I love myself a good magazine to flip through – they provide me with party ideas, keep me inspired and I just simply ENJOY seeing so much fantastic content all in one place (rather than having to scroll through a newsfeed)!
Although I’ve had a lot of business owners in the event industry encouraging me to launch a party magazine – I had other projects I was focusing on. However THIS year I felt ready and passionate about launching an online magazine specifically focusing on children’s celebrations!
Hence I’ll be releasing “Celebrating little ones” FREE online magazine in May! Please make sure you subscribe to this website using the space on the sidebar so you are notified when the magazine is released.
*promo image – NOT the official cover*
Now the above is a SAMPLE cover only however the first issue WILL have interviews with Katherine Sabbath and Jordan Ferney which is truly exciting..along with never before seen parties, fantastic tips, tutorials, product ideas and more!
The free online “Celebrating little ones” magazine will be a place where you can
– get inspired by gorgeous kids parties
– find tips/advice for party planning
– enjoy interviews by talented creatives
– view products and businesses that you can click on and source directly from the magazine as you’re browsing
So watch this space – the new free ‘Celebrating – little ones’ online magazine is coming this May!
I can’t wait to share it with you! Subscribe to our website using the form on the sidebar to ensure you receive your copy!
You may have seen on my social media that we have a new little celebration who has joined our family 6 weeks ago!
Our 4th child, Leah Jacinta was born on the 25th February and she is just heavenly!
Our other children are just besotted with her….
and so am I!
There is something so precious about newborns! Perhaps it is how tiny they are…how much they need us…or the wonder and joy that comes from birthing and meeting them for the first time!
So life has been extra busy around here over the last 6 weeks as we settle into life with Leah.
Often people will ask how do I run a business with such young children? I started Life’s Little Celebrations when my first child was 6 months…she is now 6yrs old and I have a 4 yr old (nearly 5!) , 2 yr old and a newborn. So as the business has grown so has my family and I definitely do NOT have it all sorted out and still struggle with balancing it all. However here are my tips:
- Outsource when and where you can! Whether it is getting cleaners or extra help with babysitting or outsourcing social media – do it! When I was pregnant with Leah it pushed me to outsource more just to ensure I was sane and had enough sleep. It meant yes that I lost some of my income but I knew it was worth it for my own sake. So choose just one thing you can outsource – business or personal – to ease the pressure off yourself and free up some of your time for yourself and family.
- Don’t overdo it! I have many ideas and plans for Life’s Little Celebrations…but I know I cannot do it all right now when the kids are so little and are not all at school yet. So that means fulfilling the goals I can right now … and keeping those dreams and goals alive for the future!
- Accept your reality!! You will end up so frustrated and stressed if everyday you are expecting to get a million business items done and expect the kids will leave you alone to do some work during the day.
- It is better to just accept you will probably not get anything done at all with the kids around and then anything is a bonus! Work when they sleep or when they are at school, daycare or with the grandparents.
- Scheduling social media posts is also brilliant – it means that your social media is working for you even when you’re out and about at your daughters ballet class or son’s school assembly!
- Be wise with your time. When I finally do get some time to do some work – I can get a huge amount done in a short timeframe if I plan exactly what I need to do in that hour…and don’t get distracted by browsing on social media or doing online shopping!
At the end of the day – many of you (myself included) started your businesses so that you could be there for your children and have that freedom and flexibility. So don’t let your business rob you of that which it was meant to give you!
Let me say that again…don’t let your business rob you of that which it was meant to give you (eg time with the kids, freedom, flexible lifestyle)!
I hope those tips help those of you also in business and for now let me take the chance to wish you and your little one’s a joyful and special Easter!
Photos by : Priscilla Cork Photography
Your children are one of a kind unique….so it is fitting when planning their special celebrations to include a few bespoke creations.
That is where ELK prints comes in – providing party decor designed just for your child and their theme which give their party an extra special luxurious touch.
ELK Prints is a design and illustration studio who work with you to create custom pieces that will make your event magical. Their signature style pieces are individually hand-painted with watercolour paints so no two are exactly the same.
Owner Elizabeth’s bespoke work is best seen in light of how they can be used for a gorgeous children’s party, as seen here in her son’s Bubble party:
As Elizabeth explains:
“For this event I designed the custom backdrop of bubbles floating on fishing wire. The effect was really pretty and the fact that they seemed to just float by themselves and that they moved in the breeze meant they were just like bubbles. The invitations were all letter pressed and hand-painted so it is a really special luxe finish that you can choose if you want your event to really stand out from the crowd and entrance your invited guests before they have even attended.”
“The imagery from the invitations was then carried across the decor choices so that there is this seamless transition from invite to event. The imagery also continued on with a balloon tassel and thank you tags for the take home gifts. The whole party was also styled around the idea of light watery bright floating bubbles.”
As you can see the details and hand-painting is just beautiful and suits this theme perfectly:
More of Elk Print’s work can be seen in these gorgeous placecards for a Woodland themed Naming Ceremony.
The event was set at a restaurant so the client wanted something simple but special to define the event. Having hand-painted place cards is a nice idea for this kind of event held in a venue with decoration restrictions as it’s something the guests can engage with and it does reflect the significance and theme of the event also.
