stamp my heart...

We are very excited to share this fabulous post with our lovely readers today. Please welcome todays contributing editor & guest Jayde from Little Paper Lane. Little Paper Lane is a dream come true for any stationery lover and has got to be the sweetest stationery/paper shop I’ve ever seen!

Jayde turned her life long passion for paper into a beautiful and inspiring shop. Little Paper Lane is where Jayde can gleefully revel in her passion for paper and then share it with all of us. And today we are very excited to share her wonderful passion for these amazing rubber stamps. This story is very special to us as it comes straight from the heart. Enjoy x

{Winter Scape Box set $49.95, Paris stamp set $19.95}

Jayde:‘I remember my first stamp purchase! I was visiting my Nan and Pop in Victoria in their hometown of Frankston. We would take little trips to Bayside shopping centre and my Grandparents would always buy me a little gift, usually something I could create with! My Nan is a big crafter, and quite a skilled one at that! I remember my Nan taking me into the very new Cardiology shop and I was very heart fluttered! From a young age I was very fond of stationery, I am even more so now ;) but I had never seen a whole shop with such beautiful stationery and most importantly...Stamps!

They were all in rows and rows on the wall and all had a little wooden top with the picture on the wood of what the stamp created! There was ink pads galore, and not just solid colours, I remember seeing a rainbow pad and thinking it was the best thing I had ever seen! There was embossing powders and plain cards to make your own cards and just everything a little (and big) girl could dream of!

{Petite Tea Time stamp $21.95, Matchbox tea time stamp $12.95}

{Seedling my stamp city $23.95, Babushka Marche stamp set $27.50}

I still remember that it took a very long time to pick my stamp!My Nan didn’t ever get impatient, and just giggled when I changed my mind 12 times, it was a very important decision in my mind! My Pop would wander in from time to time and I would show him the hard choice I was making and you could tell he was busting to just let me take them all home, but my lovely Nan knew not to over spoil....just spoil enough! Finally I made my choice! A beautiful stamp of a heart of little flowers and she let me pick a mini pad and I chose red because I thought that hearts should be red!

I think I stamped every possible piece of paper, I wrote my Parents letters just so I could stamp them and my Pop sat with me for so long stamping away and he even got out the old school date stamps to use so he wasn’t using mine...I did want to share, but he knew I was having too much fun with it all! He always joined in with my adventures, I even have a picture of him doing ballet with me :) The next day my Nan had things to do and my pop snuck me back to the shopping centre and bought me all the stamps I was trying to choose between....and a rainbow stamp pad :) not because I asked, it was a very big surprise for me, he just saw how much I loved using my little stamp and thought I needed them all! I still have them all, and quite a few more now!

{The lovely stamps that Jayde received as a gift from her Pop}

I don’t think I realised until writing this that my love of stamps must come from that experience! My Nan patiently and so happily watching me choose the little stamp like I was choosing a puppy to take home and my very cheeky Pop completely spoiling me with stamps not because I was selfish and wanting more(although I am quite sure I badly wanted more) but because he saw the joy in my face that a tiny little object made from rubber bought his granddaughter and he just loved me......I loved him everyday of my life and still do and miss him so much and especially miss the love he had for me!

Today I sit in my little shop surrounded by the most beautiful stamps from all over the world and honestly smile when I look at them! They are just beautiful! A customer came in with her daughter in the holidays and let her choose a little treat, it didn’t take her long, but she picked a tin of stamps that included a stamp that had a ‘thank you’ stamp in it! I asked her what she would be creating and she said she wanted to make a card for her Grandma and Grandad to say Thank you for having her the previous week. It made my heart melt! Stamps are awesome.’

Love, Jayde
{of Little Paper Lane}
http://www.littlepaperlane.com.au/

say it with 'Chevron'

I've been seeing a lot of {chevron} patterns popping up everywhere in the design blogosphere and I must admit, I'm totally smitten by it. I've always loved herringbone and honeycomb patterns and the latest addition of chevron design is just a more modern twist on that classic zig zag pattern.

