

At the end of this divine party here are a few ways the little one’s can take home a bundle of prettiness!

These floral fans are sure to be loved by the little one’s at the party and make a great take home gift:

What girl wouldn’t love a ribbon wand to twirl and dance around with! An enchanting gift that the girls could play with at the party as well:

Or how about these exquisite flower wands? Perfect for a floral tea party:

For favour packaging I love these ideas for the little one’s to take home a sweet treat in:

These gorgeous tapes can be used to pretty up any packaging:

 

Or for the genuine lace look you could use these on your packaging as well as on glass drink bottles etc:

Other delightful items for the guests to carry something enjoyable home in:

Finally just when you didn’t think there could be any more prettiness coming your way, here is some inspiration for a special outfit for the birthday girl to wear on the day of her Tea Party. I adore the collections by Sydney based Tea Princess – beautiful lace, frills, pastel colours and sweet embellishments. Their range does sell out quite quickly however here are a few pieces of their  collection still available in some sizes from their stockists. Keep an eye on their website for their Summer range!

 

Hopefully you have found some gorgeous inspiration for this delicate theme and remember to keep your eye out for our real Tea Party feature for some extra ideas and a special offer for all of you.

HIRE:

If you love the idea of having all sorts of beautiful tableware for the tea party, but prefer to HIRE it for this one off occasion, here are some lovely suppliers I found of tea partyware and/or tea party styling so you can still have a gorgeous tea party but won’t be left with items you don’t think you’ll be needing again.

Perth – Antiquitea

Melbourne – A Vintage Affair

QLD:

Greater Brisbane –

Whimsy Petite Styling

Chocolate 2 Chilli

Fancy Tea

Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Toowoomba + Northern NSW –  Hummingbird Vintage

Adelaide – High Tea at yours

NSW:

Central Coast, Northern Sydney, Newcastle – Vintage Tea Time

Sydney –  The Vintage Kitchen

Unfortunately I could not find these services in Canberra, Tasmania or the Northern Territory but if you know of any places please let me know and I will add them to this list!

I hope your little girl enjoys being celebrated through this pretty theme!

Fire Engine Theme

A classic boy theme which so many little men seem to love at some stage of their childhood! It’s cute & boyish at the same time with lots of red, yellow and black & can also feature orange and blue. Tin & metal elements could also work into this theme and you could choose to go modern or vintage.

Key images you could work into your decor are fire engines, fire hydrants, fire helmets, whistles, torches, ladders, firefighters, fire alarm bell, hoses, dalmatians, sirens…just to get you started!

I hope these ideas will either contribute to your party planning or inspire you with some ideas!

Starting off with some modern and vintage printables, they really show off how different colour combination’s could work for this party:

 

 

 

Onto your main table & decorations and I love the idea of using this brick backdrop behind the dessert table for a traditional fire station look:

I honestly was in awe when I saw this vintage fire engine bunting! The images look so detailed and this would be a stand out in a party space:

 

For another great fire theme effect, try out these these string ball lights:

A cute garland which can be hung horizontally or vertically with a great colour combination of red, blue and yellow:

Paper chains are making a comeback and this red and white combo would be a cool addition to your decorations:

These quality fabric buntings in vibrant colours would also make a great feature:

 

These other hanging decoration options would really bring out the colours you have chosen and brighten your party space for a fire engine theme:

 

 

 

For the table setting I have chosen items for various colour schemes so depending on your invitations etc you can find some complimentary table decor. Make sure you also have a look at some of our other party themes where we have also featured red and yellow tableware items.

If you like any of the below designs you should be able to find matching plates/cups/napkins to go with them:

How “wow” are these mason jars with daisy cut lids? I think the metal lid would work in well with the fire engine theme. The below image is from an overseas website that does offer international shipping however you can find these in Australia from Ruby Ju. Combine them with a cool straw and wrap some twine around them for a unique look:

 

 

 

 

These chalk labels would look great for a fire engine theme to create a charcoal look. Use them to label your candy jars, drink bottles or even on your party favour packaging:

Continue the charcoal effect through the use of these chalkboard placements on your table:

You could also pop one of the placemats on an easel and use it as a welcome sign to the party or a happy birthday message to the special boy:

These tin buckets are so versatile and great for decoration or for holding cutlery or treats. Tie some ribbon around them or use a chalkboard label to top them off:

To incorporate more metal elements, these cute silver plated vases could be used in a myraid of ways!

For a splash of red, this jar is sweet for a lolly buffet!

Or for a more vintage feel, this rustic jar would look fantastic!

A few other bright ways to present your sweet or savoury dishes:

 

To dress up your cupcakes and tie them into your theme, here’s some cute cupcake decor to make sure your cupcakes don’t just drift into the background!

