the pom pom party - the credits

Hi there! So there has been a little bit of interest in the pom pom party, which I had not quite expected!

I wanted to post about where I got the various ideas I pulled together for the party....

I have been collecting party ideas since I started out on Pinterest, and my party board is constantly being updated. I follow people who I know have brilliant party ideas and repin them as they pop up. As well, some clever bloggers I follow throw fantastic parties  - I pin their ideas too! My aim is just to make a collection of great ideas that I can use as a resource later.

So initially, I wanted to throw my one year old a confetti party, but it all just started to feel too tricky. Then my very brilliant designer sister in law decided she was throwing a rainbow party for her son (only a week older than Baby Pickles), so I decided to shift away from confetti.

So pom pom it was! I decided to stick with the confetti -funfetti?- cake, but add pom poms. I had pinned a number of these, but this one was probably my favourite, as I also loved the finish on the icing on the cake.

 

After some how to ice a cake advice from this blog, and adding in sprinkles in between the three layers, a pom pom cake topper, and a cute vintage thrifted deer, my Baby's cake was done!

Okay, so the next thing: the baby banner! This idea was a direct copy from Stephanie at Simply Radiant . I tried to include one photo from each month of Baby's life and include different faces - happy, sad, funny etc... I was really happy with how this had turned out, and it is now hanging across the wall in Baby's room.

I had a bowl of pom poms on the table, just for the cute look, and then we had those big paper poms hanging from the trees - we can pick these up here really cheaply in $2/bargain shops.

Of course, we are so lucky to have such a beautiful garden, and it was such a beautiful day! It was only at the last second that I decided to pull out the "Christmas linen", which is why it has very clearly not been ironed! (Come on, I may be crafty, but I am not superwoman!) I wish I had thought of that a touch earlier.

I will pop up the printable thingy that I made to go in the party bags for the kids to take home with their pom poms, some time in the next week (or so).

Take care, happy crafting xx




 



oops - he turned one!

Oops. Did I mention that Baby Pickles has turned one?

Can't believe a whole year has been and gone. And what a year! I don't often blog about the harder, parent-y type parts of our lives, but Baby's start was a rough one, with hospital admissions and dramatic weight loss and other upsetting bits and pieces [sigh]. But we all got through it and he is now such a delightful little being, though he does like sleeping on me just that little bit too much...

So... getting back to the story, we had a pom pom party!

pom pom cake :)

 

pom pom cake, decorations, banner

pom pommed out little man, who made it to the cake cutting (pre-lunch) and didn't wake up until everyone had gone home

[Edit: for more information about the sources of inspiration for the party, please have a look at this post]

Guests got to take home a big yarm pom pom with an inspiration sheet on things to make with pom poms, bubble mix, a small tub of playdough and a lollipop (mostly for the mums and dads for the car trip home!).

The other part of the story is that guests were asked to bring a pom pom that I would the put together with all the others to make a gorgeous pom pomerrific decoration for his room... photos to follow!

Chat soon xx

ps he loves his Billy the oobee! thanks Leslie xx

why i've been missing in action

Hi!

I've been missing for some time! Not lost, just off with small children.

Making dress ups.

 

Visiting the park.

 

Dealing with runny noses, gooey eyes and wheezy toddler (the joys of winter).

 

Taking a much-needed beach break.

Watching The Gherkin turn five.

Single parenting with Mr Pickles away.

 

And just hanging out. 

I hope to be back to post again soon, but, well, let's see what happens.

If I don't post here for a while, I will at least try to get all of my blog feeds onto feedly or something to stay in touch with all of your adventures.

Take care, xx

dinosaur party!

dinosaurs!

 

He's three! Can't quite believe my Little is three already, and babyhood and toddlerhood officially over. And what a way to celebrate! The boy had his dinosaur party, that he so badly wanted, a purple dinosaur cake, and dinosaur tails for everyone! (that is, all of the kids - I could only find the time and energy to sew thirteen, rather than the thirty required if I sewed for the adults, too).

 

the happy birthday boy



 

There was no sweets table, gorgeously decorated, no pin the tail on the trex, no bracho-bubbles, so many of my pinned ideas will sit waiting til our next dino party (I have three boys, I am sure there will be another coming my way!).