Even though I have been a fan of chevron décor for a while but lately this obsession has stepped up a notch. From cards, invitations, chairs, to rugs, to walls, chevron is here to stay and this is how my latest chevron envelopes printable collection was born. To confirm by chevron obsession, i have designed my latest business cards with this lovely candy chevron design and i am also desperately waiting for my chevron monogram iphone cover. {image below}. This is my spin on this everlasting trend. I hope you flaunt the chevron design just as much as I do! xx

{chevron printable envelopes by My Little Jedi}

Delightfully Sweet Alice in Wonderland Party

Spotted! Totally sweet & adorable {Alice in Wonderland} dessert table! What makes it even more special that my dear friend Niki of {Candy Soirees} worked collaboratively with Kate of {Kiss Me Kate} and these two amazing masterminds have created a masterpiece which I would love to share with all our readers today.

I absolutely adore the story itself, its classic with plenty of fun and iconic figures to plan a theme around. The use of divine pastel colours, mix of textures and patterns and an eclectic tower of teacups, Niki and Kate have created a wonderful whimsical event. There are so many amazing details featured in this lovely dessert table, for me the stand outs are the lovely backdrop, vintage tea cup tower and the divine teapot cake . The hanging baroque frames and clock as well as the tea cup tower add a touch of whimsy to this special event. I have to admit this is one of my favourite Alice in Wonderland parties I have even seen. And when you combine the amazing styling of Niki with the deliciously gorgeous sweets made by Kate it all turns into magic! Enjoy xx

Yummy Mummy Leanne - From Mrs A In The Cove

I have to admit, these days mums put a different side to their efforts in creating the perfect party for their kids or anyone in the family. The level of creativity that these fabulous mums can do to put on a grand show of that special day is very inspiring. Having said that, I would love you to meet our special guest Leanne Ambrogio, the creative mastermind behind the successful party styling business ~ {Mrs A In The Cove}.

Leanne's work is absolutely divine, her attention to detail is stunning and every dessert table is executed to perfection. I met Leanne for the very first time at Mathilda’s Markets last Christmas and recently I had the pleasure to catch up again at the {ABCD Meet Up}. Not only is she creative but she’s super stylish and very friendly. With a love of entertaining, Leanne has very quickly become a well-known party stylist and "The Queen" of dessert tables {Amy Atlas} has featured 3 of Leanne's parties. The lastest {bubblegum and soda} party for Sophia's 5th birthday is one of my favourite! The styling, colour palette and all the delicious sweets and candy are to die for! I’m so excited to have Leanne as our guest and share her amazing story with our readers.


Above, we have featured couple of Leanne's favourite styled parties. I would like to personally thank Leanne for being our {special guest} on MLJ blog today! Enjoy the interview below! xx

Tell us a little about YOU, the woman behind {Mrs A In The Cove}?
I'm Leanne. A Wife to a man who does the ironing and a mum to four little girls - three very cheeky monkeys here with me on earth and one precious angel who watches over us from above. I work from home and love being at home and thankfully I love the colour pink as I am surrounded by it.

When did you launch your business/blog and what is the inspiration behind the name?
My blog began in 2009 when we were building our house - I thought it would be a great way to document the beginnings of our new home - hence the name Mrs A In The Cove. It however developed into something more - I discovered a passion for styling and along the way created a business doing just that. My blog today is about many things - my life, my styling, my photography journey, my family, the parties tables I create for myself and for others.

What was your inspiration for starting your own business & who/what inspires your work?
My original inspiration came from the one and only Amy Atlas – I fell in love with how she made a dessert table look so special. Now I am inspired by the amazing blogging community – the inspiration on the internet is just truly amazing.

What is the most satisfying part of what you do? Being able to come up with something new and different with each table I create.

What was the most rewarding thing that has happened in your career so far? Being featured on Amy Atlas blog three times has been pretty incredible – to receive validation from the Queen of the dessert table is very exciting. I also get so much satisfaction from hearing from readers of my blog – it is always such a lovely surprise to get kind and generous comments in my inbox – they make me smile.

What would be your best 3 tips for someone thinking of styling their own dessert table?
- Don’t try and put too much on the table Stick to two or three colours when styling
- Keep your platers/cake stands white and simple

What is a favourite party theme and tell us what you love about it?
Circus – I love this theme as you can do vintage or modern, there are a number of different colour schemes you can use and the number of different foods that can be included in a circus themed party are endless.

