Mrs A in The Cove

A Little Valentines Message

2012-02-14T10:15:00.000+11:00

It is Valentines Day and Mr A is away - the first time in the 16 Valentines Days we have been together. We don't usually make a big fuss but it is always nice to receive that card and know that the love of your life is there beside you.

So this one is for you Mr A - I love you to the moon and back xox

Fete Press Issue 1

2012-02-09T23:55:00.000+11:00

The latest edition of Fete Press came out today - one of the most gorgeous online magazines to be found. Annabelle and Jane have such style - I could flick through the pages all day.

Make sure you check it out (here) - you might see a few Sweet Style Products on some of the pages as well.

In love with the shoes from this next page

January Photo a Day Challenge

2012-01-31T22:16:00.000+11:00

So our January photo a day challenge finished today - here is my month as seen via instagram.

A new February Challenge begins tomorrow and you can find out more by visiting Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim - I would love to see what you come up with.

1. Me 2. Breakfast 3. Something I Adore

4. Letterbox 5. Something I wore 6. Makes you Smile

7. My sky 8. Daily Routine 9. Favourite

10. Childhood 11. Where I sleep 12. Close Up

13. In My Bag 14. Something I am Reading 15. Happiness

16. Morning 17. Water 18. Something I bought

19. Sweet 20. Someone I Love 21. Reflection

22. My shoes 23. Old 24. Guilty Pleasure

25. Something I Made 26. Colour 27. Lunch

28. Light 29. Inside my fridge 30. Nature 31. Me again (Wii style)

Jars for Cakes and Drinks

2012-01-27T08:11:00.000+11:00

I have a thing for interesting jars but I also have a thing for jars that have multiple uses! My latest love in jars is the fabulous Ball Mason Jar - yes I love the antique vintage blue ones but this one is brand new and is so versatile.

It is the perfect size for a cake in a jar - a great way to serve your guests at a party or even as a take home gift - change the colour of the patterned paper in the lid and you can match the theme of your event. Here I have layered a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting to go with the festive red dots and twine used as decoration. Attach a spoon and an instant dessert is ready.

When you have finished your cake you can then use your jar as a fabulous way to serve your next drink.

Just right with a delicious ice cold summer punch and they look
cute with these little lids that are a perfect fit for a stripey straw.

Eating cake and drinking punch just keeps getting more enjoyable.

These great jars (as well as all the other goodies you see here) can now be found in the Sweet Style store here.

Thank you to Jordan from Polkadot Prints for sharing this post on her blog earlier this week.

Images: Sweet Style

Happy Australia Day

2012-01-26T22:45:00.000+11:00

Happy Australia Day to all the Aussies around the world.

We have had a wonderful day flying the Aussie Flag, enjoying a backyard bbq and finishing the meal off with some pavlova - hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are.

With love for Valentines Day

2012-01-23T14:44:00.001+11:00

It is only a few weeks to Valentines Day so I have been looking through all my goodies to see what is perfect for a valentines party or even just as a special something for your valentine. Here is what I came up with - hope it provides a little inspiration.

So who is having a Valentines Day party or will it be just you and your sweetheart?

Images: Sweet Style
Cake by Blissfully Sweet Cakes
Jars, cake stands, straws, paper bags and candy available in the store

Can't get enough of Instagram

2012-01-20T15:21:00.001+11:00

I have been taking part in the January photo a day challenge hosted by Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim - you may have seen a few photo's pop up each day on Facebook. I am always looking for a new photo challenge so decided to join this one for a bit of fun but the day before I signed up my new fancy camera decided to malfunction! So I had a change of plan and decided to use my iPhone and instagram to participate in this challenge. I have had instagram on my phone for a while but only used it occasionally but have noticed how wonderful the images in my feed are from regular instagramer's so I set another challenge - to see if I could capture some great shots on my phone.

To my delight I have found a whole new world of people and photo's to follow and I now check in regularly throughout the day to update my daily life via instagram and also find out what everyone is up to in pictures - it really is such a fun app and I am amazed at how incredible it can make your photo's look.

So here is a snapshot of January via my instagram feed - will post my January photo challenge photo's at the end of the month.

Are you on instagram? - leave a comment for me so I can follow you. You can find me under @sweetstyle

This next one was taken by Indi!

Candy Hearts

2012-01-18T20:00:00.000+11:00

I have fallen in love with these Candy Hearts - perfect for valentines day but also devine for any party table. They are now available in the store xoxo

If you are looking for the perfect printable to go with these lovely sweets pop over and visit Style Me Gorgeous on Facebook where you can see Sarah's ever so sweet Love is Peachy Valentines Printable Collection.

Elegant Pink and Grey Wedding Candy Table

2012-01-13T13:15:00.000+11:00

In December I had the pleasure of putting together a candy table for a lovely couple Gab and Paul.

Gab had decided on a colour theme of soft pink and grey with a hint of hot pink.

The wedding was held at Gunners Barracks in Mosman, Sydney and we were able to use a gorgeous antique table from the venue for the candy buffet.

Both Gab and Paul had children from previous marriages and they were an important part of the celebrations so Gab asked that the kids names be included on the personalised chocolate bars which was such a lovely touch.

As well as 120 adults, there were 30 kids invited to this wedding so we pre-made personalised lolly bags for all the kids so that the candy on the table was left for the big people.

The stunning cake was of course made by the very clever Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes - it was a four tier cake with butter cream frosting and the most incredible cascading flowers down the side.

Lots of delicious lollies on the table including lollipops I had made up in custom colours to match the invite and paper goods.

Jars, cake stands, lollies, ribbon all available in the Sweet Style Online store

Photography - Sweet Style

Amazing Mulberry and their life-size candy

2012-01-12T18:51:00.001+11:00

Have you seen the latest Mulberry Campaign by renown British photographer Tim Walker.

Shot in amazing Brighton in the UK I feel like my life and the Sweet Style store just sprung to life! The colours, the props, the gorgeous models - it really does feel like a day in my office, land of the giants style (minus being the gorgeous model and the lounging around part).

Would love to know what you think?

Visit the website and blog to see more from the campaign and how it all came together.

Images: Tim Walker for Mulberry

Food Photography with Dario from Food Pixels

2012-01-11T22:26:00.000+11:00

I have had the most wonderful day today absorbing and learning all about food photography with the lovely Dario from Food Pixels.

I have become so fascinated with food photography of late and I am eager to learn more. Dario was the perfect person to help me on my journey and not only is he full of knowledge and a lovely guy but we share the same birthday!

Dario runs fabulous photography workshops throughout the year and is also about to launch a prop hire business so make sure you visit his website and like his Facebook page for more info.

In the meantime here are a few of Dario's delicious shots followed by a few that we took today - I learnt so much in the 5 hours I spent with him and I can't wait to put it all into practice.

Thank you favours & cute lollies

2012-01-09T16:12:00.001+11:00

Happy Monday everyone!

So who is back into the swing of things. While I am still busy sending out orders from the shop, the kids are still on school holidays for another 3 weeks so we have no set routine making it hard to really get back on top things. We are having a lovely time swimming in the pool and heading to the beach and generally enjoying the Australian summer but I think I may need to just go with the flow until the end of January.

On the weekend though I had some fun putting together some party favours with a new candy line that I am adding to the store.

These cute little lollies are called sixlets - mini chocolate balls covered in hard candy.

These little take home gifts were created for a 40th surprise party (happy birthday Sam!), and the theme was silver and gold - how cute do they look together in the mini apothecary jars.

I added an elegant tag which we stamped with my thank you stamp and added some twine and the guests were suitably impressed.

The Sixlets currently come in six colours, black, white, green, blue, silver and gold - I do hope to add more colours as you all know how much I need pink to be involved. You can find them in the store here and these little mini apothecary jars hold 100g each.

I have also added a new size in this very cute little apothecary jar. Instead of the mini (which is 10cm high) it is called the small apothecary jar. She is 11cm high looks great with a little stack of biscuits like I used on my Christmas table. If you would like to know more you can find them here.

A New Year

2012-01-05T11:40:00.001+11:00

A new year, a new beginning.

It has been lovely to have a little bit of down time for a change after the craziness of 2011 - time to both reflect and reassess how to move forward in 2012. My mind is spinning with all I would love to do in the coming year - how do I achieve or even attempt all I would like to - how do I keep the balance right and come out sane at the other end! The question I am sure every parent who has a business or a passion for creative pursuits has.

