Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Real Hip Hooray: Milk and Cookies

Yesterday, our little Zoe celebrated her second birthday with the menu of her wildest, two-year-old dreams - Milk and Cookies. For breakfast. For lunch. For afternoon tea. For dinner. And, ummm, for breakfast again this morning!!

Against a backdrop of chocolate-chip inspired polka dots and shades of burnt butter, chocolate, caramel and vanilla, I created this little spread of home-baked goodness . . . .

I so adore polka dots - a classic party companion which can be both youthful and playful or extremely elegant. I simply can't get enough of them and gave this party a good sprinkling. When creating the invitations, I had been inspired by this gorgeous party backdrop, and imagined translating it indoors using our palette of chocolatey warmth.

Double choc-chip cookies, Polka Dots and Snickerdoodles filled jars just made for digging in. Cookie pops (oreos dipped in white chocolate) kept the kids smiling and milk bottles and marshmallows seemed the perfect lolly additions to the buffet.

Somewhere in my `I've seen that somewhere' files catalogued in the right side of my brain was the perfect cake. I was delighted when a quick dig through my magazine collection revealed a `cookies `n' cream' cake, gracing the cover of the inimitable Donna Hay Kids Magazine (5th Annual Edition, 2008). Layer upon layer of crisp-on-the-outside, gooey-in-the-middle giant choc-chip cookies and cold, sweet drippy ice-cream (Cookies `n Cream' of course!). PERFECT, right?

And if you've ever sipped your hot tea through a Tim Tam biscuit - if not, you must! - then you'll know how much fun the kids had with their petite bottles of milk and edible stripey straws. What started out as a dilemma about not having a shade of stripey paper straw to match the colour palette (gasp!) resolved in a creative moment that sneaked up on me (in the aisles of Big W!) and became a fun and fitting `cookie' detail.


We served steaming cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows and a shot or two of Kahlua to spice up the grown-up milk (I felt 18 again!). The kids toted home tins filled with milk bottles - plain and chocolate-covered, - jersey caramels, marshmallows and Twix; and grown-up guests collected their own petite cookie jar filled with Polka Dot cookies.


Baby, it was cold outside, but hearts and bellies were warm on the inside.

Happy Birthday to our very own crazy, cuddly, charismatic Cookie monster. Zoe escapes the camera lens at every turn, so this is the one and only birthday shot I managed on the day - devouring the first of four (!) Cookie pops. Like I told you, dream dinner.

Be sure to drop in again tomorrow - we have a little more polka-dot cookie goodness to share with you.

26 comments:

Terri said...

Wow, it is picture perfect and Zoe is adorable! I love it all, great job!

Siobhan. Vanessa said...

Thanks Terri - even with not-so-perfect pictures. Photography next on my list of things to master - or hire! Glad you liked it.

naomi said...

Your table looks so fab!I love that giant cookie cake.

Courtney@Pizzazzerie said...

Love every detail!

Chris @ Celebrations At Home said...

omg, THIS. IS. CUTE!!

testing 1 said...

Oh, two of my favorite things make a perfect party! Love it all, I would love to share with my readers!

Shelley@DivinePartyConcepts said...

So cute and I love the polka dot back drop!!!

coolkids said...

great party!

Brittany Schwaigert said...

So so cute! I also had a crush on that HWTM backdrop! Please post how you made it!

SAMBELLINA said...

Ohhhh !! How amazing to be a guest at this party - such a gorgeous warm sweet theme.....(Oh, and how I agree about the polkadots !!) xx

MJ said...

Oh nice theme- good to see something a bit different...and yes well go Zoe!

Mira said...

What an adorable party! Kiddie-perfect yet stylish. I love it. Especially the clever straws and Kahlua-infused hot chocolate... mmm... I could do with one now. Is 11am too early???

Sharnel said...

Love all it! About to blog it!
x

Anonymous said...

Looks Fun but now a feel like some cookies with my coffee!! Great work!!
xox
Daneve

Peach Blossom said...

This is so lovely. I'd really like to blog this :)

Sweet Style said...

Just wonderful! Looks so yummy - no doubt the kids had fun. Leanne x

Christi Bennett @ pisforparty said...

LOVE it and now I want cookies! =)

Jordan - Polkadot Prints said...

Girls, this is gorgeous! Loving the cookies and cream cake...so yummy! And yes, those straws...it's those moments that bring out the creativity!!
One happy 2yr old by the looks of things! xo

Bea @ CancunCookies said...

Love it!! The colour palette, backdrop and bunting are perfect...

Suzanna ~ Mon Tresor said...

love it! and i too feel like some freshly baked cookies and milk!

Bird said...

LOVE this theme!!

You did a fantastic job!!

Come over to Bird Crafts and link it up if you wish?! :)

here it is, a celebrations link party: http://birdcrafts.blogspot.com/2010/07/party-invites-galore-and-celebrations.html

Hope to see you there?!

Love,
Bird

Claire Chadwick @ Scissors Paper Rock said...

Well done...what a gorgeous party!!! Everything is just perfect!
LOVE IT!

Photography said...

How lovely and mmmmmmm that birthday cake looks YUMMO!!

Sue said...

LOVE it!!!

Renee said...

Would love to know where you got the little milk bottles? Have been searching high and low with no success! Oh - and love the theme - cookies & cream is my husbands favourite... is 33 too old to have a cookies & cream party?!

Tina said...

also would love to know where i can get some of these gorgeous milk bottles! too cute!