Life's Little Celebrations

May 21, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
0 comments

Confetti Fair – an inspiring affair

Heading to Confetti Fair I felt like the “online party world” I see everyday via FB, blogs etc was about to come to life.

So many businesses/business owners I follow online, comment on their pictures and truly admire – I was able to finally meet and see their work or products in real life.

This was at the entrance to the venue – love the colour combo!:

Entrance to Confetti Fair

It was amazing to be surrounded by so many different stalls – each styled so uniquely. It truly felt like you were at a different party at each table you went to.

 

Confetti fair - Photo taken by Milk & Honey Photography and featured on the Hello May site

However looking back at the pictures I realise I didn’t get to take in all the details of everyone’s stalls and displays – probably because I was too busy talking to all the lovely ladies behind the stalls!

I truly enjoyed meeting everyone at Confetti Fair – most of whom I had dealt with online. It was so lovely to finally get to meet in person these wonderful women who inspire me (& many others) online and see their work in person rather than just onscreen!

I don’t want to mention particular names/businesses because to be honest we could be here all day and I’m bound to miss somebody!  I’ve just picked different pictures to show you from various business to give you an idea of what was on display- please click on the image to be taken to the business/image source.

 

Sweet Celebrations stall - photo by Nikki Fitt photography

everyone I met….yes everyone, was friendly, down to earth and welcoming!

You know how you see these AMAZING parties styled by people online, or brilliant cakes, or such unique printables…and you realise just how talented these people must be – and wander how they will be if you meet them ? Well each and every single business owner who was exhibiting was so genuine, lovely and humble!

Ruffles & Bells stall

 

Cupcakes by Theme my Party - photograph by Milk & Honey photography

 

Bon Bon Boutique's stall

 

Tiny Tots Toy Hire stall

 

Sweet Bambini Event Styling Hot Air Balloon table

Besides specific stalls, there were all sorts of collaboration tables set up all around the hall – lovely kids tables & dessert tables with styling, decor, treats etc all by various businesses combined!

Collaboration table. Cake by Minnie's Sweet Creations. Photo by Milk & Honey Photography

I wish I could put up a lot more images to showcase everyone’s displays however you can see more on the Confetti Fair facebook page.

There were party boutiques, handmade decor suppliers, party hire businesses, cake makers, printable designers, event stylists and more all exhibiting -  everything you need when organising a party!

If Confetti Fair is coming to a city near you, you HAVE to go….!

Whether it be to find some party ideas or products or to meet in person the people behind the amazing party businesses in these states – I assure you, it is worth it.

Here are the upcoming dates, more details and tickets via the Confetti Fair website:

Brisbane: 14th July

Melbourne: 4th August

Perth: 23rd November

Congratulations & thank you to Claire for organising Confetti Fair and to all the businesses who exhibited and put together such inspiring displays of their work/products/services for all of us visitors to enjoy!

 

May 12, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
3 Comments

Lemonade Party theme

Things are busy, busy, busy for me with my new children’s Party Directory website launching soon – hence why I haven’t been blogging much and won’t be able to blog too much until July when it is all launched!

However when I feel inspired about a theme – I really enjoy blogging about it – and that’s how I felt about this party theme.

Do a search for “lemonade stand party” in google or pinterest and you will find the cutest party images ever! This is such a gorgeous theme and even if you don’t style a whole party around this theme you could always incorporate a lemonade stand into another theme you are planning.

This blog post has really made me think -  WHEN can I include a lemonade stand in an upcoming celebration?!

If you are able to incorporate an actual stand into this party (and I’ve included some hire options for you and a great little number from IKEA) it makes it even more cuter! Although a sweet simple table styled well can look just as lovely!

This is the perfect party to include lovely drink dispensers, use cute mini bottles and coloured straws and bring some sunshiny yellow into your party!

Most popular colours for this party are mixing yellow with pink and/or green but for boys I would mix the yellow with grey, or blue (fantastic real party in this colour scheme under the “Real parties” section of this blog post).

You can go for a retro or vintage vibe with this party and include cute wooden crates/boxes/props for a unique look.

Hope you enjoy this post! I enjoyed putting it together!

