Oh Sweet Mum - A Virtual Mothers Day E-vent

This post has been such a long time coming!   However, blogger and my old computer were not getting along very well, but now that I am "iMac-ed" up - I am ready to roll and blog again!

It really does feel like more than a few weeks ago that the Oh Sweet Mum E-vent became live and I was completely FLOORED by the enthusiasm for the e-vent as well as the love shown to all the hosts and contributors.

Everyone involved in the production of every e-vent for Oh Sweet Mum is a complete inspiration to me.   The true thrill came from putting together something that had been in my heart and mind for so long and to be able to fulfil this dream surrounded and collaborated with the sweet professionals that inspire so much was the cherry on top of the pie!

For those of you who missed the e-vent - well ..... you really missed a show!   The day went off without a hitch and the response was outstanding.   All the work was done for months beforehand and all this tireless work by so many people, helped the day go so perfectly.

If you missed any of the events, you can see them in my Facebook photo albums.    I have also put links directly to the particular album under each e-vent below.

Here is a brief snapshot of each e-vent.   Please click on the link and have a look at the photos - they are beyond stunning!

The cover shot of the magazine!   Photography by Tindale Images.

Breakfast Bar hosted by Styled by Belle
See Facebook album here.

Market Days hosted by Leo & Bella
See Facebook album here.

Shop with Mum hosted by Little Big Company
See Facebook album here.

Pies, Slices & Tarts hosted by Bubble & Sweet
See Facebook album here.

Beachside Lunch hosted by Blissfully Sweet
See Facebook album here.

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes hosted by Sweet Style
See Facebook album here.

Travel the World hosted by My Little Jedi
See Facebook album here.

International Icons hosted by Bella Cupcakes.
See Facebook page here.

International Icons hosted by Cotton & Crumbs.
See Facebook page here.

International Icons hosted by Arty McGoo.
See Facebook page here.

International Icons hosted by Principal Planner.
See Facebook page here.

Afternoon Picnic hosted by Blissfully Sweet
See Facebook album here.

An Evening Sweets Affair hosted by Boutique Affairs
See Facebook album here.

Hot Chocolate & S'mores Bar hosted by Just Call Me Martha
See Facebook album here.

Midnight Snack hosted by Styled by Belle.
See Facebook album here.

After all these beautiful and magnificent photo shoots, it was only befitting that the e-vents should comprise a magazine where everyone can ogle at want.   This magazine was beautifully design and published by Nicole at Pretty & Print.   Her beautifully designed magazine was a delight to see and was so immaculately put together.

It is with a lot of pride also, that due to popular demand, the online Oh Sweet Mum magazine is also available to purchase in printed version via Blurb.com.   This is a dream come true for me and the quality of the printed publication is gorgeous!

The sale of the magazine is strictly not-for-profit.   All monies raised go directly to Blurb.com for processing and $5 of the purchase price of every copy is being donated to the Jane McGrath Foundation.   If you order your copy before 31 May 2012, you are eligible for 30% off the purchase price.   Just enter the code DERBY at checkout when you purchase.

You can see both the online version and the link to Blurb.com for the purchase of the magazine.

Again, I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in this awesome e-vent.   I am smiling with so m ugh pride as to what was achieved and my Mum is smiling all the way down from above and would be quite chuffed at all the attention!

Please read and ogle at want .... and if you can, please purchase a copy of the magazine!   Such a worthy cause!

The Printed Version Available for Purchase via Blurb.com

Oh Sweet Mum by Blissfully Sweet | Make Your Own Book

The Online Version Available for Viewing via Issuu

Open publication - Free publishing

"Oh Sweet Mum" ... More Sweet Sneak Peak Information

Firstly, a huge big thank you for everyone who has joined in on the Oh Sweet Mum bandwagon and have RSVPed and are ready and awaiting the big reveal!  

It has been such a whirlwind for all involved since the time that I released the event.   For the last 6 weeks, many talented women (and maybe even a few men) have been busy working away, designing, creating, styling, baking, decorating, photographing, crafting ..... ready for photoshoots that have been taking place all over Australia, as well as overseas!

As it is almost one month away from the big day, Friday 27th April 2012, I though it prudent to give you all a bit more information.

So to recap ....

Oh Sweet Mum is an "e-vent"! That is a virtual event that will exist in one place, at one time. However all the work will be done before that, so on the date of “virtuality” we will all be at our desks, laptops, iPhones etc and will have a gold ticket seat to watch the events play out.

