the party studio

We have moved...

2010-03-04T21:56:00.003+11:00

To all our dear followers, we wanted to make sure that we leave no one behind as we move over to our new blog site which we are very excited about.

To change across, please click here and don't forget to enter your email address so that you will hear about all our latest blog news. Blogging is big on our agenda this year and we have lots in store for you.

The Invitations Range - Launching March 6 at Mathilda's Market!

2010-03-02T14:33:00.010+11:00

It's been a crazy start to the year for The Party Studio! We've been busy not only celebrating parties for our own little ones, but also in bringing a new level of class for everyone to share in!

Between us, with 3 daughters and 8 little-girl oriented parties under our belt, we'd explored a whole realm of parties for girls. But when it came to planning our first Mr 1's big event, it was all a bit new. We could have done trains, or dinosaurs, or pirates, but nothing seemed to suit the little man but a Little Man party! The search was then on, but despite looking high and low, nothing really fit the bill. It was time to invest our own time and effort into making it happen. And here's what we came up with.

Not wanting to do things by halves, we didn't stop there. We loved the Argyle Print theme of our Little Man invites that the whole party was based around it! Mealboxes, juice bottles, placemats, even the cakes and the birthday boy's outfit were all themed to suit!

And just what did the Little Man think? Of course, he slept right through it! But never mind -- we had so much fun doing our own design work that we decided to go ahead and design some more! Actually, designing our own invitation range had been on our wishlist for a while... so we are thrilled to bits to be launching The Invitations Range from The Party Studio at Mathilda's Market in Sydney on March 6.

The Invitations Range is The Party Studio's brand new line of personalised invitations made just for your little darling! Designed and made in Australia, these quality invitations come in a range of delicious themes and are customised for your child. Each invitation comes complete with a magnet, high-quality envelope and co-ordinated envelope seal, and is bound to 'wow' your guests even before they arrive!

Don't miss the Sydney Mathilda's Markets for your chance to get the first glimpse at this exciting new range!

Meet our friend Little Sooti

2010-02-24T23:28:00.011+11:00

If you haven't met Little Sooti, then you must!

Visit her and you will see why. She has gorgeous style and an eye for all things beautiful...and I'm not just saying this because she likes our work or because she's asked us to be a regular guest on her blog as the Party Experts - which, of course, we are (wink, wink)!!

My Little Man turns 1

2010-02-17T14:51:00.016+11:00

Mr 1's big day finally arrived...and it was pouring!

Nevertheless, the party continued as planned. The perfect, outdoor location sheltered us from the peltering rain which turned into a sprinkling shower and eventually ceased, fifteen minutes before the party began.

We had lots of hungry mouths to feed. Noodle boxes were just the right size, plus a touch of argyle created the perfect finishing touch! Personalised wooden cutlery was another detail that wowed the guests.

Our jelly cups turned into jelly shots because of the warm weather, but this did not stop anyone! Packaged cupcakes are not only a great take home party favour for your guests, but they look oh so gorgeous. It also meant that we didn't have to worry about cutting up and serving cake so it's great for picnic parties.

The lolly buffet was a hit with all the little (and big) kids!

A simple yet effective alternative to balloons - flags!

We hope you enjoyed the pics as much as we enjoyed putting the whole party together!

A huge thank you to Ron from Beautiful West Photography who did an amazing job.

Something boyish...

2010-02-04T21:56:00.008+11:00

So you have a boy and you are in search of party decorations that aren't too 'pretty' but have style?

I think the latest trend would be the good ol' fashioned pinwheel. Simple, fun but still 'man-ly'. That's why I've spent the last two nights this week putting together pinwheels for my little man's first birthday party. Not only do I have some great table decorations, but I also have callouses on my thumbs to show for it.

In an ideal world, I would have been organised weeks ago and ordered my pinwheels from Pinwhirls. I was pretty chuffed that I was thinking decorations two weeks before the party, but sadly, I had still missed the boat! Determined not to let this thwart my plans, I set about getting all the bits and pieces I needed, as well as find some not-too-complicated 'how-to' instructions. You won't believe just how many different ways you can make a windmill.

