splendid colour palette...

I have seem many inspirational dessert tables lately but this colour palette has blown me away! The mix of fluorescent pink, crisp white and craft brown is absolutely stunning.

The backdrop has been executed to perfection. They have used fluorescent pink, brown craft & white tissue paper and made a mix of rosette flowers, pom poms, garlands taking advantage of mixing colours and textures. Designed by Susana of Simplesmente Branco and Ana of Pinga Amor, this simple dessert table is absolutely lovely but also incredibly accessible.

Susana: "We chose sweets from our childhood, including small and traditional biscuits and cakes for a “less is more” approach. Our end result: a clean, conceptual table with a wall gone mad, just for the fun of it!"

images via Simplesmente Branco and Pinga Amor

Meet Kate from {Snow Write}

Inspired by the love of beautiful things, desire for something unique and passionate about design, I am so delighted to introduce you to our lovely new sponsor Kate from Snow Write. Having a serious stationary addiction, Kate created a beautiful range of designer vintage-inspired greeting cards and invitations.

Take a pen and write a short note to a friend or loved one. Snow Write stationery range allows you send a special message with your gift. I would like to invite you to send a note of thanks to a friend, relative or colleague. Make sure you visit {Snow Write’s} website to brighten up someone's day and make the world a little bit more beautiful.

I would like to thank the lovely Kate being our guest on our MLJ blog and giving our readers a little insight of Snow Write. Enjoy the interview below xx

Tell us a little about YOU, the woman behind “Show Write”?
I am a Brisbane based designer who absolutely adores the arts. I studied at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane and when I was young I told my Mum I’d either be an “Egyptologist” or an “artist”! (People realised early on I was a little quirky! ;-) ). I live with my wonderfully supportive partner, James. I love to make and create and am addicted to all things design and paperie.

When did you launch your business?
I only just launched Snow Write (fairytale stationery) recently in 2010.

If you could describe your style in 3 words what would that be?
Vintage, colourful and pretty.

What was your inspiration for starting your own business & who/what inspires your work?
I was inspired to start my business when I realised design is something I wanted to do full time. I saw Snow Write as a wonderful career direction and the perfect way to let the colourful and creative sides of me out into this world. I am inspired by everything surrounding me but I am mostly inspired by the good ol’ “olden” days – which is why all things colourful and vintage can be seen in my designs.

This is another reason I started a stationery design business – so I could help keep traditional paper traditions alive in this e-mail and text message driven world. And last but not least, I am inspired by the many other incredible women out there who have taken a gamble and started their own business, too.

What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
Apart from working with my fantastic clients, it would have to be waking up every day and being simply creative, and sharing that creativity with others. Creativity is often lost in adult worlds, so it’s nice to keep that little bit of inner child with me every day.

What was the most rewarding thing that has happened in your career so far?
To date, I would have to say being able to donate to charity through Snow Write and help others that I might not otherwise have been able to. I think the most rewarding things are always yet to happen though – which is why I have everything to look forward to!

Can you tell us your favourite handmade item you have bought recently?
A lovely headband fascinator I bought for my niece from Little Miss Fascinated.

What are the secrets of running a successful business? What are your long term goals?
Snow Write is quite young in the business world and is growing and learning every day. The secret so far seems to be to never stop learning new things and have a lot of perseverance.

Name three brands you couldn’t live without? and why?
I love my Shanghai Tang handbag – I get compliments all the time about it. I’ve recently discovered Cath Kidston in the last couple of days – absolutely gorgeous style. My Apple iPhone – my partner James says I’m addicted to it (probably true).
I don’t tend to want for labels in fashion or otherwise, but rather colour and style – wether that means something vintage, a designer label, or a no-name brand.

Describe your prefect Sunday?
A sleep in then croissants for breakfast. Then relaxing and watching movies and eating delicious food all day with my partner!

Tell us your favourite colour palette?
I can’t ever choose just one as I wouldn’t be me, (and Snow Write wouldn’t be Snow Write) without colour! Some I love would be Tiffany Blue/ Chocolate Brown; Blue/Orange ; Pink/Turquoise (like the new look Snow Write website). Basically, if it has lots of colour in it I love it!

What is your favourite holiday destination?
This one is easy – Vietnam. I travelled South East Asia two years ago with a friend and absolutely adored it. The food, culture and history there is absolutely amazing.


Info:
Email: kate@snowwrite.com.au
Website : www.snowwrite.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/snowwritestationery
Twitter: www.twitter.com/snowwriteinvite

5th avenue eye candy...

I have been admiring Kate Spade’s collection for quite sometime, so I am delighted to share the images of her store in NYC, located on 5th avenue. The whole store concept is out of this world. When it comes to use of bold colour, no one does it better than Kate Spade. Whether it’s a rainbow of stripes or a wall that could very well be the product of a disco ball explosion, the store design had left me love-struck.

The amazing mixture of sophisticated quirkiness, using a combination of colours, patterns and the entire back wall covered in gold sequin bling. Enjoy these eye candy images below xx

images via here

lovely to meet you...

Adventurous. Delightful. Exciting!

This is how I would describe my weekend. Where can I start, well I had a fabulous weekend away, I escaped to Melbourne with my sister-in-law Suzanna {Mon Tresor}. We had a horrendous flight experience on the way to Melbourne. I didn’t know what we were thinking flying with Tiger airways…never again! We didn’t even step a foot in the airport but lets not go into details lol ;)

We arrived at the hotel soaking wet and after a little rest we were super excited and started getting ready to meet all the lovelies at the gorgeous {Emerald Peacock} bar. I was love-struck with the divine interior, gorgeous peacock-themed wallpaper and each space within the venue is slightly different, with eclectic fabrics and furnishings combining to create a decadent, moody feel.

The long anticipated wait was over after meeting up at the hotel with the lovely Niki from Candy Soirees and Thetis from Little Sooti. Shortly after we met the rest of the glamour gang and all I can say is that everyone looked absolutely glam/chic/stylish!

I felt nervous and almost like going on a first date…the feeling of butterflies in the stomach didn’t last very long as the girls were super friendly and made the whole experience very casual and relaxed. I would like to thank Penny from P.S I love you for organizing the event and for the delicious goodie bags. I also met the lovely Mirela from Melli Designs, Katie from Theodoremade, Nat from Petite Bijou, Linda from Shoot4u, Penny from Mini Style, Lea from Willow Tree Creative Services, Georgia from Norman by house, Jessica from Adorro Impressons, Louisa from Little Big Company and Scott and Alia from White Wall Photography.

I loved chatting to every single person in our group, I met couple of new lovely talented people who share a passion for the same things that I do. I feel very fortunate and honored to have met so many amazingly talented people and I cant wait for our next catch up.

Lovely to meet you all!

xx

meet Janelle and Samone from Cake Ink...

Delicious. Scrumptious. Luscious! This is how I would describe our guests today. I would like you to meet Cake Ink. A lovely collaboration between two very talented masterminds, Samone, graphic designer and owner of Red Letter Studio, and Janelle, of Cupcakes by Janelle, and is based in Melbourne’s Bayside.

There is a huge emphasis right now on styling the perfect dessert table, having said that Samone and Janelle have executed every event to perfection. I’m head over heels over their amazing work, particularly the latest rustic Christmas dessert table. And did i mention that their gorgeous {Flamenco Rose Inspired Guest Dessert Table} was featured on Amy Atlas and if you think if you have seen at all, think again!

Janelle & Samone incorporate rustic Moroccan-style twist into their holiday gathering. Janelle said: We wanted to include some traditional sweets such as baklava, Turkish delight and sugar almond cookies along with some popular macaroons and a rich two tier chocolate truffle cake. This, my friends, takes the best of both worlds to a whole new level...

I would personally like to thank Janelle and Samone for being our {special guests} on MLJ blog today! Enjoy the interview xx

Tell us a little about YOU, the women behind “Cake Ink Events”?
We met through our ‘real’ jobs in graphic design and marketing, and became instant besties through our love of great design, fashion, styling and of course fantastic food! We found we worked well together and we had similar style and tastes, and the whole combination of themed cake decorating, dessert baking and stationery design just kind of fell together and became Cake Ink.!

When did you launch your blog/business?
Early 2010 sometime – it kind of just evolved and it’s hard to put an exact date on its starting point!

If you could describe your style in 3 words what would that be?
Clean, contemporary, bespoke

What was your inspiration for starting your own blog & who/what inspires your work?
We obviously inspire each other! We find inspiration all over the www – like trawling Amy Atlas’ blog or another fave is 100 Layer Cake. Magazines like Donna Hay and Inside Out; books too – design books and wedding stationery designers. Plus we find ideas for new flavour or colour combos in everyday things, like in-season flowers, a pretty new colourful dress, a great vintage find at the local op-shop, or just some mad idea for a new theme!

What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
Seeing it all come together at the end of the day when we download the photos from our camera and seeing that it really does look as pretty as we planned!