Invitations/Printables

Starting off with these FREE printables:

FREE printables by the TomKat Studio

 

Lovely colours in this printable collection by Anders Ruff:

Pink lemonade party printables - Anders Ruff

 

Retro lemonade stand printables - Hank and Petunia

 

Some perfect options for boys:

Lemonades and Lollipops invitation - Anders Ruff

 

Chevron printables - Lemonade Design studio

 

cute FREE printables for some lemonade signs:

Free sign printables - One Charming Party

 

These labels are easy to just write your descriptions straight on and pop them on your table:

Yellow polkadot labels - Trains and Tutus Party Boutique

Love these chalkboard signs by Ashdown & Bee. Perfect for this theme!:

Chalkboard signs - Ashdown & Bee

 

Decorations

Lots of cute ways to decorate this party and particularly to string something pretty around a lemonade stand:

Scallop bunting - Red Elephant Creative

 

Fresh Citrus bunting - Giddy Gumdrops

 

Yellow paper bunting - The Social Boutique

 

A bright paper chain for a retro feel:

Yellow paper chain - The Party Parlour

 

Love these MINI tissue balls – only 12.5cm!

Mini 12.5cm tissue balls - My Garden Party

 

 

Tableware

This theme is the perfect excuse to set out a cute drinks table and use mini bottles and colourful straws. Here are some items perfect for this theme:

Yellow chevron tablerunner - Love The Occasion

 

Yellow dot tablecloth - The Party People

 

Yellow polkadot cups - The Little Big Company

 

Yellow scallop cups - Just Party Supplies

Love love love these PLASTIC milk bottles which come with lids as well. Perfect for smaller children!:

Plastic milk bottles with lids - Bon Bon Boutique

 

For older children who can handle the glass – these yellow dot glass bottles are cute!

Yellow spot glass bottle - Love The Occasion

 

Or go for a vintage feel with these little mason jars for your drinks:

Mason jars - Emerald and Ella

 

Pop in some colour straws:

Yellow striped straws - Saffy & May

 

Chevron straws - Emerald and Ella

 

Complete a retro look with this straw dispenser:

Retro striped straw dispenser - The Little Big Company

 

Yellow and white stripe napkins - The Party Parlour

 

You can’t have a lemonade stand party without drink dispensers! Either hire some or buy some of these lovely ones:

Drink dispenser - Alfresco Emporium

 

2 part drink dispenser - Leo & Bella

 

Ashley drinks dispenser - Sweet Style

 

Yorkshire jar drink dispenser

 

This lovely white tray would be perfect filled with your little bottles:

Retro white tray - Styled Sealed Delivered

 

Also love these square tins for this theme…fill them with some lemons perhaps and use as a prop?:

Square buckets - Saffy & May

 

These berry boxes would also look great filled with a few lemons if you are going for a rustic feel:

Wood berry boxes - Blank Goods

 

Or use these sweet ceramic punnet boxes in your party:

Ceramic berry punnet - Lark

 

For a retro feel, use these cookie jars for your sweets:

Cookie jar - Sweet Style

 

Top off your dessert table with a yellow cake stand!

This yellow wooden stand is also available to hire from Tiny Tots Toy Hire if you’re in Sydney:

Yellow wooden cake stand - Emerald & Ella

 

 

Buttercream milk glass cake stand - Leo & Bella

 

Special Theme Items

How cool is this little stand from IKEA?! It is only $20 and an easy prop to use for this party and your kids will love to play with it after the party as well. Just cover the coloured strips with coloured paper to match your colour scheme:

Children's market stand - IKEA

You can also hire a stand which you can use as a lemonade stand like this one available in Sydney from Tiny Tots Toy Hire:

Lemonade stand & props for HIRE - Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

In PERTH try out Simply Sweet Soirees.

In MELBOURNE Utterly Organised Lolly buffets, events and hire have lots of props you could use for this theme.  I’m sure you can find something similar in other states as well or check out gumtree or ebay.

A canopy such as this one below (available for hire and you can probably find similar for hire in other states) would also look really cute for this theme with the yellow and white chairs as well:

 

Lolly canopy stand - Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

 

These sweet yellow chairs for HIRE would also look fantastic for this theme:

Yellow ghost chairs for HIRE - Mini Party People (Melbourne)

 

Get your birthday boy/girl a fun apron to wear as they serve some lemonade! Love these waterproof ones:

Pink spotted waterproof apron - Max and Ella

 

These ladder shelves are so fantastic for around the house and I know when I’ve used similar ones in my parties, some of my facebook readers have asked where to buy them from. They would really suit this theme I think – fill the shelves with cups/bottles etc for your lemonade stand:

White ladder shelf - Mocka

 

A butlers tray table would also look really sweet filled with some bottles. I’m not suggesting you buy this JUST for a party – they make a great little table for around the home!