Heather Bailey, from hellomynameisheather has instructions on how to make a real pinwheel masterpiece. Fortunately for me (it looked tricky), this design was a little too girly for my little man so I decided to stick to the more simple and traditional pinwheel. Pigeonhole have instructions on how to make a pinwheel.

With a helping hand from DH (to drill small holes into the sticks), here are my masterpieces (stay tuned for many more pics of the big day)...

The Great Cake Hunt!

2010-01-27T13:08:00.012+11:00

Several weeks coming into a party, panic mode always sets in - usually while I'm tossing and turning in the middle of the night.

"I can't believe I only have a few weeks left to get everything organised! Where did all the time go? How am I going to get everything done?" My DH just shakes his head at me every time and offers his advice of "Don't worry about it! Let's just have a sausage sizzle and keep it simple." Now don't get me wrong - simple is great!

But simple is just not me (my DH was warned before we got married)!

For the first few parties, I made an effort to make the birthday cake. Here are a few piccies of my creations!

They might have looked ok, but I must admit that they didn't necessarily taste the best all the time. Thank goodness icing has many similar properties to glue!

After several parties where I would spend an entire day (and the early hours of the morning) solely concentrating on the birthday cake - it dawned on me that there are so many talented and creative people out there who could do it faster and better! (More about these people in a later blog.)

I've been lucky to have some of these experts design some of their creations for my little girls. Did I feel like a bad mum??...Nah! Just a smarter one.

Having said all that, I must confess that this year (or should I say, in a few weeks time), I've decided to tackle the task of making the cake once again. I've just signed up to a cupcake decorating course with The Cupcake Fairy (aka Dee). Dee has assured me that all will be ok! Let's hope I can have a good night's sleep tonight.

High Tea for Little Miss 3

2009-11-23T14:58:00.013+11:00

Here are some piccies of the High Tea we put on for our little girl...

It was certainly a posh affair! Cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, mini chocolate eclairs all washed down with a cup of apple juice 'tea'.

The cake (created by lushcups) was nothing short of spectacular. A chocolate cake (personal request from the birthday girl) beautifully topped with a red and white polka dot teapot which perfectly matched the table decor and invitations.

Thanks goes to Martha Stewart for these giant pompoms!

Little Leona Party rescheduled to Sat Nov 7

2009-11-04T21:48:00.002+11:00

Due to the weather, the Little Leona Tea Party at the Leona Edmiston Paddington store has been postponed to Saturday November 7. It's not too late for you to go: simply RSVP by email to paddington@leonaedmiston.com. This is a fantastic opportunity to have a gorgeous mummy-daughter date in style!

Little Leona Parties With The Party Studio... and you're invited!

2009-10-27T22:36:00.003+11:00

We are so excited about our new venture with Little Leona, Leona Edmiston's gorgeous range of clothing for Little Ladies!

The Party Studio have designed a Little Ladies' Tea Party exclusively for Little Leona, where mums and daughters will both enjoy fun and fashion! The first of these invitation-only events will be held on November 5 at Leona Edmiston's Paddington store.

Best news of all: as a valued friend of The Party Studio - you are invited! For your chance to celebrate the fabulous Little Leona Spring/Summer 09 collection, check out our stylish party range, and have a gorgeous mummy-daughter date, simply RSVP to paddington@leonaedmiston.com by Monday November 2, and mention The Party Studio. Places are limited so be quick!

Pauline & Rebecca xxx

We are on Facebook!

2009-10-14T12:38:00.005+11:00

It's been nose to the grindstone for me for this past while!

Here's what we've been busy working on: our Christmas collection... and we just know you're going to love it!! Here's a sneak peek!

Now that that's out of the way, I've finally had the time to get on with our putting us on Facebook!

Now to make sure we keep it up to date!

Check us out at www.facebook.com/thepartystudio, and don't forget to add us as a friend! It'll be worth fantastic updates and hot-of-the press party news, as well as a $5 voucher to you! (offer ends October 31). Suggest us to 3 friends for another $5!

