MY FUNNY VALENTINE

Some super sweet vintage Valentine's Day clip art for you today (3 days to go)...

NEW PRODUCTS IN SHOP

A few new products are going into the shop this week...

Some red and white candy striped favour bags (10 for only $1.00).

Some dinner sized Sunshine stripes plates and napkins (we will continue to stock the luncheon size as well).

And some dinner sized Lattice Rose napkins (again, we will continue to stock the beverage size)

TREATS ON A STICK

There is something lovely about little party food on a stick!

Love these ideas from Bakerella and Hostess with the Mostess...

RAINBOW CAKE

This gorgeous rainbow cake would go beautifully with our Happy Hippie Party....

See more photos and instructions at http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/02/fabulous-rainbow-cake-tutorial/

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY CNTD

And here is the next instalment of my Australia Day-inspired party series...THE MAGIC PUDDING!

State library NSW and willtypeforfood.blogspot.com

www.scottdelman.com

Another great theme for a little boys birthday (or girls)!

- Buy some cheap white or grey beanies for each little guest and hand them out as they arrive.

- Decorate the tables with red gingham or checked tablecoths and deocrate the tables with some pudding wrapped in canvas (should be readily available for parties around Christmas time) and wildflowers.

See puddinglady.com.au for a range of puddings which as also stocked through David Jones

- Feed your guests traditional Australian party fare like sausage rolls and party pies, fairy bread and chocolate crackles. Serve in big white bowls.

Photo from Monashcatering.com.au

- For the cake...magic pudding of course! Try cooking a caked in a pudding shaped mould and then place the pudding inside a "smash cake" (decorated chocolate shell for the birthday boy or girl to break with a hammer).

- Opt for old-fashioned boys games and activites. Again, I highly recommend The Dangerous Book for Boys to you. It is full of instructions for lots of activities boys will LOVE - like making a bow and arrow(?), making paper planes, tying knots, catching insects, etc. You can also try traditional party games, like sack races (sacks available from I LOVE PARTIES) and egg and spoon races.

- Send guests away with brown kraft paper favour bags fill with all the cooking supplies they will need to make their own (chocolate) pudding at home, including a recipe, a little wooden spoon, whisk, etc!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY CTD

Sorry folks, here is the next instalment of my Australia Day-inspired party series...GINGER MEGGS!

Pictures from gingermeggs.wordpress.com, collectingbooksandmagazines.com and 70plusandstillkicking.blogspot.com

What a great theme for a little boys birthday!

- Buy a red wig for each of your little guests and paint some freckles on them when they arrive. Dress the birthday boy in a black vest and white t-shirt - easy!

- Decorate the tables with red gingham or checked tablecoths and scatter some old fashion Australian boys toys (think wooden and wind up toys, like spinning tops, cars and carts).

- Use red and yellow plates and cups.

- Serve up some plain red iced cupcake and/or cookies. Feed your guests traditional Australian party fare like sausage rolls and party pies, fairy bread and chocolate crackles.

- Opt for other old-fashioned boys games and activites. I highly recommend The Dangerous Book for Boys to you. It is full of instructions for lots of activities boys will LOVE - like making a bow and arrow(?), making paper planes, tying knots, catching insects, etc. You can also try traditional party games, like sack races (sacks available from I LOVE PARTIES) and egg and spoon races.

(Love this retro magentic fishing game!! - you could make one yourself...)

- You might even want to buy a billycart or two and either decorate or race them at the party.

You can buy kits for these on ubuiltit.com.au

- Send guests away with red and yellow paper favour bags fill with old-fashioned lollies (big jaffas and lemon sherbets, for example), cowboy/car stickers, red pencils, and a Ginger Meggs comic strips (you can get these in a book shop or online). If you can afford it, you might even send your guests away with their own little Globite suitcase filled with odds and ends.

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY CNTD

Following on from yesterday's post, here are some hints and tips for a gorgeous Blinky Bill party.

I think this theme would make for a lovley first birthday party, particularly (but not exclusively) for a boy.

Photos from lib.monash.edu.au and louellakerrbooks.com.au

- Ask guests to dress up as Blinky or Nutsy. Dress the Birthday boy or girl up in some cute red overalls and some koala ears.

- Decorate the tables with red gingham or checked tablecoths, Australian wild flowers and gumnuts.

- Hit cheap souvenier shops for some cheap koala paraphenalia, including little koalas to give away as party favours, or to use in a "Blinky Hunt".

- Make a banner of gum leaves strung with twine. Alternatively, you can download "printable" gumleaves from http://www.treeproject.abavic.org.au/pdf-articles/Australian-Gumleaves.pdf

- Use eco friendly plates, cups (we stock these in the I LOVE PARTIES shop) and wooden cutlery.

- Serve up some koala cupcakes (see these gorgeous cakes for inspiration) and some Tiny Teddies (you can also find some cute Koala biscuits at your local Asian grocer).

Photos from Katieskitchen.wordpress.com and Blempgorf on Flickr.com

- Set up jugs or bottles with labels: "Eucalyptus Nectar" and "Gumnut Soda".

- Hold a "Blinky and Nutsy Hunt" in the garden. Paint a poster of Blinky and play pin-the-nose-on-Blinky. Opt for other old-fashioned games, like sack races (sacks available from I LOVE PARTIES) and egg and spoon races.

- Send guests away with a Blinky-style runaway bag on a stick (see picture below) and fill with old-fashioned lollies (the natural confectionary company do Blinky Bill jellies), some wooden pencils or crayons, and koala stickers.