Autumn Breezes - Kite Party

Afternoon delights, Autumn breezes, & Kites....I just ♥ how this Whimsy Petite Picnic Party came together

Miss Kyla, 6, was so excited about her first ever birthday party,  so we really wanted to make it a very special celebration for her & her friends

Kyla loves kites so there began the theme for the soiree

Despite forecasts for rain we had the perfect autumn afternoon.  Nestled under the shade of beautiful big trees at a local park, the sun was shining, the skies blue & most importantly, there was a breeze in the air

The beautiful & very excited guest of honor

The picnic setting of crisp white furniture, pretty lemons & pinks made a beautiful contrast against the vibrant green grass in the park

As guests arrived they set to creating beautiful artwork on kites - the client sourced these kits online -  The girls had so much fun making them & the autumn breeze at the seaside park was ideal for flying them.  The kites were the main activity of the party but also acted as a memento and thank you gift from Kyla to her friends

Co-ordinated printables by Polkadot Prints

When I found this adorable buffet & old tea trolley at a local junk yard I just knew they would be perfect for this party....although they certainly didn't look this good until my handy husband spent hours stripping & repainting ...But I am so glad he did, they looked gorgeous!

Refreshments for both the children and their parents were

displayed until it was time to eat

Kyla & a number of her guests have food allergies.  Her mum & I are also very "sugar high" conscious & decided against a range of sweet treats on this occasion.  With this in mind we created a very simple but yummy afternoon tea for the girls to enjoy as they took a rest from flying kites, playing ring toss & having fun with hula hoops 

A light snack of banana cupcakes, sweet homemade popcorn,

slinky apples & cool refreshing water

served under the shady trees topped off a perfect afternoon

Scrumptious low allergen banana cupcakes

topped with colourful pinwheels by Whimsy Petite

Slinky apples are a great way to have fun with fruit!

{Fun, yummy, economical & healthy - perfect!}

Before long the girls were back out in the sun enjoying their perfect autumn afternoon

...and best of all....Kyla had a fantastic time with her friends celebrating her special day just the way she wanted to!

 

{A huge thank you to Jordan of Polkadot Prints for collaborating with me & designing the gorgeous printables for this event, & the ever talented Luke of Voice Photography for capturing such stunning images of the day}

'Til next time

Take care...but have fun doing it!!

Tash

Friendly find

I know all too well from personal experience that when you or someone in the house suffers from food allergies, life gets pretty complicated.  Grabbing a bite to eat while out and about, or even celebrating at parties can be almost impossible without taking your own food along or taking a considerable amount of time to check ingredients...usually then coming up emply handed.

With more and more children, and adults, displaying signs of food intolerences and allergies Whimsy Petite Styling is very conscious of having clients check with their guests if they have special dietary needs so that we may include suitable foods for them in our catering, leaving them to relax and enjoy the celebration with everyone else.  We also label foods accordingly so ease confussion of whats safe for them to consume on the table.

I came across a great little business with the same understandings you may want to check out!  Allergy Riders founder Amy Dowling, has created a range of cupcake papers and food flags ideal for the hostess looking to ensure all of her guests are catered for safely, and without confussion.  Included in the range are tags for gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan, nut free and various combinations of "free" foods.

What a great idea!

Styling at the last minute

What a perfect Easter weekend we have had here in Brisbane! Magical weather and a 5 day weekend have been the perfect setting for a wonderful Easter break!

You may have read my blog on our traditional family Resurrection Sunday Breakfast Party.  For those who missed it you can check it out here.   I have to admit I had decided I wasn't going to do much for our Easter Sunday breakfast this year; the weeks leading up to Easter have just been so busy with kids holidays; church holiday club; preparing for upcoming client events etc I just didnt think I had the time, or frankly the energy....however at 8pm on Saturday night I couldnt contain myself any longer, the styling itch got the better of me. How could I possibly let the opportunity of styling a beautiful breakfast in honor of such an important day slip me by?

 And so, much to the entertainment of my loving husband, I quickly got to work to put together a beautiful setting for the mornings celebration.

Sometimes its fun not to have a specific plan, and at 8pm I sure didn't have one in mind! The setting developed as I went....finding bits and pieces in my cupboard and event supplies which would compliment the the vision as it evolved.  Tones of blues, lemons and pinks, old chinaware, recycled milkbottles and mason jars, gingham and timber transformed our upper deck into a homely, spring inspired, farmhouse atmosphere.

These little white ceramic bunnies were a great place to start styling the table!  I adorned each one with a different blue or beige ribbon and they became the feature for the individual place settings.....

Positioned in the morning sun overlooking the pool and gardens; I transformed the upper deck with a round table, just the right size for the gathering of 5, with white whicker chairs and assorted blue cushions. Then added my favourite antique dresser as the buffet table.  The table was simple and uncluttered with a lemon gingham cloth,  individual place settings and a small arrangment of lavender and boiled eggs on old china plates as a cenrepiece.  (you can see the table refelcted in the mirror of the buffet)

I love fresh flowers and usually would incorporate them in a setting like this, however as I had left styling this breakfst to the last minute I didnt have any fresh blooms on hand and had to get creative. Artificial Lavender was located in the cupboard and a beautiful pink peonie clip added a touch of spring to the look. Fresh lemons and limes always look great displayed for a splash of colour, so i they went.  Luckily I had some pom poms from a  previous event hanging in my daughters room, these were put into action and arranged in a staggered bunch above the table for a more nestled and intimate feel...I just love the whimsy her pom poms add to any occassion!