Bec xx

Finger lickin' good

2009-10-03T23:43:00.002+10:00

No, I'm not talking KFC! I'm thinking chocolate!

We had afternoon tea today at Sanchurro chocolatier. Whilst little Miss 2 was carefully scoffing down her chocolate dipped churros, and little Miss 4 was wiping up the chocolate she dripped all over her top, I thought how wonderful it would be to have a chocolate party.

Each child could receive a platter of fruit, marshmallows, cubes of sponge cake and a small dipping bowl of delicious melted chocolate. Top this with hot chocolate or chocolate milkshakes (depending on the time of year) and of course, chocolate cake!

Hmmm...I'm going to see if I can incorporate this into my little Miss 2's tea party!

All sugar and spice...

2009-09-27T21:11:00.007+10:00

Little Miss 2 is turning 3 soon!

You know just how quickly time is flying by when your little baby is turning into a little girl and her little baby brother who I brought home from hospital what seems like only yesterday, is almost 8 months old!

It was a no brainer as to what sort of party she would want. All girl! There is nothing that Little Miss 2 loves more than cake, dresses and looking beautiful. Tell her that there is cake for dessert after she finishes her dinner, and that dinner will be gone in no shorter than 5 minutes. Obviously, it takes even less time for the cake to go!

So, it will be a little Tea Party for Little Miss 2. We've already sent out the gorgeous Sambellina invites which I thought were just perfect for the occasion. We received so many 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' over how special they are when the invites went out...people also commented on how organised I was. (I'm trying very hard not to leave it to the last minute!)

I'm thinking red and white polka dots with a splash of pink, mini cupcakes, scones with jam and cream, petite chocolate eclairs, a selection of sandwich fingers, mini jelly cups, and of course, special 'tea' served in porcelain cups and saucers. My DH keeps telling me not to go overboard with it all...who says I'm going overboard??

The only question now is the cake!

A little bit of Trivia...

2009-09-04T13:00:00.003+10:00

After a relaxing two week break, I was back at work putting together lollyboxes for every attendee and support of a Trivia night that I was attending. The Trivia night was organised to support a local family who had been affected by an illness. It was wonderful to see how people in the community gathered together at such an event to raise money for this family as they learn to cope with the physical and financial challenges that are ahead. It's also a reminder of how precious life and health is and how we should not take anything that we have for granted.

Our minds are ticking away as our very own charity is in the works! Watch this space...

To invite or not to invite

2009-07-25T14:00:00.004+10:00

...that is THE question!

Here's how my list always starts out:

MUST invite
- child's 'best' friends
- other good friends
- other friends who child sometimes plays with when their best friends or good friends aren't there
- all the other boys and girls in the class in case they find out that there's a party and you really don't want them to be left out because you know how terrible being left out makes you and your child feel.
- relatives - part 1: your aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins
- relatives - part 2: child's aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins
- mothers' group friends and children
- playgroup friends and children
- neighbours and children
- your long time friends and their children who are nowhere near your child's age
- your friends who have children your child's age but wouldn't know your child from a bar of soap (but don't you think it's awkward when the birthday guests don't know who the birthday boy or girl is and wishes some other kid "Happy Birthday!" ??)

The party list just seems to grow and grow and when you step back and count the numbers, you are completely overwhelmed at the huge task ahead...culling back your list!

For those of you who have culled several times over and still have a big long list of invitees, check out our new megaparty pack! Now there's no reason to compromise on size or style!

Survived: Mathilda's Markets

2009-07-05T16:47:00.006+10:00

Well it's been a exhausting but well-worth-the-effort kinda week! Just got back from Mathilda's Markets in Sydney. It was such a great chance to not only rub shoulders with other groovy kids stores, but also to get the chance to showcase our range to the 'real' world :) (Being online it does get a bit trying not getting to meet real people sometimes!)

Thanks to all of you who took the time to come visit us, check out our products, and give us such wonderful feedback!

