Sunday, December 19, 2010

Preppy Christmas

Each year, I like to create a different look for my Christmas table, and while I love snow and the nostalgia of a 'white christmas' this year I wanted to make something that was more casual and fun. Vintage is beautiful but its been done to death right ?
I new I wanted to do red and white, and some where along the line navy came into the picture, and wha'la a "Preppy Christmas" was born.




I contacted the lovely Lindi from http://www.love-the-day.com/ to ask her if she would like to collaborate with me and design a printable party pack, I purchased her 'Harvest' pack for Archie Woodland Folk party and it was wonderful, I was so impressed not only with the amount of things in the pack, but the endless possibilities for using the goodies inside, and you can reprint them until your heart is content.
The packs include Welcome sign, banner, cupcake wrappers, water bottle labels, chocolate wrappers, cupcake toppers, food flags, gift tags, and so much more I forget, a whopping 24+ pages.. WOW!
You can purchase this from here http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovetheday
so easy and you have plenty of time to make your table all 'preppy' for the 25th of December.
Even used as a boxing day BBQ for styling would be so cool. I adore Lindi's work, please like her on facebook as well, cuteness and creativeness overload.



No Christmas is complete with out macarons, they are little bite of heaven, soft, sweet and very special.
Silvana from "The Mac Factory" is the Mac Queen ... for real! the Mac Factory is opening soon in Hutt Street in Adelaide's CBD and is sure to be a massive success, with over 50 flavours.. FIVE ZERO people!!
I have used these mac's in every buffet I have done so far and the flavours of all the ones I have been lucky enough to try are to good to explain, you cant pic a favorite because they all leave you weak at the knees.
So we did the Macaron 'Ivory Tower' these come in small, med and large and are so perfect for any event, wow people at a wedding or birthday with one, I love this one so much!!


Then we also had, blue, red and white and then very super special ones with red glitter dusting.. OH MY GOSH! so good! like 'The Mac Factory' on facebook also, for updates of the store opening.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Mac-Factory/147897728587207



All Photographed by the lovely http://www.jennifersando.com.au/ we had fun, as always, then we ate macarons for a few days after .. and blissed out. Jen and I have known each other for probably 6 years, she is inspiring and a great support to me, Im looking forward to 2011, Jen and I have some amazing projects in the works, I cant even tell you how blessed I feel to have a friend who is also an amazing photographer, so talented and lovely all in one!


Okay, now to the food, I wanted to include 2 recipes that are easy and fun so they are
an starter of Prawns on Cucumber and Dill salad.. very yummy!!! and Eton Mess for dessert..
then as no Christmas should ever go with out a cocktail, a Mint Julep .. so good, best. drink. ever.
I have attached recipes, and they are also on my facebook page www.facebook.com/whiteroomevents
in the Preppy Christmas album :)




 
I didn't set a table for you to see as such, I'm saving that for Christmas day, but I love how it turned out.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Prepin', for the Preppy

{prep•py - [prep-ee] noun, plural -pies, adjective, -pi•er, -pi•est
Preppy, preppie, or prep (all abbreviations of the word preparatory) refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, The preppy style originated in the 1950s. sometimes considered a youth subculture}


Stay tuned for our Christmas table shoot next week... to be photographed by the one and only http://www.jennifersando.com.au/

featuring ...
the most amazing french macaron's you have ever seen from the Mac Factory, opening soon in Hutt street Adelaide, Facebook them and join their page. If heaven was bite sized, these mac's are it!
And thats not all, you will be able to purchase a wonderful printable pack from http://www.love-the-day.com/ that is really simple and stunning and made just for White Room Events.
and of course 2 feature recipes if your stuck for inspiration!

We will give you every last detail so that you can re-create our Christmas table..
one with a twist of all things 'preppy'

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Prop Room



My collection of goodies is slowly growing, picking up pieces here and there, each one I find I immediately see has a purpose, even if I have no where to use it yet.
Chairs, and furniture are obvious props but the list is really endless, theres beauty in everything when it has purpose.

Even more, I love it when something I thrifted years ago takes prime position in a beautiful tablescape or wedding instead of being carelessly piled in a 'junk' store its shining magnificently and standing proud again.
I try to choose objects that have been loved, if not I will make sure I love them. alot.

With my collection, I dream of one day having a purpose built space for them, itemised, colour coordinated, you know because I'm borderline OCD on these things, my cake stands will stand in like like soldiers waiting to hold the perfect cake.

