Who do I love...

 

I adore Kelly Wearstler, her colour palette and style makes my heart skip a beat. Thanks to KWID I am now a lover of bleached walnut- as per her "beach shack", and her books are very inspiring to say the least.

Short and Sweet, love love love! (because my keyboard is flat! otherwise I could go on forever)...

Je t'aime.....

Yes, it is a hyperventilating moment for me (I have plenty!).

I am in love! This shoot by Jasmine Star (beautiful, amazing, incredible, talented...)
featured on one of my favourite wedding blog sites Style Me Pretty (Hayze- newly engaged friend, take note!) makes my heart skip a beat- or ten. Love the macaron towers, the carnations, the anemones, the colour- love every little detail!

I am wondering if my husband will allow us to get married again- just so I could have a moment like this........

Oh how I love flowers...

Images courtesy of Bouquet Melbourne

Today I thought I would dedicate this little post to flowers. To say I love flowers is an understatement! To walk into a room and have fresh beautiful blooms makes me SO happy and inspired. One of my favourite Flower Events companies are Bouquet Melbourne (Great Name!). Their creations are amazing and I think in an industry where it is hard to stand out- these guys really do!...Unique in their design aesthetic, Bouquet Melbourne= Amazing!

I could have put their whole gallery on here- too hard to choose from so much lovliness!

Quite possibly my idea of heaven...

 

Images courtesty of Lollipop Events

Breathe.....I absolutely cannot take the sheer beauty of this baby shower. It is my idea of heaven and the girls at Lollipop Events have pulled off one of the most spectacular show stopping Baby Showers I have ever seen.

LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about it! Usually I can ramble on and on but this has left me speechless!

Amazing what you can do with paper...

Master T's 4th birthday is fast approaching and we are doing a "circus bonanza", so I almost hyperventilated when Sharnel Dollar Designs (website coming soon) said she would sell me some of the circus favour boxes I spotted over on her site.

Intrigued, I had to know more and I came across this marvelous site that I could not wait to share with you. Quite possibly the most charming favour boxes I have laid eyes on, Favour Makers and Sharnel have made my party dreams come true...oh wait I mean Master T's dreams come true...

I will be purchasing the circus boxes and using them along the children's tables and I believe I would like a teapot just because I LOVE paper and I LOVE any excuse to shop for a party (even though I have no girls for this teapot)...

So have a browse through Favor Makers site. Whilst the boxes may be viewed on the expensive side, look at the workmanship, thought and precision that goes into these creations. You could add them simply as an accent to your lolly table or party table or go the whole hog and hand them out to the party guest. If you are like me- you will find it hard to part with these little babies and want to keep them all for yourself!

Smooch Bow Tutorial...

I spent a long time deciding whether or not I would let people in on the many techniques I use at Pink Theodore- obviously I decided I would go ahead and share the inner workings. There is no guarded secret when it comes to bows, there are many wonderful tutorials out there (my photos are clearly horrible, and I think it is definitely time for a mani!!) but it is time to let go of my little business baby that I have spent years building up- and heaven forbid I should keep all of this knowledge and HOURS spent researching and perfecting to myself!

This tutorial is for my many friends who have asked HOW IS THIS DONE, and who have patiently waited for me to come off "maternity leave"- if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Whilst it looks fiddly and may take some getting used to- it is actually easy and I have made PLENTY of orders whilst bouncing Baby S in the Bjorn!

As I said questions are more than welcome, hard to make a bow and take GREAT photos- considering even when I am at my most capable- I still manage to take a shocking photo...APOLOGIES!!

Small details- you should just start practicing on cheap ribbon from Spotlight, then try Ebay- best source for printed ribbons- a place called Oh My Gosh Goodies on Ebay, she also sells the alligator clips in bulk. I have plenty of other sources, just email me, I would be happy to help. If you are just doing it for birthdays or little gifts- then definitely try HairHouse Warehouse for the clips- they are called Pincurl Clips. The wire is available through Spotlight in the beading section and the "non-slip" grip is actually felt which comes with a sticky backing. You just cut it to size. To seal the edges, simply run a lighter over the end quickly maybe three times. For businesses, I got my cards made up at Pixo- FANTASTIC prices!!!

More tutorials will be coming soon...stay tuned....

Mobile Love.....

