Archive for September 2014

My holidays back home have finally come to an end. I say finally because we got caught up in the never-ending AirFrance's strike and have seen our flights cancelled twice. We ended up with a 5 days delay on our return date.
I must say I was kind of happy when I got the first "your flight has been cancelled" text message, the day before we were supposed to travel. It meant we got to spend a few more days with our families in Portugal, I got to see my sister one last time after their honeymoon and to play with our nephew and niece just a little bit more. But it was also stressful not knowing when we would be able to fly back to Australia, having to postpone work commitments and dealing with all the extra expense. I'm not that happy now, having to chase AirFrance and the travel insurance company to see what refunds we can get back.

But overall, we had an amazing vacation. My sister's wedding was definitely the highest point and I'm so happy I got to be there for her. They had the most beautiful ceremony and it was such a fun filled day! I might have been more nervous than the bride herself, as I helped her plan everything and had to make sure her big day ran as smoothly as possible. I was tired at the end of the day, but the happiness in her eyes was so worth it!

I really can't complaint, I got to enjoy the great Summer weather, some playdates on the beach, fun family parties, concerts and amazing food.
It was great to be back, to find the good friends I'm so lucky to still have there, meet the new babies in town and spend quality time with all our loved ones.

It wasn't the first time I went back to visit them, but this year it was just a little bit harder to say goodbye. It's always bittersweet, I was looking forward to come back too.
I have so much catching up to do with work and I have a lot of new ideas brewing. I'm hoping to launch a couple of new Halloween printables this month and to keep creating new themes for your parties. Now off to scratch some items off of my huge to-do list!

I love seeing what my customers do with the printables from my shop, specially when it's a party theme I particularly like, such as this one. It's great to see what different people come up with for their parties, and how the same theme can be styled in so many different ways.

Last month, Sarah sent me some photos of the gorgeous dessert table she styled for her son's first birthday party. This was a special order, as we changed the colour scheme of the Little Man Birthday Party kit, to match Sarah's vision for the party.


Sarah's best friend, runs a small business - Sweet Little Treats by Angela - and was in charge of the cupcakes and cookies. We love the shapes of the cookies: K for Kyle (the birthday boy), 1 for his age and the moustaches to go with the theme. The cupcakes were beautifully iced and really make our cupcake toppers stand out!

We also loved the chevron table runner and the custom print displayed on the side of the table with Kyle's first year milestones and favourite things.
Those adorable rubber duckies with moustaches added a pop of colour to the table. Such a nice touch!



Credits
Styling: Kyle's mum, Sarah
Cookies and cupcakes: Sweet Little Treats by Angela
Moustache Rubber Ducks: Kinibug
Printables: MyPartyDesign

One of the big reasons for this trip to Portugal was my niece's first birthday. I was lucky to be here last year to organize my sister's Baby Shower but sadly had to go back to Australia before the baby was born.
Being a migrant definitely got harder after our nephew and niece joined the family. It's hard not to be able to watch them closely as they grow up. But we live in an era of technology, where skype is our best friend, so we have seen them regularly and try to make sure they know who their uncle and auntie are.

Last weekend we celebrated our niece's first birthday. My sister, being the perfectionist she is, has been planning this party for months. She had requested a Matryoshka theme and I started working on it long before I came. We all gathered a few days before the party to work on all the details, and after a lot of diy, baking and crafting, we were able to put together an adorable first birthday party. Heads up for the team effort, as the whole family helped making this day extra special for her.

The dessert table included chocolate muffins, jello, fruit skewers, watermelon pops, custard tarts and other Portuguese pastries. We also had a side table with savoury snacks, such as cheese and cold meats, crackers, croquettes and salads, and a barbecue was served later in the afternoon.

The birthday girl was excited with all the colours and loved all the attention she got from everyone.
I can't wait to see her reaction next year, when she actually understands what this day is all about!
Let's look at the photos.