Now that we've finally taken the plunge into the market scene, we'll definitely be out and about again -- will keep you all posted!

Now it's time to relax...!
xx

Zero more sleeps!

2009-06-25T14:51:00.005+10:00

We've been waiting for this one and are soooo excited.

Thanks to the hard work of our resident tech-head (aka Bec) and Matt from Webnovation, our new website will be up and running from tonight. These two have been working so hard on getting everything just right so that shopping at The Party Studio is even easier.

So many exciting features have been added like being able to save your wishlist, but one thing we are really excited about is 'Create-a-Party'. This function pretty much takes you through the whole thought process of what you need to buy to create an absolutely fabulous party or design your own theme. Of course, for the time poor parents out there (aren't we all), our packages are still there for you to choose from.

So, when you get a spare moment, please do check out our new-look website.

Reality check: Charlotte is turning 1

2009-05-13T14:56:00.006+10:00

I've been dreading this for the past 4 weeks. I had a little tiny baby, I sneezed and now my little baby is about to turn 1. I have on my hands a toddler.

Every morning for the past month I've had a different random thought on what to do for her party. My first crazy idea was a bookworm party. She just LOVES LOVES LOVES books. Every day, she goes to her little set of shelves and pulls down every book she owns and devours them (yes, literally, corners missing everywhere). Lately, she sits with them, turning the pages, and makes lots of gorgeous gobbledy-gook sounds. It's SO cute!

I thought we could get a 'Hungry Little Caterpillar' cake made out of cupcakes and all. But then I got a bit stuck when trying to work out whether she'd need a costume for a book party or not..., in the end, decided to shelve it for now... though I reserve the right to the idea next year!

Next thought was a rainbow party. This was Pauline's great idea, basically based around the fact that I had no idea, and we found that draping tablecloth material from the marquee looked gorgeous for Amelia's party, and that we could get disposable tablecloths in the 7 colours of the rainbow (don't you hate it when some books only show 6!?!) and -- voila! I like this idea actually, but Charlotte hasn't really ever seen a rainbow so I felt it had little relevance just yet.

So, what have I decided?? In the end, (and now I'm committed because I just wrote all the invites today!) I've gone for a 'Making Music' party. Cha cha just LOVES music and will jive along to any song that she hears. Decorations wise we'll just have lots of colourful things, but for the party favours I'm going to give out little percussion instruments - maracas, tambourines, castanets, even maybe wrist-chimes for the tiny babies! - and we'll put on some groovy kiddy music and they can sing, dance, shake along to it. I'm going to use the 'Freckles' Party from our range, just because it's got lots of nice funky colours.

Anyway, invites going out in this afternoon's post, so cross your fingers that I don't change my mind... again!!

Bec xx

Amelia's Party - Part II

2009-05-01T14:31:00.010+10:00

So how did I go about entertaining 15 little fairy princesses?

I had some craft set up for children to do when they arrived. It was a picture of a fairy ready for them to colour, paste and glitter to create a magical masterpiece! We practically had to drag the little fairies away from the activity to start the next game. The girls were so engrossed that you could hear a pin drop! If only I knew what a success it would be, I would have just given the children lots of paper and other art materials and let them do their thing!

After craft, we played the much loved Pass the Parcel (or as Amelia calls it "Pass the Castle"). Instead of wrapping a present in each layer (which is the politically correct thing to do these days!) I placed 16 presents in a gift box with a lid. Each time the music stopped, the child would open the gift box and choose one of the gifts.

The little fairies then flew off to our front yard (the only part of our garden that has plants) and went on a lady bug hunt followed by bubble blowing. After lunch and cake, we squeezed in a home made game of pin the star on the fairy wand.

Amelia's Party - part I

2009-04-21T12:00:00.006+10:00

My daughter had her long-awaited fairy party on the weekend. A 10am start meant that I was up late finalising the last minute bits and pieces, trying to ensure I wasn't running around crazy in the morning whilst feeding my 11 week old, cooking food, dressing the girls, setting up, tidying up the house and welcoming guests all at the same time!

