Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Pinterest Roundup: From my own boards
As I said in my last post, I'm without all my creative bits until our container arrives so bear with me while I post other peoples ideas rather than projects I've done on my own!
So below is one image from each of my Pinterest boards. I have boards just in the categories that I'm interested but when you're creating your own you really can let your imagination go. And it's not just for the ladies, there are so many men on Pinterest too - I've seen plenty of awesome boards on photography, graphic design, home renovations, DIY, Fitness and plenty more.
At the moment I'm obsessed with the Home Decor category. Probably because I know we're moving into our new home next weekend. I'm constantly searching decorating tips, DIY ideas and especially decorating on a budget. Pinterest is just a jungle of awesome ideas for doing up your home at whatever budget you have to work with. My board is called Home Is Where The Art Is.
This fabulous wall collage is made from Ikea frames and Instagram pictures. In fact, this creative lady from Daffodil Design has used one picture from every day in a year. Click here for instructions on how she went about creating this artwork.
My next board, Nifty Projects, also includes a lot of project ideas for (but not only for) the home. I collect any ideas that I think are something I can create or use as inspiration for something I want to make or do. This includes gardening tips, home decor, gift ideas and gift wrapping, storage solutions etc.
I love love love this idea and there's a pretty good chance I'll be doing this in our new home. I've seen loads of second hand fridges for cheap and if they're in good working order but not good looking then a lick of chalkboard paint will do the trick - I love the chevron pattern but a plain black or grey would be great too. See Apartment Therapy's blog for instructions on how to do this.
Next board is Marital Bliss. I started this to collect ideas for our wedding but I still love trawling wedding websites for ideas that can be used for other occasions as well.
These flags are a really cute idea for a wedding. They would make some really great pictures of guests socializing after the ceremony or during the cocktail hour. Or a group photograph of all the guests waving their flags could be fab! Click on the picture to see more...
Next up: Feed Your Face. Now you all know I'm partial to a spot of baking so this board is full of ideas for sweet treats. But it takes a bit to get me excited about cooking. So I try to collect some savoury ideas for when I'm feeling adventurous. There are so many simple ideas that look fantastic. My favourite savoury dish that came from Pinterest is this Veggie Bake.
But my newest pin to this board is these super Pancake Pops. What a good idea for kids parties, desert tables and Pancake Tuesday. And they're quite easy to make too, for instructions visit Number Two Pencil. For another fun version of these sweet treats see my Doily Pancakes.
Let's move onto something which is very exciting for me right now. Being 23 weeks preggers, I'm of course over the moon that I get to decorate a nursery! So I've been collecting ideas from all over.
Unfortunately almost everything for little girls is just pink pink pink! Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of pink, especially for a little girl but it doesn't mean I want top-to-toe pink in her nursery. That's why I love this one in particular. I love the pops of colour against the stark white background. This image comes from a site called Varpunen.
While we're on the subject of Little People, that's the name of my next board. I've had this board since before I was pregnant, just because there were so many fabulous kid-related ideas that I wanted to remember for when I had my own. There are endless ideas for kids crafts, homemade toys, activities, child friendly food and even great tips to help you from pregnancy till your kids are in their teens.
Here is a super example of the clever things that make you wonder 'Why didn't I think of that?' What could be easier or cheaper than buying a pool noodle and cutting it into small pieces for your child to play with in the bath. I love this! This image comes from Bath Activities For Kids.
Let's move onto another passion of mine - parties. Party decor, party foods, party games, guest books and of course the cake!! I love the research part of planning a party. Thanks to Pinterest there are millions of ideas in one place which means hours of fun finding new and unusual ideas.
One of my favourite parts of a party is the balloons. They can become tacky if not done in the right way but if you get it right they can transform any event! I absolutely love this image where the party planner has gone completely overboard with the balloons. What a brilliant atmosphere this creates and means you really wouldn't need much else in the way of decor. And the balloons are high enough that they don't get in the way of conversation. I would have done without the balloons on the floor. This image comes from My Cup of Te.
Jolly Holidays. We all know the biggies but Pinterest will always remind you of the not so obvious ones. There will always be a creative lady somewhere in the world who is crafting for Movember, Teachers' Day, or Cupcake Day.
As we've just immigrated to Australia, it is only right that we celebrate Anzac day tomorrow. And oh my word are the Anzac cookies good!!! I haven't been able to make any of my own as the oven in our temporary accommodation is the size of a microwave but the ones from Coles are to die for!! Find the recipe here.
And, finally, last board on the list is the Bit of Bling celebrating all things jewellery! Of course this one is coming from the always fabulous Stella and Dot. This Juniper statement is a brand new piece from their summer line. They also do amazing tote bags now so check them our here.
And that my friends is that! I hope by now you're itching to get onto Pinterest and see what they can offer you!! They've also introduced secret boards which means only you can see them. I used this for when I was newly pregnant but couldn't tell the world yet. You can also use them for wedding ideas when you don't want the anyone to know what your wedding will look like before they arrive. Also good for hiding your Christmas gift ideas.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
My week in Pictures: Move to Melbourne
So for now, here a few snaps from our first week in Melbs...
