What will I do in 2012...

The time has come to say goodbye to 2011... and what a year it was for me.  I opened my Online Shoppe, collaborated with some amazing ladies, had my work featured on Amy Atlas, Martha Stewart, TomKat Studio's and was seen in magazines like Modern Wedding DIY, Practical Parenting and Little One Kids! And all in one year!


So, because of this, I have had to re-do my business plan for the next 12 months.  


I have decided to scale back large Events next year only.  I will be starting my Preston Bailey Design Course. I look forward to completing this in the year, and then focusing back on large Events in 2013.


I will also be re-stocking Shoppe with Lily with some gorgeous furniture that can be used for Sweets Table Props.  I have had lots of requests for this so have begun my search and found some great suppliers that can help me out.


Another change to the Online Shoppe will be that I have decided to add 'used props' to my Sale folder.  I complete many Photo Shoots throughout the year and accumulate so many 'props'.  So I have decided to sell these off at a great price once the shoot is over.  So if you have an upcoming Event that needs props, please check back in the new year to see if I have something that will suit.


I cannot wait to work with all my new clients in 2012 and look forward to helping up and coming Work at Home Mums by showcasing their products or services on all 2012 Photo Shoots.  I especially like this as I still clearly remember the day I had only 52 likers {and they were family and friends} and then one business did a shout out and the journey began.  It was a dream, and I want to help your dream.


So, from me to you, thank you for following, thank you for the lovely comments and feedback, and most of all thank you for being you.


See you in 2012.


Lil x

WINNER of the HARRY POTTER Competition..

I am a week late in posting the WINNER of the Harry Potter Exhibition Tickets...and for that I apologise!  I was too focused on the Peekaboo Competition that I forgot about my own.


If you entered though...your odds were great!


One in four chance of winning!


I gave this opportunity to my Sydney fans, but only four entered.


But that's ok...because I have a WINNER!


TARA STOCKDALE...who wrote about her favorite story growing up..


My fav was Lord of The Rings... but I have to confess, I kinda skimmed over all the fighting scenes and just read the chapters about the elves and the actual storylines.... I loves all the riddles in The Hobbit so much that I typed them up and printed copies to stick around my room... I even memorised them... So so sad :) 

I saw an advertisement for this exhibition about 2 months ago and swore I was going... I love Harry Potter... But To Be Honest I probably wont get to... with 2 kids under 4 and me not working there isnt enough money to extend to doing what Mummy wants to :( 

Hence me entering this competition!!!! 

Thanks for the awesome opportunity!!!!


Thank you to all that entered this competition...and keep your eye out for upcoming GIVEAWAYS and SALES!! 


Lil xx

My TWINS 2nd Birthday Part Three...

Today's blog post is all about SWEETS!


After getting my Invitation, I always try to book in a Cake Maker in as early as possible because more often than not, the best ones are booked weeks in advance!


I have a few favorites that I like to use.  Juli from One Sweet Girl has made me many Cakes and Cupcakes and I adore her work.  She is artistic and I love her touch of Vintage and prettiness.  Leoni from Just Call Me Martha is a dear friend of mine and we have worked together on a few Collaborations lately.  Her imagination is amazing and her work reminds me very much of My Sweet & Saucy {a well known cake maker in the US}.  


This time, I decided to see if Kate from Kiss me Kate was available as again, I am a huge fan of her work.  She reminds me a lot of myself and the way I like to style a table. Kiss me Kate has also got that 'wow' factor that I search for and was so very happy when I found out they were available on that date.


I emailed Kate the Invitation design and the Inspiration board and also with what I had envisioned. I believe Kate and her team will bring to life what I am looking for and also know that it will taste amazing.  Coming from a European background, my family is obsessed with sweets.  Every function, this is the most talked about thing!  So, for me, this was a very important decision.


I searched Pinterest and found some styles that I liked and then showed them to Kate.  She will ultimately make the final artistic decision on these and I trust her implicitly.  Always use someone that you have either used before and are happy with or someone that has been recommended.  There are Cake Makers out there that charge a lot of money but their Cakes and Sweets look store bought.


