OUR EASTER TREE

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had snow, snow and more snow! It felt like Christmas all over again.
It was a lot of indoor time for us. We put up our Easter tree. Very minimalist this year! If I'd had some white spray paint on hand, I think it would have looked good with white branches (and gone with my decor more) but hey, we aren't perfect over this side of the screen, so a la natural it is!

I normally use my pastel eggs from Bed Bath & Table (see years past), but I found these ones from our move that I'd forgotten about, so something bright and different for us this year.

I want to still make a garland for our mantel and make some treats, maybe like this. What traditions do you have at Easter?

THE THINGS I LEARNT AT EKKA 2011

"Hello my name is Jordan and I'm a carnival lover"...And carnivals don't get much bigger than our state's 'Ekka' that's on at the moment.
I hadn't been in a few years and we really wanted to take Levi as it was his first time.

So, after an Ekka drought, there are a few things I learnt about our annual show...

1. Catching the train to the Ekka and back is an event in itself to a three year old
2. The 'old school' exhibits are still the best as ever - the woodchop, baby animal nursery, stunt drivers, and baking & cake judging!
3. I should have been putting money away for months to pay for all the over-priced games and food!

4. Saying "Gentle"to a child holding a baby chick is a waste of breath. (Thank you Lord it didn't die on me...that would have been a memory-maker!)

 

5. The reality of eating a Dagwood dog is not as good as the memory of eating a Dagwood dog

6. Choc dipped strawberries are always as good as you remember

7. Don't take your child on a ginormous slide after they wake up from a nap, it's hard to recover from that.

8. Showbag pavillion = human sandwich

but finally...

9. No matter how old you are there is nothing quite like fireworks to end a great day!

Hooray for family fun! Do you have an annual show in your city? What's your favourite part?

{Images from my iPhone}

A Tracey Lau Christmas

I think I have featured every one of Tracey's events on my blog. They are quite simply so worth sharing! This corporate Christmas dessert table is the latest from this uber talented friend of mine.

Tracey puts so much thought and detail into everything from backdrop, food & styling. She has a simple elegance about her work that I just love. Like, who wouldn't want to drink from a bottle with a tiny wreathe and bow attached?! Cute!
Check out the full details here.

I might leave this as a last post before Christmas. I have just started my Christmas shopping today (!!) and have a gingerbread house to decorate. Just bought some lovely things for our Christmas table too....

Wishing you and your family a truly joy-filled Christmas day and safe holidays. Will see you soon!
Love, Jordan xo

Birthday Cakes - Old school or fancy

Happy Monday Tuesday everyone! Phew a big weekend and I have hit the ground running with orders and enquiries! (Yay!) I am feeling a little half baked at the moment...everything has been started but nothing is quite finished! 

Image Source: Australian Women's Weekly

We are building up for a little 2yr old's birthday party at our place. Just when I thought I had a theme decided upon...I keep changing my mind. I looked to my classic Women's Weekly Children's birthday cake book for some inspiration over the weekend. And I was completely surprised how 'into it' Levi was! I was totally thrilled because I remember how much as kids my siblings and I would plan months (& years!) ahead for our birthday cakes. And now...the tradition lives on!

Image source: Betty Crocker

I love my cookbooks, but I stumbled across this video & image resource from Betty Crocker, for making your own cakes at home. They make it look so easy too! 
I see many absolutely sensational cakes all over the web and while I'm a bit of a homemade cake kinda girl myself, I realise many choose the professional cake road. What are your cake traditions for your family? professional or homemade? Am I the only one who pours over the Women's weekly cake book?? :)

Oh, and planes are on the menu for Levi! Hmmmm...