All images courtesy of Frazier & Wing

A quick post to show you my latest obsession...these amazing touches of whimsy will add the most amazing detail to your room or party and they are made from paper! A simple concept with AMAZING results. Heather's colour combinations make my heart skip a beat and as Veruka Salt would say, "I want them daddy, I want them all!"...
You can see the full collection Frazier & Wing or purchase them in Australia at Tiny People.

Macaron Tower

Images courtesy of Project Wedding
Image Courtesy of Shauna Younge
Image courtesy of Amy Atlas

I am IN LOVE with macarons- but who isn't right?

Today I thought I would share with you how to make a macaron tower- Laduree style...well maybe not as tall... or if you make a macaron like me- it might not be quite as magnificent (another challenge to be mastered)!

I came across a great little tutorial here. Step by step instructions on how to create these eye catching beauties.

The master of the macaron (and many other talents) is Tartelette. Head on over to her site to view some amazing recipes and photography so beautiful it will make you want to lick your screen!!!
Pictured below is one of Tartelette's Raspberry Mascarpone Macarons (insert Homer Simpson style drool here)...

I will be practicing macarons and towers soon, so watch this space and see if it ends in triumph or tantrums...

Image courtesy of Tartelette

Cookie Love...

A little friend inspired me to talk about cookies today. She made some amazing sugar cookies for her daughters birthday and they turned out fabulous!

Cookies are a wonderful addition to any afternoon tea or party, they are quick and easy to make and decorate. I intend to have a cookie decorating station at my sons 4th birthday and I think the kids will need to fight the adults for a spot at that table!

There are many ways to decorate your cookies and the absolute best place to go for recipes, cookie pop how to's, decorating tips is Cake Journal. Not only is her site a haven for cookies, but for cakes and fondant and ANYTHING cake or cookie related.


Images Courtesy of Cake Journal

Another excellent source is Sweetopia! What is great about these ladies is that they are willing to share their knowledge and assist with any questions you may have. Their instructions are so clear and easy to follow, and the results are beautiful.


Images courtesy of Sweetopia

If you were wanting to make sugar cookies, you will find a great recipe on Cake Journal's site- it is the recipe I use everytime and it has never failed me. Coles or Safeway sell Orchard fondant (the edible rollable icing stuff that the butterfly and dragonfly cookie are topped with) and it tastes very nice and is super cheap!

These were my Easter cookies which I made and gave to the neighbours for Easter. The cookies are covered in fondant, in a clear bag from Spotlight with a little tag that I made- note to self, start taking better photos instead of relying on camera on phone!!

Have a browse through these inspiring sites, I guarantee you will learn SO much and I bet you will want to bake something tomorrow...

Oh how I love beads...............

For the longest time I have LOVED Zoe Bonbon- the colours of her resin beads make my heart flutter! Her amazing creations are available in Australia through one of my favourite stores, Brown Button Trading.

Image courtesy of Zoe Bonbon via Brown Button Trading

When I created my necklaces for Pink Theodore I was always on the hunt for the perfect bead, and I found plenty and so I will share with you my sources for amazing beads across the world...


Necklaces designed by Pink Theodore (me...)

For resin and acrylic beads like you see in Zoe Bonbon- I used a company by the name of Dot.E Design. Nicky has an amazing collection and she also stocks bedrock resins, these beads appear very similar to some of the quite well known businesses around that use resins for jewellery and I know that their creations can cost a FORTUNE, so if you are feeling crafty and would like to whip up a marvelous creation similar to these talented people, head on over to Dot.E (if you have an ABN, her prices are even better!!)...



The above beads are available through Dot.E Design

For those of you looking to start a business, I found a little business in Bali, which is another place I ended up getting my beads from, he made them to my specifications and the prices were RIDICULOUS. I think I got 20 strands of resin beads for $3.00. Then I asked him if he would make me some vases and bowls in resin- and he did, for 1 he charged $20.00 for 20 of them all he wanted was $100.00! Can you believe this? If you are looking to go into business and would like his contact details, please let me know...

In my never ending hunt for the perfect beads, I got it into my head that I needed a candy striped bead, I hunted high and low for what seemed like an eternity- then I found two sources with EXCELLENT service (shipping was expensive- but worth it!). Panda Hall and Fire Mountain Gems. I mostly used acrylics, as I was designing my necklaces for children, but they have a plethora of beads and findings, so the world is your beading oyster.....