Butlers table - Lifestyle Home & Living

 

Some lovely props for this theme:

Wooden soda crate - The Little Big Company

 

Summer time wooden blocks - Fayes Attic

 

Chalkboards really suit a vintage feel for this theme:

Hanging chalk sign - Style Party Love

 

Mini Chalkboard - Bon Bon Boutique

 

Leave these suitcases open and fill them with bottles, cups, lemons, straws or just use them as risers under your drink dispensers perhaps?

Yellow paper suitcases - Bickiboo

A cute lemonade making kit:

Children's lemonade stand kit - Sarah J Home Decor

 

If you want a lovely lemonade setup but don’t have all the props and want an easy (but gorgeous) option, try The Soda Stand in Sydney – they come and set a lovely drinks table for you and supply the drinks, glasses etc! I’m not sure about if a similar service is available in other states, but it is such a lovely unique idea I just had to share!

 

Soda stand setup - The Soda Stand (Sydney)

 

Favours & Packaging

Give the little ones some of their own juicers to make some lemonade when they get home:

Avanti lemon squeezer - Belinda Janes

 

Cuisena wooden citrus juicer - Belinda Janes

Or send them home with some of your own homemade lemonade using these cute bottles:

Swing Top glass bottle - The Little Big Company

 

Lemon soap favours - Crismon Hill

 

Some sweet packaging options for other sweets/treats:

Yellow scallop treat boxes - The Party Table

 

Square patty cups - The Party Parlour

 

Yellow gingham treat box - Party & Co

 

Real Parties

There really are SO many gorgeous parties in this theme. Here are a few that really caught my eye for inspiration!:

Such an adorable pink lemonade party featured on Kara’s Party Ideas

Combine lemonade and tutu’s and you get one amazing par – featured on The Hostess with the Mostess website

A lovely summer lemonade stand party in blues, greens and yellows on the Hostess with the Mostess website

This lemon and lime party is a slightly different take on this theme but I love the colours & styling in this party from the Any Given Party website

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Anyone feel like setting up a lemonade stand after this post? It would be a lot of fun to style one!

I hope you enjoyed the ideas!

April 30, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
1 Comment

Mermaid Theme

Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately! Things have been busy as I’m getting ready to launch the redesigned site and the new Party Directory! However I’ve been meaning to do this theme for ages so finally decided to finish it off!

I’m not a particularly beachy person but I LOVE a Mermaid theme….I think it’s because of the gorgeous colour combinations that you often find with this theme….coral pinks, aqua blues, mint green, lavender…I love it all.

There is no limit to what you can do with this theme! It is very easy to style with shells and other sea related decorations. You can easily give the party an underwater feel with the use of streamers or ribbons and there are so many parties online in this theme for inspiration. I don’t even think you HAVE to go overboard with lots of sea related decor. You can just go with a very sea inspired colour scheme and using lots of these colours throughout your party alone can create a sea feel.

Here are some of the finds which will help you on your way to dreaming up a mermaid celebration for your child!

Invitations/Printables

Let the invitation set the colour scheme for your party – I’m loving these designs and colours!:

Mystical Mermaid printables - 2 Love Birds sweet design

 

Under the sea Mermaid - Anders Ruff

 

Mermaid and sea creatures printables - Ham & Pea Design & Paperie

 

Mermaid collection - The Tomkat studio

 

 

Mermaid invitation - Kristy Gray Designs

 

 

Little Mermaid invitation - Invite Me

 

Paper Eskimo mermaid invitation - Paper Marc

 

Tableware

These gorgeous tablecloths really set the underwater look:

Blue tulle tablecloth - Vintage Sew & So

 

This is a table for a photoshoot I was involved with for Tickle the Imagination magazine. Love the ombre tablecloth!