I do start the year however with a clear vision that I need to focus on the things that are important to me and things I enjoy to do. I will ask for help if I need it and not worry if direction needs to change to suit the needs of my family and of course myself.

So while I continue to work out how best I achieve my goals here are some pictures of a few little things I threw together for our annual New Year's Eve party at home.

A Cheese Stack

A Champagne Punch in that lovely new drinks dispenser

Great friends and thanks to a pretty special location that our house lives on, a birds eye view of the Sydney Harbour Fireworks (sorry forgot to take pictures of that as I was too busy admiring!)

Thanks also to Kim from the Tomkat Studio for her free printables - they worked perfectly with my black and white theme.

One last thing - don't forgot to pop over to my store for the new year sale that is happening - lots of great bargins to be found!

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-30T20:00:00.003+11:00

So as 2011 draws to a close a few pictures to share of Christmas Day at our house. Santa was very generous, the food at Christmas lunch with an Italian family seemed never ending but the smiles said it all.

I hope your Christmas Day was as wonderful as ours.

I love hearing those magical words on Christmas morning - "Santa has been!"

Have a wonderful New Year - I can't wait to share more and continue the journey in 2012.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T11:00:00.002+11:00

There is a lot of excitement in our house with only 3 sleeps to go so I am going to sign off with sweet wishes to you all for a wonderful Christmas celebration with your family.

2011 has been an amazing year for me, for my family and for Sweet Style and I thank you for your incredible support.

The store will remain open for your orders over the Christmas/New Year period and we will ship out your products as you need them - please let me know if things are urgent and we will do our best to get them to you with plenty of time. I am looking forward to a little down time with my family in the coming weeks but I will still be around and popping in and out if I have interesting things to report or photos to show.

I look forward to exciting times and new possibilities in 2012.

Much love ...

Christmas Lunch No 1

2011-12-21T12:18:00.000+11:00

As we race towards the 25th December here are a few pictures from the first of our two Christmas lunches with our family - last Sunday we had a gorgeous day with my side of the family celebrating both Christmas and my mum's birthday.

A last minute change of colour theme to red and white but hey last minute changes can be good!

My immediate family - my mum, my sister and her two kids and my nan (my dad's mum)

So now we head to Christmas Day and the decision of whether to go with red and white again or to mix it up - can see a last minute decision coming again!

The Last Minute Gift

2011-12-20T10:05:00.009+11:00

Ok so it is only 5 sleeps until Christmas - I know it is getting tight for deliveries but if you are in a central location it may still be doable if you get your orders in quick (like today!). If however you just can't work out what to order I do have the perfect last minute gift for you - the Sweet Style Gift Voucher - simple and easy and arrives in your inbox (or your partners inbox) within a few hours of you placing your order.

Have a look here to purchase one.

The great news about this is that Christmas gets extended so you can then go shopping from the comfort of your home on Boxing day - what could be better! So what to buy - well it has been a while since I have given a new product update here on the blog (of course if you follow along on Facebook you know what is happening on a daily basis) so here are three of my faves that have arrived in the shop recently.

First up the stunning new drinks dispensers - she comes in two styles. This is the plain version with a glass lid and base. There is also a lovely cut glass version which has a silver lid and base - check the website here for more details

Elegant new white cake stands have also arrived in the past week.

You can see them here

The Large and Small Sabine Glass Jars are currently my favourite of the many candy jars I stock - they looks so pretty on any dessert or candy table and also make a beautiful gift when presented full of yummy treats.

Find them here

And some great prop ideas for your next party include this great range of blackboard items

You can find them here

So there are a few quick ideas for your Christmas Stocking.

Don't forget that New Year's is also just around the corner so make sure you have everything you need now to avoid the last minute rush next week.

Hope your Christmas week is running smoothly.

here

My New Look

2011-12-19T09:00:00.003+11:00

Hello there and welcome to my new look!

It is always so lovely to receive a make-over and to bring in 2012 this is the new me!

I hope you like it - clean and fresh and more in line with what I have been up to lately.

So who made it look so pretty you ask - the very talented Tabitha Emma.

If you are looking for a new look she is the person to call (or email as it is in this day and age). She has a fantastic website to look through and also a wonderful blog. Drop in and say hi when you can.

Christmas Styling Event

2011-12-15T11:47:00.003+11:00

Before Christmas is over I have some pictures from the recent Christmas Styling Event I presented at for Penny from Working Mums Masterclass. We had a lovely day talking about everything from organising yourself for the silly season, to your Christmas dessert table, favour ideas, a Christmas menu, gift wrapping and how to make your table setting ever so stylish.

All four presenters had something very different and unique to show and I am sure that all the lovely ladies who came along took something away from the day that they could use in their Christmas styling instantly.

Thanks Penny for organising a wonderful series of workshops though out 2011 - if you would like to join Penny's mailing list to find out the 2012 workshop schedule pop on over to her website here.

I must say a special thanks also to Lindt for providing some gorgeous boxes of chocolate to include the participants goodie bags as well as on my dessert table - they were delicious!

New Years Eve Ideas with The Party Dress Magazine

2011-12-12T20:02:00.002+11:00

I know we are still to make it through Christmas but today I have a little New Years Bling for you from the recent article I put together for the Party Dress Magazine.

I went with an elegant theme of black, white and silver for my new years eve cocktail party.

I decided on a cheese stack instead of a sweet cake as my centrepiece item - this way I could cater to the savour lovers as well as those of us with a sweet tooth. Beautiful cupcakes and cookies by Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes added some more sparkle and in my mini pots I created a little cheesecake using brownies as the base and topped it with a mixture of mascapone cheese and icing sugar.

Pretzels dipped in chocolate were also included as this gave a mixture of the sweet and salty together and they do taste devine.

So have you thought about New Years Eve festivities yet?

Welcome 2012 or Happy New Year Stamp and cutlery are available in the Sweet Style Store here

Mini pots, cake stands, jars and Chevron tote favour boxes also available in the store

Photography Sweet Style

Gift Wrap Ideas

2011-12-09T11:55:00.001+11:00

The final article I put together for Vesna's My Little Jedi Magazine was all about gift wrap.

I have taken the colours from my Christmas Dessert Table which also features on my tree this year and I have teamed it with lots of naturals. Some kraft paper with a piece of patterned paper around the middle. Simple twine or string with a lovely tag.

I love using plain white boxes from a variety store or even meal boxes and adding a hint of patterned paper. I used a few of the oatmeal luggage tags from my shop and cut the patterned paper into little triangles and stuck it on to look like bunting. I finished them off with one of my Christmas stamps also from the shop - so simple but just lovely.

One Pavlova - Two Ways

2011-12-07T16:06:00.002+11:00

In the recent edition of the My Little Jedi Magazine Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes and I decided to create this delicious Pavlova two different ways - one for easy presentation on your table and the other to use as a great take home Christmas favour.

First up is the Pavolva Tree - this is honestly so easy to put together as I took these photo's of Jacki creating her tree in about 1 minute flat - she just kept layering it with all the delicious components and it worked a treat. Here are some photos showing just how simple it is to put together.

The second version of this wonderful dessert is a Pavlova in a jar. Great for take home gifts or a cute way to serve your guests at the party. As with the tree you just layer the components on top of one another, close the lid and tie on a cute tag. Yum!

Jacki's recipe and instructions are below.

Nutty Chocolate Pavlova Tree Recipe

Find your favorite Pavlova recipe, or use the one below, and made a few quick and easy changes to the way it is put together and you have a Pavlova Tree or a Pavlova in a jar – great to serve on Christmas day and for party favours for your guests.

You will need:-

6 egg whites (room temperature)

330 gms caster sugar

1 tbs cornflour

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

25gms cocoa powder

6 Ferrero chocolates, crushed

600mls thickened cream

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1/3 cup icing sugar

Pistacchio nuts, hulled and crushed

Punnet of blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 140°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the caster sugar. Continue beating until meringue is thick and glossy, about 5-7 minutes. Sift cocoa powder into meringue and fold in the crushed ferrero chocolates.

3. If making the pavlova tree, spoon the meringue mixture into rounds on your baking paper using different sizes circles. This will achieve the Christmas tree cone shape. Make as many rounds as you like and make the tree as high or wide as you like.

