How We Threw The Best. Ever. Australia Day BBQ

Last Thursday we celebrated Australia Day and boy was it fun! This year The Big A and I invited everyone over to celebrate at our place and we had so much fun I had to stop and take a mental picture to remember just how good it was (PS Does anyone else do mental snapshots or is that just me being a dag?!?)  The rain stopped just as the BBQ started, the peach bellini's were free flowing and as evening fell we ended up on the street with more drinks and a marathon game of cricket.  Even passers by joined in on the fun.  For me, the success of this BBQ came by including lots of detail to give the day a special feel, we had a great combination of guests and we kept the party momentum up by introducing activities. What do  you do to make your parties a success? 

Mason Jars - What I Love and Where I Got A Great Deal

Lately I've been ooogling over mason jars. Why? We are hosting a little bbq for Australia Day and these are going to be the perfect alternative to normal glassware.  Served with a cute striped straw these little puppies are going to add a fun home spun feel to our bash.  I picked up a great deal here for a dozen of them and better yet the purchase helps support Aussie farmers. So, what do you reckon - Are you a fan of mason jars? 

Sources: Unknown

A Serving Idea for Your Next Party Thanks to Donna Hay

Oki Dokies my lovely readers.  The weekend is coming up and the weather in Sydney is looking fine.  Perhaps it's party time at your house?  Well I have a new idea for you to try.  After some serious oogling over the Donna Hay 10 Year Anniversary Magazine (she is a goddess if you don't know her already) what struck me in their dinner party feature was the clever use of glassware as serving ware.  Its unexpected but adds an oh-so-glam touch to your dinner party.  Let's explore.....

1. Glass Bowls as servers for a meringue dessert bar

2. White condiments are perfectly complimented by glass hues

3. Oversized glass bowls in clean lines make modern punch bowls

Source: Dustjacket Attic, Donna Hay

Details that Inspire

There are so so so many details I love about this Ritzy Bee rehersal dinner event. What can we learn from this lovely shindig? 1. Flowers don't always need to sit in vases instead, how about in gorgeous monogrammed tote bags? 2. Don't ditch the vases, use them instead to create a serve your own nuts bar. 3. And serving drinks? For a glam touch,serve them on a tray over stacked glasses. Voila!

Source: Snippet and Ink

Wedding Tuesday - Cocktail Hour

Hurrah! Its Wedding Day Tuesday again. I gotta say, I'm really enjoying sharing all these pics with you! Have you enjoyed the past posts? This week we're talking about cocktail hour. Once everyone arrived at our reception venue - the fabulous White Pavilion at Nielson Park, we had cocktails for an hour or so on the lawn. The venue is so great that it was an easy decision to do this.

I'm such a fan of DIY so making the space feel special was lots of fun - we dotted tissue paper pom poms through out the trees surrounding the grounds as well as in the Pavilion. Next, we dotted little african violet bushes wrapped in craft paper and ribbon to give the day a quaint feel. White picnic rugs were set under the trees and a retro gelato cart was ready to start serving ice cream. Next up, we made some really cute food flags to go through the serving trays and drinks flags for the mixers as well as an art montage to sit behind the bar to give the space a customised feel.

My super duper talented mum made drapery to hang from the doorways to give a bit of height and drama while my aunty made some fabulous bunting to anchor the deck. We customised some white weather balloons with fun signs saying "Hurrah We Are Married". Cute huh?

Well that's it for this week. Of course you can check out any of the past Wedding Tuesday Posts here or here or here.

Source: Welsh Photography

Vodka Cocktail Anyone?

I've just discovered The Wee Lass and she has a love for Vodka, clever girl. Check out her post for this deliciously refreshing Mint, Rosemary and Cucumber Vodka cocktail.

Source: The Wee Lass