It's been a choc-a-bloc year with many memorable and fun  moments, some of which I have shared in this very blog with you guys, so thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to "listen"! :) And as the song goes..

Only 3 sleeps to go, so just wanted to wish you and yours a fabulous Christmas full of sweetness and fun! May Santa bring you all that you wish for! :)

These adorable little mugs of hot cocoa are super easy to make! This one was actually my (Crissy here) daughter's idea!  She spotted this idea in her American Girl Magazine! We did a twist and dipped the whole marshmallow into chocolate! YUM!!

Mince pies are a British Christmas classic, and a real tradition in our home every year. I've also been known to make some extras to give away for family and friends as Christmas Gifts! My little cheat here is to use ready-rolled, shop-bought puff pastry - Saves a heap of time and tastes just as great!! ;)

Today's tutorial is courtesy of one of our newest  blog contributors , Cris from Crissy's Crafts! I "met" Cris recently when she submitted her Halloween Party for a blog feature, and I just fell in love with her and her work!  I mean, this lady is one creative momma as you'll see from today's tutorial; and her beautiful parties and clever craft ideas will be a fabulous addition to our little nook! Hope you leave Cris some love in the comments to make her feel real welcome! ;)

For those who missed our  tutorial on Celebrations at Home last week, here's another chance for you to see it....In fact, it's soooo easy, that's quite cheeky to call it a  tutorial ! ;) It's a great craft to sue up left over ribbon scraps and you can change the colors to suit your party, table or home decor!

So that's it folks, the shop is now closed and my automated "out of office" reply is up.  Just wanted to say "farewell" properly though, and let you lovely people know that I'll be away until January, apart from a couple of few scheduled posts that will surface now and then to keep you coming back! ;)

So, have you written to Santa yet? :) All I want this Christmas is to relax with my dear family, bake some great festive treats, watch lots of telly, veg out in front of the fire and to truly create some fun memories and traditions with my kids - One of these traditions includes writing the obligatory "Dear Santa" letter ! I thought you guys might like one too....for your kids or yourselves?! ;)

Poinsettias are synonymous with Christmas, so adorning any baked creations with these edible, glittered beauties ticks soooo many boxes for me (Hani) this season! Not only these  Poinsettias meringues make for a stunning, festive desserts or decorations, but they also make for a beautiful handmade gift ! AND they're a lot easier to make then they look! ;)

Since Bird's Party Shoppe will be closing soon for the Holidays ( from Dec 3rd to Jan 02nd ), I decided to give you a quick taster of all the NEW printable party collections  now available in the shoppe so you can go get yours before it's too late! ;)

Just wanted to spread the good news: Bird's Party Magazine Holiday 2011 - Paper Issue is now on SALE !! Wish I had waited instead of getting my copy full price! ;)

How would you like to win a fabulous $75 shopping spree to spend on ANYTHING you like at Wayfair online store ? I know I would! ;) Simply enter below for your chance to win a $75GC to spend at Wayfair!

To say thanks: Download your FREE Thanksgiving party printable here There's so much to be thankful for, despite the curb balls life throws at you...I'm very thankful for my loving family and friends that's for sure, and for this wonderful blog and my beloved job that allow me to encounter so many wonderful people, some of whom have become dear friends!

Very excited to share our New Year's Party Editorial for Kiki Magazine ! It's the first time I have worked with a US national magazine and it's been FUN, FUN, FUN!! I worked with journalist Jessica Blair who contacted me a few months back for a collaborative six-page editorial  spread for the 2011  Kiki Holiday Issue!  So exciting to be even asked, but to see my work in a national mag is just beyond surreal! I'm still pinching myself...

Sweet Table Contest 2011 French Entry #4 - I ♥ Cakes Bird's Party has been asked to guest judge and manage the French entries for the Sweet Table Contest 2011 , and I'm delighted to share the first 4 with you today! En tant que juge pour les entrées françaises du concours Sweet Table 2011, je suis ravie de partager  avec vous aujourd'hui,  les 4 premiers participants!