4. Put the trays in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 120°C. Depending in the size of your shells the cooking time will take between 1 and 1½ hours. Keep checking. The shells will be ready when the surfaces are hard. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar until the oven is cooled.

5. To make chantilly cream, beat thickened cream together with the scraped vanilla bean and icing sugar until stiff peaks are achieved.

6. To assemble, get your favourite cake stand or plate and place a small blob of cream on the stand and start layering the pavlova shells, with the larger circles on the bottom and work your way up. In between each layer, pipe the chantilly cream with sprinkle with the pistachio nuts and blueberries. Top the tree with a swirl of cream and a luscious blueberry.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Blissfully Sweet

Jars, Printables and cake stand Sweet Style

Photography Sweet Style

Christmas with My Little Jedi Magazine

2011-12-05T20:49:00.001+11:00

The gorgeous Christmas edition of Vesna's My Little Jedi Magazine is out and it is just devine. I was delighted to be part of this issue by contributing a number of articles from a Christmas Dessert Table to some gift wrap ideas to a collaboration with Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes showing some lovely ideas for Pavlova's.

Today I am sharing with you some photos of the Christmas Dessert Table I put together. A very different colour palette than my usual christmas but I just love this modern and simple look. I hope you enjoy some shots of the table - the link to the complete magazine is attached at the bottom of this post and I will be back during the week to show some more photos from the other projects.

Cake, cupcakes and cookies were all made by Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes

Pops on sticks and chocolate dipped donuts were made by me. The table also included delicious Lindt Chocolate from their Masterpieces range and caramel macaroons.

Photography - Sweet Style

Open publication - Free publishing - More christmas

Blue and Red - Christmas with Lindt

2011-12-01T12:57:00.001+11:00

Blue and Red is so lovely together at Christmas and Lindt Chocolate have combined the two perfectly with their delicious range of Christmas Chocolates.

Look at these cute snowmen, mini Santa's and snowballs plus some lovely bells and stars (and a very cute looking reindeer that I know isn't blue but just had to share). They look so gorgeous all packaged up as a sweet treat for someone you want to give just a little Christmas Cheer to.

Photo's: Sweet Style

Classmates Christmas Gifts

2011-11-29T13:28:00.001+11:00

We have been busy putting together class Christmas gifts for the girls school friends - simple clear cello bags filled with treats and a Merry Christmas Sticker with their name in on it.

Chocolate beans and jelly beans fit perfectly in this little bags which are from Pack-It-In. I have stocked up on these little bags so if you would like a pack of 25 bags popped in with any order of chocolate beans or jelly beans leave a note on your order and we can have your class christmas favours sorted out in no time. You can find these delicious beans in the lolly/candy section of the shop here. If you would prefer to buy a pack of 100 cello bags they are $5 - they have been added to the lolly/candy section of the shop but will only be available until Christmas.

Hope your Christmas Shopping is coming along!

Jacki's 40th Birthday

2011-11-28T12:27:00.001+11:00

Happy 40th to my wonderful friend Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of helping Jacki put together her Vintage Themed 40th Birthday Party - we had such fun with this table and Jacki once again outdid herself with the amazing cakes she made as the centrepiece of the table as well as the most delicious cupcakes, macaroons and cake pops for us to enjoy during the evening - it was truly a special evening for a very special lady.

Here are a few of my favourite shots from the day and night.

You can find lots more photo's plus details of the evening over on Jacki's blog here and also featured on Amy Atlas Blog here.

Cakes in a jar as a take-home thank you favour for the guests.

All the lovely tableware, cake stands, bowls, gift bags and jars you see here can be found in my store here.

Photos: Sweet Style

My Christmas Wish List

2011-11-24T11:54:00.001+11:00

Another fun tag from Tanya at Life's Little Celebrations who has asked me to join in and list the top 5 items on my Christmas Wish list.

So here it is

1. A gorgeous secret tablet by Uberkate (can never have enough Uberkate)

2. A new camera bag and in particular this one by Kelly Moore which you can buy here at Camera Chick

3. Some lovely new Sambag wedges

4. A new lens for my camera - lusting after the Canon 100mm prime lens

5. A new display cabinet for all my beautiful cake stands to live in

So now I need to pass this on to some more blogging friends so we can see their wish list

The House that A-M Built

Blissfully Sweet

Down That Little Lane

Polkadot Prints

Style Me Gorgeous

Bonnie's Baby Shower Dessert Table

2011-11-16T00:02:00.001+11:00

Last weekend I put together a pretty dessert table for a baby shower.

I still love this colour pallet whenever I see it together - pink and yellow, and here I added a touch of chocolate

Mum to be, Bonnie had sent out invitations that had a little umbrella on them so we decided to stick with the umbrella theme for the cake and cookies.

The beautiful cake, cookies and cake pops were made by Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes. I made some delicious vanilla panacotta's (you can get the recipe here) and also added macaroons, meringues, personalised chocolate bars and jars of sweets for the guests to take home. A delicious punch was also served.

Simple and elegant - just perfect for the occasion.

Very excited that this party has been featured today over on Amy Atlas' blog - thanks Amy and Lisa.

All cake stands, glassware, mini pots, spoons, enjoy stamp, tablecloth and single colour lollies can be found in the Sweet Style Store here.

Images by Sweet Style

Red & Green - Some Christmas Favour & Gift Inspiration

2011-11-15T10:49:00.000+11:00

Time to kick off a series of Christmas Favour and Gift Inspiration ideas.

I am starting with something traditional - Red and Green - the options to choose from are endless with this colour combination so here is what I have come up with.

Little jars filled with chocolate beans or bon bons. Tie some twine around the top or a ribbon around the middle and you have the cutest little gift.

These perfect little clip jars are great for teachers presents - I have added some choc dipped marshmallows inside, tied it with bright ribbon and added a tag. These jars are now available in the sweet style store.

Some pretty paper bags filled with Christmas cookies - delicious!

A box of treats for the kids.

Little biscuits in scalloped boxes - so cute! These biscuits are from the local supermarket making it simple and easy.

Mini Chevron bags also look perfect with Christmas biscuits.

Giant jaffas or gum balls look great in these little boxes.

The ribbed jars look lovely with the marshmallows in them also.

Cupcake cases look so delicious filled with jelly beans.

Pine plates lined with more marshmallows - add a ribbon, wrap with some twine and a merry christmas tag and you are set to head off to Christmas drinks with the neighbours.

I hope you have enjoyed a little bit of Christmas inspiration - a new colour way next week, something not as traditional. Do you do traditional christmas colours or something a little different?

All of the jars, bottles, stamps, ribbon, twine, candy and bags are available in the Sweet Style store

Products Shots with a two year old

2011-11-14T14:28:00.001+11:00

Happy Monday everyone.

I had to share these cute photos from a few weeks ago.

Imagine her delight when she woke from her afternoon nap to find mummy taking products shots for the website of Jelly Beans! The very reason I try to do all my product photos when no kids are around.

Single coloured Jelly Beans are available in the shop - perfect for your next dessert or candy table - as long as your two year old doesn't get to them first.

Christmas With Birds Party Magazine

2011-11-10T13:18:00.000+11:00

I was delighted to be able to put together a Christmas table for the recent Holiday issue of Birds Party Magazine. Here are some of the pictures of my Green and White Christmas Table with very special thanks to the talented Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes for her gorgeous cupcakes and cookies.

Cake stands, glass jars, paper straws, favour bags, Christmas Stamps, Baking Cups and ribbon all available in the Sweet Style online store here.

Now you must pop over and check out the rest of the magazine - Bird has done an amazing job with so much inspiration to choose from.

Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More birds party

The Party Dress Magazine

2011-11-09T11:26:00.000+11:00

The latest Party Dress Magazine is out and it is full of wonderful Holiday season idea's.

There is also a little feature in there that I put together on New Year's Eve - I have lots more photos of the table itself that I will share with you all soon.

Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More event planning

Meet Emily from Candy Couture

2011-11-07T22:19:00.001+11:00

One of my lovely customers is Emily from Candy Couture in Perth. Emily puts together some of the most gorgeous candy and dessert tables for her customers so I thought I would ask her a few questions about how she got started and where she finds her inspiration. Pictures of her most recent party are included so sit back and meet Emily from Candy Couture

How did your business get started?