No two parties are ever the same so why have the same decor?
Elk Prints designs custom unique pieces and as seen below you can have a peek at the creative custom design process which makes each piece so unique!
For a bo-ho inspired party, go neutral or bright – Elk prints can design according to the look and colours you want as seen in these gorgeous teepee invitations and feather balloon garland in different colour schemes:
So if you’re looking for something truly bespoke and one of a kind for your little one’s celebrations, ensure you contact ELK Prints to discuss how they can turn your vision into reality as Elizabeth explains:
“I like designing something original and unique for each client as I enjoy that creative process and I also think it is nice to be able to do that for my clients. The pieces are hand-painted on quality materials so they also last well beyond the party and can be transformed into keepsakes for the nursery or playroom afterwards – you can keep a memory of that party alive through their ongoing presence.”
You can contact ELK prints on:
elk@bigpond.net.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elkprints/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELKPrints/
I’m not often lost for creativity – how can I when I’m surrounded by so many inspiring creatives! But every now and then a theme is put in front of me and I’m thrown.
Today, that theme is Pokemon.
What is Pokemon anyway? All I know is that it’s yellow and millions of people are wandering around the world trying to find him on their phones. Period. The fact that my kids aren’t personally into it doesn’t help, but a quick whip around social media and asking other mums tells me it’s super popular and something I better brush up on ASAP!
So whilst I brush up on my Pokemon knowledge, I put the call out to our talented LLC vendors for some inspiration on what is clearly a popular party theme, just in case you’re like me and wondering what all the fuss is about and where to start (other than yellow)! Hopefully by the end of it both you and I will not only be able to pull together an awesome Pokemon party, but may even know a little more about the game too!
Styling by Mary Ronis Events. Backdrop by Edge House Design and printed by Jos Signs by Design
Opulenticity Party and Buffet styling
So let’s get this party started!
Pokemon Party Decorations
Apparently Pinkachu is the name of the yellow character (who I thought was Pokemon) that we so often see, and there’s a gazillion other characters with strange names like Nidoking, Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Diglett. There is no way I can learn them all, but the best part is there is lots of colour to choose from for decorating your party! Use bold primary colours as your base, and build on it with any Pokemon themed finds like balloons to help distinguish it as a Pokemon party and not a super hero party!
Pokemon Go Invitation – Easy Breezy Parties
Pokemon Go Printables – Easy Breezy Parties
Backdrop by Edgehouse Design. Printed by Jo’s Sign by Design. Styling by Mary Ronis Events
Tissue Fringe Garland – The Party Parlour
Name sign – A La Roch
Poke Ball Foil Balloon – This Party Started
Paper Fans – The Party Parlour
Theme It Party Boxes
Jumbo balloon – Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Honeycomb balls – Love The Occasion
Pom Pom Garland – Hip & Hooray
18 inch Paper Fan – Emiko Blue
Pokemon Party Tableware
So far so good! Now comes the easy part, setting the table! Stick with the bold colours of the characters and simply introduce a little interest with patterns on plates and other coordinated tableware.
Table Runner – The Party Parlour
The Little Event Company
Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Happy Little Soiree
Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Emiko Blue
Food boxes – Love The Occasion
Hip & Hooray
Pokemon Party Cakes and Desserts
This really wasn’t as hard as I thought! We all know the main attraction of the party is always the cake too, so if you haven’t done too much in the way of theming up until now, let your cake maker bring it to life!
Sweetcheeks Cookies & Cakes, Melbourne
Petite Cookies, Melbourne
Poke Ball Chocolate Moulds
One Sweet Chick Couture Cookies & Cakes, Sydney
Macarons – Arelio Sweetbox, Sydney
Pokemon Cake – Love That Lolly Bar, Sydney
Pokemon cookies – Flyaway Pineapple, Sydney
Pokemon Cake – Sweet Treats by Jules, Sydney
A few finishing touches for any homemade desserts:
Paper Eskimo Baking Cups – Emiko Blue
Chevron Cupcake Wrappers – Love The Occasion
Red Number Candle – Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Pokemon Party Favours
Send your Pokemon crazed fans home with some personalised treats, ready to keep searching for more characters.
Sambellina Red Stripe Treat Boxes – Emiko Blue
Sambellina Favour boxes – Emiko Blue
Glitter and Glue Designs
Glitter and Glue Designs
Fluffy Crunch
Whilst I’m officially still in the dark on how to play the game, I must admit it looks like a lot of fun and definitely makes a great party theme! Thanks so much to our vendors for making this so much easier than I originally thought – this is definitely achievable, even for a Pokemon novice like me!
What is the perfect first birthday theme for a summer baby? A flamingo party of course!
So when it came time for Pam – one half of styling duo Willow and Duck Event Styling – to choose a theme for her daughter’s first birthday, a fun and colourful flamingo theme was at the top of the list! The result as you can see – is amazing!:
As you can see, this fun flamingo first birthday transported guests to a tropical paradise with the decor and desserts!
You can find them any time also on the Directory under “Event Stylists” in Melbourne
