Tina and Ken's Engagement

On Sunday 29th November, we celebrated the engagement of Tina and Ken (my sister-in-law and brother-in-law). We had lunch at Luigi's restaurant and we all enjoyed the afternoon. Tina looked beautiful in her dress...and Ken looked pretty snazzy himself!!

Tina and Ken chose silver and black as their colour scheme. I designed the invitations for their engagement.

Tina also asked me to make her engagement cake and party favors!

For their party favors, I made sugar cookies in the shape of diamond rings. I painted silver lustre dust onto the band of the ring and used white royal icing and edible glitter to create the diamond! The thank you tag matched Tina and Ken's engagement invitation. The ring box was made with black fondant. White fondant was shaped into cushions and placed inside the box. I made the ribbon and bow out of white modelling paste. The diamond ring was placed inside the ring box. The flavour of the 8" square cake was chocolate mud with nutella frosting. It was decorated with white fondant, black satin ribbon and crystals. I piped a shell border around the perimeter of the cake. I set up the cookie favors around the engagement cake. Tina and Ken didn't see them until they arrived at the restaurant, and they loved them! I was very happy with how everything looked! Congratulations Tina and Ken on your engagement! Hope you both enjoyed your engagement party. Enjoy the next few months leading up to your wedding day! XXX

Ezi to Master Class

During last term, I completed the Ezi to Master class at Cake Decorating Central. The course went for 10 weeks and we were taught by the lovely and extremely talented Linda! Our class was great and we had lots of fun. I made some new friends...Antoinette, Joanne, Rosanne and Maria...you're all beautiful and I miss you all very much! Hope we can get together for a catch-up soon!

Over the weeks we made a variety of sugar flowers, which we put together in an arrangement during week 9.

During our last week we were to cover our cakes and place the arrangement on top. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the last class due to a family emergency. I finally finished the class last week and I'd like to thank Linda for giving up her time to help me complete the course!

I love my cake! The colours are so bright and vibrant! I'm proudly displaying it in my cabinet!

I enjoyed completing the Ezi to Master course at Cake Decorating Central. Linda is an awesome teacher and I learnt heaps! If you live in Sydney, definitely visit Cake Decorating Central and complete some classes. Stores are located at Castle Hill and Campbelltown.

Isabella's 4th Birthday!

Isabella turned FOUR on Sunday 8th November! She had been looking forward to her birthday for so long! She wanted a ‘Mermaid Party’, as she really loves Ariel and all her friends!

I made her party initiations and she loved them! She was so excited to give them out to all our family!

Isabella was very involved in the preparations for her party! She came shopping with me to buy all the party settings and chose the colour scheme! We went with blue, green and purple! She also came to Cake Decorating Central to choose the cookie cutters for her Cookie Favors. She decided on mermaids (for the girls/women) and Flounder (for the boys/men). She was so happy with the cookies and enjoyed giving them to all her guests!

I set up a dessert table in front of my dinning window, which was decorated with coloured streamers. I made a poster which was hung from the window frame, and matching signs were placed on the table.

Isabella looked through all my cake decorating books to find ideas for her cake! She loved the cake found in Debbie Brown's 'Enchanted Cakes'. I didn't think there was enough cake in this design to feed all the family, so I made an 8" round instead. I used an impression mat, to create the circles and bubbles in the blue fondant. I made a mermaid out of modelling paste, and my gorgeous husband made the octopus and starfish! I attached some fish lollies around the cake. Isabella loved her mermaid cake!

Isabella helped make the cupcakes and jelly cups for the dessert table. The cupcakes were vanilla and white chocolate with vanilla frosting. She placed the fish lollies onto every jelly cup and cupcake and was very happy with her creations!

Isabella was very excited when it came time to blow out her birthday candles and cute her cake!

We all had a wonderful time at Isabella's mermaid party. The kids enjoyed the pinata (Daniella released the lollies) and playing in the sandpit (Isabella's birthday present)!

We love you very, very much Isabella! You are a beautiful girl and a great big sister! XXX

Happy Halloween!

Well...Halloween was almost a month ago, but I haven't had much time to update my blog!

We don't really celebrate Halloween here in Australia, but this year I noticed there was more interest in this American holiday. All the stores were decorated for Halloween and a lot more stores were selling Halloween decorations and costumes.

We live in a relatively new housing estate, and over the last year a lot of new families moved into our street. We all have young families and we get along really well. We decided that we'd celebrate Halloween this year and have 'Trick or Treating' for the kids.

We bought a few decorations for the house, as well as pumpkin buckets for Isabella and Daniella to hold their goodies in! Isabella decided early on that she wanted to be a witch and Daniella was going to be a fairy once again (...not very scary I know!).

The treats that we would give out were Halloween cookies...I don't know why I stress myself out and leave things to the last minute...but that's what happened! I finished my cookies 15 minutes before we were set to start trick or treating!

