Revealing our babies gender - Team Blue or Pink?!

Nathan and I had always said that when we were pregnant, we would not find out the babies gender. A healthy baby was all that we wanted and to find out the gender at delivery would be a marvellous surprise.

Then we found out that there was not one but two heartbeats at our first ultrasound. We decided that having twins was a whole other ball game and it was probably best to be prepared!

We had spoken about concentrating on getting the twins over the milestones of 12 weeks/19 weeks etc and then make sure they were along with all their organs and limbs developing healthy. Finding out the gender could happen later on. I thought we had agreed that was the plan. I thought it was the plan!

 Then here we are with our Obstetrician at 10.5 weeks. When doing the ultrasound, he asked if we wanted to know the gender. Before I could give an answer, Nathan's face lit up, he had the biggest smile on his face. Like a kid at Christmas! How could I say no? 

"Yes, yes, yes!" he said. And that is how the gender was known.

I must say though, mothers instinct, I had sensed the gender when I found out I was pregnant. My gut instinct proved me right.

So we held onto this secret for four weeks and oh boy was it hard! Our parents and siblings tried so hard to get it out of us, but we told them they must wait a few more weeks. We had set a date for a morning tea where we would reveal the gender to our family.

A triple layer naked cake was baked, M&M's of the gender 'colour' were placed inside and with butterflies and excitement the cake was cut. Our family at this point had been quite evenly divided, with 60% saying girls, the other 40% saying boys. 

And so the cake was baked....and revealed....

BOYS!!

We are so over the moon!

 Nathan is already talking about their first fishing rods and taking them fishing to the creek at our new house. It will be perfect, so much grass to play on, trees to climb and the new house even comes with a big cubby house. They certainly will be outdoorsy boys which I love. I grew up a tomboy, playing outside until dark and coming home covered in dirt. The best way to grow up. Especially when you have an identical twin brother by your side!

Fourteen weeks pregnant here, at the gender morning tea - ready to reveal! 

Cutting the cake and throwing a morning tea was such a fun way to reveal to our family and I thought, incase you were interested I would share how I made and assembled the cake. Any excuse for cake huh?! :P

Please note, I did have some hands on help - Nathan was fabulous on the knife carving me lovely flat layers of cake to stack!

I made a three layer simple butter cake, using this recipe here.

I iced it with buttercream icing, I love a simple old fashioned cake! It also allowed me to get that 'naked cake' look which I was aiming for.

HOW TO MAKE A GENDER REVEAL CAKE

To make my three tiered 'naked' cake

Once the three cakes were cooked, I froze each of the three layers (freeze for a minimum of two hours). I had read that this helps, having the cake frozen, to cut it when the cake assembly needs to take place. You see, to get a layered three tier cake, you don't simply stack the three cakes on top of each other (if you tried, you would end up with a leaning tower of Pisa!).

You need to level the cake top out, hence cutting it to get a nice smooth even top finish.

We used a serrated bread knife which worked well, below is Nathan demonstrating his culinary skills and cake levelling.

Then, we assembled the bottom layer, placing icing on top.

With the second layer, using a cookie cutter we cut a hole large enough to fill with M&M's in the middle of the cake, centered. We then sandwiched the second layer, using the icing to stick it to the first. Then came the fun part - filling the hole in the cake with the blue reveal M&M's. Once they were in and filled the hole, we placed more icing on the layer, before sandwiching the top layer on.

Now, we had a three tiered cake, complete with the reveal M&M's inside.

We then iced the sides of the cake, quite roughly to achieve the 'naked' cake look. I had then bought some baby booties and a nappy pin to place on top, alongside the 'Oh babies' sign I had made out of gold glitter cardboard (save yourself $20 at the store and make it yourself, its not hard, just requires some tiny nail scissors!) 

Here it was finished - Voilá!

It was alot of fun making the cake and sharing it with family and now you all know the gender too! 

Two little boys will be joining us by Christmas 2016. What a special Christmas it will be.

TELL ME, DID YOU FIND OUT YOUR BABIES GENDER?

 How did you reveal it to your family and friends?

 Ever been to a gender reveal party before?