Oh Sweet Mum will take place on Friday, 27 April 2012 and will be published online via the Blissfully Sweet Facebook page that very morning at a specified time. To be a part of this e-vent - all you need to do to RSVP is hit the "like" button.

Need to know a little bit more???
 
The entire Virtual Mothers Day E-vent will be made up of numerous mini E-vents hosted by different stylists and using fabulous contributors and vendors.

The mini e-vents that will be held on the day will be:

Breakfast & Yoghurt Bar

Market Days

Pies, Slices & Tarts

I Want to Travel the World

Beachside Lunch

Cakes, Candy & Drink Buffets

Afternoon Picnic

Oh So Sweet Shop

An Evening Sweets Affair

Hot Chocolate & S’Mores Bar

Midnight Snack

with a special mini e-vent by our International Icons.

It will be a day filled with inspiration!

I will not let out yet who will be hosting each event and who is contributing with them, you can have some fun guessing on that one.   However, I will let you know that the only "rules" each host had, was they had their own particular colour scheme to work with and that it needed to be in theme with the title of their e-vent.

Each artisan has their own style and flair and I wanted them to design and create what they wanted, so we could see what wonders they could master.

I will also let you know, that I have heard stories about what has already been done and I am falling off my chair with excitement!   These ladies have left no stone unturned and nothing was off limits!

So.... on the day of virtuality .... each mini e-vent will be hosted online on the Blissfully Sweet Facebook page.   The e-vents will be staggered out on the day so that you will have your dose of gorgeousness every few hours.   Closer to the day, I will let you all know what time every e-vent will be shown.   Click like here to make sure you do not miss out.  

At the end of the day, the whole e-vent will be available on my blog here.   More details on that soon also.

So now you know more!   We have been itching to tell more and cannot wait to show more soon.

In the meantime, hold onto your seats, because it is going to be an Oh so sweet ride into Mother's Day!

Bali Themed 40th Birthday Cake

Karen contacted me at the beginning of this year to discuss her 40th Birthday Party.   She lives in a beautiful part of the world, Thirroul, and her party theme was "Balinese".

Karen's brief to me was, a Bali theme!   Open slate for the rest!   So I opted for what makes me think of Bali - thatched huts, bali flags, sandstone statues, tiki torches, fabric lounges and of course the beach!

The hut was made from styrofoam and given a Bali treatment and given a thatched roof as well as some wooden supports and wooden floor boards.   A traditional fabric balinese mat was under the hut as well as a sandstone statue.   Tiki torches provided the actual candles for the cake.   The bali flags are paper (this cake needed to travel several hours).   At the last minute I decided to add in a pair of legs diving into the waves!

Apart from the hut structure and the bali flags, the entire cake and its decorations are all edible.   The cake is a chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache.

I think I could easily jet off to Bali right now!

and I can see myself lounging here right now also!

Happy 40th Birthday Karen!

Red-Eyed Green Frog Birthday Cake

One of my other favourite little men, Master Tate, turns 7 today and is having just a little small dinner with family and his bestie.    Tate requested one of my cakes (as you do) and requested a red-eyed tree frog cake!    Hmmmm .... off to Google images I go!   Discovered that they are ultra cute and as the name says, have big red boggle eyes, as well as orange tinted padded limbs and a funky yellow and blue striped tummy!

Off to moulding I go!

I decided to put him on a rock (the cake) and have him resting on a few leaves.   I had so much fun with froggy!   I only let him go, as I love Tate a little more so!

Everything is completely hand moulded and edible.    The cake is Tate's request of chocolate sponge cake with chocolate ganache.

Bad lighting in my studio {read, my laundry} today!   So I decided to take froggy out for an outdoor photo shoot ..... back to his natural environment!

Froggy had a gloss finish to him, to give him that extra frog quality!

Love his big boggle red eyes and his long limbs!   

Happy 7th Birthday Tate!!!   x

A Barbie Buttercream Birthday Cake

Nadine from Plus Maternity ordered this swirly buttercream Barbie cake for her daughter Sahara's 4th birthday last week.    I love the beauty and simplicity of this cake .... less is most time, always so more!

Her very full couture buttercream layered skirt is a luscious red velvet cake layered, coated and swirled in pink tinted vanilla buttercream.

On a side note, click on over to Nadine's online store, Plus Maternity for the best in plus sized maternity fashion!!!

Buttercream rosettes


Happy 4th Birthday Sahara!