I made ghosts, bats and witches. My favourite cookies were definitely the bats! My witches were damn scary...but then again, it was Halloween! I'd love to give the witches another go next year...but definitely improve on the design! I wrapped them in cellophane bags and attached bag toppers, which read "Happy Halloween from your spooky neighbours who haunt 6 Piper St!" I couldn't believe how many families participated! We were so excited and we had a great time! Even us adults joined in the fun and dressed up too! It was a great night and we look forward to doing it again next year!

Daniella's 1st Birthday

My baby girl turned ONE on Wednesday the 21st of October! I can't believe that a whole year has passed since Daniella's birth! She is such a little character and I love watching her cheeky personality shine through every day. We love watching her interact with her big sister Isabella and the fun that they have together!

We held a little party for her on Saturday 24th October and the theme was a 'Fairy Garden Party'. I enjoyed getting everything organised for her party and we all had a fun afternoon.

Her invitations were shaped as toadstools. On the front of the toadstool house was a little wooden door. When the recipient opened the door they were greeted by our little Fairy Daniella! All the party details were featured on the back of the toadstool. They were a hit with all our family!

I decided that I wanted to create a keepsake candle, so I designed it to match her invitations.
Next on my list were her party favors! I made toadstool cookies and I loved them! They were so bright and they looked great displayed on the dessert table. I had planned so much more for Daniella's first birthday cake, but the night before her party she was extremely sick. My husband and I kept running between her room and the kitchen, and as the hours on the clock ticked by, I knew I would never be able to create the cake I had in mind. In the end, I looked around at the gorgeous bright colours I had decorated the house with, and decided to go with these! I really loved the end result...and was so excited as it was the first cake that I had decorated at home! I set up a dessert table in front of one of my windows, and I hung streamers from the window frame to act as the backdrop. I hung a Happy Birthday poster on the window frame, which I found on the wonderful blog Hostess with the Mostess. I customised the First Birthday signs by including Daniella's name, and I framed two prints, which I then placed on the dessert table. I enjoyed setting up my first dessert table and was really happy with how it looked!

It was a beautiful day and even though my baby girl was ill that day, I hope she enjoyed her special afternoon! We love you very, very much Daniella! xxx

Christian's Baptism

On Sunday 18th October, we celebrated the baptism of my beautiful godson Christian.

Christian is a beautiful little boy and we love him dearly! He is adored by his parents, Anthony and Natlene, and he is spoilt with love from all his extended family!

Christian was a little angel on his special day and he looked absolutely gorgeous in his christening outfit.

The colour scheme for his party was blue, white and silver. I made his invitations (plus matching thank you cards), his baptism candle and cookie arrangements which were placed on each table.

Christian's Baptism Invitations

I forgot to take a photo of the completed candle! Here is the candle design plus a photo of us at the church. I attached some 'bling' to the top and bottom of the candle (which you are unable to see in the photo).

These were my biggest cookie set yet! I made 92 cookies, each decorated with fondant, royal icing and silver cachous. I really loved making these and received a lot of great comments from the guests!

To our beautiful Godson Christian,

You are a precious miracle, and a dream come true.
It will be our honor, to grow in faith with you.
We welcome this invitation, extended with love.
We will be your angels, sharing promises from above.
As we gently hold you, and look at your sweet face.
We say a little prayer, may you be touched by grace.
So much of life ahead, We dream of all you'll be.
Times we'll spend together, how close we will be.
We will hold your hand, and stand by your side.
We will be your models, your teachers and your guides.
We will give you time, with thoughts of you each day.
We will keep you in our prayers, as you find your way.
We look forward to the years ahead, and being godparents to you.
May our treasured bond grow strong, and in faith our hearts be true.

We pray that God will bless you and guide you always.

Lots of love from Comare Marianne and Compare Alfie XXX

Kristina's 18th Birthday!

Back on Saturday 26th September, my baby sister turned 18 years old! I remember the day she was born so clearly and I can't believe that she is now an adult!

Things have been pretty tough for her this year and due to her health, she was unable to sit her HSC exams. She also will not be attending her Year 12 formal, so we thought we'd throw her a big party for her 18th and treat it as her formal. Mum bought her a gorgeous dress and she had her hair done for the night.

The colour scheme for her party was pink and black, and Kristina did a great job of decorating the house. She set up the most amazing dessert table (and I only wish I'd taken a picture of it).

I designed her party invitations and she loved them!

I also made cupcakes for the party and made sure I kept the pink and black colour scheme flowing!

Here is my beautiful sister with my gorgeous girls...who were also dressed to match the colour scheme!!

We had a great night and we 'hit the town' after the party...something my husband and I hadn't done in a very long time!

Hope you enjoyed your night bella! You looked as gorgeous as always! XXX