kitty n' kitsch: excess baggage

kitty n' kitsch: excess baggage

Sunshine, friends, delicious food and the beautiful baby shower

Today I feel so proud of my wonderful family.  As a mother I feel empowered to make wonderful things happen for my daughters, and as a first time Nana to be, excited to host my beautiful daughter Peta, her baby shower.
I need to step back a few days...
Continuing massive excavation of back garden and renovating of the inground pool. Check.
Brother In Law, Chris, arriving from Boston on Tuesday morning. Clean the house. Make up the guest room Check.
Work. Check
Wednesday, samples for new range of Rowantree Baby Designs. Check
Plant the white petunias. Check
Wednesday night. Sailing. Check
Thursday. Progress of front garden.  Panic. Lot's to do. Lots of mulching, lawn a disaster.
Friday....100 sq metres of turf arrives. Oh my!
My husband Patrick realises it would be a huge mistake to go to work, somebody has to lay the turf, somebody plus brother.  Thankfully Chris being a brother obliges...with only hours to spare before he is due to fly out to New Zealand, and much hard kiwi yakka, the turf is layed, watered and looking lush and green.  Chris has a quick power nap and Patrick gets him to the airport just in the nick of time.  Thank you Chris.  I know it wasn't on the brochure.  Next time Patrick and I are in Boston, maybe you could get Patrick to paint the house or something.
Friday night Patrick and I enjoyed a glass of wine admiring our lovely garden.

Our two happy poodles Louis and Hugo, enjoyed it too!

Excitedly I woke on Saturday morning, welcomed by a most beautiful sunny sky.  It's going to be a fantastic baby shower.  The canopy was the first to arrive supplied by a very reliable company Instant Canopy who always deliver a very clean canopy, which I think sets the tone for the event.  Ding dong, and talented Justin from Tasty Chef Catering drops in with the most delicious finger sandwiches, tempting smelling baby beef, peppered pies complimented by chicken and dill sausage rolls.  I love Justin's food, he is very passionate about your event and works very well to create the perfect menu for you and your guests.

Patrick climbs our magnificent magnolia tree to weave the bunting through the branches while I get busy decorating the garden and arranging the tables and chairs.

Could not resist a touch of retro

Some plants need potting

A crazy pot of succulents sit beside the front door

The baby blue watering can perched on little retro gardening seats

Time is ticking by and I am having so much fun.  Keeping an eye on the time as I am expecting my gorgeous daughter Lauren who is arriving from Brisbane to pop her happy head over the gate any moment. Hoping she will lend Peta a hand to ice the cup cakes.  Alexandra arrives with a glorious bunch of flowers for the hall table.  White hydranges and my fave pink peonies from Maria's Fresh Flowers.  Maria is a very talented and creative florist.  I use Maria for all my special floral arrangements.

The canopy, the orange tree and the drinks

It's all go in the house and Patrick is looking nervous.  He decides it high time to take the poodles, a six pack of beer and head off to the boat for some man and dog time.  The girls and I add the last touches to our outfits and we are ready and waiting for the guests to arrive.

Mathilda arrives wearing my Rowantree Design  Lara pop over dress. Isn't she tooo to cute!

We were so excited to greet Auntie Sue from  Ralston

And of course our vivacious friend Jane

Cooling bottles of San Pelegrini flavoured mineral water await the thirsty guests!

Nautical themed cup cakes

Ashley loves the cakes...Hmmm

 Refreshing fruit jellies

"Try these delicious lemon tarts, Mum and Lara"

Zara and Isla admiring my little touch of retro

Casey,  Isla and Mason

Lara enjoying cake

Maria and Zara

Sam and Isla

Belinda and her very pretty Zara

And now for the presents!

Thanks Auntie Sue for the Golliwog puppet 

....and the beanie

Wow! the very yummy mummy baby bag! Thank you Marie and Fiona

This looks fun, Isla lends a hand

Bookends from Grandma to be

The Flat Bear

Still going and Alexandra should apply to be a game show hostess

A handsome cardigan  

My happy baby sister Alexandra

My media tycoon sister, Lauren, teaching Lara bad mobile habits.

The cake

Cutting the cake together

Happy, tired and a recap

A fabulous day and a few people to thank for making this a baby shower to remember.