A friend of mine introduced me to the concept of styled dessert tables / lolly buffets; I fell in love with it straight away. Who couldn’t love something that looks that gorgeous and tastes that yummy?

I love design and styling and have an insatiable sweet tooth as well, it seemed to be right up my alley.

I created my first table for my daughters ‘fairy princess’ 1st Birthday party, complete with cupcake tower, floral arrangements, stationary, backdrop…the works. It was just going to be a one off for her special day, but I got so much enjoyment out of putting it all together and seeing the end result that I decided this was something I would really love to do.

I had been searching for ideas of something that I could do work wise that wouldn’t impose too much on my duties as a mother of 2 children under the age of 3. This was perfect, something I can do primarily from home and at my own pace, and a way to be creative and expressive in my work.

My business ‘Amani Candy Couture’ (Candy Couture) specialising in creating, one-of-a-kind, beautiful, custom designed dessert table and candy buffets for special occasions, I like to incorporate a cake or cupcake tower, delicious sweets, chocolates and candy. I want the table to capture the essence of a particular event, be it a theme such as my ‘Casino’ themed party I did recently or a vintage style for a gorgeous vintage / shabby-chic wedding.

The best thing about having my own business is being in control of how little or how much work I do, having my own business allows me to put my family first if need be. It has also been so amazing to put in the hard work and gain recognition for everything I am doing for my business, I have become incredibly passionate about it and have high hopes for it to grow and expand into the future.

What do you draw on for inspiration?

I draw inspiration from a range of things,

: Different seasons, gorgeous bright flowers and coloured candy for summer or icy blues and whites for winter wonderland ideas in winter

: A gorgeous piece such as a bird cage or a beautiful backdrop can inspire the rest of the table

I like to follow along the gorgeous blogs of very talented ladies working both in Australia and the United States. I love looking at etsy to see all the different; on off things they have which can be incorporated into dessert tables.

I like to be involved with my clients and use their own personality for inspiration by asking questions about different styles and colours that they love to see what I can come up with.

One of my most recent favourite tables I created was for a ‘Burlesque’ themed 30^th. This style was right up my alley; I had so much fun designing it. I went for a sexy, demure look: Black lace, pink satin ribbon. Crystal candle sticks and tea lights gave it a gorgeous dimmed lighting effect. A manikin wearing a lace up corset as a backdrop and a custom made black ruffle table cloth set the scene.

All candy was pink and black displayed in gorgeous lolly jars from Sweet Style.

How do you like to relax when you are not working?

When I am away from work there is nothing better than spending time with my family, in summer we take our boat out and spend as much time as we can at the beach and have bbq’s and picnics.

I also say on occasion you can’t beat putting the kids to bed, getting a babysitter and going out for a nice dinner and a few drinks just my husband and I.

You can see more of Emily's beautiful work on her website here

or find her on Facebook here

Photography by Nicole Duncan Photography Perth

Stationery by Raspberry Lime Paperie

Corset Chocolates by Gorgeous Gourmet

Corset Sugar Cookies by Sweet Cheeks Gifts and Treats

Down That Little Lane

2011-11-02T19:55:00.000+11:00

Have you heard the news - Down that Little Lane is now live!

Down that Little Lane is an exciting new online store that has just opened it's virtual doors and I am so proud and excited to be part of it.

After two years of hard work owner Tessa has created a beautiful place to shop by sourcing the less commercial and more bespoke products and services. The site is beautifully designed, easy to navigate and full of all the most wonderful things you could ever want.

I was most honoured when Tessa invited me to be part of her exciting project. Down that Little Lane is an online multi store where sellers host their own shop - the point of difference here is that it is by invitation only so the emphasis is on quality and not quantity.

As an opening offer DTLL is hosting wonderful giveaway where you can win a beautiful piece of Uberkate jewellery just for registering. Do go on over and visit but be warned - you will need your credit card as there is so many gorgeous things on show!

www.downthatlittlelane.com.au

7 New Things (That are Christmas Related)

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000+11:00

It has been a while since I have received a blogging award but last week the lovely Mel from Georgica Pond has awarded me a Versatile Bloggers Award. Mel and I recently caught up in real life at the ABCD Bloggers meet-up - both of us knew there was something familiar about each other and when we started asking questions it turned out we went to high school together! How funny is that! (It has been 25 years so we were excused for not being able to pin point exactly how we knew each other).

Anyway do pop over and see Mel's lovely blog - she is nearing the end of a major reno and has done the most amazing job!

The rules of the award are that you must tell 7 things about yourself and then pay it forward to some blogs I love and read. So as I have in the past listed 7 things about me I had better come up with 7 new and random things that I haven't mentioned before - I have added a twist and today they will be Christmas related - what better way to kick of the season.

1. My favourite Christmas present ever from my husband was the one I received last year - my beautiful Ubercircles by Uberkate. I have four medium circles - one for each of our girls with the name and birthday beautiful stamped on their own circle - I wear it every day.

2. Before kids I was very big into my running and used to meet my running group every Christmas morning for a run and breakfast by the beach - meant I could eat twice as much for the rest of the day!

3. Growing up when the milkman used to deliver milk my dad would always order each of us a mini bottle of Chocolate milk to drink with breakfast as a special treat.

4. I spent the Christmas of 1990 on top of a mountain in Switzerland at a ski resort with my best friend - we wanted a white Christmas and this seemed to be a guaranteed way to get it. We had no other family with us as we were travelling for a year so it was actually pretty lonely!

5. My uncle sat me down on christmas day when I was 12 and said that seeing as I was about to start high school it was time I was told that Santa wasn't real (my parents were not impressed and yes I was naive). My first question after the shock and disbelief was "does that mean the easter bunny does not exist as well"!

6. Growing up my Grandfather was a Santa's helper in the department stores. One year my mum and dad left Pops "Santa pants" at the bottom of our fireplace and pretended that Santa's pants fell off when he was going back up the chimney!

7. Christmas is my favourite time of the year - I know that is not random but I just had to say it - I love the fact that we are in the middle of summer and spending time with our favourite people - I just love it.

So now to tag some other blogs that I love and read around the globe - lets see if we can find out 7 random Christmas things about them.

Katena - Taylor Made Baking
Sharnel - My Life My Loves
Lou - Loo's Boo's and Shoes
Jess - Oscar and Ruby
Jaclyn - Little Paper Trees
Nina - Stylizmo
Meredith - Count it All Joy
Melissa - Miss Sew and So

I look forward to continuing some fun Christmas posts in the coming weeks - bring on the festive season.

Sofia & Week 4 of Evolve

2011-10-30T14:37:00.000+11:00

So four weeks of my amazing photography course Evolve with Sheye has passed already.

There is still so much to learn but I have had so much fun trying to work it out!

I also was lucky enough to get myself a new whizz bang camera during the course and that sent me on another steep learning curve - loving it though as it is a full frame camera and has opened up a whole new world!

So here are some photo's from my week 4 task.

My incredibly obliging 5 year old who loves to have her photo taken helped me out. I love that not only does Sofia enjoy being in front of the camera but she also loves to be behind it - something I am so excited to foster (I think Santa knows what to bring her this Christmas).

I still find the processing so tricky but this week begins a new course with Sheye specifically about processing. I can't wait to learn more.

Cake Inspiraton

2011-10-27T22:24:00.000+11:00

I am working on some exciting events for November and December so I have been searching for lots of inspiration. Here is some gorgeous cake ideas that feature beautiful flowers and ruffles - just what the bride I am working with is after. I have been busy pinning loads of new things to my Pinterest Board - it is such a fabulous tool for collecting all those images you come across while researching for projects.

Cakes by My Sweet and Saucy except the very pretty coral coloured one 4th picture down which is by Citrus and Orange

My Cheeky girl and her lollipop

2011-10-21T08:26:00.000+11:00

"Sofia do you want to sneak away with mummy and eat a lollipop!"

Her eye's lit up

I don't think she could believe what she was hearing

My cheeky girl who asks at least 100 times a day for a treat

To which the answer is always "no"

Was mummy teasing?

No not this time - mummy is doing a photography course and needed a willing subject!

So here we are - week 2 of my online photography course with Sheye

So much to learn - so much to absorb - so much trickier with a person than with food!