Blue ombre ruffled tablecloth - Vintage Sew & So

 

Using a hessian or jute tablerunner against a white tablecloth will also work well with this theme:

Hessian table runner - Don't Forget the Details

 

The wicker base of this dispenser makes it perfect for a beachy feel:

Drink dispenser with wicker stand - Leo & Bella

 

Love this dish:

Opalescent hobnail bon bon dish - Petite Portions

 

Some great options for risers on your table:

Wooden crates - -Saffy & May

 

Salt & Pepper mirror tray - Myer

 

Love the colours of these plates:

Teal dinner plate - Occasion by Design

 

Sambellina aqua plate - The Party Parlour

 

Or something fun for your mermaid party tableware:

Mermaid plates - Piece of Cake Parties and Celebrations

 

This is a fun party to style a little kids table for and it is easy to do with some great hire companies around to hire your kids table/chairs from:

Table and chairs for HIRE - Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

 

Blue ghost chairs for HIRE - Little Chair (Melbourne)

 

Decorations

These breezy decorations really suit this theme:

Blush loves mint tassel garland - Blush loves mint

 

Garland - Red Elephant Creative

 

These soft tissue garlands are lovely for an underwater feel:

Pale blue tissue garland - Emerald and Ella

 

Gorgeous colour honeycomb ball:

Teal honeycomb ball - The Party Table

 

Use these clear baubles to create a bubble effect by hanging them from the ceiling:

Clear baubles - Occasion by Design

 

Use shells and other coastal decor for decorating your jars, bottles, party favours – anything really!

Mixed shells - Parties Online

 

Light blue starfish - Coastal Inspirations

 

Coloured shells - Coastal inspirations

 

White sand - Dusk

There are lots of great ideas online of how to use washi tape to add extra little decorating elements to your party. Pick one up in a striking colour like this green to match your colour scheme

Green striped washi tape - Emerald and Ella

 

Sweet Treats

 

Aqua lollipops - This Charming Candy on ETSY

 

Mermaid cookie cutter - Party & Co

 

Sea Critters - The Party Parlour

 

Coral fish pack - The Party Parlour

 

Shimmer gumballs - The Little Big Company

 

Chocolate fish - The Party Parlour

 

Mermaid cookie cutter - Cakes Around Town

 

Salt & Pepper cake plate with dome - Myer

 

Minty cake stand - Occasion by Design

 

Milk glass cake stand - Sweet Style

 

Teal cake stand for HIRE - Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

 

Love this cake topper – it is perfect for an underwater feel!

Satin tassel cake garland - Red Elephant Creative

Favours

These muslin bags are perfect for a natural beachy look:

Muslin drawstring bags - Leo & Bella

 

Something cute for your favour packaging:

Mermaid treat box - Piece of Cake Parties and Celebration

 

The scalloped look of this box is great for a mermaid theme:

Scallop party box - Sweet Celebrations

 

I’m sure the party guests will love going home with a pom pom wand in matching theme colours. So pretty!

Pom pom wands - Pom Pom Princess

 

Also I’m loving these neckalaces and starfish wands:

Mermaid necklaces - These Tiny Treaures on ETSY

 

Mermaid ribbon wands - Ella Jane Crafts

 

Real Parties

There are many amazing Mermaid Parties you can find online. Here is just a small selection:

Incredible Under the sea mermaid party by Couture Event Styling featured on the Marabous blog

Gorgeous neutral & coral colour scheme in this mermaid party by Kate Landers Events

So many details in this beautiful mermaid party by Cakes By Sharon on the Homemade Parties blog

Love the decor in this mermaid party by Bubble and Sweet especially the tablecloth, backdrop and all the treats!

Lots of creative ideas in this mermaid themed party featured on the Little Dance Invitations site

A link to a Mermaid theme photoshoot I was involved with for Tickle the Imagination magazine with lots of lovely vendors!

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Hope you enjoyed the finds! Enjoy planning this party for your little one’s next celebration!

April 7, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
0 comments

Pottery Barn Pretties

The first week of May.

That is when Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma will be opening their doors in Bondi, Sydney!

I know I’m not alone in being excited about this so I thought I’d do some browsing and put together some Pottery Barn goodies that will hopefully be making their way down under and that some of you may just love for your celebrations!

Of course our Australian party boutiques already have a stunning range of cake stands, drink dispensers and candy jars and so I haven’t included a huge range of Pottery Barn’s range of those items in this blog post.

I’ve found Pottery Barn has a LOT of nautical and sea inspired items, perfect for any beach-side inspired party theme. Love this fisherman’s table throw which would make a perfect table runner for a Nautical or Mermaid theme party.

 

Fishermans net table throw - Pottery Barn

 

They have a few goodies for an ice-cream soiree such as this cute lazy susan to fill with toppings:

Ice cream lazy susan - Pottery Barn Kids

 

Another cute item for keeping small utensils & straws in:

Galvanized condiment tray - Pottery Barn Kids

 

There are a few items perfect for setting up a little lemonade stand at a celebration such as this sweet Lemonade sign!:

Lemonade sign - Pottery Barn Kids

 

These mason jar jugs are perfect for a lemonade stand as well:

Mason jar mug - Pottery Barn

 

I love these little wooden pedestals. They would look great on a dessert table for a vintage theme or woodland theme:

Blonde woode pedestals - Pottery Barn

 

Of course Pottery Barn has many lovely cake stands, cupcake stands & drink dispensers! Here are just a few I found which stuck out:

 

Manchester tiered stand - Pottery Barn

 

Which colour would you pick? Too many options…!

Colourful rhodes drink dispenser stand - Pottery Barn

 

How cute is this drink dispenser stand?!

Lifeguard drink dispenser stand - Pottery Barn

 

Some elegant options:

Caroline tiered stand - Pottery Barn

 

 

Claro cake stand - Pottery Barn

 

Again more sea-inspired items like this range of serving bowls:

Conch serving bowl - Pottery Barn

 

These colourful trays would be perfect for displaying treats, or turn them upside down and use them as risers!:

Rectangular lacquered trays - West Elm

 

Pottery Barn Kids has so many lovely items especially nursery & bedroom decor. However if your little girl loves tea-parties then you can’t go past this sweet tea set & amazingly lovely tea cart!

Porcelain tea set - Pottery Barn Kids

 

 

Tea cart - Pottery Barn Kids

 

Can’t forget the boys I know…! This pirate chest would be not only a fantastic party prop but work as good toy storage as well:

Pirate chest - Pottery Barn Kids

 

Ok I better stop there before I send us all into more debt! Don’t even get me started on their home decor & storage products!

This is just honestly such a small collection of the extensive range Pottery Barn & all the Williams-Sonoma brands have to feed all of our partyware-addictions!

Are you counting down the days until they open in Australia?

Are you planning a trip to Sydney just to visit when they open?

Time to start saving our pennies!

April 6, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
1 Comment

Winner of the Plastic Milk Bottles giveaway!

Thank you all so much for entering the giveaway from  Bon Bon Boutique!

I truly appreciate my readers and enjoy being able to give you the opportunity to win fantastic goodies!

Personally I LOVE the look of these little milk bottles and they will definitely be on my purchase list some time in the future!

 

I loved reading everyone’s Mother’s Day styling ideas as well =)

Now without further adieu the winner of the giveaway is…

#20: Michelle Parker!

 

Congratulations Michelle! I will be in contact regarding claiming your prize.

Thank you everyone who entered and thank you to Bon Bon Boutique for your prize!

 

 

April 3, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
1 Comment

Chevron finds

It has been a bit quiet on the blog lately as I have been working on the new Party Directory website which will be launching hopefully in July!

However I know many of you are loving CHEVRON patterned items at the moment, so I thought I would share some chevron party finds!

Most of the items I have included below come in various colours so make sure you follow the link to see if there is a colour that suits your theme

Enjoy!

 

Bunting - What She's Got on Madeit

 

Chevron Pennant Banner - The Little Big Company

 

Chevron tablecloth - Hunt and Style

 

Tablerunner in various colours - The Party Parlour

 

Chevron tablerunner in various colours - Love The Occasion

 

Chevron pastels party range - Saffy & May

 

Chevron bright coloured plates - The Little Big Company

 

Chevron green partyware range - Illume Design

 

Chevron square plates - Just Party Supplies

 

Chevron latte cups - Larkmade

 

Chevron straws in various colours - The Party Table

 

Chevron straws - Simply Sweet Soirees

 

Metallic chevron forks - Born To Party

 

Chevron wooden forks - Bickiboo

 

 