Josh from Infinity Landscapes for the turf.

Patrick and Chris for laying the turf.

Justin for the scrumptious catering.

Hugh for your tireless efforts in helping me get everything just right around the house for the day.

My beautiful and best friend Sim who is always around to help me..sneek off to Fiore Gardens Designs to pick up some plants, help me bake 100 cupcakes, bringing the most outstanding prosciutto and rock melon, being my best friend. 

Lara's big sister Ashley, for being a great hostess

My three gorgeous and beautiful daughters for making me so proud.

Lara, the door and Milly

I was so excited that the sun came out today, I called my friend Lyndall and asked her to bring Lara by so I could take pictures of her in my latest little pop over dress 'Milly',  which will be available on my Rowantree website very soon.  When I opened the gate to greet Lyndall, before I had time to say hello she gave my front door a great big WOW.
"That is so edgy and it's just beautiful, are you keeping it like that"
No, I replied I have to finish sanding it and paint it before the baby shower, so let's enjoy it for now.
What a wonderful idea to take the pictures of Lara in front of the door.  And what an opportunity to sneek in another stunning bunch of flowers from my fave florist, Rococo Flowers.

Countdown to the Baby shower

We are getting very excited about the birth of our first grandson.  We have been busy buying beautiful things to decorate his room and gorgeous clothes for him to wear and in two weeks I am giving my beautiful daughter Peta her Baby Shower. The invitations I chose are from my favourite online invitation  store, 'The Enchanted Envelope', the girls are so friendly and very helpful when it comes to the wording of your invitation.  And of course the invitation is in a nautical theme.

 I have been busy sewing the 50 metres of bunting I have approximated I will need to hang through our magnificent Granda Flora Magnolia tree and planning a very scrumptious afternoon tea.
The games and entertainment I will leave for my other beautiful daughters' Lauren and Alexandra to plan and execute. That's been the easy bit as I just love staging family events. The biggest hurdle will be getting the front garden looking it's very best in just two weeks. I have started with the front door and wow I hope to get it all sanded and painted in time, although I quite like it looking so romantic and rustic in its many layers of gorgeous colours (an inspiration in itself for a fabric print).  Lots of things to plan and do and of course leave time to work on my Rowantree collection.

The front door and new plant in situ

The Magnolia Grande Flora

The beautiful Granda Flora Flower

My front path

Vintage Fabrics a basket full of ladies

Christmas is just around the corner and over the past week I have set myself a task to find all my little pieces of vintage fabrics and turn them into cute little ladies.  Gifts for the many little girls in my circle of friends.
I have also made more of the beautiful Knickernoos.  What a funny word that is.  My eldest daughter made that word up for the gorgeous bloomers I made her as a baby and toddler.  I can never give up a beautiful piece of fabric hence the Knickernoo was born.

I have also come across a box of beautiful buttons which deserve a blog of their own.  I am so busy and loving it.  My daughters' Baby Shower is just around the corner and I am creating a nautical theme.. Of course.  Busy with the bunting, the menu and my garden.  Happy wonderful baby days just around the bend.  We have already named him the 'king',  as you can imagine the first grandson after a line up of girls is very exciting and somebody is always dropping in with adorable clothes and gifts.

A few of my favourite things

 When I woke this morning and the rain was steadily beating on my roof instead of feeling glum I thought about the scene in "Sound of Music" when it is raining and thundering and the children come into the room and Julie Andrews breaks out into this fabulous good feeling song "Raindrops on Roses".  I was not going to let the rain put a damper on my day.  I began to think about my favourite things I have come across this week.  An exquisite bunch of roses I treated myself to from Rococo Flowers, a fabulous find at a garage sale last Saturday, an old Japanese saki bottle in an amazing shade of blue and of course a pair of oh so cute ruffily frilly Knickernoos I added to my collection this week.  Love the fabric!
I leapt out of bed and turned on my computer to share these beautiful images.  Firstly I opened my email....A HUGE SURPRISE ...Rowantree was featured on the Bondville Blog..Thanks Steph you have made mine, my friends, and my family's day.  It's a big buzz.  You have made the Rowantree online collection look as beautiful a it is.