So as you do.. I googled 'prop room's' and came across the Pioneer of all things 'Event' Martha Stewarts prop room and my suitcase is packed, I'm moving in ...


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Pink Ladies

Here are some shots of an event I hosted for a 'Girls Night In' - to raise money for women's cancers.
Thank you to my beautiful Friends for their donations.

Lucky for me I have one very special friend in http://www.jennifersando.com.au/ who came and took some amazing photos for me, I asked her to capture them with a fun feeling, nothing to serious.. I love how they turned out.. thank you so much Jen .. xo

My temporary backyard is very. very small.. not the backyard any event stylist would dream of, but I love the challenge of making a small, not very workable or pretty space work.
I ordered the flowers from http://www.lotusflowershop.com.au/ if you are planning an event please go and see Holly she is so talented, the blooms she sent my way included Peonies . they were just beautiful and one of my all time fav's tulips and rannuculas - I popped them into random jars and depression cut glassware.


I knew from the start I wanted to make the style very pink and with pink being such a colour of perfectness I wanted the decor to bit a bit rustic, left of centre, I didn't want everything lined up perfectly, I wanted raw edges, mixed printed linens topped with fluffed pom poms and lots LOTS of tissue paper! I think this is the most under use decor item and its so affordable and so effective, I used tissue garland to backdrop my 'sweet table' and my photo booth. I had Anne Ludwig from http://www.eleganteventmanagement.com/ deliver me beautiful white chavari chairs and a lovely long tables. If you need event management, day of co-ordintation, complete wedding co-ordination Anne is your go to gal.


Of course no sweet table is complete without sweets, I had the AMAZING Belinda Harley of http://www.sweettreatscakes.com.au/  make the beautiful cake centrepiece and the ruffle cupcakes these were filled with passion fruit, oh my goodness!! then I had http://www.nonnaspantry.com.au/  make me the most stunning macarons, Turkish delight with chocolate ganache and vanilla and lime.. to good to even explain.


I asked everyone to bring a dish and I would be in charge of the desserts... and the Cheese platter. I'm a little bit in love with all things cheese.
I also asked them (but didn't make them, because that is just wrong) if they wanted to wear something pink to go right ahead.




It was a great night, I didn't have a lot of girls, but the girls I chose to invite are all very dear to me.
Some I have known for years.. YEARS, some I have know much less but I think as you get older you know when you have a sisterhood and a respect, and with these women I certainly do.
They are all very different.. each in their own right, inspiring, amazing, interesting and I'm so proud to know them all.

I love details, I love planning the style of an event in my head and making it come alive, I love colour and making it all flow together, and while I spend so much of the time working on these events thinking about all of this, the thing I have found I love the most is that when it comes together on the day it isn't really about how well the 'pinks' went together or how wonderful the details are, is about creating a moment, a memory and showing people that you love them and feeling that they love you... life is good.

Love you girls. xo

For more photos you can go HERE
I have many more images of this night, but they have been saved for something special.. so stay tuned for them, there are loads of details that I haven't shared yet... including the most amazing Jelly dish I have ever made.:)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Blush and Bashful = Pink + Pink


I love pink, I really do, and if you had asked me some years ago what my favorite colour was I would not have hesitated in saying PINK, in fact  I planned my own bridal shower to be the theme of 'Blush and Bashful' ..(Steel Magnolias fame) so I was quite serious about this hue .. while I'm more partial to the salmon and paler side of this pretty colour and lets face it EVERY colour is pretty awesome in its own way, I now favour yellow, coral, aqua and of course White!
I don't get to use it in full force much, and pink certainly has its place in every gals life.. don't you agree?

This weekend I'm hosting a small event for some of my beautiful girlfriends in aid to raise money for women's cancers, http://www.girlsnightin.com.au/  at this moment my house is a sea of pink tissue leaf garland, liberty prints and stripes and more paper tissue poms than I care to tell you about, its going to be a pink fest :)

image via - ruffled

I cant wait to show you - more importantly of course I can wait to share the night with some of the most important beautiful girls in my life some I have been Friends with for my whole entire life (which is a long time!) .... a little bit scared of what the photo booth shots will turn out like, very much looking forward to eating my way though every single dish and dessert and being a bit silly, but you cant be precious about being silly with your girls can you, and its for a good cause!

There is still time for you to host your 'girls night in' - get on board, this year I started out small, but I hope to grow it every year.. (note to self : store sea of pink well)