Baby Shower: Kate is ready to pop

Today I went to a very special baby shower. Special because it was for my big sister, in honour of my baby nephew who is yet to grace us with his presence but already holds a special place in our hearts!

The baby shower had a blue colour scheme, since blue is for boys. We also had a bit of a 'pop' theme - since 'Kate is ready to pop'.
The invitations were sourced from etsy seller, Lindsey, and were printables.  
In line with the pop theme, we had big round balloons that looked just about ready to pop, along with popcorn, soda pop, mallow pops, lollipops, and so on..

Last week on facebook, we asked for recommendations for cupcakes for one of our brides. Incidentally, that bride booked her wedding cakes from one of the recommended suppliers: Bec's Bakes. I decided to get in touch with Bec myself, and at rather late notice, she made some cakes for today's baby shower.

The lemon curd sponge cupcakes were absolutely divine! We had blue ones with tiny little baby feet on top, as well as some plain white which I decorated with cake toppers.

Kate wasn't keen to play the traditional baby shower games, so instead I made her a book and asked everyone to provide some advice for her to look back on.. things they wished they knew before they'd had babies, tips on how to get them to sleep/eat/etc - or just little things that will help her keep her sanity. Everyone wrote her a note and slotted it into one of the envelopes in the book.

Reading the responses was great fun, with tips ranging from "Listen to your mum and aunties", through to "Don't listen to anyone, trust your gut!". Baby Panadol made an appearance as a life-saver, and we also had the rather hilarious: "Don't post annoying stuff on Facebook. Cute photos and funny stories accepted, but keep the annoying stuff to yourself or vent elsewhere!" :-)

I'm looking forward to being an aunty. If today is anything to go by, he's going to be one spoiled little boy!

Now I'm off to enjoy one last Bec's Bakes cupcake for dinner..

- Jess

In love with Rose (mary)

Is it just us or is terracotta and rosemary featuring a little more than usual these days? The Tuscany basics are popping up every where and we have loved the use of them in some recent weddings. These tablescapes are both classic and simplistic. Whites, shades of green, with hints of purple and terracotta are timeless…. They take me to a warm summers afternoon, a long lunch with a delicate white wine and a spectacular view….aaahhh I feel full just thinking about it!

 Exposed brick walls and well worn wooden tables create the down to earth feeling many brides are in search of yet; the crisp white details offer the elegance that the Italians seem to do oh-so well! Here are some of the beautiful details we love about this style! 

Jill Thomas Photography - oncewed.com

Jill Thomas Photography - oncewed.com

Karen Wise Photography  & Naturally Delicious 

mayflowerevents.blogspot.com

Vineyard, veils & vows 

Simply Bloom Photography 

Whilst were talking about it... for a venue in Adelaide that has a little 'Tuscany' why not check out Samuels Gorge in the McLaren Vale. This place is simply spectacular... enough said! 

The 'Rise' of the Balloon

Saying; ‘have you thought about using balloons’ to a bride these days is sure to find you receiving mixed reactions. For those who are in the know they are probably open to the idea, for those whom don’t follow blogs or the latest wedding trends their faces often look at you with horror! There is no denying that the use of balloons in weddings is definitely in vogue, yet for some the word balloon conjures up horrid images of their cousin’s engagement party back in the late 80’s!

We love balloons for snaps of colour and a fun photo prop –whether it is for you to use or your guest during their pre-dinner drinks. To us; balloons are modern, youthful and fun! They can be used in a variety of ways without looking tacky. We have collected some pictures for your own balloon inspiration...

Green Wedding Shoes



papercrave.com

Wedding Bee

oh-lovely-day.com

girlywedding.com

project wedding

Add caption

Wedding Chicks

oh joy

Smitten with succulents

Lately, we have been smitten with succulents.

They have such great texture, and come in so many shades -  from grey to blue, green to purple, even orange.

Pastels,   Orange,   Purple,   Multi

They are so versatile in their appeal. Somehow they manage to work for weddings of all seasons. And somehow, they manage to look as casual, formal, rustic or elegant as you want. 

Here's just a few of the many ways to incorporate succulents into your day. 

• Bouquets. 
• Centrepieces. 
• Tiny potted ones for guests to take home as favours. 
• Boutonniere. 
• Cake decoration. 
• Place settings. 

It was so hard to choose just a few photos.. there is so much gorgeous inspiration out there!

TOP: Succulent Favours; Place-settings; Boutonniere; Centrepiece
BOTTOM: Succulent Cake; Silver Centrepiece; Wood Centrepiece; Bouquet  

Given that we live in one of the driest and most water-conscious states in world, these plants are also very practical. They retain water so require very little watering to flourish. And they also last forever - unlike cut flowers.
Come to think of it, this would have been a great option for our last post on 'alternatives to bouquets'. A fabulous choice for the eco bride. 

We really want to plant some of these in the garden now!

A Backyard Christmas

Two days and counting! Christmas is such an exciting time of year, the time of year people love to go over the top (we love over the top) on catering for friends and family and making their houses looks festive for all to enjoy. This year we decided to do a backyard Christmas shoot with Mel Boulden Photography. Using our own families Christmas days as inspiration we have created a beautiful setting that still feels relaxed and down to earth; just like Chrissy day in Australia should be!

There is always the joy of excitement and anticipation in children’s eyes when they are getting organized for Santa’s arrival. Cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeers!

The christmas table is of course the piece de resistance! It's where everyone gathers and the real spirit of a 'Family Christmas' lives. Every year we put a lot of thought into how we decorate the table.. and this year we've been guided by the backyard setting. It's Christmas, but there' no red in sight!


This year we went with a natural colour scheme of Brown, Green and Silver which we thought fit the backyard settting.. and we incorporated natural items like pinecones (which we talked about just the other day), as well as using  garden items to provide everyone with their own little 'christmas tree' place setting.

A table under a tree always provides that much needed shade on an hot Christmas day, not to mention a lovely ambiance. And in our homes there's never enough matching chairs when Nan, Pop and all the Aunties and Uncles are around, so we thought we'd recreate that to show that a table can still look great with mismatched chairs placed around it! 

Get a little creative with your pressies this year, not everything has to be wrapped in the horrid Christmas paper you scored for $2 at the cheap shop. These gifts were wrapped for the same price you would probably need to spend on a couple of tacky rolls of reindeer paper – yet look handmade with love!

Setting up a separate drinks table is a great way to keep the clutter of the dinner table. It also offers the family another part of the yard to gather around and chat.Why not make a signature Christmas drink... you never know you may start a new family tradition! Mulled wine, egg nog, sangria, a special xmas cocktail.. there's so many options!

Thanks Mel for coming along to shoot this one. It was great to meet you and your cute-as-pie kiddies!
We hope that everyone has a beautiful Christmas. xx