Free printable: Milk and Cookies

Thanks to everyone who dropped by here for a little Milk and Cookies - we are always delighted to share some warm and fuzzy and love getting some back too - your comments are so appreciated.

I hope to come back and share some recipes from the day and a few tips on recreating the look, but for now can't wait any longer to share with you a new free printable designed for Hip Hooray - and you - by the talented Sarah at Style Me Gorgeous. Take a look at these lovelies - nine sweet polka-dot labels and tags to get your cookies looking gorgeous!

In creating Zoe's Milk and Cookies party, I used the large size to create labels for the cookie buffet jars, the smaller size to label the tins and petite cookie jars as take-home gifts, and the square tags to tie to the large bottles of milk - `chocolate' and `100%'. I do confess running out of time on the day to make them fancier (neater?!) with some overprinting or hand-stamping and had to make-do with my hand-writing - I'm hoping the guests saw that as `personal' rather than `overlooked'!

Even if you are not planning a party right now, a batch of home-baked cookies makes a lovely `Hello neighbour' or `Thank You, friend' gift at any time.

Mmmm, we can smell those chocolate-chips wafting around your kitchen already. Download these pretties over here and happy baking xo

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.

Turning Two

In just a few days this sweet child of mine will be Two. My baby. My last baby. Now a little girl. A little girl with a very big personality. As affectionate as she is stubborn. As giggly as she is grumpy. As delightful as she is frustrating. As sugary as she is spicy.

Zoe Grace (5 Weeks Old)

On Tuesday we will celebrate simply with Milk and Cookies. Fittingly, two of Zoe's favourite things. Her preferred choice of dinner - if it were a menu option!

Our closest family, a few friends and our kind neighbours will be dropping in for some home-baked goodies and a warming hot chocolate.

Everything about this celebration is kind of impromptu (if you hadn't noticed the trend, that's a little how life rolls around here). As such, a phone call to our guests probably would have sufficed, but if I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now. I love, love, love Snail Mail. Packing it, sending it, receiving it, opening it. A thrill that can never be replaced by technology. So, inspired by chocolate chips and a warm and fuzzy colour palette, I made these in an hour on the couch and popped them in the post.

Then I ordered this from a sweet and clever friend. And the rest of the plan? Mmmm, still in the making.

So with visions of Whoopie Pies, Cookies'n'cream pops, and delicious chocolate chip cookies dancing in my head, I better get me to my kitchen. Enjoy your weekend xo

Hooray(s) for Saturday

Did you drop by last Saturday? Wonder where we were? Sorry we missed you. Promise we weren't sleeping in or standing you up intentionally.

Let's just say there was certainly no lazing about in jammies drinking hot cups of tea going on. Rather it was a 2am to bed and a 5.30am rise - standard procedure for our days at Mathildas Market - the gorgeous handmade market for little people.

We love being out of the `warehouse' and having the opportunity to show off some of our store pretties in the flesh. Still a favourite colour palette is this red, pink and latte combo and in the spirit of handmade (or hard-to-find) we pulled together a little display with these new (and quite adorable) personalised cupcake toppers, pretty custom ribbon garland, sweet stationery, fancy cupcake wrappers, mini ribbon cake bunting, paper garlands, stripey straws and cute spotty labels (coming soon). Please forgive the photography - Mathildas Market is staged in a delightfully historic building at the Brisbane Racing Club where character is abundant but light is not.

If you live locally and dropped by to see us, thank you - it was lovely to meet you. If you're a little further away, then we thought you might like to spend this Saturday morning meeting a few of our favourite finds from Mathildas Market Brisbane - hooray for handmade!

Fancy Tea? Sugar with that? How about your own perfectly pretty, vintage china collection?

A bling Tee for your favourite party theme.

Make somebody's letterbox happy with one of these.

Or these.

Hanging around looking gorgeous.

I own one. Most favourite gift ever. (Perhaps a kitchenaid would compete!)

The perfect backyard party venue. Just add (imaginary?) friends and cupcakes.

Standout fashion for the guest of honour.

Hello Sunshine

Image via Eat. Drink. Chic

I'm with Amy. It's certainly a little dark and grey around here today. And slightly chilly.

Winter in Brisbane passes in the blink of an eye, coming and going quicker than you've had a chance to even think about getting the woolies out of storage. Up here, Summer seems to always be lurking quietly around the corner waiting for it's chance to sweep Winter away for another year.

But Summer must be sleeping in today - and letting Winter do it's thing for just a little while. So if it's a little grey where you are too, head over here and get you some summer with these sweet printable tags. You'll even love them if it's all bright and sunshine-y where you are. Happy all round, really.

Real Hip Hooray: Flying High

I must say we were literally giddy when we spotted this kite themed first birthday party. Isn't it just a delight? Talented photographer - and party thrower! - Tracey Lau, has taken the dessert table to dizzying new heights with this incredibly original and creative party designed for son Jeremiah.

We just adore every perfect detail from the soaring backdrop to the grassy blanket beneath; the picket fences containing kite cookies and the simple elegant cake; the blue soda with those fun stripey straws and the handmade kite embellishments woven throughout the table. Oh and cloud marshmallows! Squeal!

All images via Tracey Lau

Aside from all this sugary goodness, Jeremiah's guests delighted in kite-making and decorating and were blessed with a perfect day for letting them fly. Tracey has lovingly handmade most of the creative elements of this party and kindly shares her tips and sources - and lots more `sky' candy - over at her beautiful blog.

Hooray(s) for Saturday

Aah, sweet Saturday. The day to linger a little longer in my pyjamas, actually drink my tea hot, and enjoy my hubby's best-ever poached eggs anytime up to midday. The day that usually slips by a little too quickly for my liking.

Each week we stumble upon so many creative celebrations, yummy recipes begging to be recreated, divine stationery finds, or simply sweet party details. Somehow it always seems to be Saturday, when hubby is home and the kids are content to potter, imagine and create, before I am able to sit still long enough to gather and share them with you.

So in the hope that you too might get to linger a little longer in your PJs on Saturday, please feel free to drop in here for our Hooray(s)for Saturday series - a neat little round-up of what we have spotted recently that we know you'll love.

Image via Amy Atlas

Sweet, sweet, sweet indeed. Makes me thirsty for pink lemonade. (pictured)

A whole lot of party gorgeous-ness in one little box. Wow!

From one quirky tablecloth maker to another. So inspired. (via Party Perfect)

So Chic Aussie wedding has the world utterly engaged. Congrats!

I SO need one of these. My friends would be grateful.

Colour-filled (by you!) cupcakes. Happy (belated) birthday, friend.

Snail mail makes us happy. Pretty envelopes make us even happier. We're in. Are you?

Combine Matroyshka nesting dolls, handmade pompoms, pretty fabric and what do you get? The most popular blog party this week. We're sure you've seen it by now, but simply couldn't be left out of all this blog love. It's gorgeous!