Linking up team #IBOT

PS: have you seen my online store is closing, there isn't much stock left, so get in quick. All 30% off! SHOP HERE!

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Spring Sale

I love being creative and using my hands - there is nothing more satisfying to me than standing back and being proud of something you have created.

I have been making dreamcatchers and wooden bead garlands for two years now and loved every minute of it - especially the custom orders, making special baby mobiles or gifts.

My life is taking a change in direction though and soon I will have two little newborns nestled in my arms. My days of creativity and having the time to fulfil orders will be non existent.

So I am having a sale on all existing stock currently listed in my store. A chapter is closing and a new one is beginning, its very exciting!!

Pop on over and take a look - there is 30% off all stock and you never know, there may be something you like for you, or maybe even a gift for Christmas for someone special? All creations are handmade by me and come beautifully gift wrapped. 

Thank you to those who have supported my creative venture so far and thank you to those who take the time to look at my store.

= SHOP NOW = 

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Linking up with team IBOT

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Chewy Choc Chip Cookies

I had a moment where I had a craving for chewy chocolate chop cookies.

 You know the ones they sell in the bakery section of the supermarket? Filled with sugar, preservatives, but oh so good and chewy?! 

I wanted to recreate this cookie to satisfy my 3pm cookie craving. I came across this recipe and its an absolute winner, I thought I would share it with you today!

 ingredients

1 1/4 cup almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup cacao

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup coconut nectar or rice malt syrup

3 tbs melted coconut oil

1 egg

method

STEP 1Preheat your oven to 190 degrees and line a tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, sift almond meal, baking powder and raw cacao. Stir through cacao nibs and shredded coconut.

• STEP 2Whisk remaining wet ingredients in a bowl and add to dry mixture. Use a large spoon to combine.
• STEP 3Scoop out tablespoon sized mounds onto your baking tray.
• STEP 4Bake for 10-12 minutes, less time for more chewy cookies, more for some crunch! Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

DO YOU GET THE 3'OCLOCK SUGAR CRAVING? 

Do you like making healthier options like these cookies, with no added refined sugar too?

On a side note - I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the love and well wishes on my post yesterday - I was honestly so touched and cannot thank you enough. Such exciting times ahead and I cannot wait to share them with you all. so from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

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Spring Entertaining with Sodastream

 This post is in collaboration with SodaStream.

Spring is here, my favourite season of the year. 

The birds are chirping, flowers are in bloom, the days are getting longer and definitely warmer. We topped 26 degrees here at home on the Gold Coast today. Beautiful Spring weather!

Today I had my Sister visit and we spent the morning lazing by the pool and sipping icy cold drinks poolside using my new SodaStream machine. Although we dipped our legs into the pool, it wasn't quite warm enough to swim yet. Maybe another week or two and I'll be in!

With a SodaStream machine, you can turn tap water into sparkling mineral water all at the touch of a button too. 

Perfect for spontaneous entertaining.

She Loves To Make

I feel very blessed to have met some wonderful people through Blogging- one of those lovely people who I met early on in this online blogging world was Yen from She Loves To Make. Yen is building her mini empire, showcasing creativity and design on her blog. Yen is passionate about empowering women in their own creative business and was so kind to ask me to be a part of her Creative Women Interview series.

"It’s really hard balancing creativity, life and business. I find the things these women share with me so familiar and encouraging. It’s important to see what’s behind the glossy social media posts and the websites into the real lives of creative ladies. That’s where the gold is. So I’m creating a space here to shine a light on their work but also so that my readers can be as encouraged and touched as I am by their stories." - Yen Taylor

Whilst building her mini empire, Yen is studying a Business Degree and starting a creative design and illustration business. This lady certainly knows how to keep herself busy!!

It is one thing Yen and I have in common, balancing paid work and study, whilst pursuing our blogging and passions. I would love you to read a little more about how I juggle running my Construction business, blogging and dreamcatcher making. Yen asks some great questions and really made me think of my passions, inspirations and what makes me smile...

I'd love to hear what you think!

read the interview here on she loves to make

5 Ingredient Grain Free Homemade Dog Treats

I have one very spoilt fur baby.

We always celebrate his birthday and this year, Coopar turned seven!

