Sunday lunch traditions

A Sunday roast is somewhat of a family tradition for us. Some weeks its a chicken shoved in the oven and veggies thrown together at the last moment, other weeks we put in some effort, get the family together and just stop for a bit.

This week Alex had the whole family around, so took the opportunity to try out some of the new items from our 'grown up food' menu which we use for functions, both private dinner parties, as well as more substantial food options at children's parties.

I am sure when it was this good, they didn't mind being guinea pigs!

The menu consisted of;

Roast Beef - marinated for 24 hours in red wine, garlic and herbs

Roast Chicken stuffed with sage & bacon stuffing

Medley of Roast Carrot and baby potatoes

Sweet potato, pine nuts and spinach salad with 

red wine vinegar and honey vinaigrette dressing

Steamed Snow Peas and Baby Peas

Cauliflour Cheese

Crusty Bread Rolls

Gravy

Chocolate Brownie fresh cream

Berry Pavlova

Enjoy - it's making me hungry just looking at it!

Lounge to playroom?

We have a room at the front of our house that doesn't get used very often. We currently have the desktop mac there, an exercise bike and a second telly, but as there is only the 3 of us, we rarely need the extra living space. The room itself is quite large - a slightly awkward shape, but still workable.

So, we have decided to turn it into a play room for Gracie... her bedroom is quite small and is she is quickly outgrowing the small play space it allows. We are also hoping that by giving her a play space, her bedroom will become a place for sleeping... we can dream!!

Anyway - with play rooms on the brain, I went searching and found some fabulous ones... They all seem to tick the boxes I am hoping for;

- A place with lots of storage, so things can easily be picked up and put away
- They are not overly 'kiddy', in that an adult could still sit in there and not be nauseated by giant purple dinosaurs or the like
- Some of them serve dual functions - office space/playroom/occasional living area/spare room
- They all look like fun places to be!

(I know this one is technically a nursery, but I love the colours!!)

What would your recommendations for a play room be? Do you have one, and if so, what were your priorities in putting it together? And most importantly - do your kids love it?

Images from Design Dazzle, 6th Street Design School and Project Nursery

Goodnight Moon

This is such a sweet boys party based on the favourite children's book, Goodnight Moon. The team at the English Paper Company put it together for a little boys first birthday. While it's not a book my daughter is into, this table is just delightful..... enjoy!

The ribbon background is great... these are becoming more and more popular and for good reason!

I love the lollipops - they match the scheme perfectly!

I am such a fan of personalised water bottles for parties - such an easy way to co-ordinate a theme throughout an event.

These hot chip holders are a great idea!

Getting gumboots right

They are not the classic style item, but we have seen a resurgence in the popularity of the gumboot over the last few years. You might even say we have witnessed the birth of the fashion gumboot. This is, of course, largely thanks to the terribly chic, supermodel/rockstar type crowd at Glastonbury and such.

But why would I be writing about gumboots now? I am not a rockstar, nor am I terribly chic. But the thing is that ever since I have arrived in Copenhagen I have been struck by the comfort and practicality of the old (or rather new, and dare I hope for it, cool) wellies. And like last weeks bikes, they are an item to be enjoyed by adults and children alike- although perhaps in slight differing colour schemes...

Admittedly they won't get us big people far in summer- not being particularly breathable. But, like when I was tiny, they still make great slip on to run around in the backyard shoes for kids at any time of the year. Unlike their no laces companions, thongs, they are unlikely to cause little feet blisters and they stay on rather more easily. Gumboots are good for all weather conditions, are tough as nails and come in a range of fantastically fun colours and patterns (like these little pink delicacies from Hunter).

But here in Copenhagen I have witnessed a whole new world of wellington possibilities. Gumboots are the stylish, practical alternative to the ugg boot. Chose the correct boots and you could say goodbye to your dilemmas about which shoes to wear down to the shops over your leggings, what to wear with jeans to collect the kids from school and even how to casually pull off the dress and tights look!

The key is in the boot selection. The ladies here get it right because they choose long boots in classical colours that will go with everything ie black, navy or dark green. I would strongly recommend Hunter- the British boot maker. But if you can't get your mits on a pair of those, then any good thick, stiff rubber will do. To achieve a sleek look, keep away from machine moulding patterns on the outside.

Remember, gumboots are not for all occasions, but with a bit of savvy you can get them right for yourself and the kids.

 The Inspired Occasion

Monsters Inc.

Finally, I am sharing this party with you! I tried earlier in the week, but had issues with blogger, then got distracted in redesigning our webpage (which you can check out here) and am just coming back to it now. Thanks for your patience everyone - I promise it was worth the wait!

Jess from Polkadots and Pirates put this great party together for her son and nephews joint birthday party. The theme was chosen from a favourite book (the very cute looking Tickle Monster) and because the boys are often referred to as 'little monsters'!

There are just so many fun details in these photos, I am not sure I can choose a favourite! I am loving the bright bold colour scheme, the fabulous cake, the super cute themed cookies and the chalk drawings on the front footpath....

 'Little Monsters' - surely not?! How cute are they in their matching t-shirts?!

For a full list of suppliers, along with some more great shots from the party, make sure you check out the Polkadots & Pirates blog.

