Fun with Paper - Great Party Games

Nicole from Pretty and Print is back today with some great idea's on how to get creative with paper and make those party games look extra special.

With lots of focus on gorgeous sweet things, scrumptious cakes and fabulous themes, I got thinking the other day about what party games are being played at our little ones parties these days. I always seem to head back to old favourites, like "Pass the Parcel", or "Pin the Tail". But those old favourites can always have a little bit of a face lift, can't they? We are full steam ahead with preparations for Little Miss P&P's sixth rainbow party so I thought I wold get a head start with some special packaging tips to make your next "Pass the Parcel" the highlight of your party!

I love to sew paper! You don't need to have a fancy, expensive machine, just something simple. It is a great way to create cute packaging and the end result always comes out looking elegant and lovely.

You can experiment using designer or scrapbooking paper to cut to different sizes, add some sweets and then stitch closed, the possibilities are endless.

We are going to mix things up a little and add some silly instructions/activity note cards to our "Pass the Parcel" for the kids to do when they music stops ...

About Nicole...

Nicole Hanna is the owner, designer & paper whisperer behind Pretty & Print, which combines my love of pretty paper, printables, craft and all things design. Please pop by and visit me on Facebook to discover more paper inspiration, printables and creations.

You can find Nicole on Facebook here

Gigi and Lulu in Byron

Not only do they have the cutest names but there were two of the cutest girls to have for our little photography session while in Byron.

The wonderful shoot that Sheye had prepared for us on Wednesday after was just so exciting for me - up until now most of the photo's of kids have been of my own or close friends who are happy to let me click away while they play. Now I guess this shoot was not your typical day out with the camera - think 10 keen girls with camera in hand and a very confined space (think tiny!). So after a number of squeals and only one or two stumbles this is what I somehow came up with.

To be able to watch Sheye in action helped me once again to gain new perspective on photography.

We started amongst the trees - lovely light filtering through allowing us to capture some pretty sun-flare - so dreamy!

From the trees we moved to the beach and the amazing afternoon pink skies of Byron Bay - I am in love with the beauty of this part of the world.

So there you have it - a small selection of our afternoon with Gigi and Lulu and the afternoon skies of Byron Bay. It is quite amusing to be able to look at these photos and know what what was going on behind the camera with so many of us there at one time.

I used the wonderful Eye Candy Actions to edit these photos - Muted Wash for amongst the trees and Babycakes for on the beach.

Hope you like!

Inspired

I am still finding it hard to describe the way I feel after last weeks 4 day photography retreat I attended in stunning Byron Bay - so many words come time mind - inspired, grateful, energised, blessed, hopeful are just a few. The retreat was so different to what I was expecting but so much more than I ever could have hoped for.

The week was about so much more than learning new photography skills - it was about life skills. I feel I need to tell you about what we did but it would just not do it justice - yes the food was amazing, the location was spectacular, the company was wonderful but I have walked away from this experience feeling like I have discovered so much more about myself.

Sheye has the most incredible way of bringing the best out in people - she is a master at teaching you to be yourself - your best self. She is gracious, kind and gentle combined with unassuming confidence and professionalism. Nothing is set in stone yet nothing is forgotten or left untouched - the perfect mix of carefree and focus. She truly has one of the great souls I have had the pleasure of meeting and just being around her makes you feel calm and excited all at the same time.

Our other beautiful teachers during the week were Fran and Hailey - the way these amazing ladies beared their soul and showed us how to turn personal projects into works of art that brought us all to tears.

There was so much laughter, new friendships and unexpected discoveries but most of all a new sense of fearlessness. There are no wrong decisions just different directions. With faith, confidence and a sense of self the direction you chose will be the right one for you.

I cannot finish this post by also saying a special thank you to my hubby who held the fort while I took off for this week of self discovery - for allowing me to keep finding new ways to express my creative desires - for allowing me to keep changing the direction of my business so that my heart is happy and I am feeling fulfilled. Thank you my love ...

P.S. I will share some more photo's from an actual real shoot we did tomorrow.

Cheese Stack Recipe

Today Jacki from Blissfully Sweet Cakes is joining us for her monthly delicious food idea. Feast your eye's on this gorgeous cheese stack with the photo's taken by Tanya from Tindale Images - I was their to enjoy this lunch and we definitely ooh'd and ahh'd over this one!

For those people that do not have a sweet tooth (yes there are some?!), this tiered cheese stack is the perfect end to any dinner! These tiered cheese cakes are also in vogue at the moment as substitutes for the traditional wedding cakes!

I made this tiered cheese stack for the Oh Sweet Mum beach luncheon. I wanted this lunch to be a mix of the savoury and sweet, and this dessert fit the bill! It was a big hit with my luncheon guests (models) and you can decorate as you wish when the stack is finished.

RECIPE

4 different cheeses varying in sizes (ensure that you choose some harder cheeses for the bottom tiers)

Fresh figs

Walnuts

Honey

Stack up your cheeses. I cut up a beautiful and ripe fig for the top and then sprinkled the chopped walnuts over the top of the stack. Drizzle the honey down over the walnut and figs so that it drips down the sides of the cheese stack.

Voila!

* This stack can be made with as many layers as you like and as many different cheese varieties as you like.

* Try using some other in season fruits to go with your stack to decorate such as beautiful red grapes, little baby pears and sprigs of fresh berries.

About Jacki ...

Jacki Fanto is the owner of Blissfully Sweet Cakes based in Sydney, Australia. Jacki is married and has three gorgeous boys who love that their mum is such a fabulous cook! You can find Jacki's website here and her Facebook page here

Photography + Retreat = Heaven

Did I happen to mention where I am off to next week! You guessed it - a photography retreat with the one and only Sheye Rosemeyer & Fran MacKenzie. So excited - how perfect do the words photography + retreat sound in one sentence! I can only imagine what lovely things Sheye and Fran have planned for us in the 4 days we are spending together and I can't wait to share more with you on my return.

In the meantime enjoy some of Sheye's amazing photography work - the place I dream of making it to ...

PS. Sweet Style store orders will still be sent out while I am away thanks to my lovely ladies that send all your goodies out (and Mr A of course) so keep your orders coming in.

Blue

With the arrival of the most beautiful new cake stands in the store last week my mind has been drawn to all things blue. I am so excited to announce that for the first time in Australia you can now find the Blue Milk Glass Cake Stands in the Sweet Style online store.

The colour is most striking and the will make a statement on any table.

So in celebration today I share with you some shades of blue.