Hey guys, just wanted to quickly drop you a note to let you know we have a new tutorial + FREE printables you can download at GetMarried.com ! I have also linked the video below so you can see the DIY project in full on my YouTube channel!

Want to start this post saying a massive thanks to all the wonderful writers, fabulous events stylists, vendors, sponsors and friends  who made this issue possible! A special thanks also goes out to my delicious, supportive family for putting up with my late nights, crazy schedule and busy weekends, whilst I worked on editing and styling the magazine!

As seen on Bird's Party Magazine Fall Issue , we designed our first  Fall Harvest Party   Printable collection  for this STUNNING shoot - Perfect for your  Thanksgiving celebrations !! My darling, mega talented friend Marcie from Celebrating The Moments is the genius behind the styling and breath-taking photography, with amazing, mouth-watering desserts by herself and the dessert queen, Marilyn from Whatever Whimsy ! I KNOW you'll love this party as much I do!! Check out all the incredible details below...

This giveaway is now closed! Anything that my sweet, talented friend Sandra (from Sandra Downie Events Designs ) touches turns into something beautiful. Be it a party, wedding or a party supply shop!! That's right folks, Pretty Little Party Shop is Sandra's brand new online store, stocking some AMAZING party goodies ! Trust me, I know what I'm talking about...I have spend a good while browsing and drooling over the stock!! ;)

Just to let you all know in advance that Bird's Party Shop  ( and the blog ) will be closing for the Holidays on December 5th and re-opening on January 2nd.  Please ensure you place your Holiday orders by  December 3rd!!

BOO! If you still need some ideas for your last minute Halloween party , then this post is for you! Whether you're throwing a huge spooktacular bash or simply joining the kids on your "trick or treats" , I hope today's post will help inspire and at the very least, spook you very much! Oh, and huge thanks to Hostess with the Mostess for the fabulous feature this week!! ;)

Today we have a pretty special giveaway for your ladies!! Not a party piece, but a piece of pretty! :) Yes, you could win yourself a stunning, totally gorgeous Blush Envy Giant Rose Ring (in your color of choice) + FREE shipping! Check out full details below...

As promised, today we bring you another  whimsical take on Halloween !! This time inspired but one cute, and not so scary little mouse! ;) This fun take on a  Halloween Party  was sent in by the talented Crissy from Crissy's Crafts Blog, who styled the entire party with the help of her little girl! Here's Crissy's styling tips in her own words...

Ready for more spooktacular eye candy? Well, we have a couple more wonderful and whimsical ideas for your Halloween Parties today! The first, a really fun and vibrant "Dia de Los Muertos" Inspired party!!

Halloween is nearly upon us, and I can't help but post yest another spooktacular post!! In fact, we have some pretty cool parties in store for you today!!  So stick around and check out the fun and fabulous version of our styled "Little Monsters" Birthday bash , as seen and photographed by the creative and totally awesome Shawna from Shawna Brockmeier Styled Events ...

Following on from last week's Part 1 , here is the second rendition of our "Little Monsters" Birthday Bash  as styled by the talented and mega-fabulous Jenny from Crossing The Bugger-Dixon Line ! Jenny collaborated with some pretty  fantastic vendors and party-industry professionals to create this gorgeous desserts table, that was also featured in our Fall magazine ! Check out all the fun details below...

Happy Monday my friends! Today we're going all pink here at Bird's Party, and to kick things off, a gorgeous, pink and black, and totally handmade  Barbie Birthday Party created and styled by one of our sweet readers, Rina! Check out the beautiful details as told by Rina...

