A Prettie Pink Affair

During the time when I was a little M.I.A due to early pregnancy, I helped my sister with my niece's first birthday party...do you remember the sneak peek of the invite?

I thought it was about time to post some pics of what I put together...you will have to forgive me though, I am no professional photographer, so some of the photos don't depict the true colours (like the light pinks).

The bunting used in the display was also the same bunting I made
for her mummy's babyshower before Olivia was born.

Milk bottles for the little guests.

These little favor boxes were filled with a few sweet goodie, but they also contained
a 'Heidi' bow clip from Two Little Bubbles for the girls and sticker packs for the boys.

The specail girl of the day, Olivia!

This wonderful (and very heavy) cake was made by one of my wonderful
friends! I was a pink ombre layer cake on the inside!

Strawberry bon bons from Perth Lolly Buffets
Warning: they are delious and highly addictive!! ;)

Strawberry Jelly Beans!
We also had marshmallows, musk sticks and milk bottles.

The birthday girl blowing out her candle.
Wearing a custom designed hair piece from Two Little Bubbles.

I hope you enjoyed looking though a few of our photos from the day. Feel free to leave a comment if you like :)

Stay Prettie

Jodie-lee

Easy Dinners ~ Tandoori Chicken with Mint Yogurt Sauce.

I love nothing more than a simple, but oh so tasty dinner dish... and sharing them with loved ones of course!

This recipe comes from The Biggest Loser 'Best Recipes' cook book...and its my favourite recipe in the whole book!

I brought this book a few years back I don't think I'll ever
grow old of this recipe!

So, for all your taste buds, here is the recipe!

Tandoori Chicken with Mint Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g chicken tenderloins
1/4 cup tandoori paste
1/4 cup Light & Creamy Coconut Flavoured Evaporated Milk
200g low-fat natural yogurt
2tbs chopped mint leaves
1tbs lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons sumac, plus extra to serve
2 cups steamed rice, to serve

Method

1) Mix together tandoori paste and evaporated milk and pour over chicken in a shallow dish. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate. (if you are struggling for time, 20min usually does the trick too)

2) Meanwhile, place the yogurt, mint, lemon juice and sumac in a bowl and mix well.

3) Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-5 min on each side (or until browned and cooked through), basting regularly with the marinade.

4) Sprinkle the chicken with a little extra sumac and serve with steamed rice and yogurt sauce.

NB:  

* I actually use chicken breast for this recipe and just cut the pieces down to the right size.

*When I first made this recipe I had trouble finding the 'sumac' at Coles, but I ended up finding it in Woolworths with their own brand of herbs and spices.

mmmm it really is just so good!!

I'd love to hear how you go with it.

Stay Prettie

Jodie-lee

Prettie Yummy ~ Baked Toblerone Cheesecake

After yesterdays facebook post about my day of making and baking I had a few people ask me for the recipe for the Baked Toblerone Cheesecake, so I thought I would share it all with you! (you'l have to forgive my lack of photos as I only saw these requests this morning after most of it had been eaten!)

The recipe comes from Janelle Bloom's Fab Food for Family & Friends cook book. I find Janelle's receipes are easy to follow and although I have only used a few from this book so far, each of them has worked really well.

Janelle Bloom's Fab Food for Family & Friends

So if you are entertaining or heading to a friends for a get together give this cheesecake a go, its definately a winner in my books, and its pretty easy too!!

Baked Toblerone Cheesecake

Serves 10.

Ingredients:

750g cream cheese, softened

1 cup of caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs room temp
2 tablespoon of plain flour
300ml sour cream 
2 x 100g toblerone chocolate, broken into pieces
250g mascarpone cheese
cocoa powder and double cream to serve (cream optional, I didn't think it needed it)

Base:

150g Nice biscuits
100 grams butter melted

Method:

1) Preheat Oven 180C no fan. Grease and line base and side of spring form pan (23cm) with baking paper.

2) For the base, break biscuits into large pieces and place in food processor. Process till finely chopped. Add butter and process until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, press mixture into base of the pan.. Refrigerate until firm.

3) Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until just combined (don't over beat or the mixture becomes too aerated). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sitr in flour. Fold in sour cream until just combined.

4) Pour the cream cheese mixture over base, top with toblerone pieces and carefully press them into into cheesecake mixture (they will burn if left exposed). Place pan into a baking tray and bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, or until just set in the centre. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar, and allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven. Refridgerate until chilled.

