It would look something like this.

Insert Self Here for Blissful Time.

Last Saturday in honor of the delightful Violet Le Beaux being in town, a group of like minded bloggers (and a pair of well trained partners) got together to enjoy and afternoon tea in true girly style. In a little known corner of Collingwood, Melbourne, is a lovely store that is bringing girly back. Christina Re is well known for her stunning DIY stationery collection that let’s you create customised pieces of correspondence magic on paper, vellum and quilted card to name but a few.  To make the experience of selection and creation much more enjoyable, they have recently launched a small in store cafe to supply tea and cakes to weary crafters.  After popping in for a much needed lemonade the other week, I was overwhelmed by the serenity and light of it all, promptly making a note to bring back a bunch of appreciative friends.  And so we did.

left to right: Aurora Hime, Violet Le Beaux, Jimmy America

left to right: Esme and the Laneway, Fables in Fashion, Petite Valse

Super Kawaii Mama and Esme and the Laneway, doing what bloggers do best. Photo by Jimmy America.

Also in attendence were Kitty’s Drawings and Circa Vintage to help us improve the vintage lover versus princess contingent.  I met the two styles in the middle by wearing a 1960’s pink square dancing dress and vintage blue petticoat!

It was as fun and fancy as it looked, there is no doubt we’ll be doing it again. In fact, I think I shall declare this weekend;

DIY Tea Party Weekend

So have a little tea and a cake or two with me.

On Sunday I cooked.

Not just my usual cooking for necessity that has been the only real activity my kitchen has seen in the last twelve months, but real honest to goodness cooking for fun.  I was quite thrilled to be included in an afternoon with some of Melbourne’s fabulous food bloggers, as they took pity on my less than spectacular culinary skills and taught me the secrets of making Dumplings!

Now dumplings may just be my favorite food in the whole entire world. I’ve been known to put plans on hold and drive half way across town for a fix.  Now, thanks to the kindness of my new food blogging friends, I can gorge myself on these delights anytime!

Photo Credits: I Take Photos

What made me laugh was all the compliments I got on my dumpling pleating skills. It seems that as a Fashion blogger in a  food bloggers world, I did have something to offer after all!

Expect more delicious delights as this little adventure has whetted my appetite.

This weekend was a friend’s  birthday and in keeping with our various dramatic passions, he decided upon having a 1950’s Australian suburban picnic theme! So we packed the basket, frocked up and headed out for cake, caviar and champagne! Given, they weren’t really vintage style refreshments, but I think I needed caviar more than deviled eggs that day!

Outfit details

Cherry print dress – vintage find from Ruby Red Dress in Prahan

Apron – hand made by Nana

Petticoat – Ebay     Shoes – Rodhe wedges

Watch – Citizen circa 1990    Hair Bow – Thick doubled satin fabric sewn into scarf and tied as a bow.

Fun times!

Part of the appeal of cake and it’s various sweet treat friends, is the visual appeal. The perfectly sculputed roses atop a fluffy fondant, it’s soft cakey goodness rising into gentle mounds. But once I’ve eaten it all, I’m a bit sad. Sad to loose the stunning decoration, sad that I’ve masticated it into something unrecognisable on it’s journey to my hips.  But this Christmas I bought myself a special little present that let’s me have my cake and eat it too!

These gorgeous creations can be found at Sweet & Co, but you can also find other delicious creations directly from the artisit.  Try searching Etsy for Decotti,  Mini Food or Desert and you may just find things like these…

It’s the perfect solution for your post Christmas diet. Give up spending all the money on chocolate (for a while anyway) and invest in one of these instead.

I guarantee the smile lasts longer!