 

very happy Little with his purple dino cake



 



Little had the best day, and love love loved his cake! He didn't like wearing his tail though, so he was the only kid there without one! Other little friends, on the other hand, didn't want to take theirs off...

 

 

 

I wore my new tunic that I made and keep mentioning but never photographing, and The Gherkin decided under no circumstances would he be photographed.

 

 

 

We had a brilliant day. Happy birthday my beautiful Little boy xoxo

 

 

 

preparing for the dinosaur party!!!!!

So, believe it or not, our Little is turning three next week. I can't quite believe it, his babyhood has just vanished. I now am beginning to understand what people mean when they say "enjoy it dear, it all goes by so quickly". It seems it was only weeks ago that he was brand spanking new.

He is growing into a big boy and wants a dinosaur party this year. But, to be very clear, he does not want dinosaurs that Rah! coming to his party. Just the quiet ones.

So much inspiration on pinterest, it's a wonder my head just didn't pop! So many cakes, most well beyond my skill level...

And then there's all the stuff that goes with it, the games, the outfits, the party favours, the decorations, the "dessert table". I am yet to see a dessert table at a kids' party, but I am impressed that people are going to the effort. Clearly I am going to the wrong parties! Here are some other bits and pieces that caught my attention:

how cool would slime be with an itty bitty dino inside?

oh my, check out the dino biscuits (cookies)

 

want one.

So, what are we doing for our dino party?

I don't want to spoil the big reveal, but we hope to have it in the garden. The birthday boy has requested a dino treasure hunt, a dino cake and we'll probably play pass the parcel and pin the tail on the... you guessed it, dino!

Little's friends will each get a dino tail (only have a dozen to make some time in the next few days!). Very much like this one:

my big boys in their dress ups for the Gherkin's fourth birthday party last year

 

And they will also be leaving with little dino bags containing a dino stamp each, a hopping dino toy and a dino crayon.

But more on our party during the week, I have to save something for later!

Have a happy week, chat soon xx

 



the gherkin is three! (and the big play kitchen reveal)

So... the day arrived. And the gherkin turned three. And the cliche that all parents repeat, in spite of themselves, enjoy every moment - it all goes so quickly, is so true. I can't believe that our little baby, who took an anxious two minutes to start breathing, was such a bright shade of jaundiced orange, was sooo very sleepy, is now our funny, clever chatty, all-singing all-dancing, gentle boy. He's three. And he had a blast!

He did have a cake of course, but the photo of him blowing out the candle on his birthday raisin toast is so much better.

For those of you out there, wondering about progress on the play kitchen, here is the end result.

Doesn't it look great? The gherkin loves it. A happy bonus for us, living in a teeny tiny home, is that it looks quite unobtrusive in our loungeroom where it lives permanently. Components are listed below, for those of you interested...

* It is built from the components of the RAND bedside table (thanks IKEA). We bought two, and used one in its entirety and the other for parts (a grand total of $29.98).
* The kitchen has a divider between the two sections, and a door, all made from the second bedside table. The door is hinged using a cabinet hinge.
* We also added a back made of masonite, which is just tacked on.
* Stove top knobs are made from cabinet knobs, as are the taps, and the tap itself is made of a U shaped handle with one side sawn off.
* We didn't like the IKEA coasters as hot plates, so instead invested in some floor protectors that you attach to the underside of your furniture and screwed those on.
* Then some eyelet hooks and a bit of elastic with a cute japanese cotton print...

...And voila!

I'll be posting on some of the foods over the next week or so, but I have a lot of crafting to share so will have to spread it all out...

Chat soon!
xo

shhh! (secret squirrel)

Shh! Secret squirrel post below...

I have another little boys' birthday coming up. The gherkin is turning three! Already...

And there is one thing that he love love loves at the moment - pretend play, especially relating to cooking, or picnics or cafes (gives away how we spend much of our time, really). So (shh) for his birthday he is getting something very exciting. A kitchen! So I have been trawling the net, looking for play kitchens online, cause this is something I want to make myself.

I thought before I start, I might include some inspiring images. These are some of my very favourite toy kitchens from around the web. Enjoy!

I will be posting here as I get mine going, as well as posting my felt food successes (and messes!). I know, the web is already overcrowded with pictures of toy kitchens, but this one is for a boy, and my boy, to boot.

Chat soon xo