Sneak Peak

We've been working on a super secret project here at the Birds Nest. We still have a few more finishing touches to add before the big reveal but in the meantime here is a little preview.

Spring Lust

Dear Typography

After all of the pain and suffering you put me through in design class I still love you. We are made for one another. You are the ying to my yang. The peanut butter to my jam, the…well you get the picture. So naturally I need to show my love for you by wearing this little beauty.

So typography (or dear husband), if you are reading this please buy this for me. We are meant to be together.

Sincerely, your friend
Jenna

The Darker Side of Things

*Disclaimer* I have broken some pretty major copyright laws with what I am about to show you. Mr. Lucas, if you happen to be reading our wee little blog please do not sue us. We mean no harm and were just having a little fun. Thank you.

This past weekend was my daughters birthday. She turned two. That's right, she. A pink wearing, doll playing, dress loving girl. So I can understand how the theme of her party might confuse you, but I swear she loves Star Wars. So what's a mom to do?

It started with an invitation. This was sent out in a black envelope with silver writing. We got extra clever by addressing each one as a character, Nana and Grampa Vader etc. They looked great and honestly, I am a little surprised that they made it to their destination safely. Dark coloured envelopes like that aren't a favourite at the post office.

The snack table was divided in half with a light side and a dark side, separated with a white table cloth and balloons. Naturally all of the "healthy" treats like veggies and dip and fruit were on the light side and chips and dip on the dark side. Here's a picture of the decoration in progress (I ran out of time before people arrived to get a good shot of everything all done).

Of course every party needs a cake. I had asked a dear friend to make a 3d R2 D2 cake for me. Unfortunately she had to cancel at the last minute and we were left with a decision. Run out and buy a cake that wouldn't match or give it a go. Four people, just as many cake mixes, tons of icing and about 10 hours later we had made a pretty damn good version. I guess that Michaels cake decorating course came in handy.

We sent everyone off with a chocolate treat that even Darth would have approved of.

Of course, good manners are always important, so a follow up Thank You card for all of her lovely gifts is a must.

So that was a party for a two year old girl. She seemed to have fun, and really, that is all that matters.

Ten on Ten

So, a few weeks ago I stumbled across this blog and was instantly fascinated by the concept. On the tenth of every month you take one photo once an hour for ten hours. My love for photography far outweighs my skills so I thought this would be a great opportunity to practice. I also have a grand vision of making each month into a photo strip and then framing all 120 as a sort of "year in the life of." I'll get back to you on how well that works out. 

So yesterday I lugged my camera around with me to make sure that I didn't miss an hour and here are the results. I did have to spend 8 of my 10 hours at work so I was grasping at straws for some stimulating content by the end of the day. Hopefully by the end of this project I will be better at seeing the beauty in everyday things.

Enjoy,

Jenna

It's My Party!

I love a good party. Going to them and hosting them! I may whine and complain about the amount of time spent cleaning (I have a two year old and a 70lb golden retriever, there's a lot of cleaning), and the cooking and decorating but deep down I really love it. Having a house full of family and friends celebrating an occasion is so much fun. Of course, with all of our friends having kids our parties have changed a little. 

Now, I am no expert, but I think any good party should start with a theme. I don't mean an over the top, Extreme Makeover Home Edition type theme, just a small something that ties everything together. It makes planning so much easier and of course looks really nice. I am a fan of using colour to establish a common thread throughout the food and decorations. I have had a red hot birthday, and more recently celebrated my daughters first birthday with a Perfectly Pink party.

Of course the perfect invitation gives your guests a little glimpse of the upcoming event. Heres a look inside the Perfectly Pink bash.

 

Visit our website for a look at some of our invitations and remember we can custom design you the perfect invitation for your next gathering with friends or birthday celebration.

Etsy-Licious

I came across this hand-made card by clairbug over at Etsy and it reminded me that I was overdue for a post. A good friend of mine introduced me to the wonderful world of  Etsy about a year ago and to say that I have been obsessed might be a bit of an understatement. For those of you who don't know, Etsy is "your place to buy and sell all things handmade". And by all things they definitely mean ALL things. I could spend hours searching through all of the great handmade, clothes, jewelry toys, housewares and random things that people make. 

Some of my favourite purchases include:

• This great crayon purse. I have a little girl who loves to colour and this is so handy when we are out an about.

• This amazing, handmade wooden toy. I bought this for my niece for Christmas and though she is only nine months old, I could tell she loved it. It was so well made, safe and non-toxic.

• All things pillowcase dress. There are tons of people who are making gorgeous handmade dresses in different materials and styles at great prices. This style of dress is great because it grows with the child. As they get taller the dress gets shorter and can even be worn as a shirt. 

• Art, lots of art. I have a few pieces but I would love to have the wall space for more. There are so many talented artist selling their pieces on etsy and its always nice to have an original work.

All Wrapped Up

With the holidays coming to  close I hope everyone had a great time relaxing with friends and family. With a nearly two year old running around, I had lots of fun but certainly no relaxing. Our festivities kicked off with a holiday party early in the month. Good food, cool drinks and lots of holiday cheer certainly helped get us all in the mood. To send the guests home with a yummy treat and a thank you for coming by, I created this plate of delicious treats. 

A personalized label wrapped around a delicious chocolate treat made sure that all of our guest left with a smile. Wouldn't this be great as a wedding favour or on a treat table at your little ones next birthday! We think so. Send us an email and we can show you how we can custom design something for your next event.

Have a safe and happy 2009!

The team at A Little Birdie Told Me