Chevron mini scoops - Bon Bon Boutique

 

Paper Eskimo baking cups in a range of colours - The Social Boutique

 

Here is a fun way to dress up any cake stand – a cake plate cling!:

Chevron Cake plate cling - Shop Sweet Lulu

 

Add some personalisation to your party with either a letter or whole name in chevron fabric:

Chevron fabric letters and names - Cheekee Monkeez on Madeit

 

 

Chevron candy bags - Saffy & May

 

 

Chevron treat bags - The Little Big Company

 

Chevron tote in various colours - Sweet Style

 

Hope you enjoyed the finds and they help you add a touch of chevron to your next party!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 25, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
42 Comments

{Giveaway} – Milk bottles & straws from Bon Bon Boutique

Little milk bottles are so cute to use at kids celebrations! However I know many of you have avoided buying the glass milk bottles as you were worried about younger kids using them.

I also know how many of you LOVE the idea of plastic milk bottles with lids so I’m excited to offer you all the chance to win 24 of these lovely plastic milk bottles from The Bon Bon Boutique who have a lovely party boutique online. You can also find them on facebook here.

 

These bottles come with lids which have space for a straw which means less spill & easy drinking for little hands. I love them!

You will also receive one pack of silver striped straws and one pack of green striped straws

 

All you need to do is pop onto the Bon Bon Boutique website and have a look around and then comment on this blog post saying how you would use one of Bon Bon Boutique’s products for Mothers Day

Entries close on Friday 5th April at 9:00pm (AEST) and the winner will be drawn using random.org and announced on this blog.

Entry only open to Australian residents

Good luck!

 

March 18, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
3 Comments

New logo unveiling

I mentioned to you all recently how Life’s Little Celebrations is getting a {big} makeover and will be developing into a Party Directory site while still continuing the blog on this new site as well. If you missed the news you can read about it here.

Along with this makeover comes a new logo and I am thrilled to show it to you!

Thanks goes to the talented & patient Anna from Design With Style who has seen probably too many different shades of blues and greens thanks to me! =)

I wanted something with a celebration feel while still being classic and unique and I believe the logo is all these things!

Do you love it?

I hope so!

Anna has also designed the new website for me and development is starting this week!

Media kits will be emailed out in the next week so I can have everything ready for when the website is ready to go live which should be around June or July….my daughters’ first birthday party is also in July…crazy times ahead!

I look forward to stepping into this next phase of Life’s Little Celebrations with you ‘party mamas’ and I just know that the new directory is going to save us ALL a lot of time and put us in touch with some great businesses’!

xx

March 15, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
0 comments

a glimpse of gold!

Who doesn’t love gold?

It instantly dresses up any event to make it a little bit more special and mixes well with most colours.

Here are a few gold party finds you might just love:

 

Gold drinking straws - Little Dance Invitations

 

Golden glitter teardrop spoons - Red Elephant Creative

 

Lucy gold cake stand - Leo & Bella

 

Short gold royal cake stand - Bon Bon Boutique

 

Gold beverage dispenser - The Little Big Company

 

Gold glitter jars - Dunne with Style

 

Gold mason jars - Carousel Boutique

 

Large gold number and letter foil balloons - Occasion by Design

 

Giant gold balloon - Simply Sweet Soirees

 

Gold table runner - Hunt & Style

 

Gold foil crowns - The Party Table

 

Golden spot treat bags - Larkmade

 

Gold glitter cupcake wrappers - How Divine

 

Gold treat sticks - Polkadot Prints

 

Gold sixlets - Sweet Style

 

Old fashioned lolly treat sticks - The Little Big Company

 

Gold ribbon - The Social Boutique

 

 

Gold tape - The Party Table

 

Are you using gold at your next celebration?

 

 

 

March 7, 2013
by Tanya - Life's Little Celebrations
2 Comments

Interview with Leanne from Sweet Style

You know those stylists who when their parties/events come up in your facebook newsfeed you just cannot wait to see the photos? Well – that is me when I see an event by Leanne Ambrogio from Sweet Style! I just adore her style and cannot fault her dessert tables.

Not only is she an amazing stylist, but she also runs the beautiful Sweet Style online store as well as her online blog (again one of my favourites). She is a wife, mum to four girls, involved with the Stillbirth Foundation Australia…yes you can imagine she is one busy lady! I have had the pleasure to meet Leanne in person and she is just lovely, warm and down to earth.

In this interview she shares her thoughts and tips for styling a dessert table, managing a work/life balance and having an event styling business. All the gorgeous images I’ve included in this post are Leanne’s work and are a true testament to her talent.

1) Describe your style when it comes to party styling
I describe my style as clean, fuss free with a few special details.  A number of people have said to me over the past year that they know when they see a dessert table I have put together – I love that I have a style that is mine.
2) How do you keep inspired to ensure your creativity keeps flowing?
I am constantly browsing blogs and online magazines for inspiration.  I have also been taking part in loads of online and e-courses that just help you think outside the box and give you access to other talented peoples thought processes.  They challenge you to try different things and recognise what you love best & making that creativity flow.
3) With a party styling business, online store, young family, husband as well as your work with the Stillbirth Foundation- how do you manage your time to ensure your priorities stay in order & you achieve all you want to? Do you have any advice to other working mums on achieving this?
 I am a big list writer – I am constantly writing new lists to make sure I keep on top if it all.  I also have had to get realistic about how much I can achieve in a day, asking for help and learning to say no.  Over the past 2 years I really feel as though I have grown so much as a person and I have become comfortable with saying no to jobs that really do not fit with my style.
4) What are your golden rules when it comes to styling a dessert table?
For me I like things to be balanced.  This doesn’t need to mean it is symmetrical (although I do love a symmetrically balanced table), it just means that you need to balance the various components of the table – jar heights, cake stands and flat items need to all work well together to make the table flow well. The other thing to remember is that you don’t need to put too much on a table – or every piece of food you want to serve on the table – keep some in the fridge or cupboard so you can fill the gaps later in the party.
5) What are some tips you have for the day of your child’s party to ensure it all runs smoothly?
Tip 1 is get a great party entertainer – a good party entertainer will make a party run so smoothly.  I would also send them an email explaining when you would like the kids to eat and cut the cake prior to the day, that way they can arrive and now exactly what is expected of them.
Tip 2 is make sure you order all of your party goodies a few weeks in advance so that it has plenty of time to arrive and allow for that change of mind if you don’t think the item is exactly right.
Tip 3 If you are putting together a dessert table, set up it up and ready to go as far in advance as possible (without the food of course).  I usually put my table together with all my cake stands and bowls at least a week in advance so I can play around with it.  On the day of the party put all the food out on the table early and take your photos and then put everything back in the fridge or away from little people and then get it all back out just before your guests arrive – it is far too stressful to try and take photos of a dessert table when other people are around.
6) Is there a party theme you would love to style for that you haven’t done as yet?
There are lots of themes I would love to try although a lot of what I want to do is currently based around my favourite colour combinations.
7) You have such gorgeous products in your store. What are your favourite and “must have” items?
My favourite must have item will always be the milk glass cake stand – they just set off any cake in any situation. They look good by themselves or group or stacked with others.  I also love all the drinks dispensers in the store!  They can be dressed up for a fancy wedding or dressed down for a casual bbq – guests just love them!

Milk glass cake stand in blue - Sweet Style

 

8.  There are so many new party styling businesses starting up – what advice could you share that has helped you with your own success
My advice to new people is don’t underestimate the time it will take to plan and execute a beautiful table.  I know that new businesses are desperate to get the job so they will give a cheaper price – in the long run it does not help your business as your next client is usually a referral from the previous client and they will want the same price.  Work out how long you think it will take to plan, put together and importantly pack up, take home, clean and put away.
9) What do you hope your daughters learn from you as they see you run a successful business from home?
 I would like to think that they are learning that having a passion for something is a fantastic way to ensure your work is enjoyable.  My dad was a huge inspiration to me as he left school very young and by 18 had started his own business and never looked back – he was an entrepreneur that just got out there and tried new things – some worked and some didn’t but he gave everything a go – he was my hero so I would love to think my girls realise that they just need to get out there and give everything their best.
10) What is your own favourite dessert ?
It is so hard to pick my favourite dessert as I have such a sweet tooth – it is either something with chocolate or a lemon meringue tart!  Mmmm
Thank you so much Leanne for all your tips and advice!
You can view Leanne’s work, her online store as well as her blog all from the Sweet Style site.