This week we have been playing with editing in photoshop so here are my shots from week 2 with some vintage editing.

That lollipop did the trick!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Christmas Styling Event

2011-10-18T20:28:00.000+11:00

The countdown has begun for Christmas in our house. Props have started to appear for various activities and the planning has begun.

Penny from Working Mums Masterclass has also started her planning and has put together a great line up of presenters to do a Christmas Styling and Organisation Workshop.

I will be presenting on the day, along with Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes, Jane from Show.Pony and Valerie from Inner B.

The topics of the day include Christmas dessert table styling, food ideas and styling for Christmas lunch, table design for your Christmas celebration and getting yourself organised for Christmas. You will be set for the silly season!

If you are in Sydney we would love to see you on Saturday 19th November

You can find out more information about booking, times and location on Penny's website here

Book in early to avoid disappointment.

Image: Sweet Style

Cake Stand Giveaway Winner

2011-10-17T14:03:00.001+11:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the cake stand giveaway over the past week.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and for leaving me some wonderful feedback - stay tuned for more great products in the store soon.

And the winner of the gorgeous cake stand is...

Comment number 61

supajulo

otherwise know as Julie Harvey

Congratualtions Julie - you will be hearing from me soon to organise delivery.

Image: Sweet Style

12 Fabulous Halloween Favour Ideas

2011-10-13T14:08:00.001+11:00

I am enjoying all the Halloween goodies this year so I have created for you 12 different favour ideas for a halloween themed party or to give out to the trick or treaters that come knocking.

The gorgeous printables are by Kim from The Tomkat Studio who has three wonderful Halloween collections to choose from - I was taken with all the orange around this year so I have used her Spooky Collection - Would love to know you favourite idea from the list?

All of the bags, boxes, bottles, jars, twine and ribbon can be found in the Sweet Style Store.

The very cute hanging garland you can see in the background can be found here.

Witchery Kids - Some Great Offers

2011-10-12T16:03:00.000+11:00

I am really loving the new Witchery Kids summer collection - the colours are just fantastic.

They have the perfect pieces for my girls for this season and they currently have some great competitions and giveaways on their website.

The first great offer - when you purchase any two items from their comp page you receive free shipping and a prize - there are fabulous cameras, watches and even bikes to be won. (something to put away for Christmas if you win!)

The second is the opportunity to win a $500 shopping voucher by submitting your kids art! The top six artists receive a Witchery voucher and the the lucky winner will also receive an exclusive art class with children's illustrator Peter Viska.

Check out their website here to find out all the info.

Cake Stand Giveaway

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000+11:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend. We took the girls to see Mary Poppins the musical on Sunday and had the most magical day - if you haven't been to see it yet it is a must!

Today is also back to school for my girls after two weeks of school holidays - it is lovely to have a break from the routine but almost impossible to keep on top of running a business and blogging with kids home - I did read a great quote this week on Facebook (thanks Jordan) that struck a chord "Remember you are not managing an inconvenience you are raising a human being" - I need to be reminded of this a lot lately!

Exciting news today though as I am having a giveaway to celebrate the launch of my new newsletter.

Would you like to win one of these gorgeous square glass cake stands that are valued at $109.95. There are two colours to choose between, crystal or amber.

To enter just leave a comment here letting me know your favourite product in the Sweet Style Store or any products you would like to see added to the store.

The winner will be drawn on Sunday 16th October at 10pm (Sydney time) so make sure you comment before then. Unfortunately because of postage costs, this giveaway is only open to Australian residents (sorry)!

Don't forget to join my mailing list so you receive my monthly newsletter which will come out at the beginning of each month. Just fill in your email address on the top of the right hand column where is says sign-up to our mailing list.

Baby Lifestyles Magazine

2011-10-06T16:35:00.000+11:00

Have you seen Baby Lifestyles Magazine yet?

Such a lovely read with lots of inspiring ideas for mums from the nursery to your party.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed recently by the lovely editor and creator Lauren. The interview features in the recent edition of the magazine which was released this week.

I hope you enjoy it.

Open publication - Free publishing

Friday Favourites - Halloween Inspiration

2011-09-30T11:33:00.000+10:00

It is just over a month until Halloween and while we do not go all out here in Australia for Halloween my kids still love the idea of dressing up in something scary and heading out for some trick or treating (not sure what they would do if some said trick to them as the candy is all they want!).

There is some wonderful inspiration around for Halloween Parties so today a few of my favourites that I have found while doing the rounds.

Source 1. 2. & 3. here 4. here 5. here 6. & 7. here

Have a lovely weekend everyone - it is a long weekend here in New South Wales so I am going to attempt a little time out and escape up the coast for a few days - see you next week.

ABCD Bloggers Meet-Up

2011-09-29T16:12:00.000+10:00

It is the Spring ABCD Bloggers Meet-Up tonight - always love catching up with the girls in real life and finding out what exciting things are happening for everyone.

It is tradition to bring a little gift to put in the take home goodie bag - here is my contribution.

A mini glass pot with a stamped spoon and some delicious bon bons!

Hope everyone enjoys them. If you want more info about the location and how to come along check the Facebook page here.

Delicious Pannacotta Recipe

2011-09-27T21:33:00.005+10:00

I have had lots of success lately with mini pots of panacotta on my dessert tables. They are super easy to make and taste delicious. They have been really popular with both adults and the kids.

My recipe is one that my lovely friend Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes gave me - Jacki has some wonderful and simple recipe's up her sleeve so go forth and make this easy panacotta for your next party (or just to eat when you feel like!) - the Balsamic Strawberries garnish recipe is also included below.

Vanilla Pannacotta

1 1/2 cups (375ml) cream

1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar
3 tsp gelatine powder

1. Place the cream and milk in a saucepan. Use a small sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthways, then scrape the seeds from inside the bean. Add the seeds and bean to the saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Discard bean from cream mixture. Add sugar and return to a a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

3. Place 2tbs of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over gelatine and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the cream mixture.

4. Sieve mixture and then pour directly into serving pots. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

Balsamic Strawberries for garnish

1 tub of fresh strawberries cut in half (or quarter if large)

2 tbs aged balsamic vinegar (can use normal balsamic, but the thick balsamic glass or syrup is great)

50g white sugar

1/4 cup water

1. Cut strawberries and place in a saucepan and combine with the sugar and water.

2. Place over a low heat and simmer until the sauce thickens but the strawberries are still holding their shape (the should be soft but not mushy).

3. Add in the balsamic vinegar, then taste for correct acid/sweet level. Refrigerate until ready for serving. Can be done a day ahead

To serve top the pannacotta cups with some strawberries and syrup

Enjoy!

Don't forget you can find those cute little pots in the Sweet Style store here

Wandering with my Camera

2011-09-22T21:49:00.000+10:00

Life has been pretty hectic for me lately - Mr A has been overseas for work for 2 weeks meaning everything is left to me. I have not had enough time to do all those creative things I so love to do *sigh*. This morning I decided to pick up the camera and just go for a wander - take a little time to just take in what is going on around me - absorb - I am so very drawn to nature when out with my camera - showing the earth sign in me I guess.

I am starting part two of Sheye Rosemeyer's fantastic online photography course in just over a week and I can't wait - I am ready to learn more.

Enjoy my morning wander with the sunshine, the bees and the spring flowers

Stillbirth Foundation Australia Annual Fundraiser

2011-09-19T22:47:00.001+10:00

Saturday night was the annual Stillbirth Foundation Australia Fundraiser.

Silly me didn't take my camera well because... too many other things to take and it was forgotten! I did snap a few quick shots with my iPhone and instagram so this will have to do for my shots. Late this afternoon Mick Toal our official photographer came to the rescue and sent me a few shots of the committee and the room so I have included them as well - our theme for the night was Alice in Wonderland - so much fun - the ballroom at the Hilton Hotel looked just fabulous!

Thanks to everyone who supported the evening - we had a wonderful night and raised lots of money for such an important cause - funding research into stillbirth.

Great prizes and giveaways

Big props and little props to keep with the Alice in Wonderland theme

On the night we also launched a beautiful new booklet that has been proudly put together by the Stillbirth Foundation Australia - it is called "Stillbirth in Australia". This booklet is the first of it's kind in the world and will be distributed to every maternity hospital within Australia - such an incredible achievement.

