Go Fish!

Even though it's still 6 months away I have picked a theme for Luka's 2nd birthday party and started some mental planning.  Age 2 is sort of the last year where I figure I still have a bit of creative freedom with the theme choice because they aren't quite old enough to voice their own opinion about what they want.  Well Mila hadn't by the age of 2 so for her theme I went with some of her first non "mummy and daddy" words - "birds, trees, flowers & bees".  If Luka does develop an intense love of something distinct over the next few months then i'll go with that of course but until then i'll keep making a plan for my theme choice which i'm so excited about because I haven't seen it anywhere before (touch wood!) and its super cute.  For his 1st birthday theme I handed the reigns over to Kent and let him choose, and surprise surprise it took all of 2 seconds for him to declare "FISHING".  So fishing it was....well I changed it a tiny bit... GO FISH !

I must say I still look at the little fish tank goodie boxes and smile :)  I loved coming up with the little choccie fish swimming in the blue jelly beans!

Olivia

celebration decoration...

I've been thinking how I missed out on posting a few celebrations that I decorated shortly before I got back into blogging.  One was Luka's "Go Fish" themed 1st birthday party (I'll do a separate post for that), and the others were my lemon themed 30th and a red & white Christmas eve dinner party I hosted for my family.  So here is a wee recap.....

My 30th was at the gorgeous Lily Pad Cafe on Kaipaki Road in Cambridge.  Kate and the team were fabulous and let me help design my own menu and special birthday cocktail (a moscow mule!).   They were more than happy for me to decorate and add my own touches.  It was such a stunning summer night and the garden al fresco setting was just perfect!  My lovely Mother-in-law made my lemon/coconut birthday cake which was absolutely delicious! She also supplied all the gorgeous white hydrangeas from her garden.  My equally lovely sister-in-law picked me mountains of lemons from her tree and I turned them into place settings using some raffia and double sided tape.   I whipped up a little birthday sign for above the cake table using old fashioned doilies which are such a great thing to have on hand for some super cute decorations.   I saw the idea somewhere in blog land a while ago to have a jar of cookies and milk bottle lollies for some 'milk & cookies' to have after dessert with coffee and cake.  I was so happy to find a supplier of single coloured jellybeans on the internet so I could add another pop of yellow!  Lanterns hanging from the grapevines was a really simple way to make the night special thanks to a mix from dots n spots and spotlight.  I hired the very cool pewter charger plates from the lovely ladies at Blakes hire company.  Such a lovely night - lemony perfection!

This is the invite I designed .  My 30 favourite things at 30.  I quite like having one on the fridge and I ponder how different the list might be by my 40th :)

We hosted Christmas Eve dinner outside as we were cooking in the woodfired pizza oven that my very clever hubby made (see more on his website Line & Design).  I wanted a fun table for the kids to enjoy too.  I used lanterns, straws, goodie boxes and mini wreaths from dots n spots.  I came up with an idea to use the wreaths as napkins rings - they just squeezed on and looked very cute.  I made some Christmas truffles for the goodie boxes but forgot to make a batch without rum for the kids so they got some snowballs instead.  I always pull out my charger plates for special dinners.  These charger plates are actually platters that were on special at briscoes one day for super cheap.  I nabbed 10 of them because I knew they would make great chargers.  Chargers are such an easy way to add that bit of special.  It was a great dinner and great night (followed by a very exhausting effort to get the new trampoline and playhouse positioned in the dark while the kids slept!!!!!!! especially when the tractor ran out of diesel half way through the trip carting the playhouse from the shed to the house and had to be bled arggggggggggggh)!! ohwell thats what Christmas is all about 10% drama.


Olivia

Office Renovation - Part 1

Our office used to be a total bomb site.  For years we had the hugest computer desk that we picked up at the salvation army for $10 (it was clearly made in an era when computers were made bigger than me).  Basically the room was chaos.  After I got a sewing machine for Christmas I decided the room was getting a makeover and going to be functional as both an office and craft room.  I had an idea that we should build our own desk to make the most out of the room dimensions.  Kent had the idea that the opposite side of the room should be head to toe custom bookshelves.  So far the desk is made and installed but the shelves are in the shed still only half painted.  So we are getting there slowly and in the meantime I thought i'd share a few snippets of the things i've done so far (thanks to pinterest for so much inspiration!!)....

I got the idea ages ago for using individual clipboards rather than one big pinboard (sorry no idea which blog it came from back in the day - but there are lots on pinterest now anyway).  I covered mine with some fabrics from spotlight.  I attached them to the wall with 3M picture hanging strips.  They are these great little strips with little tiny fungi looking thingys that lock into eachother - super easy!

I love the yellow lamp I got from the warehouse.  I found it in a mailer and then had to search about 5 warehouses until I got my hand on the lucky last!! yah.  The frames are from the warehouse and a bargain at about $12 each.  The first frame has a print I bought at kikki k - LOVE that quote.  The second print I made myself (gosh hope I'm not guilty of copyright infringement because I know I've seen similar prints on etsy - but I did just come up with this mix while playing around).  The third frame is one of Mila's first paintings she came home with from babyschool.  It was so hard to choose which one to frame - I'm such a hoarder even keeping post-it notes and serviettes she has scribbled on! I have lots framed in one big frame in her room that used to be a mirror of my sisters that broke.  Its quite convenient not having glass because I'll be able to easily change and update them.

 
My husband Kent is fishing MAD so I knew he would happily sit and work around lots of fish! I made the keep calm sign using a special website and used fabric for the background.  I recovered the old office chair with more spotlight fabric.  This was surprisingly easy.  The chair had a plastic edging that isn't glued hard in place its just sits there so I had room to tuck the new fabric in.  I used a thin paintbrush to twist and tuck the fabric in.  I covered our old pinboard with this very cool spotlight fish fabric and hung it under the 13 pound 2 oz salmon that Kent caught in the Wanganui River when he was 11 :)

I'll post more as the renovation progresses...

Olivia