I was determined to be asleep no later than midnight which is a great achievement compared to past years. I had decided to order the cake rather than spend hours mixing icing sugar to get just the right shade of pink. I tried to keep the food as simple as possible and of course, they were all things you'd find in fairyland! We had pink jelly, skewered pink and white mini marshmallows, fairy bread stars, fruit balls and as a special request from the birthday fairy - cheezels. Keeping everything mini not only looks adorable but it means that there's less wastage.

I presented food in meal boxes (pink of course) and the marquee we had set up was draped in pink (we used plastic tablecloths instead of tuille - cost effective with great results). Satisfied with all my preparation, my daughter asks me on the morning of her party, "What colour will my party be? Blue?"

Oops...in all the hoohah of preparations, I'd forgotten that blue is her favourite colour! Fortunately, she was very understanding and told me that both pink and blue are her favourites!

It's Party Time -- article on Style Collective

2009-03-27T13:18:00.007+11:00

Hi, check out my article written for a hip online directory at the forefront of what's funky in fashion, Style Collective. A big hello to Amanda, Style Collective's fabulous editor, who knows what's hot when it comes to kids, grown-ups, weddings -- and just about everything!!

Cheers,
Bec xx

PS - the photo of the kids below is my gorgeous niece Mimi's 3rd birthday (she's the second child from the left). She turns 4 next month -- I cannot believe how fast this year's flown by!!

Author - Rebecca Yeo (The Party Studio)

When it comes to parties, everyone wants to throw something spectacular for their child. But with current economic conditions, few people can afford to spend thousands of dollars on outsourcing the party planning. And so, the backyard birthday bash is making a comeback.

Having a backyard birthday party doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish or fun. In fact, most little kids will be thrilled to run around with a few of their best friends, and are more than able to entertain themselves for hours. Any open space – be it a backyard, local park or hall – will do. Some really simple games – what’s the time Mr Wolf?, running races, statues – will keep kids giggling and wriggling for ages – and won’t cost you a cent! Even just popping on some funky kid’s music and getting them to dance is bound to bring smiles to faces.

As for making your party look gorgeous, there are many simple ways to give your party that extra something whilst still being light on the hip pocket. Just a little bit of planning and your party is going to make everybody else wish that they’d thought of doing a backyard party too!

The most striking feature of a spectacular party is how it looks, which then boils down to how you decorate your party area. You could obviously go for balloons and streamers, but for something different, consider more long-lasting decorations, such as party bunting. Available in plastic or more resilient fabric, bunting is a great way to add colour and fun to your party. Not only can bunting be chosen to especially match a party theme, but you also have a great keepsake that can be used to decorate a bedroom or playroom.

Cleverly chosen centrepieces and table settings are some other ways of making sure your party has that ‘wow’ factor. Colour co-ordination is the key to an attractive table setting. There is an amazing selection of coloured plates, cups, napkins, cutlery and tablecloths available on the market.

You could go for decorated tableware, with all items embellished with the same image, but a classier way to decorate is to go for matching solid colours. This makes for a much cleaner look and looks fantastic in photographs. Spice things up a bit with a patterned table runner, add some funky take-home gifts, and your table is set!

Give a gift that lasts the car ride home. Avoid plastic toys, which often don’t last, and can look a little tacky. Wooden or cloth toys are a great way to provide entertaining, lasting take-home gifts. They may cost a little bit more, but are well worth the effort. Attractively packaged lollies also make fantastic take-home gifts and are an easy way to make your party that much more special.

For more party tips and ideas visit thepartystudio.com.au.

the party studio's blog debut

2009-03-27T13:05:00.004+11:00

Hi and welcome to The Party Studio blog!

Here you will soon be able to find all the resources you'll need for making your next kid's party spectacular. Practical party tips, imaginative ideas, recipes that will keep the kids coming back for more... as well as our own thoughts as we navigate through the party world with kids of our own!

Stay tuned!

Rebecca & Pauline xx
www.thepartystudio.com.au