A Fabulous 40th Birthday!

You all know how much I love a party and I love to feature different kinds of events so when I saw this vibrant 40th birthday party for Lili at Swanky Chic Fete I knew I had to feature it. I'm such a lover of bright colours in party decor and Lili has some great details.

The party was a fabulous brunch to be held at a Mexican restaurant so Lili incorporated the colours of orange, yellow and lime green mixed with cobalt blue.  Here's the mood board - Isn't it so zingy?

Swanky Chic Fete

Then these colours were  incorporated through the invites, wrap around address labels, menu cards and tin can labels which were designed by Kelly from WH Hostess.

Swanky Chic Fete

Swanky Chic Fete

Swanky Chic Fete

 

The favours for the party were these darling boxed dulce de leche flavoured french macarons and tin cans each filled with Lil's favorite nail polish, Lollia mini soap and shea butter hand cream.  Isn't that just gorgeous? - I would absolutely love to have received them!

Swanky Chic Fete

Happy Birthday Lili! I just love this party! 

If you have a gorgeous event don't forget we're accepting submissions here at A Chi Chi Affair. Click here for all the details.

Rachie xo

Fabulous Friday Food! Valentines Day Cake.

Remember this amazing Christmas cake here. Well here is the completely amazing valentines day version. I know this is for accomplished bakers but I am baker posts the steps on her blog so thoroughly that even I may be able do this!!

If you have a go - please do let me know how it turns out! Your loved one really cant fail to be totally impressed and therefore surely you'll get extra brownie points! ;-)

I am baker



I am baker

 Happy Weekend everyone! What are you all up to? I'm on my big sisters hen night! WOOP!

Rachie xo

Spring Tablescapes

I'm dreaming of Spring ! Now we are nearing the end of January, winter will thankfully soon be over amd i actually noticed that one of the trees in our neghtbours front garden had the first signs of blossom buds this morning! I can even see some Crocus' poking through (unless they are snow drops?!) YAY!
Anyway to cheer me up - i have some lovely spring tablescapes for you!  Hoep you like them!

I love the bright blue and yellow colours and the mini champagne bottles in this one.

How cute are those stripy napkins and the little heart - so sweet for valentines.

Love the simple chicness of this one.

The spotty plates with the pink napkins are so fun!

How gorgeous is this paper flower runner. Loved the muted pinks - this would be perfect for valentines day!

Hope i have brightened up your day!
Rachie xo

Roast and Toast Party!

I love featuring parties - the more creative the better! And as I'm in the party mood this week, have a look at this super creative house warming from The City Cradle. This "roast and toast" party, where you toast the hosts and roast marshmallows is so lovely!

This party has some amazing details such as the gorgeous matchbox invitations,  and the marshmallow house favours. I also love the signs and the marshmallow bar! Yummy!

thecitycradle.com

thecitycradle.com

thecitycradle.com

thecitycradle.com

thecitycradle.com

I also love the way they have etched the word "toast" in cinnamon on their wine glasses and best of all you can do it too - Here is the tutorial.  Its so brilliant!

thecitycradle.com

This party would be perfect round the BBQ in the summer too!
Rachie xo

Spa party !

I am all about the hen nights at the moment as my big sister is getting married in 4 weeks and her hen weekend is this weekend!!  I've had so much fun planning it and I promise I'll share the results with you all but in the mean time I thought this spa party from Non Pareil magazine via Celebrations at home  was such a great twist on the dessert table and perfect for any girls night in as well as a for a hen weekend.

Non Pareil Magazine

Non Pareil Magazine

Non Pareil Magazine

I so want to get the girls round and re-create this!

Rachie xo

PS: I've added a submit your party page to my blog - Please do submit your fun parties so I can feature them - would love to see them!

Tea for two?