And in the interest of "keeping it real" I leave you with this image...these baskets of lovely used to be housed in beautiful glass containers in colour co-ordination (those who know me, will understand my need for order..), however this is what happens when you bead with children. My son would "help" by tipping them all over the floor and making necklaces too- so I gave up on my need of order and put them away out of site out of mind...for now!

A tissue, A tissue........

Well it has been a while between posts and I thought I would share with you a few DIY tips with tissue to create some heavenly balls of puff and the numerous ways in which you can decorate with them...

Images courtesy of Alannah Rose, The TomKat Studio, Hello Naomi, Scissors Paper Cake, The Party Studio, PomLove, Martha Stewart, Save the Date for Cupcakes.

Martha Stewart created these tissue pom poms, you can by them in a kit, or you can DIY. Martha Stewart has step by step instructions to create these beautiful creations. They are quite easy to create, you just need to have soft hands and gently pry each layer apart to give it that full effect. Otherwise you can purchase them pre made from PomLove over at Etsy. Whether they are hung from the roof, attached to some Willow, or strung like a bunting, I think they are magnificent.........

Pinwheels & Pearls

 

Party created by The City Cradle
Just a little something I am loving right now! A very Kate Spade inspired party titled "Pinwheels & Pearls"- love everything about this party and you too can recreate this look!

If you are not into the details, you can simply purchase some amazing Pinwheels here or even some fabulous little cupcake topper pinwheels here OR DIY here...

Not to forget the little men in our lives, here is a different take on a pinwheel party...

Party by Sharnel Dollar of My Life- My Loves

Around the house....

 

Image Courtesy of Amy Atlas

Image Courtesy of The Ivory Social

Image Courtesy of The Ivory Social


Today- please excuse my poor excuse for photography- I thought I would show you how to achieve cake plates and stands using items from around your house and how you do not have to go and buy that $80 apothecary jar to achieve something amazing (although granted I have bought many an apothecary jar!!)

In my display of photos I have mostly used candle stands that I have purchased from $2 shops and homewares shops. The mirrored cake stand would look magnificent with little ruffle cupcakes. This was achieved using table centrepiece mirrors- total cost of $10.00 and two candle sticks which were $3.50each- I seen something similar for approximately $240, which equals BIG SAVINGS and easily achievable results. Similarly the jars would make wonderful lolly jars at children's birthday parties- these were purchased for a grand total of $5.50 (for both of them!!). Again bought at a local homewares, gift shop- you know the sort, the cheap ones!

I have included two dessert tables I made, one for Easter- which is where you will see many a candle stand being used, and the other was a party that a good friend let me run wild with and majorly get my girl on for her daughter Charlie. Boxes were covered in wrapping paper from Details Details- very well priced! If you require larger rolls for bigger jobs- like using it as a 'table cloth' for children's parties- try Wrapco, and my cake plates in the front were cardboard covered in tissue paper- used as a colour accent to the table!

The big bulky black candlesticks (bought from a local homewares store) will look incredible with matt black platters on them- I am still looking for the plates but I may end up spraypainting the bottom of an interesting glass platter in a matt black- it works without chipping the paint- voila custom cake stand! Look closely at the Amy Atlas picture I have included- recognise the cake stands???
She has used compote dishes, bowls, cake plates and the candle sticks that I have now acquired- joy joy joy!

The big black urn was bought on sale at Target- I am going to take the lid off this and put phalenopsis orchids in it to cascade down the urns body- another option for this is to add a platter to the top of it (of course remove the lid) and you have a very amazing looking stand. Add your ribbons, accents and signs to it and you would be amazed at just how crafty you can be...

Rainbow Brite...

A flurry of rainbow parties have descended upon us. I am in love with the ruffle table skirt that the girls over at Details Details have created, and will definitely try and make a rainbow cake- all details are via their blog- hip hip hooray.

I am also very much in love with the DIY hanging mobile that has been created by Oh Happy Day. She has included a step by step on how to create this masterpiece- another thing I must try.

The little cake topper is divine, I am not too sure who featured this- but if you know, please let me know so I can credit. It does look like the toppers made by Lollipop Workshop over at Etsy.

Onto another day dreaming of the parties and creations I would love to make- oh no wait, I have an order of 50 headbands to make- back to reality xo