 I always like to make him something extra tasty for his birthday and funnily enough I have a vege loving dog. So instead of a mince cake or bacon biscuits, he had yummy and super nutritious dog biscuits!

Coopar is a very sensitive dog, his skin is easily affected by grass, dust and general environment and diet changes. I make all of Coopar's dog food from scratch and his daily diet consists of lots of veges, chicken, organs, offal and bones. I add kelp, flaxseed, rose hip and lots of other nutrients to jam pack his little body full of all the nutrients he needs. If you want to know more, then feel free to ask. it is something I am very passionate about!

So, back to the birthday celebrations. 

Coopar has a grain free diet, so I wanted to make him something healthy and full of his two favourite foods - sweet potato and carrots.

I found the perfect recipe, you can see the original recipe source here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I was looking for something simple and easy to make for a dessert, as my gorgeous Cousin and her Husband were coming to stay the night. I had planned to do a pizza dinner on the Webber BBQ, where everyone could add their own toppings of choice. The pizzas were delicious,until we ran out of gas on the BBQ (always the way isn't it!) and had to transfer the rest of the pizzas to cook in the oven. Not nearly as exciting!

 These cookies were the perfect way to finish the night.

With only four ingredients and only 10 minutes in the oven they are pretty fool proof. Especially if you are wanting to impress guests!

I found the recipe on Wholefood Simply. It is my go to website if I am looking for a healthy sugar free treat or dessert. You might have seen me posting Bianca's Poppyseed cake or Top Deck Slice here before? 

I thought you might like this recipe too. maybe you have guests to impress or just some hungry little ones who love the choc peanut combo?

Double Choc Muffins

 There was 10 muffins, now there are only 4.

Lucky I got in quick to snap these photos to show you these delicious muffins. They are obviously not lasting long in my kitchen, which is a good sign.

 I was always told when photographing the same item, make sure that it is an odd number. Eg: muffins, balloons, tennis balls, whatever it is that you are taking a photo of. An odd number always looks better. So I tried only three muffins and it just didn't look right. The fourth felt left out, I was tempted to eat it, but then added it to the group of three. I will break the rule and photograph four. What do you think, have you heard of this rule?

Summer Picnics (+ a giveaway!)

This post is in partnership with Mortein. 

I love summer and in particular eating outside for dinner.

We try to eat outside most evenings, to enjoy the cool summer breeze and fresh air. On Valentine's Day I wanted to cook a special dinner and dine outdoors with a difference. Instead of sitting at our outdoor table setting I thought we would have a picnic in the backyard.

A picnic blanket, delicious food, chillout music playing in the background and of course a very hunky Hubby to share the evening with. How lucky am I?!
Mr Coopar also gatecrashed and continued to photobomb us, I think the delicious Mexican just smelt too good that we were devouring!

Birthday Cake - Chocolate, Banana and Caramel Cake

It's been a busy week here.

Hubby had his birthday on Sunday and I wanted to spoil him and make sure he had a great birthday weekend - oh the perks of your birthday falling on a weekend day and not a week day!

I had booked him a V8 supercar to drive at the QLD Raceway at Ipswich. It was very booked out, which meant the only time we could get in was 7am. So it was an early birthday morning start, leaving at 5am to get there in time. 

After some safety and driver training, he lucked out and was able to get the car he had his eye on. He didn't tell me until later, that in the driver safety training they spoke about the brakes and the traction control and that the cars although V8 race cars, are slightly modified for more learner drivers. When he was strapped into the racing harness in the front seat, foot on the pedal, ready to drive the overseer in the passenger seat told him something of interest. He said, 'ignore everything you just learnt in the driver training course. This car has just retired from the track and has not yet been tuned down or modified to be a learner race car. There is no traction control or adjusted brakes. This is a fair dinkum racecar.' 

Flower Adorned Christmas Tree

When I shared a photo of this Christmas tree this week here on facebook, you all loved it and there was lots of likes, shares and excitement.

I thought I would share with you the source of the photo, the talented Design Love Fest. A lifestyle blog by LA based Bri, she has such an eye for beauty and so much creativity. The tree was made using silk fake flowers woven onto wire to give the look of a flower adorned tree. 