We all know how much the British love to drink tea - I certainly do and contrary to popular belief (by some of our international friends) most of us at home, drink our tea from a mug rather than the traditional two piece cup and saucer set. Now don't get me wrong the cup and saucer does get used for special occasions such as dinner parties or when we have visitors,  but at every other time of day for our morning or evening cuppa - the mugs are the favourites.
One of my newest January sale purchases were these fab bright yellow mugs from House of Fraser - they really add a colour pop to the kitchen.   I also love their chunkiness. (Is that a word??!)



Cozy range for Linea at House of Fraser

  Here is my pick of some other lovely tea related items that I thought you might enjoy!

It's A Beautiful Day Mug - Heals

Sprig Tea Cup & Saucer by Donna Wilson at Heals

Navy Stripey Tea Cosie by Posh Pinnies at Not on the High Street

'Time For Tea' Card by buttongirl designs at Not on the High Street.

Lisa Stickly Designs at Debenhams

Do let me know how you like drinking your tea?  Would love to hear!

Rachie xo

Fabulous Friday Food! Fortune Cookies

I love Chinese New Year - the mythology is fascinating and I'm a big fan of Chinese food. Last year my sister and I went to a restaurant to celebrate and not only was there a fabulous banquet menu, a dragon and Chinese decorations, but the whole night was photographed for OK magazine and David Van Day of I'm a Celebrity fame was singing??! It was so random!  (For my international readers - he is a very cheesy pop star!!)  It was quite hilarious!

One of my fave parts is always the fortune cookies as I love to read my fortunes so I thought it would be nice to post a recipe just in case you were thinking about having a Chinese new years party!

taste.com.au

Ingredients (makes 45)  - Recipe courtesy of taste.com.au

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
• 45 messages on 1 x 5.5cm pieces of paper

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine well. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in flour and a pinch of salt until smooth.

Using an 8cm pastry cutter as a guide, trace 4 circles, 4cm apart, on to a sheet of baking paper. Flip paper over and place on a greased oven tray. Using a metric measuring spoon, spoon a slightly rounded tsp of mixture on to each circle. Use the back of a spoon to spread batter to fill circles.

Bake for 6-7 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around edges. Working quickly, slide a spatula under each cookie to loosen, then place a message on top of each. Fold hot biscuits in half to enclose, pressing edges together, then bend in half the other way, over the edge of a glass, to create crescent shapes. Hold for a few seconds. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

By the way, this year is the year of the rabbit which apparently should mean a placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger.

Happy Weekend All

Rachie xo

Freshen up your front door!

I'm toying on what to do with my front door entrance at the moment as I really want to liven it up a bit. At the moment the door is a dull black and I've tried to liven it up with a couple of planters either side but I'm still not feeling it.

One idea is to paint the front door (or have it dipped) in a funky bright colour. Here are some of my inspiration pics.

blogs.parisdescartes.fr

cocomale.com

creamylife.com

I'm definitely going to go for a funky door mat. I love this Orla Kiely one.

heals.co.uk

I really wanted some wooden numbers as my house number but I cant seem to find anything that I like.  I've bought some mdf ones that I plan to spray paint but I'm still not totally sure. I did however find these pretty ones from Tillie Mint. I love the cherry design.

http://www.tillie-mint.com/House-Signs.htm


Happy Thursday All

Rachie xo





New ways to display flowers!

Hi everyone

I''ve been helping my sister with her wedding centrepieces and that led me to think about some new and innovative ways to display flowers. I've found some lovely ideas. 

I love these painted food tins/can - they look so chic painted in that matt light blue colour and so easy and cheap to do.

eventjubilee.com

These vases filled with sea shells look so stylish and perfect for a vintage look

http://images.meredith.com/

These tea tins are so bright and colourful and look fab grouped together. They are so exotic!

Preview

Martha Stewart weddings

These milk bottles tied together with string give a rustic feel to these wild flowers.  I just love them!

countryliving.com


Hope you are having a lovely week!
Rachie xo

 

A Valentines Party!

Is it  too early to be thinking about Valentines day?

If you're planning a Valentines Day celebration for your nearest and dearest then here are some great printable invitations from Belletristics at Etsy which you can purchase here.