This giveaway is now closed! I have recently discovered Coton Colors and their fabulous range of handcrafted pottery, and I can say I'm hooked!  They contacted me a while back for a product review and I was really excited at the prospect of seeing first hand what they were all about! And a few weeks later I got a really exciting parcel in the mail - Not only did I received a fabulous "Happy Everything" mini platter with 3 changeable attachments for different celebrations , but I also got a surprise, personalized gift ornament with "Bird's Party - Born to Blog" written on!! Cool or what?! :)

As promised, here we are to show you the fabulous and totally creative work from the winners of our last "Styled by You" contest! The theme chosen was "Little Monsters" , which would be really fun for a Halloween Party or Fall Birthday Bash!! The winners all used Bird's Party printables to styled their party, but the amazing results couldn't be more different from one another! Kicking off, is the stunning party styled by Elissa from One Stone Events ...

Statistics for Bird's party Magazine Fall Issue We're currently putting together Bird's Party Magazine Holiday Issue , and it reminded me of our "Styled By You" contest we ran for the Fall Issue... The Fall Issue has now reached over 1 million unique page views since September 3rd , and I can't quite believe it! All I know it's that it's in part due to the AMAZING, talented contributors and dedicated writers that chose to help put this issue together! :D

A while back I was contacted by Ebony from Sparkling Events and Designs to take part in a fabulous "Designer's Challenge" along with some pretty incredible women, a lot of whom have become close friends of mine...so I could not pass it up! :)

This gorgeous  Aeroplanes and Parachutes Birthday Party was dreamed up by my dear friend Sarah from the aptly named Dreamers Joy Events and Designs ! Sarah used Bird's Party printables to help style her nephew Jaxson's 2nd Birthday Party !! Sarah knew exactly what she wanted and I was only too happy to create the printable party designs to match her requests and vision! I think it turned out ADORABLE as everything she does! Check out the fab details below...

This post will be particularly useful for all our southern hemisphere readers, who are getting ready to enjoy their summer! ;D This STUNNING, Nautical Party was sent in by one of our talented, mega fabulous customers Maitri from Tutus and Toads Boutique Events!! Maitri used Birds' Party Nautical Printables   to create the stunning party décor!! All the beautiful details below...

This gorgeous Little Pumpkin Baby Shower was styled by my sweet, talented friend Nancy from A to Zebra Celebrations for Bird's Party Fall Magazine ! Nancy and I brainstormed, and finally came up with a seasonal party theme where she were to use only handmade party decorations , on a budget if possible!  We all love the look of those elaborate, fancy parties but in this day and age, DIY offers a real alternative if you're watching your budget ! Check out all the gorgeous details below.

As seen on   Bird's Party Magazine , these fabulous, totally scrumptious cupcakes by Haniela's would make a really fun and whimsical seasonal treat to your Halloween or Thanksgiving parties , don't you think? :) Get full recipe below...

Breast cancer is a particularly poignant subject for a lot of us who have close friends and family members who have gone through, or are still battling with it.  I designed these "Pink Lemonade" party printables for Beast Cancer Awareness Month so you can throw a party for a loved one, in memory of someone, or simply to help raise funds for your favorite breast cancer charity.

So excited to announce the opening of the 2011 Edition of the Sweet Table Contest , and the fact I've been asked to guest judge for French entries! :) With a panel of talented judges from all over the globe like Kara's Party Ideas (USA), Brancoprata (Portugal), Mon Trésor (Australia) and many more, this international contest is open WORDLWIDE and is sure gonna ROCK!!

Happy Monday everyone!! Hope you've had a great weekend and are ready to start your week full throttle?! Our monthly link party is back, where you can link up your party ideas and celebration posts, and I can't wait to see what you've been up to!!

I created a spooky Witches' Cupboard for the Halloween shoot I styled for Bird's Party Magazine Fall Edition , along with a wicked  DIY Potion Station (read drinks station) complete with black cauldron,  tasty "poison",  wicked spells , wings of bat and eye of newt ! ;) Check out some of the details below, and hope you feel inspired to re-create you very own, wicked potion station!  Oh, and the complete Halloween Collection with over 30 printable templates is still HALF PRICE until tomorrow only!!