In keeping with our tradition, the meal was a simple affair, humble and reflective of the act of the first Easter.  Our menu consisted of warm hot cross buns,a symbol of Christs death; and boiled eggs , a sign of hope, and New life.  I had decided to try out a new Banana Bread recipe too...but it was a disaster and at 11.30pm I had to whip up something in its place.....Lemon cupcakes did the trick and not only did they taste great but the icing and lemon wedge on top perfectly complimented the colour scheme.  (I'll share the cupcake recipe with you in the next few days)

and of course not to forget the low allergen chocolate crackle eggs we have come to love!  I didnt dip the ends in white chocolate this year, preferring the more rustic look of them plain and simply finished with a little coloured ribbon....

I loved how "country" the little milk bottles made the breakfast feel.  Both young and old enjoyed sipping on banana flavoured milk with their breakfast...

and of course what would Easter be without a visit from the Easter Bunny.  We never go overboard on the Easter treats, but the bunny always drops something small off to the children around breakfast time.  These little muslin bags were ideal for popping a handful of small eggs into and sitting at each of the childrens places at the table.  I created  a simple bunny silhouette image on the computer and ironed a trasnfer onto each bag.  I was really happy with how these turned out...

So there we have it.....in 5 hours I went from "get motivated" to beautiful farmhouse Easter breakfast setting.  I must say Iwas really happy with the result.  But, I think I might start planning a little earlier next year!

I do hope you and your family had a blessed and relaxing Easter and were able to reflect on the real meaning of the day.  I'd love to hear what you got up to!

Where to find:

Styling by - Whimsy Petite Styling

Scalloped cake stands and muslin bags- Sharnel Dollar Designs

Tissue Poms - Ah Tissue

Paper straws - Polka Dot Prints

Ceramic bunnies - Bed Bath and Table

Antique blue mason jars - Etsy.com

Low Allergen Easter Treat - a twist on an old favourite

My eldest daughter has a myriad of food allergies so when it comes to Easter treats our options are very limited.

Last year I gave up on searching throughout the city, and online for suitable options and took matters into my own hands.  I decided to play around with an idea I had  for low allergen chocolate crackle eggs.

They turned out so well I will definitely be making these again this week!


These are just too cute, and yummy, to keep to myself  ladies....so here is the recipe and how to make your own beautiful homemade Easter crackle eggs.....And with no cooking involved the kids will love assisting you on this holiday project

CHOCOLATE EASTER CRACKLES

(I have listed the low allergen ingredients I use, but of course the regular Chocolate crackles recipe will be just as delightful if you don't have allergies to worry about)

What you will need:

Equipment:

Chocolate Easter egg moulds
Saucepan
wooden spoon
measuring cups
bowl
cake rake

Ingredients:

4 cups Freedom Foods Gluten free Rice Bubbles
1 cup Gluten Free icing sugar
1 cup Organic, preservative free desiccated coconut
250g copha®*, chopped
3 tbsp cocoa

Topping:

Sweet Williams Gluten Free/Dairy Free Chocolate block
Gluten free/natural coloured sprinkles


Method:

In a large bowl, mix the rice bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa & coconut.

In a saucepan slowly melt the copha over a low heat.  Then allow to cool slightly.

Add melted copha to rice bubbles mixture, stirring until well combined.

Spoon mixture into chocolate Easter egg moulds and press in firmly

Refrigerate until firm
Once firmly set....

Slowly melt the chocolate block in a bowl over a pot of boiling water

Once melted remove crackles from fridge, turn out of moulds and rest gently on cake rake

Dip the smaller end of each each crackle egg into the melted chocolate and replace on cake rack...it may be a good idea to have some grease proof paper of a plate under the rack to catch any chocolate drips

Sprinkle chocolate coated end and get back into the fridge

Suggestions:

Remember Chocolate crackles do melt in hot weather so keep them refrigerated as long as possible before serving.

I tied different ribbons around the middle of each egg for a finishing touch.

I'd love to hear how you go if you make the eggs and see pics of your creations!!

a good days start

Some days are harder to get started than others aren't they!  Its easy to get into the rut of grabbing the nearest cereal box or loaf of bread and scoffing down a boring, quick breakfast before we begin our hectic days, especially on a school or work day, am I right?  I thought I would share with you some ideas we use to think outside the cereal box when it comes to quick, convenient, healthy and yummy breakfast options....

As anyone who deals with food allergies in their home will tell you, gluten free, lactose free and soy free cereals can be rather less than appetising!  This is a challenge we face everyday!  I try to keep the morning meal interesting by preparing nicely laid out plates (I just love the miniamo collection, shown in the photo) with varying options...of course this doesn't happen everyday...but often enough that we get a good days start with a less than boring, but still super healthy breakfast. 

These are some of our recent successes: (you can change ingredients to suit your dietary needs of course; I use gluten free flours, lac free yogurts and gluten free muesli in these ideas)

Boiled eggs served with fresh fruit; 
Banana pancakes
Glasses layered with muesli, yogurt and fruit 
Medley of fresh colourful fruit with a side of homemade trail mix
Sweet corn fritters

I'll post some of these recipes over the coming weeks!!  Heres the banana pancake recipe to get you inspired:

Banana Pancakes

2 eggs
1 cup plain flour (or gluten free option)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk (full cream, lac free or soy all work)
2 small or 1 large ripe, soft banana, mashed

Beat eggs
Beat in flour, baking powder and milk gradually
Mix through mashed banana
Add a little more milk if needed to thin out batter

Cook as pikelets or as small pancakes

Serving suggestions:
*    Dollop of yogurt (lac free or soy option work nicely) , chopped banana or berries
*    Drizzled with lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar
*    A drizzle of honey
*    Just on their own with a spread of butter (or alternative butter spread)



I hope you enjoy making and eating these as much as we do! 

I'd love to hear from anyone who tries these out or if you have some ideas of your own!