 

 

 

 

Isn’t this stand amazing? It could be used to house other treats as well, and again great for bringing the metal element into your party:

These bright baking cups wrappers are great even to be filled with caramel popcorn, lollies or other goodies:

 

 

For your main cake, this wire cake stand will look fantastic if you are using blue in your theme. The wire effect will work well with other metal elements too:

Or for a bold statement this black cake stand is really something!

Such a lovely cake bunting! It also comes in a cream/red colour scheme as well and can be personalised:

Try these 11cm long candles for a stand out effect!

 

For other goodies this cookie cutter set means you can create an array of designs to match this theme:

And a few other sweet treats to keep the little firefighters happy!

 

 

Toffee Apples are a unique treat and the deep red would look great with this theme. Love these Designer Toffee Apples which make delicious favours:

 

Here are a few other little decor touches for this vibrant and cute party theme:

How stunning is this bright amber colour ? Definitely not a bowl you’d want to put away after the party!

Some lovely wall decor:

 

This sweet toy storage basket is great for the birthday boy and could be used on the party day as a place to keep the birthday gifts, for you to keep items in for party games etc:

For a unique prop this fire helmet would really set the scene for a vintage inspired Fire engine theme. Although it is a bit of a splurge so it depends on your budget and whether it would work into your home decor afterwards:

A cute fire bell decoration:

Your little man may love to dress up in this smart costume and these firefighter gumboots which he can wear on a rainy day but will make authentic decor on the day of the party:

 

A great treat for the little one’s to wear during the party are these Fireman hats along with the badges, whistle or party blower.

 

 

 

These fire engines would look so lovely on the table and your little man is sure to have fun playing with them after!

 

 

For a bit of fun during the party how cute is this firefighter pin party game!

To continue this theme through to the little one’s take home gifts, here are some ideas for packaging or for favours:

 

 

 

This pocket library comes with 6 books which you could divide up to give as useful favours:

 

 

 

 

Lastly a sure to be adored gift for the birthday boy is this metal ride on fire engine. He will definitely feel like a true fire chief in this!

 

Hope you are feeling a bit inspired from this post! This theme is a real classic boy theme and definitely shows there is lots of fun ideas out there for boys parties. Hope your little man enjoys this party and feels truly celebrated!

 

Amy in Wonderland

There’s been a lot of excited chatter lately on Amy Atlas possibly planning a trip down under. Other lovely bloggers have been writing about how they found out about Amy Atlas, such as Leanne from Mrs A in the Cove and Jane from Homemade Parties!

Reading these made me think about how I discovered the world of Amy Atlas, which I thought I’d share with you today.

8 months ago I gave birth to my precious baby girl. In the midst of the neverending cycle of feeding, nappy changing, sleeping (or hardly sleeping!) I had to plan a little something for her Baptism in 2 months time. I wasn’t planning anything huge but still wanted something nice which didn’t involve the standard “Happy Christening” matching party decorations I had seen in all the party shops.

I then stumbled onto Jade from Super Organisor Mum’s blog where she presented her Christening party for her son Oliver. I was in awe and in love! I had never seen such a cute party before with so many precious details! I LOVE little details!

Like Alice in Wonderland I felt I had stumbled into a new hidden world I didn’t know existed – a world of sweet parties organised by loving mum’s with so much thought, dedication and love being poured into them. It wasn’t about spending loads of money or outdoing other mother’s. They were about truly celebrating their little one’s!

Off I went on my merry way to explore this new land of parties, dessert tables and candy buffets. It was then that I discovered Amy Atlas.

She was the name I found constantly mentioned on so many blogs and websites I was uncovering.

When I visited Amy’s page I was blown away by the beauty of the dessert tables she had designed. The colours, the layout, the pieces she used and of course the treats!

Since then I have come across many amazing Australian businesses who style gorgeous parties/dessert tables – who also credit Amy Atlas for inspiring them.

I didn’t have the chance to put together a proper dessert table for my daughters Baptism however I am definitely planning on giving it a go for her first birthday party this year!

Through this journey I was also motivated to start this blog to help other mum’s like me who want to put together a celebration for their little one but may not be sure where to find different items for their theme.

I would never ever have thought when I was pregnant that having my daughter would take me down this path.

If it wasn’t for Amy Atlas and what she has brought to the party world, I wouldn’t have started this blog or enjoyed all the lovely inspiration I see each day when I view different parties which Amy features on her blog. Being a new stay at home mum whose life involves loads of the usual mummy things (poop, dribble & clothes stained with food!) I now have a little bit of pretty injected into my every day life through this new found wonderland!

So thank you Amy for not only inspiring me, but inspiring all the other party stylists who have inspired me as well!

Tanya