Merry Christmas!

Well, after all my very very best intentions, I didn't get around to putting up all the christmas posts I had hoped to! I'm now in Melbourne, and after a stressful few weeks, VERY very ready to relax and have a holiday.

All the photos I had hoped to post are up on flickr and my facebook page, and I'll be back in the new year to go over the details of them! Just a good excuse to prolong my favourite season a little longer :)

Thanks for all your support this year! your comments, questions, feedback and emails have been really encouraging, and I look forward to being much more organized next year!!!

A random selection of photos from our Family Christmas party are below:



























To see more photos of our family Christmas party, you can see the facebook photos here or flickr set starting here

A random selection of photos from the Book club Christmas party I planned:

All the dishes were based on books from the book club collection! Lots of fun to plan and make.

To see the rest of the photos on facebook, visit the album here or the flickr set beginning here

And last but not least, the Christmas cupcakes I made to photograph for my Christmas cards!:



















So that's all from me for this year. I wish you all a VERY happy Christmas and holiday season with your families! May you have a safe and relaxing break, and I look forward to seeing you again in the new year!

All the best - B xxx

Tim Burton Tea Party

So we finally had the Tim Burton Tea Party!

And it was great fun. Lots of work - a lot of it last minute, whoops - and I just today (one week later) discovered some bits and pieces I'd bought for decorating and completely forgotten.... but there was enough colour and spiders and swirls and fingers around the table to get the look I was going for.

I tried to incorporate as many of Tim Burtons films as possible - not all, unfortunately - and as many of his common themes, including big chocolate fish for Big Fish, giant peaches for James and the Giant Peach

Lots of beetles, bugs and spiders for Beetle Juice

Some very special "Mrs Lovetts meat pies" from Sweeney Todd

And of course lots of touches from Alice in Wonderland

Jack Skellington inspired vintage candy and chocolate hearts and Jack Skellington chocolate mud truffle pops

Pumpkin king cupcakes and a Corpse Bride/Nightmare Before Christmas inspired topsy turvy cake
(and moreish chocolate-dipped marshmallows with peanuts, multi-coloured sprinkles or red/pink/white hearts)

Mini-sized 100s and 1000s biscuits, wafers and slice, and lots of candy and Willy-Wonka style lollypops

Flowers, tea pots and toadstools

Nightmare Before Christmas candy canes

The white rabbit!

More details to come on the topsy turvy cake, cupcakes and "Jack" pops, but in the meantime here's a photo of my amazing friends and family who put so much effort into their costumes - couldn't have done it without them!

Back from left - Matt as Willy Wonka from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Steph as Katerina Van Tassel from Sleepy Hollow, Domi as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, Trina and Andrew as Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd from Sweeney Todd, Simon as Edward Scissorhands from Edward Scissorhands, Jo as the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland

Front row from left - Jayne as Lydia from Beetle Juice, Me as Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, and Mum and Dad as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee from Alice in Wonderland

Special thanks to Domi and Jo for the extra sugary treats they brought, Matt for the extra candy, Simon, Jayne, Trina, Andrew & Mum and Dad for helping with colouring, baking and taste testing 'til the wee hours, and to Steph the Quiz Queen for keeping everyone guessing for a good half hour

And something new for this week - If you haven't been there yet, go and visit Meg over at Life of Meg for Mingle Mondays! Great way to see some new creative blogs.

- B xx