The booklet has been so well thought out and a long time in the planning and production - it is something that is very much needed by parents at the immediate time of the grief in losing a baby - something I so desperately wanted after losing Laura.

Order of Events and the new booklet "Stillbirth in Australia"

If you are interested in finding out more about the booklet or how you can become involved with the Stillbirth Foundation Australia please do not hesitate to contact me via email - I would love to hear from you.

The SBF Committee with our patron former Premier Kristina Keneally

The three founding directors of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia - me, Emma McLeod and Dr Jonathan Morris

Spring Styling Event

2011-09-16T08:36:00.001+10:00

Happy Friday everyone!

Today some pictures to share with you from the Spring Styling event I was part of 2 weeks ago. The event was held in my home for 20 lovely ladies who came for an afternoon of food and fun. Penny from Working Mums Masterclass put the event together and my fellow presenters were Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes and Jane from Show Pony

Thank you to all the happy and enthusiastic girls that came along to listen to what we had to say - I hope you found the day to be interesting and useful.

So here are some photos of the tables I put together for the day.

Table one was a kids table. The theme and colouring was based around our event theme of Spring. It would be great for a garden party or even a Little Miss Sunshine party. The ever so pretty cake was made by Jacki as were the cookies and cupcakes.

I used this pretty invitation as a starting point and built everything around it. Flowers and ladybirds featured in most items on the table - there were even little mini lady birds on the cookie pops and marshmallow pops.

The second table was set up as an adults table. It had a vintage theme to it and I used the lovely new Mason jars with the stamped lids (available in the shop) to drink out of. The gorgeous colour combination of aqua and pink made it a pretty table and I included some fresh flowers

Again the cake, cookies and cupcakes were made by Jacki and the pannacotta's were made by me. During the presentation Jacki showed everyone how to whip up little cheesecakes on chinese spoons to add to the table. Macaroons and some sweet treats finished off the table.

We talked about how the centrepiece could change from a cake to a stack of footed vessels with chocolates and flowers to create a completely different look. Pots, bottles, backdrops, cake stands, ribbons, twine and tags were also topics of the day.

Little mini apothecary jars were used as favours and we had a great discussion about many different party favours that make for a stylish party.

The third table was a self serve drinks table - I nice tall centrepiece of spring blossoms on top of a wooden crate set the scene and a flowing sheer piece of fabric was a nice change to the usual white table cloth - of course we sipped our cool drinks through retro paper straws in Mason jars.

So there is a little peak into our afternoon.

Most of the lovely products you see on the tables can be found in the Sweet Style online store but if there is something that you can't find or need to know please feel free to ask away.

Have a lovely weekend - see you all next week.

Bridal Shower Photo Shoot

2011-09-14T22:42:00.001+10:00

I have had a really crazy few weeks with loads of projects happening.

Amidst all this craziness my laptop decided to melt down taking with it a few thousand photos - some I have recovered but others ... gone (thank heavens for my blog which has some of these missing photos). I even had a back-up but it appears the gremlins have made their way into the back-up as well.

Thankfully I managed to recover some images from the article I put together for the new My Little Jedi e-mag.

The theme I created was a vintage style bridal shower.

Pretty and elegant with a beautiful miniature wedding cake, devine vintage jars to sip cool drinks out of and a few sweet treats to enjoy.

I hope you enjoy reading the magazine - you can find a copy of it here.

Cake by the oh so clever Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes

All other items available in the Sweet Style online Store

Last minute note - a few have asked about the background garland/bunting - it is a Snowball yarn from Lincraft - in the knitting section. Cute hey!

My Little Jedi Online Magazine Launch

2011-09-12T23:53:00.001+10:00

A very big congratulations to Vesna from My Little Jedi on the launch of her new online magazine today. The magazine is truly gorgeous and I am proud to have contributed an article to the issue (pages 13-15). If you haven't already seen it here it is below. I will post some more of my photos later in the week.

Open publication - Free publishing - More decor

My Favourite Scrapbook Store is Now Online

2011-09-05T20:04:00.002+10:00

Great news to report everyone

My favourite Scrapbook Store is now online!

I have been a loyal follower of the amazing and talented girls that run Scrapbook Moments in Terrey Hills here in Sydney for years. I have made some wonderful friends through my scrapbooking (they lived though my last pregnancy with me and one of the girls even had a hand in naming Indiana!) and I love that I have all my favourite photos of my girls in beautifully presented albums.

Now the exciting news is they are also online. This means you can have their beautiful layouts posted to you complete with papers and all you need to bring your pictures to life.

Here is one I did of Indi last year.

The site is a little different to most and specialises in fully kitted double page scrapbook designs. They will have eight different layouts on the site at any one time. The aim is to send you in kit form, exactly what you need to complete the double page layout of your choice. Included is a colour photocopy and dimensional sketch of the original layout which allows you to see exactly how the layout is layed out and put together. The website is very user friendly with a great shopping cart and secure online payment options. They also have lots of other great scrapbook items available on their website.

Find the website here and they are also now on facebook here

Make sure you tell them I sent you!

(Here is an example of what you will get to help you create your layout.)

Happy Days

2011-09-04T14:07:00.001+10:00

I have had such a lovely, busy and exciting few days.

Here are a few snaps of what I have been up to.

Friday morning brunch with Mr A to celebrate our 11th Wedding Anniversary.

Love U Mr A! (and I love that you stood there with that sign and allowed me to take a photo of you!)

Saturdays Styling Workshop that was held in my home

Lots more to come about that this week

And today is Fathers Day for us Aussies.

Here are the girls with their dad this morning (I know - always one that won't smile!)

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Hello Spring ...

2011-09-01T20:39:00.000+10:00

Hello spring... you are finally here

How I love your smell as I walk the girls home from school.

Stay a while and let us all enjoy the excitement of the new beginnings that come with this time of the year...

Images: Sweet Style

The Vintage Collection

2011-08-30T13:20:00.000+10:00

I am really excited to announce that I have just added an new vintage collection to the
Sweet Style online store.

Beautiful pieces that would look stunning as an addition to any party or

as a display piece in your home.

All are Collectables

All are Antiques

Mason Jars are the latest trend - they look fabulous lined up and add a unique and vintage look to your table. They have been regularly spotted on drinks tables at weddings but also make the most wonderful vases.

The first and my favourite item are these green Ball Mason Jars wich come with a zinc screw lid. They are circa 1880-1930, so old and authentic.

The second style is once again a Ball Mason Jar but this time with a glass lid - they come in green or clear and in two different sizes.

I am currently stocking the green in the pint size and the clear in the Quart size.

Vintage Milk Bottles - 2 lovely styles to chose from

The Vermont Quart Milk Bottle from the USA and the Falshaws Milk Bottle from the UK

The range will grow with time and pieces will come and go as some are very limited.

You can find all the details about each piece on the website here.

I look forward to hearing what you think of these lovely items. Please do not hesitate to email if you would like more details about any of the above items.

Ava's Tea Party 2011

2011-08-29T08:00:00.002+10:00

Tea Cups and Saucers

Sunshine and Smiles

A biscuit or two ...

We sat and remembered Ava who was taken too soon.

We talked about why she died and the danger of hot cars.

Please remember Ava's Rules

It only takes a few minutes for an accident to happen

Please visit Sheye's blog to find out more about Ava and the Rosemeyer Family message

Styling Workshop News

2011-08-25T14:10:00.001+10:00

Exciting news to report - Penny from Working Mums MASTERCLASS has pulled together a fabulous Styling Workshop and I am going to be one of the presenters!

The workshop is being held on Saturday 3rd September from 1pm-4pm

Great presenters on the day including:-

Jane from show.pony who will talk us all through interior styling

Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes will be giving us wonderful tips on how to be creative and stylish with food

And last but not least little old me will be talking all things parties.

All the details can be found on the Working Mum's Masterclass Website here

and while you are there check out Penny's blog where she has put together a little post about me.

Yummy Paper Goods

2011-08-23T13:03:00.001+10:00

I have been adding lots of yummy paper goods to the sweet style store with lots of lovely new products arriving each week.

We now stock everything from favour and treat boxes to ribbon, twine and tags to cups, plates and cutlery.

These perfect candy/baking cups would look great at any party - use them for treats or use them to bake in. Ice cream would be great as well!