It started with an extremely long journey from UK to Melbourne, via Singapore. Not that comfortable being twenty weeks preggers but it did have it's perks. I received lots of smiles, we got waved through a few queues and I got to go to the loo when the seat belt light was on (only after I threatened to wee in my seat). But the frequency of loo visits is a major downside, as are the awful pressure stockings my doctor insisted I wear - ugh!! Ugly and oh so uncomfortable! Anyway, we got here in one piece and oh what a good decision we made...
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This is the view from our balcony taken just this afternoon. The sun is shining but the wind is howling... the kite boarders are out in full force.
We've got a little studio flat in St Kilda which as you can see is very near the beach. It's been great as the weather's still warm enough for us to enjoy. It's getting chilly in the evenings though so autumn is definitely on the way.
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I've been going for walks every morning - trying to keep off some of the inevitable baby fat. This is the view I enjoyed along the way. It's so much easier to be active in this climate. This winter in London was just too much for me and I became extremely lazy! Hopefully this will be the start of an active and healthy lifestyle! I'll report back to you when I'm in the throws of Melbourne winters which are known for reaching single figures!
The trams which seemed a novelty to start with have become part of everyday life. They don't run as often as the tubes in London but they are bang on time, every time which has been a pleasure!
And just a little tummy update at 21 and a bit weeks. She's moving around like a crazy lady; especially when I drink tea or coffee and when I'm having a conversation with someone. But most of the time she just sleeps - hopefully a sign of whats to come when she's born!!
If you're interested in reading more about what we've been up to in Melbourne then please take a look at our blog/diary over here.
Monday, 18 March 2013
Vintage Shelf of Pot Plants
I've spent the last few weeks in South Africa hanging out with my folks. Hubby's been travelling for work so I went to spend some time with them before our big move to Melbourne. It was wonderful to be their baby for once last time before I have my own! This project was a thank you to my parents for putting up with me for so long and for spoiling me rotten!
The shelf unit belonged to my dad's father. I'm not sure how old it is but we think its probably from the 50's. It wasn't being used for anything exciting so I decided to give it a chance at a new life. First thing was to give it a good scrub!
Mom and I had been doing some de-cluttering in the kitchen and she had a few bits of crockery that she was willing to part with. I found some other pots and the fab lily tea cup (on the top shelf) in the Mr Price Home clearance section.
I hit the local nursery in search of some pot plants that didn't need too much attention from mom. Considering the shelf would be undercover outside, the plants needed to be happy in the shade. The guy at the nursery suggested a selection of cactus plants. Perfect for mom considering they only need to be watered once a month!
And that was the hard work done, all I needed to do was replant the cacti into the crockery, display them in a pretty way and there you go! I found these cute 'home' blocks to top it all off and now mom has a pretty view out the kitchen door instead of just the ugly wall!
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Being Recognised - Pretty Nostalgic Magazine
I am so so excited! Pretty Nostalgic Magazine is 'an independent vintage lifestyle magazine celebrating everything that's brilliantly British'.
The mag has a page called Curiosities where they feature interesting and inspiring little projects and this month they've published my Upcycled Cake Cover.
The magazine will be in shops on Monday but please take a look at their Facebook page and website. I've only recently discovered this magazine but I'm hooked!
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
My Week in Pictures
This is more like two weeks in pictures. I've been so busy that I just haven't had a minute to get a blog post done. 2013 is proving to be a very exciting year for us so far!
Hubby and I are expecting a baby in August! We were finally able to let everyone know after we had our scan. What an amazing experience! I think until then I thought the whole thing might be in my imagination - but there really is a baby in my tummy!! We're so so excited! Here's one of the piccies of our little darling - that is NOT its nose! He/she was such a wriggler that it was hard to get a picture without its arms waving about!
Hubby has to travel to Singapore and Australia for work (ahead of our big move to Melbourne) so I've come to South Africa to hang out with my folks for a few weeks. My morning sickness has finally come to an end and I'm in my element in the sunshine and being spoilt rotten by Mom and Dad. Last weekend we had the scariest thunder storm I've ever experienced. The neighbour's electric fence was ticking all night and we assumed it was a branch that had fallen onto it during the night. On closer inspection, this is what we found! A brown snake almost a meter long!
Mom says she's not creative at all but when she puts her mind to it, she has a great imagination! I took her to an icing class - for mother daughter bonding and also to see what new things I could learn. The patchwork is what I was really interested in and its turned out really well. Very pleased with the result! For those of you in the Durban area, I really recommend this course with Marina of Tea, Cake & Create. She's based in Winston Park.
This Saturday we had a ladies tea party at the house. We had loads of aunties, family friends and old school friends round for tea, cake and jewellery! I brought my Stella and Dot samples over with me and had a bit of a sample sale with pieces at half price! See my Stella and Dot tab on the home page if you would like anything. Mom made an amazing hummingbird (not the famous bakery) cake - its made with bananas, pecan nuts and pineapple amongst other things - absolutely delicious. I then iced it with cream cheese icing rose swirls. The cake went down very well!!