When I was 10 I asked my mum for a Magical   Princess Party , and dreamed of having one of those cakes where the princess is dressed with a huuuuge gown and her skirt is actually a cake? Anyone over 30 must know what I'm talking about... Anyways, this princess party I designed last year, and styled by the mega talented Chris from Celebrations at Home , was totally inspired by my childhood experience - Though my mum could bake the exact cake I had in mind, she still did her best and made me feel like a princess on the day!! :) Check out the stunning details below...

As you probably know, my kiddies were born on the same day (two years apart) and as such, their birthdays are always somewhat a challenging affair...Moms of twins with be nodding in agreement at this point ;) But I'm soooo happy (and relieved) that this year, we all collectively decided on a  " Big Top Circus" birthday party theme  - What's not to like?! It's a really classic, fun and colorful theme, plus it's totally suited for any age group... BUT I think what reeeeally "sealed the deal" for my kids, was the promise of a few carnival games as party activities ! ;) This is how it all turned out...

Hey, wanna take a sneak peek of our recent Big Top Circus Party Collection ? Then head over to Amy Atlas today! ;)

Nothing better to start your week than with a sweet  cupcake tutorial , I say!! These cute witch cupcakes are so easy to make that you could even get the kiddies involved too - Perfect for a Halloween playdate ! ;)

I had my whole day planned yesterday, and I was to bake me some cookies for an upcoming photo shoot, when I got slightly side-tracked by the arrival of my mail..... Yes folks, I received my very own copy of Bird's Party Magazine in print! YAY!!! We're among friends here (right?!), so I'm not ashamed to say that I did a little dance, stroked the glossy cover for a good 5 minutes and even.....smelled the pages! I know, I know, but I couldn't help myself!! :)

During the next few weeks we'll be showing you some fabulous seasonal party ideas and party recipes to help you get inspired for  Halloween ! :) You may have seen this fantastic party by my mega talented friend Chris from  Celebrations at Home , in our Fall magazine (here) but we do have some unseen, exclusive eye candy for you! ;) Chris used our Halloween Party printables to help embellish this spooktacular desserts table !! (yes, spooktacular is one of my favorite words lately...) - Check out Chris's styling tips below...

I know summer is over, but we can reminisce, right? :)  This stunning Lemon Party by the gorgeous, talented Mindy and Crystal over from Creative Juice , was sent in to us a while back and I apologize again to them for not posting it sooner! BUT, I'm sure all our fabulous southern hemisphere readers will appreciate this "seasonal" treat even more, right?! ;) Check out the gorgeous details below...

Ok, so today's post is not technically "cake" per say, but it still involves a trip to the kitchen, and it's oh-soooooo pretty...and they just happen to be in the shape of cute little pumpkins - Perfect for Fall and Halloween!! ;) Thanks to our darling contributing writer Hani from Haniela's for the know-how...

My mega sweet, talented friend Terri from Terri's Party Treasures recently threw a stunning party for her little girls - Twins turning 2 and the eldest turning 4!  She was inspired by our printable Little Red Riding Hood Woodland Party , and a fabulous playhouse she won here on one of our giveaways !! How cool is that?! :) I'm totally in awe of the amazing party details and creativity from Terri and all the vendors she worked with to create this whimsical fairy-tale party in real life!! And how adorable are her little munchkins?!! :D  Check out full details below...

The styled shoot for my NEW Wild West Cowboy Party Collection was a thing of a classic, slapstick comedy... The ispiration for this party theme came to me when my I saw my cowboy/farmer neighbor ploughing the field in front of our house to make hay in the summer . The thing is, the hay is collected within 3 days and if I wanted any hay bales in my shoot , this was my (very narrow) window of opportunity...

Today's party feature was sent to us by Fara from Little Things Creations , who did a wonderful job with her cousin's sweet 15th birthday party!! I simply adore anything Paris, and I although we've seen a lot of Paris themed parties lately, I think Fara really managed to inject a little "je ne sais quoi" into her styling with all the fabulous vintage twists and gorgeous lace details! Check out all the fabulousness below...