Teamed with the cupcake/candy favour box they can be used to take home either a cupcake or some candy.

The very stylish chevron tote boxes also arrived in the store this week - great colours to choose from and they are the perfect size for treats or cupcakes

Outdoor celebrations have never looked better with all the wonderful products that are now available - these meal boxes are great for a party in the park and paper straws continue to be popular, making the simplest of drinks look very cool indeed.

I would love to know what your favourite paper products are from the store - leave a message here on the blog or on my facebook page to let me know what you like the best and if there is something you would love to see!

Happy Shopping!

Seven

2011-08-18T10:42:00.000+10:00

My big girl is seven today

It feels like just yesterday she was that amazing gift I held in arms for the first time. The shining light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.

Larger than life is our Sienna - exhausting at times but with the kindest of hearts

Pink has been replaced by blue as I am told "pink is babyish you know mum"

The entertainer in the family - she is destined to be on the stage

Carefree and happy go lucky!

Happy Birthday my beautiful girl - we love you to the moon and back!

A Chilly Winter's Weekend in Melbourne

2011-08-15T12:12:00.001+10:00

A few more snaps from my quick trip to Melbourne last week.

On Sunday morning I took a lovely walk around central Melbourne. It was lovely to be out when the streets were quite in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Friday afternoon's peak hour.

Interview with Kim from The Tomkat Studio & a Giveaway

2011-08-11T10:00:00.001+10:00

I am thrilled today to bring you an interview with the incredibly talented stylist and party girl Kim from The Tomkat Studio. In the world of parties Kim needs no introduction - however for those of my friends here who do not live in party world, Kim is one talented lady. Her blog and party printable business is one of those amazing success stories and her incredible styling abilities are second to none.

I first got to know Kim via this virtual world we live in about 18 months ago - neither of us had been blogging that long but we both had a love of beautiful parties. We got chatting about pretty things and Kim then offered to feature Sofia's 4th Birthday Party on her blog - my first international feature - I was so excited.

Since then I have gone on to use Kim's printables on a number of my tables and tables I have put together for friends and customers.

Today it is Kim's turn to let us in on her world - enjoy the interview below and some details of a giveaway over on her blog.

Tell us something about yourself that we may not know?
In high school, I loved photography and almost went to a college in New York to pursue it. Instead, I decided to major in business and graduated from Arizona State. My degree is in Business - Marketing and I was a partner in a real estate firm for 8 years before leaving to be home with my children. The TomKat Studio blog was started on a whim, but quickly turned into my dream business. Not only do I get to utilize my marketing and business knowledge, but I get to explore my creative passions including photography!

How did your business get started?
The TomKat Studio started as a little blog to share my creative projects after I decided to stay home with my little ones. It quickly gained a following and my readers started requesting designs and products I was making for myself and my children's parties.

What is the best thing about having your own business?
The best thing about having my own business is the ability to work from home and be here when my kids come home from school. I love it!

Where or what do you draw on for inspiration for your own products?
I am constantly inspired by so many things. I only wish I had more time to design because the ideas are endless. My favorite places for inspiration are catalogs and magazines.

Any advice for anyone wanting to start their own business?
My favorite piece of advice for someone wanting to start their own business is to "Be Original". So many businesses are started after seeing another successful business and saying "I can do that, too." I always tell people to find something new, or at least a new spin on it before they start. If you are unique and original, your business is much more likely to thrive.

What is your current favourite party theme from your range?
My favorite party theme is our Cotton Candy Collection. We recently completed a fun photo shoot for it and love the results! It's a perfectly SWEET theme for little girls (see some pictures below).

How do you like to relax when you are away from your work?
It seems that I am rarely away from my work, since it does take so much dedication to run a business from home! However when I can, I love to vacation at the beach. I enjoy spa days with my girlfriends, especially here in Arizona where we have an abundance of gorgeous resorts with world-class spas. What could be better for relaxation than a massage, facial and a margarita by the pool?

I am delighted to announce that today Kim has done a little feature on her blog about Sweet Style. You will also find a little giveaway that is open to all readers worldwide - don't forget to pop over and say Hi and enter the competition.

Kim can be found here
The TomKat Studio

blog :: www.thetomkatstudio.com

shop :: www.tomkatstudio.etsy.com
facebook :: www.facebook.com/thetomkatstudio
twitter :: www.twitter.com/tomkatstudio

Cards and Envelopes

2011-08-09T17:47:00.000+10:00

It has been a big birthday month for my girls with lots of friends parties each weekend.

Being the craft lover I am I always make the card that goes with each present.

Lately I have had a thing for little tags but when one of Sienna's good friends had her party last weekend I decided to make her card a little more personalised.

This card however need an envelope to make it look a little more special but I didn't have anything that was the right size so I decided to create my own using a little white paper bag and some twine.

First the simple little card for Issy

Into the paper gift bag she goes

Is used my punch to cut a heart shape out so I could have something cute to seal the bag with

And I wrapped the bag in matching twine

Two presents that are wrapped with the same paper and ribbon but they look different thanks to a different card

Little gift bags and twine are available in the sweet style online store here

An instagram tour of Melbourne

2011-08-08T21:32:00.001+10:00

Happy Monday everyone - I am back from my quick 3 day trip to Melbourne so stopping by for a quick preview of Melbourne via instagram.

Lots of lovely goodies to be found at the gift fair and they will be arriving in the shop over the coming weeks.

I will show some non i-phone photos to you later in the week - hope your weekend was lovely.

Friday Favourites - Beautiful Buffets

2011-08-05T09:00:00.002+10:00

I am on the hunt for a vintage style buffet or side table - something that is pretty and will do the trick for a dessert table without having to be hidden by a tablecloth.

Until I find it I will just have to dream while looking at these fabulous examples!

Let me know if you find one in your travels.

Have a lovely weekend everyone - I am off to Melbourne to visit the gift fair - hope I find some goodies for you all!

1. Hostess with the Mostess 2, 4, 5, 6 & 7. My Sweet and Saucy 3. Call me Cupcake 8. Whimsy Petite Styling (photography by Voice Photography)

Lemon Meringue

2011-08-04T01:21:00.001+10:00

You know I always have such great intentions when it comes to cooking.
I look through the cook book - my mouth waters and I pick something that looks just perfect.
I write the grocery list, hop in the car and head to the shop...

Then something happens on my way to the shop ... I look at the clock, realise I have so many other things to do and I have left it far to late to actually cook anything.

Only one thing left to do - off to my favourite Patisserie I go and bring home this!

Ahh that was so much easier ... one day my baking priorities will move higher up the list but until that day I am glad I have the Patisserie.

What is your favourite dessert from the Patisserie?

Images: Sweet Style

Friday Favourites - Gorgeous Drinks

2011-07-29T10:11:00.068+10:00

Happy Friday everyone

Friday Favourites are back - (well for a little while anyway) - it has been a good 6 months since my regular Friday Favourties post was around so time to bring it back.

Today some gorgeous ways to display your drinks - the possibilities are endless.
The links to all the photos are listed below but you can also find them all on my Pinterest Page here.

1. unknown 2. here 3. here 4. here

5. here 6. unknown 7. here 8. here

9. here 10. here 11. here

Source here

Have a delicious weekend everyone.

Book Love - Plate to Pixel

2011-07-28T09:57:00.000+10:00

My fascination with photography continues - in particular food photography. I recently ordered Helene Dujardin's book Plate to Pixel and from the moment I picked it up I was captured.

I am not the best when it comes to books - I just want to get to the interesting parts - the pretty pictures. I love the idea of having beautiful books around but I want someone to tell what it says - especially when it is a book that is teaching you something - just let me know what I need to do so I can go and do it.

This book however was different. Helene who writes the amazing blog Tartelette just seemed to know what I needed to hear - it made sense. I read every word on every page and in record time. I couldn't put it down.

I can't wait now to put into practice what I have learnt and I am dreaming of ways I can get to the US to do some kind of workshop she is taking so I can see and learn more from her in action.

Rain ...

2011-07-26T21:27:00.001+10:00

Rain

Rain it did

Torrential

Lovely to hear on the roof at night torrential

But not so hot for school pick-up type torrential

After my post here just a few weeks ago about the glorious Sydney winter weather we were having, it all turned sour last week - the wettest July for 60 years and that was just in 5 days.