Later in the afternoon I was surprised with a mini baby shower! My aunties and friends had all brought gifts for Baby F and we even had a baby shower cake with a baby bottle in the middle. We were absolutely spoilt rotten! We got so much stuff, its starting to feel very real now that this time next year we'll have a six month old!
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Cupcake Decorating Class
This past Sunday I did another cupcake decorating class for a group of lovely ladies who just needed a push in the right direction. We focused on the basics of butter cream icing and look at what they came up with! You all have it in you to produce such creative artworks, you might just need a couple of tips to help you on your way!
Would you like to host a Cupcake Decorating Class?
I am now going to be away until early March but please email me if you'd like to have a cupcake decorating class of your own. Minimum of 5 people and price is £20 each for the two hour class.
See more details here
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Pinterest Round Up - Home Decor
I'm sorry I've been so scarce! Hubby and I are in the process of a big move and I've been a bit snowed under!
To be honest, I haven't had a second to do anything creative and all my craft stuff is packed away. Of course there's always time for Pinterest and at the moment I'm obsessed by the Home Decor section. Knowing we're moving into a new home makes my mind work overtime!
Here's a round up of my favourites from this week... Click the photos to go through to their source.
This is so clever - all you need is a bit of space somewhere in the kitchen, maybe the side of the fridge?
I love this idea - probably a lot cheaper than a massive mirror too!
Good idea for kids artwork - easy to update!
I'm a sucker for picture collages but I especially love the colour scheme in this room.
This is SO clever - just two Ikea bookshelves on their sides with a long cushion on top for seating!
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Teddy Bear's Picnic Baby Shower
If you went down to the woods today... you would have seen one of the best baby showers ever! What a lovely day with great girls and a very special mum-to-be.
At the time of deciding on a party theme, the nursery details hadn't been confirmed but it was a toss up between Winne the Pooh and Peter Rabbit. So we decided to go with a more general idea and came up with a Teddy Bear's Picnic.
I was put in charge of decor which, as you know, make me very happy! Below are some pics and details of a lovely afternoon...
I laid the table to look like a picnic blanket on the grass - you can't see properly in any of these pics but there is grass printed wrapping paper on the side of the table underneath the red and white gingham table cloth. A little bunting along the front of the table to tie all the colours together - greens, red, orange and blues.
The kite on the wall is a wooden frame and there is wire through the rope so we were able to shape it. We borrowed some teddy bears from the kids of the house we held the party at and just displayed them inside two hamper looking baskets. A few balloons to help with the colour scheme.
Each guest left with a favour - a bag of jelly bears served in a cupcake case. They also took home a 'building block' filled with leftover cupcakes and sweet stuff! A friend of the mum-to-be's made some gorgeous teddy bear cupcakes. I packaged the cutlery to look a bit more 'picnic-y' using the same printed card used throughout the party decor.
I decorated a glass jar with an 'About to Pop' sign which we filled with popcorn - always a good party snack! The napkins I had were boring white so to bring them to life I stamped a teddy bear on each. One of the party hostesses made this gorgeous teddy cake - the topper was a ceramic bear and keepsake for mum-to-be. And of course regular water bottle labels are no good so made my own - little teddy bear logos with 'Baby Pio' on the teddy bears' tummies.
What a lovely day!!
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Recycled Christmas Tree Wreath
So last year's decorations have been sitting in the loft and today I finally dragged them down to see what I could do with them!
I had two small white Christmas trees that I decorated in rainbow coloured baubles for our lunch table last year. I wanted to recycle them rather than waste so this is what I came up with...
All I've done is use pliers to cut the branches off each tree. I then bent and pulled two wire coat hangers to force them into circle shapes - the branches are made of wire so they're easily twisted around the wire of the hangers. I then added coloured baubles to the branches. Displayed around a few tea light candles and you're good to go!
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Cupcake Class
This was so much fun! A friend of mine hosted a cup cake decorating class in her kitchen for her and four girlfriends and me as the teacher! Although the degree of difficulty for cupcake icing is not very high, the girls had so many 'ah, that makes so much sense' moments which means it was definitely worth it!
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This is just a fun class with some quick and easy tips on piping bags, nozzles and butter cream icing techniques. These are all things that are really easy once you've been shown how to do them. How many of you have bought all the gadgets, iced one batch of cupcakes and shoved the kit back in the cupboard?! Well, that's what this class is for - we'll have you icing like a pro in just a couple of hours.
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Please get in touch if you would like to arrange an icing class. The class is for beginners and lasts approx two hours depending on how many tea breaks we need! You'll learn the basics of piping bags, different nozzle techniques and decorative toppings. The price is £20 a head for up to six people. Each person goes home with a box of six decorated cupcakes and a wealth of useful information!
JANUARY 2013 OFFER - Have a party in January with four guests at your home and as the hostess, you pay nothing!
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