February Photo Challenge

OK so February is now done and dusted for the Photo Challenge by Chantelle of Fat Mum Slim fame!   I had a lot of fun with this month's photos and as each day passes I get excited to see what will come next!    I am still only using my iPhone to take the photos and Instagram as my mode of creativity!

Onto March now, and hopefully some of you will join in the fun! If you would like further details of the Challenge by Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim, visit her blog here.

Here are my February daily images:

Day 1: My View ....   Day 2: Words ....   Day 3: Hands

Day 4: A Stranger ....   Day 5: 10am ....   Day 6: Dinner

Day 7: Buttons ....   Day 8: Sun ....   Day 9: Front Door

Day 10: Self portrait ....   Day 11: Makes Me Happy    Day 12: In My Closet

Day 13: Blue ....   Day 14: Heart ....   Day 15: Phone

Day 16: Something New ....   Day 17: Time ....    Day 18: Drink

Day 19: Something I Hate to Do ....   Day 20: Handwriting ....   Day 21: Fave Photo of Me

Day 22: Where I Work ....    Day 23: My Shoes ....    Day 24: Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet

Day 25: Green ....   Day 26: Night ....    Day 27: Something I Ate

Day 28: Money ....   Day 29: Something I'm Listening to

I really hope that you will join in on the challenge - alot of fun!   Below are the March topics .... off Instagraming I go!!

Hoot the Owl Birthday Cake

This ever so cute may seem very familiar, well that is because he is one of my most requested cake designs.

Oliver's mum requested this cake for his birthday as he loves Hoot!   Jenny loved my previous cake and decided on exactly the same for Oliver's celebration.

The cake is vanilla cake, filled and covered in white chocolate ganache.   Everything is edible and Hoot is carved and covered styrofoam!  Oliver can keep Hoot after he has eaten his cake!

All of Hoot's cute little details!

Happy 2nd Birthday Oliver!

Black & White Wedding Cake

Louise has had her wedding cake booked with me for over a year .... and the day had finally come!

The wedding always had a theme of black and white and Louise came to me with a cake design in mind.  This is the cake design that Louise chose, however at the last moment, I suggested that the middle tier be different to the other two striped tiers and for it to be covered in scrunchy white flowers with a pop of black!   I think it became a point of difference to the cake while still keeping the original design that Louise had made and loved.

The bottom and top tiers are chocolate mud cake with dark chocolate ganache.   The middle tier is white chocolate mud cake with white chocolate ganache.

The wedding was held at the beautiful Curzon Hall.   Such a gorgeous venue for a wedding and Louise also had her ceremony in the gardens of this magestic estate.

Louise's design with my ruffled addition!

Lots of ruffly blooms.

The beautiful and magestic Curzon Hall!

and the cake set up in the beautiful reception room.   I especially like the top photo of the topper in the shadows of the window!

Congratulations Louise & Cameron!

 

A Little Valentines Sweet Affair

I really am not a Valentines girl! I really am not!   I love the sentiment of it all - but the over-marketing of it all kills it!

However in saying that, collectively I have spent 36 valentines with my men!!   So I thought I might do a little something, at the last minute!

I always make my own cards for the boys, and this morning while I was painting my hands to make their Valentines cards {yuk} I looked in the playroom and saw Liam's little red drawing desk.   Then the idea came to me!

So at 10am, I decided to bake a few things, put a few things together and about 1 hour later all done and ready for my men to rock on home!

Happy Valentines to my men!

 

I didn't know what to use for my backdrop.  I thought about a few options and then I saw my painting in the hallway and the colours suited the occasion! (Pointillist painting by me!)

I used things that I had to make the table come together and it all went together nicely I think.

Some treats for some after dinner sweet tooths!
 

Some treats that I could whip up easily at home in an hour or so.

Chocolate spoons (boys will love these)

Meringue nests with chantilly cream and raspberries

More chocolate - this time chocolate spoons

Cupcakes filled with pink buttecream and topped with a cake heart sprinkled in pink icing sugar

Pink freckled shortbread (courtesy of Coles!)

Looking down over my table of love!

Some fresh flowers for the table - I love the simpleness of these gorgeous blooms!

A handmade card for my hubby! This is our 22 Valentines Day together - I have officially had more Valentines days with him than without him! Oh lucky me! The card symbolises hearts firmly in our hands!

and a handmade card for my beautiful little Valentines - Liam, Ben & Noah!

My men are my life and my heart!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone!