Tis the season

Hello world!

And so here we are yet again, another year almost past. Hope you’ve all enjoyed, or are still enjoying, a blissful holiday season. I know I am!

Though Christmas 2012 may be gone, its spirit is still lingering in the house of Rose, thanks to a turkey load of left-over turkey. And while I would love to fill these pages with scores of leftover turkey recipes (think turkey omelette, turkey pie, turkey breast stuffed with turkey, turkey mince, shall I go on?) I shall restrain myself and instead share with you my “other” favourite moments of Christmas 2012.

 

My love of decorating really went into overdrive this Christmas, with the perfect summer Christmas dinner planned. Up went the fairy lights on the deck, accented by yellow and white lanterns, down came the table setting with plum tree ferns and traditional red poinsettia’s, pop would go the beautiful French bon bons and...belly up would go all these plans come Christmas day, because lo and behold, mother nature decided to literally rain on my parade. Boo!

So while the much longed for outdoor dinner was never to be, here’s a glimpse of the festive table on the day:

 

Quick tip, if you’re looking to create an abundant centrepiece without splashing out on an enormous flower arrangement, why not use potted flowering plants, ferns and other au natural products
i.e candles, to create a decor fit for an...abundant centrepiece!    

I also have to confess that I did very well the Christmas present front.

A quick rundown of my kitty includes, my beloved Lily gifting me with the gorgeous interior design book Couture Interiors by Marnie Fogg. Though the Husband may have his faults (as we all do), present giving is not one of them. See glimpse of black and white stripey ballet flats and cute doggy slippers, courtesy of Country Road and eponymous sleepwear label, Peter Alexander below.  

 

Our family’s collective love of Paris and Manhattan extended to my present giving, with Lily receiving a pin from the recent Toulouse Lautrec exhibition and a pillow with references to the streets of Manhattan, and the Husband receiving a block of salted caramel chocolates, straight from the chocolatiers of France.

These items were also a reminder of our amazing holiday last year, which saw us visit these wonderful cities as one big fat family (Lily, me, our mum and dad, Petite Rose and the Husband). And while it was an unforgettable trip, it was all the more special because of the people I got to share it with. So, on that note, here’s to all your families in all its crazy shapes and forms, and a safe and happy New Year shared with those you love!

Until 2013...Rose. xx

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

Hello world!

It’s Lily here. First and foremost I have to apologise for taking so long to fulfil Rose’s promise of blog entries by her ‘uber cool sister.’ However, they say that good things come to those that wait sooo....here I am! Rose and I joke that my mother basically had the same child 6 years apart. We like a lot of the same things, laugh at jokes no one else would find funny, and have an uncanny tendency to say exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. Naturally the next step is to blog together! 

I recently co-planned a bridal shower for one of my closest friends (the wedding is in 10 days, seriously excited) so today I’ll give you a taste of what I put together with the hope that in the process you can learn a little about me. First step to holding a successful event is planning, planning and oh, did I mention planning? A neurosis for organisation and order is something Rose and I share, but in this case it served me well as the bridal shower went off without a hitch. Invitations were sent well in advance, presents were purchased weeks before, and the menu was decided on way too early. I don't want to give the impression that I'm some Martha Stewart goddess as there were definitely some bumps along the way. We only finished making the food half an hour before guests arrived leaving us with a last minute scramble to make ourselves presentable. I also left the pastries that I had slaved over cooling in the oven until half way through the party Rose reminded me that it’s pretty crucial to actually serve the food you’ve prepared.    

They say that first impressions count. In the case of a party, invitations are the first thing that a guest receives so I think it’s important to get them right. I may be old fashioned but I think sending out an invitation beats a facebook event page any day. I know our guests appreciated them, and we took care in picking invitations that reflected the mood of our event – a dainty afternoon tea!

Bunting! It was Rose that introduced me to the wonders of bunting and boy am I now a believer. The bunting was the only decoration we added to the room, but it was enough to give a real feeling of festivity. Credit for the bunting goes to my co-planner who spent hours cutting triangles out of wrapping paper which we then taped to string. Blue and white was our theme for the shower, but said co-planner decided to add in the white and black damask which I love. It also helps having a sister whose home is seemingly decorated for the purpose of dainty afternoon teas.

The something blue

Mini photo album/scrap book as the something new. Antique teapot, sugar pot, and salt and pepper shakers as the something old. 

In deciding what presents to get the bride to be I set the theme ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ All the guests contributed to the presents and we were able to find some really lovely gifts for the bride to be. 

For entertainment we opted out of playing any X rated games which are often seen at bridal shindigs, instead we followed the motto - tame games can be fun! (I actually just made that up, but let’s roll with it). One of the games we particularly enjoyed involved each guest writing down who their celebrity crush is and why, with the bride having to match the celebrity to the guest. Just to provide an example mine said ‘Ryan Gosling. Have you seen Crazy, Stupid, Love?’ Now I may have provided that example purely so I could finish the blog with a picture of Ryan Gosling but as my next saying goes – use picture references of Ryan Gosling whenever possible. I thoroughly recommend everyone get behind this one!

Hope you enjoyed bridal shower wrap up J

Xx Lily 

Can't have an afternoon tea without delicious treats

Party favours