What is your day-to-day like?
With 3 kids it is pretty busy – my two eldest are at school so once I have them off to school I usually come home and do a few things around the house and catch up on emails. Once Indi goes down for her sleep I am on the computer scouring and working out blog posts. Between 3.30-8pm it is then back on family duty with all that is involved in keeping up with the kids. After the girls go to bed I am back on the computer. I usually finalise my blog post for the day and work on business things. There is never much time to rest.

What is your favourite place in the world?
Apart from my home my favourite place in the world is Bali – I have been 8 times and each time I love it all the more – I love the lifestyle, the climate and the people –there is so much to see and do and it is a wonderful place to relax.

Email: leanne@sweetstyle.com.au
Website: www.sweetstyle.com.au
Blog: www.mrsainthecove.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-A-In-The-Cove

Vintage Truck Dessert Table

Today i came across this gorgeous blog called {Whipper Berry} and i fell in love instantly! Who knew a party on the back of a truck could be so glamorous. There are so many things i love about this party, i dont know where to start! Well, it's no secret that the palette of lemon and dove grey is one of my favourite which has been applied to this dessert table beautifully. I absolutely adore the fabric chandelier and banner which has given the truck a touch of vinty glamour. There's just something about sugared pears, they always look so beautiful especially against that vintage tiered stand. For more details about this amazing vintage truck party, visit {whipper berry} blog. Enjoy xx

{Latest Obsession} - Vintage Typewriters...

Its official! I have found my new obsession! Vintage typewriter machines, that is! Click Click, Type Type. I love the sounds and the bright colours of the vintage typewriters, especially the idea of stepping away from a computer screen and transporting yourself into another era, where people wrote love letters, post cards and used the telephone instead of facebook to post personal messages. Which wasnt that long ago. I have spent countless hours looking through inspiration blogs and I have noticed these vintage typewriters. It's like they are calling my name to buy them! And tonight I have bought my first vintage yellow typewriter machine. {image below}. She could just sit on my desk and keep me & my laptop company while I do my work. Oh and did i mention, i will be definitely getting one of these beauties below...pink is definitely my colour ;)

keep calm and hop away...

Sometimes, I think back on the way I passed the time away as a child and the games i used to play. Today I came across these amazing rugs designs that remind me of my old school yard. How can anyone not smile at this luxurious hopscotch chalk print wool rugs, a clever design by Italian-based A/R Studio that will satisfy your inner child. Humm, I think I need one! ;)

{Italian A/C studio rug}

{Maisons du monde rug}

divine dress up party...

Get ready for a serious dose of adorable! Lately, I have been finding myself endlessly inspired by beautiful birthday parties and this pretty vintage shoot is no exception. Marissa from {The Princess and the Pirate} has styled this whimsical dress-up shoot as I know that our blog readers will appreciate the amazing mix of vintage & eclectic style. From shabby chic furniture, pink cupcake stands, roses and pearls, the attention to detail here is fabulous! The lovely Marissa has shared below the inspiration behind this divine shoot.

Inspiration behind the shoot: We started planning this shoot to inspire the use of our dress-up girl themed invitations. Our aim was to create a real girly party, thoughts of a big chest of party dresses, feather boas, pearls and big floppy hats. In an attempt to lessen the cost of buying props we took a quick trip up to our grandmothers house which is not your typical grandma's house. Her little villa is filled to the brim with shabby chic furniture, pink cake and cupcake stands, roses and pearls all very tastefully done, if not a bit overboard :) With this one trip we knew all we needed was some sweet desserts and to borrow some of her furniture and we'd be set. And so that is all it took, we pottered around her villa pulling out the dresser from her bedroom and her lounge chair and took it out to her courtyard, filled it with some pretty sweets and desserts and it was just what we had imagined.

dine with me...

I am in total awe, after viewing this yarn inspired shoot featured on "Style Me Pretty" blog. The lovely ladies from Talia Events and Keri Doolittle Photography have incorporated the concept of yarn/twine in a totally amazing and modern way. What i love about this shoot is the use of monochromatic colour palette and the rolled balls of yarn of different sizes to cluster together in the center of the table. And the most amazing of all the gorgeous cake which has been decorated with quilting and yarn details. Every details is executed to perfection! Lovely work ladies xx