5) Spread top with mascarpone cheese and dust heavily with cocoa powder to serve.

PS. Don't worry if you get any cracks in it (as I did with my first go) because the mascarpone cheese and cocoa cover them all up ;)

As I said earlier I don't have any photos of the whole finished cake, but here's a pic of what didn't get eaten...which means I get to eat more ;)

the left overs...which means more for this mumma!!

I'd love to know how you go with the recipe if you give it a go!

Stay Prettie and ENJOY!

Jodie-lee

The Reason for my Absence

There is a very good reason I haven't been around much lately....

Kirbys Special Big Sister Tee
(I had the assistance of the LOVELY Gab from
Gabrielle Skye ~ Design & Photography with the graphics as my PC wasn't playing nice at all!
So Thank heaps Sweets!!)

Yes, you read it right! Our little family is soon to add another addition in late January!! 

We are all very excited about having another baby and I am very excited about being pregnant again! Kirby has taken to the news very well, wanting to show off her baby (the ultra sound photo) to anyone who visits! Mind you, whether its a baby sister or baby brother changes on a daily occurrence ;)

I've been very lucky this time around with not having to deal with any morning sickness at all except for some nausea...but I have been extremely tired!! Which is why I have been absent for so long and why I haven't been working on anything much.
 
I haven't even had a chance to do invites for the little Miss' 3rd bday next week!!Eeek! In fact I think from since we found out my PC has been turned on less times than I have fingers on my hands!

But I am starting to feel better, and I think I am starting to manage being pregnant, dealing with an almost 3yr old, working part time and just getting through life in general!! Just something else to add into the juggling mix ;)

During my absence I helped organise my niece's 1st birthday party so a post on that will be coming along soon too, and I will of course be sharing Kirby's 3rd birthday party which is only 10 days away...talk about trying to pull it all together at the last minute!!

Thank you all for your understanding and support and I can not wait to share this next part of my journey with you all!!

Our Lil Bean #2
Can not wait until our next big scan!!

Stay Prettie!!


Jodie-lee

 

That dirty 'CC' word!

A little while ago I posted this on picture on my page with the follow comment:

'To often of late I have seen and heard of various businesses and facebook pages accusing or being accused of 'COPYING'...some even resulting in the use of nasty language against the other party and it really is just not on!
The world of social media has blown open a huge door for the exposure of 'handmade' items and as such I believe each is uniquely created in it own way by each creator...
You only need to take a look at such sites as Madeit or Etsy to see that there are ALOT of similar products, but each have just been interpreted/improved/changed by their designer in some way...and if you can type something into Youtube and get over 300 videos/tutorials on how to make something then I highly doubt that you were the first person to create it.
I read somewhere recently something to the effect of 'There are no new ideas, only new ways to see them' ...so before you accuse someone of copying, or get yourself into a FB argument, stop and think about the other person for a minute and how your words may hurt them...and please, Be Nice ♥'

I still stand by and believe what I wrote, and today this issue has arisen again...and it makes me really sad because someone I know has been accussed of being a 'Copy Cat' and I believe is being made victim of cyber bullying....it may not have been the intention of the orginial poster, but it is definiatley fueling it!


I really dislike the way that people throw around the term 'Copy Cat' and not even think about how that term will hurt and upset the other party....Where has the decency gone to even contact a person and discuss it with them first before putting it our there that you're a 'victim'???

As I mentioned in the above comment 'There are no new ideas, only new ways to see them'...I know from my own business perpective that what I do is not new, lots of people create party printables, style parties...and I'm pretty sure people have been sewing, crafting and baking for donkeys years...does that mean I'm a copy cat?? I don't think so, because I believe that I bring my own style and ideas to my designs and thats what makes all us crafters unique in our ways.


I believe that posts by Facebook pages accusing others of being that dirty word... 'Copy Cats'... achieves nothing and are totally unnecessary...you may think that same about this post, but I felt it needed to be said.


Stay Prettie and please remember to be kind to one another


Jodie-lee xo

{sneak peeks}

When I create something that I fall in LOVE with I find it sooooo hard to keep it underwraps that I find my self taking sneaky photos so I can share a little of it with you without giving it all away.