I have decided to go with 4 small cakes.  These will form a part of the table design.  Each cake will be a different shade of pink..an ombre effect.  As mentioned, the final design will be up to Kate and her team.


The rest of the table will be made up of small bite sized sweets, and sticking to the theme, and given the movie is based in the 1930's, the sweets will be very old fashioned.  Think pies, tarts and slices.  


The Invitation and the Cake Maker are two of the most influential stylists you will have for your Event.  Even if you think about Weddings, when you receive the Invitation in the mail, you immediately get excited to see what theme and colours the Bride & Groom will be going with.  Then on the day of the Wedding, as soon as you enter the reception hall, you want to see the Cake! This is the same for Birthdays.  You don't have to spend lots...be smart about where you invest your money. 


Sian's Vintage Birthday that I recently styled cost roughly $10.50 a head.  This included the sweets table with all lollies and candy included, an original design, set up by myself, and all Table Jars and plates.  Gen, Sian's mum, arranged the Cake and the cookies and it didn't cost the Earth, but looked amazing!


Next post I will reveal who will be helping me on decorations and unique touches.


Lil xx

My Inspiration from Pinterest, an Ombre Cake!

Cupcakes by One Sweet Girl for my Beatrix Potter Easter Shoot

Cake by One Sweet Girl for Mikayla's 11th Birthday

Kiss Me Kate's beautiful work

Cake and sweets by Just Call me Martha for our Wedding Shoot

Sian's Vintage Birthday Party {Cake made by Cakes by Laura}

My TWINS 2nd Birthday Part Two...

Today I received a lovely email from another WAHM that has 3 year old twins.  Her story was so very similar to mine.  It feels lovely to hear from people that know what I went through. Thank you to everyone for your kind words.

This post is dedicated to how I begin my 'Event Planning' process.

The first thing I choose is the Invitation.  To me, the Invite sets the entire scene for the Party.  It tells the guest's what to expect the day of the party.  You can either choose a fill it in Invitation, or have a Custom one made.  Both are popular and I have used both depending on the Event.

Last year I found an excellent Graphic Designer, Jennifer Birkhead Design, and I love using Jen for my Events.  Jen creates exactly what I am after and I never have to amend the design.  They are perfect!

There are so many places you can find Invitations.  Fill-it-in Invites can be purchased from Jennifer Birkhead Design and Shoppe with Lily.  They are made out of cardstock and are very cute!

Custom Invites can be ordered online via Etsy, MadeIt or ask any stylist to recommend a Graphic Designer.  If you are planning to use Printables for a sweets table then using a Graphic Designer is a good idea.  It gives the party a consistant look and feel and will be easier for you to style.

This is the 'mood board' I found and emailed to Jen..

I just fell in love with the 'happy' colours.

I asked Jen to create an Invite that had a vintage feel, had a quote on it that I loved, and used these colours.

As a child, I had always loved the movie 'Chitty, chitty bang, bang'.  The kids in the movie are twins and they dream big...their imagination runs wild and free and I love that they fall in love with their step mum, Truly Scrumptious.  So, the overall theme of the twins birthday will be 'SWEET".

And here is the Invitation that Jen Designed for the Twins 2nd Birthday...

What do you think?

The next blog post will be on choosing vendors.

If you have any questions on choosing Invitations, feel free to email me at lilychicevents@gmail.com.

Lil xx

My TWINS 2nd Birthday Part One..

BACKGROUND:  For those of you that have been following my page for the last 12 months, you will know all about my Identical Twin Daughters, Aurelia Violet and Indiana Torah Oliver.  For those of you that are new to my page, this is a short story about them.

For me, Christmas has always been about family - getting together with the people you love.  But after what my husband and I have been through, I know not everyone can celebrate.  For some, Christmas is the hardest part of the year.

Christmas 2009, instead of decorating our home and gift shopping, we were huddled over two incubators in the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne.

"Do you think they'll make it?"  I asked my husband James almost daily.  We were positive they would but who knew?  Nobody did.