What was the most rewarding thing that has happened in your career so far?
Having our work featured on many great blogs and in publications is extremely rewarding, however we find nothing more satisfying than receiving wonderful testimonies from our customers. We feel privileged to have been a part of their special celebration or milestone.

Can you tell us your favourite handmade item you have bought recently?
Tea towels from Green Olive Textiles and a gorgeous hand made Mosser glass cake stand.

What are the secrets of running a successful blog? What are your long term goals?
Fresh content, great photos and the ability to inspire the reader are important. Our favourite blogs are those that encourage us to keep evolving and to think outside the square.
We’re aiming to launch a new website this year and, in doing so, shift the focus of our blog to become less of a promotional tool and more of a resource to our readers. We’d love to add things such as DIY tutorials, recipes, great finds and our sources of inspiration!
In the long term, we’re aiming to see Cake Ink. evolve from a web based business to a bustling shop front!

Name three brands you couldn’t live without? and why?
Callebaut, Canon and Lavazza. Callebaut chocolate makes the finest ganache for torting cakes, our camera goes everywhere with us and we couldn’t navigate a day without a good coffee.

Describe your perfect Sunday?
A sleep in, lazy breakfast of yummy eggs on toast and great coffee either at home or at a quiet beach-side café, a walk with good friends, and a relaxed dinner and a movie at home with the man. If only that were reality! Sundays are normally spent doing clean-up after a long photo shoot or a big party!

Tell us your favourite party theme/palette?
We love soft vintage looks at the moment and are currently working on a wedding with a gorgeous warm grey, white and peach colour palette. We’re also playing with big, bright and colourful florals. Moroccan-inspired prints and patterns in bright oranges, pinks, turquoises and refreshing whites seem to be popping up a lot in our work lately!

What is your favourite holiday destination?
Europe in Spring – shopping and gelati in Milan, Paris for the amazing sweet shops and exquisite packaging inspiration… the list is endless. Locally, you can’t beat a weekend away with the girls to the Mornington Peninsula for a visit to a day spa and some wine tasting!

Info:
Email:

Blog:
Website;

Facebook:

love me tender...

February is the love month. And having Valentine’s Day just around the corner ~ one more day that every family has a legitimate excuse to consume way too much chocolate … and to throw around a whole lot of “I Love You’s!”

Whether you’re partnered or loving life as a party of one, February serves as a gentle reminder that, not only is love all around us, but there are also plenty of people, places, and things to love, care for. Valentines day is all about celebration…the LOVE of your life, the LOVE of your family, the LOVE of … well, honestly? Just LOVE!! xx

images via here

Vintage Valentine

The Beatles said it best with “All you need is love, love, love is all you need.” Whether you are dating, engaged, or getting married, it is all about sending the right message with good old-fashioned love notes. When I saw this vintage glamour wedding inspiration, i was in awe. Swoon! Designed by Emily, of b*spoke blog, there are so many steal-able ideas tucked inside.

From the organic, but totally flirty flowers to the handmade details and pretty pink palette and i can go past and not mention the gorgeous knitted hearts at each place setting that also served as a potpourri drawer freshener for each guest to take home.

Emily said: “Our color palette was a play off of the traditional colors seen around Valentine’s Day with a twist towards the muted and vintage. We used soft dusty rose, cream, and camel colors and combined it with a brighter red and teal to bring in a punch. The rustic barn was a perfect backdrop of browns and worn textures against these colors in the snowy WI setting.”

Brace yourself, because you’re in for a day of swooning over these images!

images via here

Meet Kate from {Piece of Cake Parties and Celebration}

I would like to introduce you to our new lovely sponsor, {Piece of Cake Parties and Celebration}! Kate is the fabulous creative mind behind this lovely business. Specializing in fun and unique party bags for children, they offer an exciting range of novelties, tableware and accessories for your next party!

Kate shares the passion for hosting beautiful, memorable celebrations and to make it easy for you to coordinate and execute a stylish, modern party she is sourcing and gathering everything you need into one gorgeous online boutique! {Piece of Cake Parties and Celebrations} seeks to provide ideas & inspiration to help you create fabulous & memorable children’s parties & baby showers, because when everything else is gone, the wonderful memories will remain.

Thanks Kate for being our {special guest} on MLJ blog today! Enjoy the interview below! xx

Tell us a little about YOU, the woman behind “Piece of Cake Parties & Celebrations”?
My name is Kate, I’m 27 and live in Ellenbrook WA, with my three favourite fellas; My gorgeous, funny and supportive husband Anthony and our two delightful little boys Ethan 3 and Declan 18 months. I love ballet and dance and teach a few gorgeous students privately since closing my dance studio two years ago. I’m happiest at home with my family, love my garden and am a major crime TV show addict who eats too much chocolate.