Cheers,

Adventures with iWeb

Today was a beautiful sunny day, perfect outdoors weather. Guess where I spent it?

Indoors, with my laptop, tapping away.

The old site - take a look at the new look one and let me know what you think

All for a good cause though - I was busy updating our website, which has been on my 'to do' list for a while now. Not being overly technical, each time I need to update it, I know I need to allow a good chunk of time to get through it all.

Using iWeb does make it slightly easier, although it also reduces the ability to customise, meaning I have to use pieces of HTML and CSS coding, both of which are another language for me!!

I have promised myself that I will learn Dreamweaver over the next few months, but until then - this will have to do.

www.theinspiredoccasion.com.au


Take a look and let me know what you think. Happy to have everyone's suggestions and feedback!

European Style - Bikes

Today I make my first contribution to The Inspired Occasion with the admission that I do not have children of my own. Whilst I do enjoy being an indulgent aunt and older sister, it is likely to be some years before I welcome my own little joys into the world.

However, whilst I would by no means call myself a mother guru, I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse, that I am down with the kids. And that if I had my own children I am sure they would be about as stylish Heidi Klum's little babes. 

I have seen what the hippest of the hip are wearing this autumn (for autumn it is here). I have lived in London and done a stint in France. I thought that I was on top of the trends.

Apparently not.

 I have very recently moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. Scandinavian fashion is on an entirely different playing field. Everyone here is so eye-wateringly stylish that the primary school children I encounter in our street could actually be mistaken for one of Heidi's own tots.

But it's not about being flashy and expensive. It's about being classic. As anyone who has taken a quick look at Our Princess Mary lately would be able to tell you, Danish style is about embracing tried and tested colours and lines and then putting a small modern twist on the picture. Week by week  we will get a look at the world of European style.

This week: Bikes. They are not the transport of choice in Australia for reasons largely to do with long distances and practicality. But I believe that they have their place in any city or local neighbourhood and certainly with trends of sustainability taking off in Australian metropolises you will be seeing more of them.

 In Copenhagen owning and using a bike is not a trend, it is a necessity. With parking virtually non existent, and road infrastructure designed to support a mobile city with wide, separated cycling lanes – biking is second nature for adults and children alike.

Naturally the style that permeates the fashion scene here carries through to the chosen mode of transport. Bikes are invariably classic models. Some are sleek and black (pictured) and others are fabulously coloured in bright pink or pastel blue. With a beautiful machine like that to ride, how could you want to drive?

There is also a certain sense of utility to these creations. Locals have modified their bikes to create carriages on the front to carry everything from the groceries, to deliveries by the local florist (pictured) and even the kids (pictured). 

The kiddy bike carriages are perfect for an age where the kids are too tiny for a bike seat or too small to use their own pedal power. The kids inside are snug and warm and the parents can get from A to B without the burdens of a car. Like any car seat they come in a range of models at all sorts of different expense, but the pure simplicity of the idea with the modern twist makes them blog worthy.

What do you think? Would you consider a bike carriage for small distances with the kids?

Signing off from Copenhagen

Claire. 

French Village Fair

Today it's wet, cold - hailing in fact. Miserable spring weather, almost a return to the depths of winter. After a week of the heating being off, jumpers and jackets left at home; we are back to needing scarves and slippers.

Hopefully it's just a momentary glitch in our Spring plans, as I was really enjoying that sunny, blue skies weather...

This time last weekend we were basking in the sunshine at our school French Village Fair. This fair is a huge deal for our school, only coming along every two years. This year, I took on the auspicious title of Decorations Co-ordinator. I am still not entirely sure what this means, but I took it that it was my job to make things pretty!

I thought I would share some a shot or two with you of the day. I had made a tonne of tissue paper pom poms to hang from the main marquee, but didn't end up taking any photo's - doh!!

I loved the way the families all get into the spirit of the day by dressing in red, white and blue stripes. So chic!

The merchadise was great - so much to choose from. Le Pyjamerie was so much fun - a stall dedicated to handmade pyjama's and all things sleep... they also sold some great slippers, shower caps and covered coat hangers in funky fabrics.  The mums at our school are super talented!!

{If you look closely at the above photo, you will see a red iPad cover, on the front left, which I couldn't resist buying - fits my iPad perfectly!}

 We also had co-ordinating table cloths, a tonne of handmade bunting, matching signage and LOTS of helium balloons (also forgot to take any photo's of these, but trust me, they were there!)

There were also lots of little details that the stall holders put in themselves - my favourite would have to be the giant Eiffel Tower covered in Gingerbread men at Le Gateaux stall... or was it the giant cupcakes decorating the La Petite Gateaux stand...?

A big thank you goes to the lovely Esha at Flourish Floral for filling all my little milk bottles with beautiful posies to put on 'le cafe' tables!

I will leave you with a final shot of me and my girl

It was a fantastic day and I was so proud of all the parents who have put their hearts and souls into making the day a success over the past few months. Being a preppy parent, I didn't really understand the level of work that goes into such a day, but the benefits (both financial and maybe more importantly for the general school community spirit) outweigh all the stress and drama.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend,