Pinkness

It's quite funny that during University my friends nick-named me Pink Em and then when I moved to SA a few years later, a different group of friends started calling me Pinky! The 1st was for a collection of rather bright clothes I sported, then later it reflected my lack of sunscreen protection!
Anyway, I do, and have always, loved pink - I even wanted Lula's 2nd name to be Pink but was out-voted on the day of registration due to the connotations with the pop singer - so when Kelly @ Scar suggested we do some pastel pink hair dipping this time round I was more than happy. I ♥ pink. And I'm loving the trend of dip dye hair - applying neon or pastel tones to just the tips of your hair rather than your whole head (which could be a bit too Kawaii for everyday wear). Although having said that, when I was researching Lolita style in Japanese street fashion, the more I I looked, the more convinced I became about going full on Fairy Kei and adopting a My Little Pony inspired Do. Maybe next time....!

               

such a clever girl that Kelly and the best part is that she's going to give Lula some pink streaks for the Xmas hols ♥

Pressie Pinspiration

There's a poster floating around out there that says Pinterest is there to show us the houses we'll never live in, the wardrobe we'll never wear & a bunch of recipes & diy projects we're too lazy to make! BUT, cynical people, this isn't always the case! I must admit I'm a tad addicted to Pinning since my good friend got me hooked last year. And I've found it to be a huge source of inspiration - so much so, that this year I've tried to make as many gifts for friends as I can. There's something deeply satisfying in the proceess of creating and giving a handmade gift for someone you know. So here's a few of them which will hopefully inspire you too.
So in <3 with handmade presses x

It all started at Xmas. These Cookies for Santa jars were great fun to make with Lula who helped layer the ingredients, & they made fab gifts for friends with kids.

Then for a housewarming gift, we made homemade bread & wrapped it, along with some basic white candles, sugar cubes, flour & a wooden spoon, with brown paper, string & doilies. The tag explains the meaning to each of the items & the relevance to love & happiness in the new home.

Baby showers are always a great opportunity for the mum-to-be to get the bare necessities for her new baby, but it's also a chance to maximise the cuteness a new baby to the family brings, so a sushi platter or cupcakes are a really sweet idea.

For the littlies there were cute handmade skirts complete with matching toddler sized totes (available along with more toddler yumminess soon, watch this space!!)

My latest obsession is making marshmallows and after a very unsuccessful 1st attempt which left the kitchen coated in a stringy sticky chewing gum spiders web mess, I think I've got it right now. The fun thing about making mallows is customising them to you your own & your friends favourite flavours. Paired with a jar of mocha cocoa it make a yummy gift.

Then of course, you can never go wrong with a batch of decorated cup cakes for a friend. Great for any occasion or just because you care. Cupcakes will always bring a smile to someones face. <3