When did you launch your blog/business?
After months of business planning and setting up stock, I opened the Facebook page for Piece of Cake Parties in April 2010 and we launched our website in May 2010.

If you could describe your style in 3 words what would that be?
Fun, bright & personalised.

What was your inspiration for starting your own blog & who/what inspires your work?
Ethan was the original inspiration behind Piece of Cake Parties. When I was planning his 2nd birthday party I really wanted to make fun party bags but struggled to find unique and different novelty items and packaging ideas in the shops, so turned to the online world and was amazed by what was on offer.

I loved the idea of the ready made party bag option for parents so decided to set up an online business specialising in children’s party bags. As I continued to search the web for inspiration and stock I was fascinated by the unique ideas and effort that parents and event companies alike had put into birthday parties.

I especially fell in love with the dessert table concept and couldn’t help but broaden the scope for my store into everything for kid’s parties. Birthday parties to me are about bringing joy to those special little ones in our life and making their day magical. I now have two beautiful little boys who inspire what I do everyday.

What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
The most satisfying part of what I do, is receiving positive feedback, reviews and pictures of parties from my clients. For people to take time out to say thank you for our service and for helping them with their celebrations really makes my day.

What was the most rewarding thing that has happened in your career so far?
The most rewarding thing for me so far would be having repeat clients. The most important thing for me is providing my clients with a friendly, professional and excellent customer service, so when they purchase from me again because they have been impressed with my service, that’s the best reward.

Can you tell us your favourite handmade item you have brought recently?
It would be a tie between a gorgeous set of fabric wall stickers from ‘Love Mae’ - the Oh Deer Retro and the Dark Tree set for my boy’s cubby house, they are just stunning! And also the most divine prints from ‘Art Candy’ for my nieces for Christmas, just beautiful.

What are the secrets of running a successful blog? What are your long term goals?
I think the most important things are to offer excellent, professional and personalised service plus quality products at good prices. Always behave professionally when using social media such as facebook or when out promoting your brand and be supportive of other businesses, especially those in similar industries to your own. Those things are important to me as a consumer so I make sure I do those things with my own business. My focus on 2011 is to continue to build our client base and also our product range, we have some great new products coming in soon so I’m very excited about that.

Describe your prefect Sunday?
Pancakes with my boys in the city followed by a trip to the museum, then a lazy afternoon watching re runs of my fave shows.

Tell us your favourite party theme/palette?
At the moment, I’d have to say the “Vintage Tea Party”. Mismatched tea cups and saucers, lace doilies, country gardens and beautiful flowers in old fashioned glass jars. Girly heaven!

What is your favourite holiday destination?
I think QLD is beautiful, I love the Gold Coast. Also Washington DC is a truly beautiful place that I hope to explore more when hubby and I take the kids to the US for our 10 year anniversary. We went to the US on our honeymoon though I found out three days before the wedding that I was pregnant. Had terrible morning sickness for most of the trip so hope to next time see and appreciate it more.

Info:
Email:
Website/Blog:

Facebook:

aspen white dessert table...

Oh my, I am blown away by the gorgeousness of this amazing aspen white dessert table. The talented Linda of Call Me Cupcake created this drool-worthy dessert table that I immediately fell in love with.

Perfect for baby shower, wedding or christening, especially lovely during this frosty time of year, the white-on-white look is so incredibly clean and crisp but is given layers of dimension through the use of different textures and off-white tones. The cake is a trully amazing, incorporating a lace motif that is melting my heart. Great work Linda, you have created a masterpiece and I hope you do win the European "Sweet Dessert Table" contest voted by the ever so talented Amy Atlas. Enjoy xx

images via here

colour lust ~ {'honeysuckle'}

Its official. The "world renowned expert on colour" has announced what they predict to be THE shade for 2011 - Pantone {Honeysuckle}. And If you’re a blog junkie like me, you probably already know. This is great news for admirers of all things pink.

Pantone best illustrates the power of Honeysuckle with its description: “A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.“

It's vibrant, energetic hue, that always works with the standard basics of black, navy, charcoal or light to mid gray. If you ask me, i am already dreaming of {honeysuckle} and finding ways to incorporate into my collection. In honor of 2011’s vivacious colour, here’s some serious “Honeysuckle” inspiration. Enjoy your daily dose of {honeysuckle} loveliness!