It all started in November 2009, when at 25 weeks pregnant, my waters broke.  James rushed me to hospital, where baby Aurelia arrived, followed 9 minutes later by Indiana.  At 15 weeks premature, we were give a frightening statistic that only 50% of babies survive when born at this gestation, and most would have severe disabilities.

We clung to hope.  

With Aurelia weighing 910g and Indiana just 695g, little more than a can of soup, there was every chance my babies wouldn't make it the four weeks to Christmas.  We made the 100km round trip daily to see each tiny step they made towards survival.  James and I learnt to take every precious moment as it came, cherishing every cuddle, every feed, every nappy change.  

Christmas Day was the first time I was allowed to dress my girls in a romper that was still too big.  They had their photo with Santa, but only Aurelia was well enough to come out of the incubator. 

Four months later, both my girls were allowed to come home.  Indy was on 24 hour oxygen at home, and both girls have undergone heart surgery, but they are alive, have no permanent disabilities and are so strong willed that I am constantly looking at them in awe.

Their first birthday was last November, and they were only 8 months old {corrected}.  They could not yet sit in their high chair.  So we decided to go to the zoo for the Heart Kids Christmas Party instead.  We had a great day but I missed not seeing them smash a cake or play with wrapping paper.

So, this year...they are 2 in November.  Or 20 months old {corrected}.. they can run around and sing and play...and they are going to LOVE their Party.

I have decided to post BLOG updates to give you a sneak peak on what I am doing for the twins party and how I manage my time line.  This will give you a background view of how many {approx.} weeks prep time it could take you to plan your own Event.

I hope you enjoy seeing the twin's party come together.  I cannot wait to show you all the sweet details in upcoming blogs.

Lil xx

Aurelia one week old

Mikayla feeding Indy Christmas Day 2009

Indy Christmas 2009

Aurelia Christmas 2009

Aurelia, first time in her romper

Indy

First twin cuddle

Mixi wrote special messages for her sisters every visit

100 days old

The first time in Autumn Leaves this year!

Lily Loves....my Sydney fans too!!

I LOVE to Giveaway prizes...and I know that all of my 'Event' prizes have one limitation....that they are always Melbourne based.


So...I thought I would give my Sydeysider fans an opportunity to win a 'MAGICAL' prize!


I am giving away A FAMILY TICKET TO THE HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION at the Powerhouse Museum on the 3rd of December 2011!!


Do you have children that would LOVE to see hundred's of original artefacts from the Harry Potter Movies including the Gryffindor Common Room, Hagrid's Hut, the Great Hall and many more!!

So...how do you WIN this AMAZING Experience??


All you have to do is comment what was your favorite story book as a child and what you liked about the book.


The Winner will be chosen by me and my decision is final.


Please only ENTER if you are able to go to the EVENT yourself in Sydney.  The family ticket is for 2 Adults and 2 Children and will be emailed to you.


The tickets cannot be SOLD as they are in my name.


And please...spread the word.  The more the merrier!!


Entries close on the 10th of October 2011 at 8pm.  Winner will be notified in a blog post on Tuesday 11th of October 2011.


Have fun!!


Lil xx

Week 4 - 8...Photography Challenge

WOW! How busy life can be when you move house!  I did not expect to be chasing my tail for a whole month, but that is what happened!!


The good news is...I'm back! Finally able to start planning and going forward in the Events and Shoppe side of the business.  And also, start enjoying the Summer months with my family!


So...Week 4 of the Photography Challenge was DINNER.  I am going to skip this one this week and plan on giving you 'the best' recipe very soon...and this will include this picture.


Week 5 was FROM A HIGH ANGLE.  This one and the next one was easy for me to do.  My husband, James and the twins were outside in our 'new' backyard on Fathers Day playing with the ball.  Such a simple thing but they were loving it.  So, I grabbed my camera and headed outdoors to watch my girls have fun with Daddy.


And here is my pic..

My youngest, Indiana, who only started walking last month, decided climbing on the table was much more fun...so off she went! She is the most determined child I have ever met!


Week 6 was FROM A LOW ANGLE, and I took this picture the same day.

The girls LOVE to be thrown up into the air by Daddy and they giggle so much when he does it! I managed to capture James and Indy playing this game and I love the evening sky in the background.  These pictures are unedited.


Week 7 was WHAT YOU WORE TODAY...and I will do this pic with the dinner one.


Week 8 is this week's challenge and it is BLACK & WHITE.  This one was easy for me as last week, my lovely friend Leoni from Just Call me Martha and I, had our Black and White TIME themed Wedding Shoot featured on the Amy Atlas Blog.  We had such a fun day setting this up and the pictures were amazing.  Here is a pic of Leoni's Black and White Cookies and then edited into a Black and White pic..

So there you have the catch up ...well almost...of the Photography Challenge.


Next blog post will be on my NEW GIVEAWAY!! Stay tuned for all the details on that one!


Lil xx

Week 3...Photography Challenge

Wow...week 3 is here! How fast time is moving for my little business and family!


Week 3's Challenge was BOLD COLOURS.


So...I decided to add a couple of pics this week.


The first is of the flowers I have on my kitchen table.  I love Spring and have a fascination with Bulbs.  The ugly bulb becoming a gorgeous flower! I love tulips, freesias, hyacinths and blossoms...daffodils, poppies and sweet peas.


This gorgeous display smelt DIVINE and as it's amongst the chaos of packing for our new adventure, it creates CALM.

The next picture that shows bold colours is one of my family enjoying the day at Melbourne's Botanical Gardens.  The grass was so green and the girls cheeks were lovely and rosey and you could just see that Spring is just around the corner!

This is my family.


Till next week


Lil xx

Week 2...Photography Challenge

Week Two...WHAT MAKES ME SMILE!


This week has been very busy for me..


Saturday and Sunday saw me and my gorgeous husband visit the Melbourne Trade Fairs in the city.  We decided to stay overnight and had a lovely time without the children.  But midway through Sunday afternoon...we really began missing the children!


We came home and spent lots of time with the twins and before we knew it...Monday was here!  This is a special day for me as I spend the entire day with the twins at home.  We had lots of fun and my day goes by very quickly!


Tuesday is Lily Chic Events day...but I had to make a trip out to Eltham {a 2 hour round trip} to collect some stock, then drove to a few more suppliers shops, before heading to see the twins {who were with my Mum}.  


Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, I work at Bunnings from 10am till 6pm.  The best bit about my week...Indiana...my youngest twin...WALKED on her own!!


This made my YEAR...as you may or may not know..my twins were born at 25 weeks gestation.  They had a 50% chance of survival and an even smaller chance of not having brain bleeds or severe disabilities.  Indiana was born 696 grams.  We almost lost her twice...and has had heart surgery.  She came home on oxygen and has been slower to develop than her twin sister.  But now...at 17 months {corrected}...she is WALKING!


AMAZING!


So...what makes me smile...MY MIRACLES...Aurelia Violet & Indiana Torah.

I have taken a photo of a picture that is hanging on my wall at home, taken by the very talented Vanessa from Wildberry Studio's.  It always makes me smile!


Till next week..


Lil xx

Lily Loves....Preston Bailey!

A few of you might remember this photo...

It created such a stir on my Facebook Page that I have received so many offers to re-create this magical scene!


I began researching the source...Preston Bailey. 


When I began my business, I know I did not want to do the 'standard' Wedding Decorations that many reception houses supplied to Brides as a package.  I wanted each Wedding to be different, creative, unique and most of all...make you say WOW!


Unfortunately, there are so many Brides that are scared to take that leap of faith and stick to the ever popular traditional centrepieces.  This is ok for some.  But for those of you that want your Wedding Day to be extraordinary {I mean...when else can you spend in excess of $10,000 on one day?} please...do it! There are so many talented people out there that can help you...and you will be surprised at the cost!


So...back to Preston!  

 As I researched his work...I was surprised to find that he started very small {like most of us WAHM's}.  He worked very hard ensuring his work was unique and taught himself to be the most sought after Designer of Awe Inspiring Events in the US!


I began following his personal Blog and have learnt so much about business from this incredible man! 

