Sweets on a Stick Bubble and Sweet Cookbook being released soon

I know I have been a bit slow with posting on the blog lately, but I have a really, really great excuse........

I wrote a cookbook.

Yes a real live cookbook to be published in the US by a real publishing house and due for release this coming holiday season.

I'm a little bit excited.

It's focused on making sweet treats on a stick with your kids and there are a stack of new ideas and recipes that I think everyone will love, as well as some of my favorites from the blog modified for kids.

Some of the pictures inside are soooo cute if I do say so myself and I can't wait to share more information with you.


and while I'm on the self promotion here is a picture of me taken by Naomi V Photography who is totally amazing. As well as headshots like this, Naomi is available for weddings, commercial work, family portraits and newborn shots.

You might remember her she took the photo's at the Magical Forrest Tea Party and Ava's Tea Party last year.

OK.......I'm always a bit embarrassed about promoting myself so now that I'm blushing a bit I'm off to bake a batch of Christmas in July cookies for a friend.

How ADOREable is this high tea shoot

So this story starts with a message from Sharnel Dollar asking me if I would like to help her out on a shoot she was doing for Adore magazine.

Come on you guys know what my answer was even without seeing all the gorgeous pictures on this page. Sharnel Dollar Designs Styling + Naomi V Photography + a host of other amazing providers is always going to = a gorgeous result.

Yup I jumped at the chance.

Now I can only take credit here for making the macarons, scones and melting moments, and the recipes for the scones and melting moments are courtesy of Sharnel Dollar. But I am very proud and excited to have helped out at all.

Oh and any of you readers from the US who might want to try out the scone (biscuit) recipe - lemonade is what we call clear soda...7 up would be a suitable replacement, and it is a super easy recipe. Really, really easy fast scones.

Check out the whole high tea fit for a Queen (starting page 96)  including the recipes by clicking on this link.

In fact check out the whole magazine - it's online and free and has some gorgeous stuff in it.

High Tea fit for a Queen credits

Sharnel Dollar - Styling and making of all treats except the couple made by me
Naomi V - Photography
Green and Bloom Wedding Flowers - flowers
Pen & Paperflowers - Silhouette design
Macaron Recipe 

Ava's Tea Party

I first read Ava Rosemeyer's story about a year ago, I was searching and came across some beautiful images and noticed a tab with the simple heading Ava and a link to her memorial site.


To say Ava's story is touching is a complete understatement, Ava was not yet 4 when she was unexpectedly taken from her family. One of the things that Ava had been looking forward to was a tea party she had been planning with her family.

A group of talented people have had the vision to create Ava's Tea Party in August each year, to inspire people to spend time together with their loved ones. Links to these groups are included at the end of this post.

So inspired, on Monday the 23rd of August some friends and I had a tea party in memory of Ava Rosemeyer.

Naomi from Naomi V Photography took beautiful images of this wonderful day and Daneve from Ah Tissue came and decorated with her gorgeous pom poms.

We remembered a little princess, we laughed, had fun and spent time with some people we love and some new friends.
 

We had rosewater cupcakes, chocolate macarons, oreo cookie pops, flower sugar cookies and Wizz Fizz sherbet icecream cones.

In memory of Ava I didn't stop the kids from wading in the mud and squishing it between their toes. Lilli told me this was the best part of the party......

Big bubble blowers.......always lots of fun.

Proving that not only princesses love a tea party Kye was the ultimate party boy.



Later while driving home Lilli asked me if I thought that Ava got the balloons up in Heaven that we had released.

I'd like to think she did.

Ava's Tea Party is held in August of every year. This year Details Details has a range of printable invites for $10 each designed by a group of super talented Australian Stationery designers. The whole $10 you pay is donated to Paradise Kids a community funded organisation which helps families through grief and loss.

Big thank you to Naomi V Photography and Ah Tissue for helping to make this such a wonderful day for the kids.

Ava's Tea Party 
Paradise Kids
Details Details Beauty Full Collection
Naomi V Photography - thank you for the images on this Ava's Tea Party post
Ah Tissue pom poms - thank you for the lovely pom pom decorations for this party and the balloons for releasing.

Update: The girls are wearing pettiskirts from Princess Ratbag - Australian Designed and owned - click here for the link to Princess Ratbag.

Once upon a time....... Strawberry white chocolate pot recipe and Forest tea party

Once upon a time there were 4 gorgeous little girls, they were the prettiest and best dressed girls in the land and one day they happened upon a magical tea party in the forest.

There were cupcakes, strawberry mousse cups, rose and violet macarons, pink cake pops, sweets, lollipop cookies and finger sandwiches and a magical far away tree....

This isn't a fairy tale it's real life (well ok maybe the bit about the magical far away tree's not real) but it wasn't an accident these girls happened upon this tea party.

Strawberry Chocolate Pot recipe at bottom after jump

Elizabeth from LaToriana had a wonderful idea for a photo shoot set in the forest and was kind enough to invite my daughters and I along.

Daneve from Ah Tissue helped set the scene with hanging pom poms and Naomi V Photography took the amazing photo's.

and of course I made the food and styled the little tea table.

It was such fun, and so lovely to meet Elizabeth Murphy of LaToriana in person as I have been a fan and customer of her store for a number of years.

You can see from the photo's just how divine the clothes are I fell in love with the new Little Miss J range, LaToriana sources some of the best brands from Australian and New Zealand. See more pics at her Forest Tea Party La Toriana style blog post.

Forest Tea Party with La Toriana, Naomi V Photography and Ah Tissue

A couple of days ago Bubble and Sweet was lucky enough to be involved in a gorgeous photo shoot involving La Toriana, Naomi V Photography and Ah-Tissue pom poms.

Here is a sneak peak of the tea party table we set up. For more photo's head on over to La Toriana's blog post

or Naomi V Photography.

Will have more pics and details of the food soon........

Now I know this is a baking blog, but I have to mention the children's clothing, I have been a customer of La Toriana for years and they always manage to source the most amazing emerging designers. The dresses above from Little Miss J are so pretty and well made with lovely fabric and they are Australian Made.

Of course all these superb pictures are by Naomi V Photography Brisbane Photographer.