Aren't they so cute?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65345160/valentines-party-invitations-printable

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65345160/valentines-party-invitations-printable

Even if you're not planning a party why not bake some cupcakes for your loved ones and use these fabulous cupcake flags!  They are super stylish and add a great finishing touch to your cakes!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65407109/printable-valentines-cupcake-and-drink

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65407109/printable-valentines-cupcake-and-drink

Do check out more of Belletristics lovely designs!  They are fab!

Happy Tuesday all!

Rachie xo

A Pancake and Pyjama Party!

Happy Monday everyone!


When Cassie at one of my fave blogs Hi Sugarplum left me a message to see if I had any ideas for her daughter Sloan's birthday I was so flattered. We had a brief email exchange and Cassie told me that she was thinking about a brunch or morning party where all of Sloan's friends arrived in their pyjamas. I've put together some mood boards to help Cassie organise her party. Hope you like my ideas! 


1. Decorations. I was thinking about a blue and white stripy colour scheme (like the bananas in pyjamas) but really you don't need to stick to a specific colour scheme. I thought the tables dressed like beds was so cute and I loved this pink and orange pancake table.  All the children should arrive in their pyjamas.

L-R from top: 1. Hostess with the mostess. 2. creativebirthdayideas.blogspot.com. 3.babble.com

2. Create a pancake bar which is a table full of toppings to decorate your pancake which contains a selection of fruits, berries, sauces, jams etc. The table could also include cookie cutters so you could cut your pancakes into different shapes.  For a stylised feel to your pancake table, make little labels for your syrup bottles as below and i also love the blackboard idea which can say Pancake Bar or Welcome to the Pancake and Pyjama party. You could also have a prize for the best pancake!

L to R from top. 1. Greenweddingshoes.com 2.Our Labor of Love via Ashley Meaders.3. Greenweddingshoes.com 4.
sheknows.com. 5.kidsstuffworld.com

3.  Milk Bar. I love these little milk bottles with stripy straws and if you can find the little milk cartons they also look super cute. You could also do a juice bar with different flavour juices.

L to R from top. 1. Alittlepolkadotblogspot.com.2.The Sweetest Occastion.3.Sharnel Dollar Designs

4. Activities. Reading a bedtime story especially a pancake related story like The Runaway Pancake.
and making necklaces out of cereal is always fun!

L to R 1.hudson.wnyt.com 2. http://www.daniellesplace.com/.

5. I found this cute invitations over here and here or you could make your own like the one I made below  using a clipart file from clipartof.com

L to R 1. http://www.etsy.com/people/Dimpleprints?ref=ls_profile 2. http://babyfacedesign.blogspot.com/.

6. Mummy Station: Keep the mum's and dads happy by providing a coffee and bagel bar - Don't those smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels look yum.

L to R from top. 1. planetcoffee.net 2.sheknows.com 3. Break.co.uk

7.  Favours could be your favourite story book, some home baked cookies or even some fluffy slippers!

L to R from top: 1. Penguin Classics. 2. http://gramkinpaperstudio.blogspot.com/2010/07/sugar-cookie-favors-tutorial.html. 3. americangirl.wikia.com

I hope you like all my ideas! Cassie I cant wait to see how it all turns out!


If you are planning a party and would like help with the styling and planning please feel free to contact me at achichiaffair@gmail.com or please do send me your parties to feature as I would love to see them!


Rachie xo

Fantastic Friday Food: Nutella Fudge Brownies

Happy Friday All

This must be one of the easiest recipes ever! I found it via Life's a Feast blog and it's from the book Desserts 4 Today where all the recipes have only 4 ingredients! Isn't that just the best?

If you feel like baking on the weekend then do try this (and its so easy for little ones too!)

Nutella Fudge Brownies

Ingredients
½ cup Nutella spread
1 large egg
5 Tbs all-purpose flour
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts

http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Put the Nutella and the egg in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins about ¾ full and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com

Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11 to 12 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve (eat) immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com

http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com

Happy Weekend All!
Rachie xo