So...I have decided to complete Preston Bailey's Signiture Wedding & Event Design course!  This is a course that will teach me the step-by-step processes and techniques utilized by Preston Bailey himself!  It will ensure I have the skills to be able to create that One-of-a-kind, magical Weddings for all my new clients.


To say I am excited is an understatement! 


This course is an online course and I can take as long as I like to complete and as you all know, my life is busy at the best of times.  But I also believe that if you are continuously dreaming of something all day long as I do with Lily Chic Events, they it most certainly needs to grow to make me happy!

I am very excited about the path I have chosen for the future of Lily Chic Events.  Not only will I continue to create some original Children's Events, I am branching out into something that made me begin my journey, and with the help of not only Preston Bailey, but also my family, friends, fans and peers, I hope together we can CREATE a truly magical experience!


Lil xx

My Photography Challenge

Well...the day has arrived!


I have begun my 20 week Photography Challenge as set out by Laura Beth.  Her Blog, A Step in the Journey has inspired me to take up this challenge.


Not just because I have no experience with my new Camera but also because I wanted you all to see a side of me that you will not have seen before...a very personal side.


You see, there are many layers to my life...as we all have...and the internet allows us to be whoever we choose to be.  We can sometimes hide behind the computer screen and we are led to believe one thing, and the reality is very different.


I wanted you to see my life with my three jobs and four kids and happy marriage.


This is ME.


Week One's Challenge is SELF PORTRAIT. 


I chose to take a picture of me in my Bunnings uniform, 11pm, in my lounge room, on my Mac, answering emails from Lily Chic Events!  Such a glamorous life we lead!


I would love you to comment and give me some encouragement throughout this process and if you relate to anything I post...please tell me.  I would love to know I am not the only one who multi tasks ALL DAY LONG!


Till next week...


L xx

So....U Think U Can Sing?

I have been wanting to share another of my Event's with you all for a month now...and I finally have the opportunity! So without further ado...I present to you all...So U think U can Sing??


My daughter Mikayla {turning 11} had been planing this party in her head for two years! She came to me 6 months ago and proclaimed she wanted an 'Oliver's Idol' like party. We brainstormed names and she finally decided on So...U think U can Sing? Her favorite colour is green with blue being a close second...so we chose turquoise and candy pink with touches of black. I enlisted the help of my dear friend Jennifer Birkhead to design the Custom Invitations and Printables.  Jen and I decided to go with the 'Ticket' that contestants receive when they get selected into the Top 100. 


Mikayla invited 8 friends so with the small number, I was able to spoil them a bit more! Her friends arrived at 11am and they were able to have some 'warm ups' on a Karaoke Machine we installed for the day! They LOVED this! I had bought some checkered flooring and pink lights and they had a ball! 


For lunch the girls were shown to their seats which I had personalised with individual Suitcases.  Inside the Cases was Fluffy Ear Muffs, Slippers, Eye Shadow, Lip Gloss, Nail Polish and a Gorgeous Strawberry scented soap from Bubble Lane! This case was to represent their home away from home whilst they were in 'Berwick'! They also had individual Choc Mint flavoured Cupcakes made by Juli from Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats. These were devoured immediately after lunch!


Some more singing ensued after lunch and the three judges awarded each girl a different award after they sang their selected songs! 


The sweets buffet was styled my me, and the gorgeous Cake was made by Juli too! It was pink and blue layered and tasted divine!  Candy Soiree's provided the chocolate beans and Little Big Company sent me the Swizzle Sticks.  I made the Star Shaped Shortbread Pops and the Mint Slice.  The cones which housed my coloured popcorn were hand made by Celebration Today! The Superchick Way in the U.S.


The girls filled up their metal buckets and also grabbed a Ribbon Wand by Pinwheels and Pearls on the way out the door.  We took them all in to the Arts Centre in Melbourne for a session called 'Art Play'.  They were shown how to make their own music in a Studio and actually made a CD each to take home!! They loved this! 


All photo's were taken by Jane from Coco by Miss Jane! Thank you Jane for joining me on this special day!! 


It was such a great day that finished at 7pm that night! Mikayla said it was her BEST Birthday EVER...what more coud I ask for??


Enjoy!


Lil xx