Over the weekend you may have seen a little {sneak peek} I posted of the invites that I'm woking on for my beautiful niece's 1st bithday...

Ps...I LOVE instagram!!

I love everything about these invites, the delicate flowing font of Olivia's name, the soft florals of the material I attached, the stitching detail and roughed up edges that add a little texture...and of course the handmade bow and pearl detail!

The floral material used will be the inspiration for the rest of the styling that I'll be doing for the party too...and I'm  just a little excited about putting it all together...ok I lie...I'm ALOT excited to see how it all comes together!! So stayed tuned as I might drop a few more {sneak peeks} from time to time ;)

During the week I also revealed that I was working on some Alice in Wonderland inspired invitations and other matching party goods...well the invites are complete and will be heading out to the guests very soon, so I thought I would share with you this very little {sneak peek}...

Custom made 'Open Me' Tags

Instead of the traditional method of putting the guests names on the actual invite, I suggested that we do something a little different and make cute little tags to be attached with ribbon around the envelope (guests name to be popped on the back)....a little something to draw the guest into the rabbit hole maybe....?

I'm really excited about working on and making the rest of the party pieces to match this theme....and as soon as I can I will pop some pics up of the ACTUAL invite :)

***Update***

I can reveal the design of the actual invinte now...would love to hear your thoughts :)

Alice In Wonderland 'Mad Hatters Tea Party' invite and
'Open Me' envelope tags
*another Instagram pic...told you I love it!*

Until next time, Stay Prettie

Jodie-lee xo

Times are changing at Leegirl Pretties

When Leegirl Pretties started I offered a range of different handmade products because I am the kind of the of person that likes to do a little of this and a little of that...I was sewing buntings, blankets, making door hangings, coat hooks, ribbonwands, blackboards, and of course freestanding words and invitations.

Over time I have taken some of those things off my list of available products, because it wasn't worth my time promoting them when clearly others were selling better, others being the Freestanding words and custom invitations.

As you would remember last month we moved house and I stopped taking custom orders for the Easter break...who was I kidding, a break... a break from what!lol! I was still working my consecutive four shifts a week with hours that make me tired just thinking about them, running around after a 2.5yr old ball non stop of energy called my daughter and trying to manage the cleaning, unpacking and organising of our new home, running a household in general and all the while I was still working on a few orders!

It was then that I realised I was tired....and a little uninspired to keep moving forward. I use to make things because I enjoyed making them and creating something special that in turn you could enjoy too...but of late I haven't enjoyed it so much... I had even thought it would be easier just to pack it all in and walk away.

We didn't have the internet on for a good two and a half weeks after we moved in, so with the time that I would normally have spent wasting online here and there, I found myself thinking about the direction I was taking Leegirl Pretties in and was it what I wanted to continue to do. 

 When I designed a few little party accessories for a friends nieces' birthday...I enJOYed it... and when I put together a little dessert/sweets table for my family to enjoy after our Easter dinner, I enJOYed that too....I think thats when I kind of made my decision...This is what made me happy...designing and styling and making things prettie! 

I knew what had to go...I knew I wasn't enjoying them anymore and to be honest with you, I was dreading finishing off the ones I had ready to go...but more than that I was dreading having to tell you all and how you may be disappointed in me...but then I realised I was putting the wrong people first...don't get me wrong, I love and appreciate each and every single person who has supported me, but the people I need to put first was my family...and me. By not doing this I would be disappointed in myself that I continued to do something that doesn't make me happy.

So it is here that I finally say, I will no longer be taking orders for any custom Freestanding words (including wedding words and other mdf products). Of course all orders that are currently being worked on or paid for will be completed, but I will not be taking on any new orders. There may be limited custom spots available from time to time, so keep an eye out, and of course should you be looking for other businesses that can prodive you with these products, I would be happy to point you in the right direction.

This is not only a decision that I have made for Leegirl Pretties, but one that I have made for my family and myself.

I want to move forward in the direction that I had always hoped I would go and that is designing pretties for parties and celebrations. I hope you stand by me with this decision and continue to follow me on this journey.

I am excited for what the future holds for Leegirl Pretties and where it will take me from here, so make sure you keep your eyes open for some new party pretties coming your way (some are already in the making!).

Thank you for taking the time to read this and should you have any questions or quieries please feel free to contact me.

Stay Prettie

Jodie-lee xo