Finally on Sunday the rained stopped and Indi and I headed out for walk - skies were still grey, the air still cold and there were lots of bare trees but it was lovely to see the Magnolia's starting to flower.

I am so looking forward to the leaves returning to the trees and the renewal that comes with Spring.

So how is the weather where you are? Are you ready for a change of season yet?

Delicious Paper Straws

2011-07-22T08:30:00.001+10:00

I was very excited when my shipment of lovely paper drinking straws arrived this week - so many delicious colours to chose from.

Here is a look at this weeks new additions to the store - you can find them here.

(Looks a bit like the Brady Bunch Straw Family)

Stripe party bags and gingham party bags have also arrived - perfect for to fill with snacks, cookies or treats.

All the details of the lovely partyware can be found on the Sweet Style website

Finding Amy

2011-07-21T00:51:00.001+10:00

There is such a buzz around in the party scene at the moment with the announcement that Amy Atlas is keen to visit our shores - it has been the talk on every bodies lips since she mentioned it last week.

The lovely Jane from Lou and Jane Homemade Parties emailed me on Monday to let me know that she had done a post about how she found Amy and encouraged me to do the same. It seems Janes post has now got everyone talking about the moment they "found" Amy.

I guess my Amy moment came probably about 2 and a half years ago - around the time I started my blog. If you have read my about page then you will probably know that my blog began as a bit of a documentation of the building of our house - that is of course until I entered the world of Amy Atlas. Suddenly gyprock walls and toilets became a little less interesting.

I had always had a thing for styling and co-ordinating everything and going the extra mile when it came to parties - a friend even said to me recently when I showed her my website that I was always ahead of my time as I had been doing this styling thing for years.

So suddenly I was dreaming about how to create my own dessert table - was it going to far to do it for the girls birthday parties - surely it had to be for a big fancy do and not a small birthday party. So with the idea in the back of my head the decision finally came when Sharnel's party for William popped up on Amy's blog. I still remember leaving the comment on Sharnel's blog letting her know that she had finally convinced me to give it a go. First came Sofia's 4th Birthday Party and well the rest is history really.

I have been so fortunate to have had four of my parties featured on Amy's blog which is such an incredible buzz - I am sure I had a smile on my face for a at least a week after the first feature last year - to receive the nod of approval from the best in the business feels great.

So there it is - the story of how I came to do what I now do. Sienna's Vintage Circus Party last August was really the party that turned the corner for me - it was after this one that I started to get requests to do other parties and Sweet Style was born.

If anyone had have said to me 2 and a half years ago that I would one day be in this business myself I don't think I would have believed them! Proof that a give it a go attitude can turn itself into so much more.

Thanks Jane for encouraging me to write this post and for all your enthusiasm when Indi's kite party popped up on Amy's blog last week and fingers crossed Amy does come to visit us all soon - if you would like to join her mailing list so you can stay informed you can do so here.

So now it is your turn - how did you hear about Amy? Let me know if you post about it so I can read your story as well.

Indi's Kite Birthday Party

2011-07-16T13:44:00.002+10:00

Time to celebrate our beautiful Indiana's 2nd Birthday!

I picked a Kite theme for Indi's celebration as this party was primarily for the family and a few close friends - lots of cousins ranging from ages 14 down to 2 meant this theme was a perfect way to cater for everyone.

It all began with the invitiation - I had decided it was time to do something other than pink for this party - considering as by the time Indi turns three I am sure she will want everything pink. Red was the colour I picked which was then teamed with aqua - a lovely combination.

For the dessert table I decided to do a combination of desserts for both adults and kids. Yummy mini cheesecakes, pannacotta's and macaroons catered for the adults and cute cookies, marshmallow pops and mini chocolate bars for the kids. Of course there had to be a little bit of candy that the everyone could help themselves to and which then could be added to the treat bags at the end of the party.

The amazing cake was again created by Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes. Jacki took her inspriation from the invitation and created a gorgeous cake that tied in beautifully with the theme.

Kite and bow cookies and mini cheesecakes were also made by Jacki

The candy on the table included blue chocolate beans, delicious rock candy sticks in red and aqua blue, blue bon bons and bright red gumballs.

Personalised chocolate bars and marshmallow pops that are simple to make and the kids love

Little pots of pannacotta tied with twine with personalised "Indiana" spoons

Lovely Sambellina Party bags were given to all the kids - I added the little kite and twine to finish them off.

We were also lucky enough to have perfect kite flying weather on party day - we have had a very windy few weeks in Sydney and while the week previous to the party had been too windy, on the day it was just perfect - the kids and adults had a great time chasing kites around the oval - it kept everyone warm on a chilly winters day.

On a final note thank you to Amy Atlas who has featured Indi's kite party on her blog today. The exciting news that she has also posted is that she is planning a visit to Australia soon - check out her blog post for more details here.

And here are the details of where you find all the goodies on Indi's Dessert Table:-

Milk Cake Stands, Clear Hobnail Cake Stands, Glass Jars, Mini Drink Bottles - Sweet Style

Candy/Lollies including Bon Bons, Rock Candy Sticks and Blue Choc Beans - Sweet Style

Cake, Cookies and Mini Cheesecakes - Blissfully Sweet Cakes

Wooden Cutlery and Personalised Stamp - Sweet Style

Treat Bags and Twine - Sweet Style

Mini Glass Jars - coming to Sweet Style in August

Printables - Sweet Style

Tablecloth - Sweet Style

Large White Tree on Table - Adairs

Wooden Boxes - these were received full of fruit as a gift hamper we received one Christmas - you can find similar at bunnings in Australia

Please feel free to email me if there are any details I have missed.

Images: Sweet Style

What are Bon Bons?

2011-07-14T23:32:00.001+10:00

What are bon bons and what do they taste like?

Now that bon bons have become a very popular addition to a candy table, this is the question I get asked most each week.

A bon bon is a chewy lolly that comes in a variety of great colours and delicious flavours. I described it the other day to someone as sort of like the consistency of a cool mint but without the hard shell and the mint flavour. So delicious ...

Flavours and colours include:- Raspberry (Blue), Apple (Green), Strawberry (Pink), Lemon (Yellow) and Toffee (white)

A number of the colours look great together lined up all in a row. You can see here I used the yellow, pink and blue for Sofia's bubblegum party earlier this year.

One of my lovely customers Amanda used green and white for her son Xavier's christening.

If you are looking for bon bons or some other great lollies for you next party drop into the Sweet Style store here and check out what we have on offer. I am always happy to source other varieties and types of lollies for your next party so drop me an email if you are interested - leanne@sweetstyle.com.au.

Sweet Style Customer Parties

2011-07-13T23:41:00.001+10:00

One of the wonderful things I have discovered about my new online store is is all the wonderful feedback and photos from my lovely customers. It is so lovely to help others create gorgeous dessert tables. Today I would like to share with you some lovely parties from some very clever Sweet Style Customers.

The first is from Amanda who held her son Xavier's Baptism last weekend. This is Amanda's first every dessert table (or tables!) and she has done the most amazing job. The gorgeous printables are from Sarah at Style Me Gorgeous.

Amanda used one of our Glamourous Medium sized jars in the middle of two sets of the Three Jar Sets which were filled with bon bons in green and white. Sarah glass jars featured on the lower level of the table as well.

The beautiful white milk cake stand took centre stage with the most perfect cake on top. Delicious blue sugar sticks can also be seen on platters around the cake.

My lovely blogging friend Katena from Taylor Made Baking also put together a magical dessert table for her neices 5th birthday last weekend. Katena makes the most amazing cakes and this Princess Castle Cake is just perfect. The cupcakes can be seen on some beautiful white 25cm milk cake stands from the Sweet Style Store as well as some of those delicious bon bons which appear in the jars. One of our striped tablecloths also can be seen on the table.

Ana held her daughter's first birthday party a few weeks ago and used one of the gorgeous 30cm Milk Cake Stands to feature yet another stunning cake. Wooden spoons stamped with Annabelle's name add that special touch and can be ordered via the store as well.

And to finish off, one more party from Ana in which she used that cake stand again - it really does look great with any theme! More photos can be seen on Ana's blog here.

What wonderful parties girls - thanks for letting me share your parties and the Sweet Style products with everyone.