Handmade Christmas gift idea: Macramé Plant Hanger

I have been working on making my bedroom a haven.

A place that is relaxing and I feel rejuvenated each morning when I wake. I have gone for a very minimalist approach - some art on the wall, dreamcatchers and my DIY hanging macramé pot holder.

I wanted to add some interest to the corner of the bedroom, so I hung a hook in the roofs plaster and hung my macramé plant holder there. I like that it adds different levels of interest and also brings some natural life into the room, by having a beautiful green fern hanging there.

I made the macramé plant holder one afternoon and it really is very simple - even kids could make this one! If you are looking for a sweet handmade gift to give this Christmas, then add this to the list. It is very affordable to make and very on trend at the moment. 

Here is how I did it.

Macadamia and Coconut Muffins with nut frosting

There are two things I love...

 Coconut and Macadamia.

Combine the two and you have a match made in heaven!

I came across a Macadamia and Coconut Muffin recipe this week by I Quite Sugar and had to try it. I whipped these yummy treats up yesterday morning. I came home from a wet and windy morning at the beach, catching up with my friend and letting our dogs have a puppy play date. I was wet, sandy and a little wind blown. The weather was average and I felt like something sweet, but without the sugar.

 I then came across this recipe - a match made in heaven.

There is just something about baking on a wet and windy day isn't there? It instantly warms you!

MAKE: A DIY Feather Christmas Wreath

The month of November has flown by and Christmas is nearly here!

 Have you set up your tree and started decorating your home yet?

Today I am excited to be linking up with eleven other talented Bloggers, to give you some Christmas wreath inspiration. I love hanging a wreath on my front door each year and this year decided to make my own - I love a DIY project!

If you have stopped by here before, you would know that I love feathers and am a little obsessed at the moment. I use feathers in the dreamcatchers I make and have feathers throughout my home with my African juju hat and feather decor.

Alongside my coastal Christmas tree and decorations this year, I wanted to tie in a feather wreath, to reflect my style and I love the way it turned out.

 I thought I would share with you the project, you might want to make one too?

Gift wrapping Inspiration + the FMS Gift Exchange 2015

This year, I joined in on the FMS (Fat Mum Slim) Gift Exchange.

 You may have seen the hashtag #FMSgiftexchange floating around social media perhaps?

So what is it?

Well it is a super fun Christmas international gift exchange!

 There is over 800 of us gifting to eachother in the group, all around the world. I joined in on the fun for the first time this year and it certainly wont be my last. Each person is matched with a new friend who they buy a gift for, wrap it beautifully, and send it on for them to receive before Christmas. You can send along a card with some nice words about yourself, so they can get to know a little bit about you, and you can become friends.

I shopped and also added a little handmade touch with one of my dreamcatchers which I made especially for my giftee. They said they loved ferrero rochers, colouring in and would love a Christmas ornament. I think I nailed it!

 I can't wait to hear from them when they open this package of goodies!

Getting creative with fresh blooms

My home has been smelling divine in the last week as I have had vases littered around my home with fresh blooms.

I recently posted about making your own flower bouquets and I think I may have even inspired myself!

 I was walking past my local fruit and vege shop which also sells fresh blooms. They have bunches already made, or you can purchase the flowers by the stem and make your own. I loved the idea of making my own and made two bunches for two very special ladies who I have been creatively working with at the moment, plus extras for me. 

I loved working with the flowers, it is something I haven't done before. 

Have you? I chose predominantly native flowers, so they were a big tougher and easier to work with as they weren't so delicate. I love the big king proteas (the big pink ones!) they were huge and really made a fabulous focal point for the bunches.

Here are some of my snaps of these pretty blooms. Enjoy!

Vintage Doiley & Macrame Dreamers - now in stock!

My intention is to make something beautiful, something special and more importantly something that will bring you inspiring dreams while you sleep.

Infused with love, my latest handmade creations are ready to hang and beautifully wrapped. Perfect for:

 - baby shower gift - birthday or Christmas gift - wedding decor - 

- a stunning addition to your bedroom or living space -

I have been busy this week, finishing some custom orders and also making more stock for my store. You can view all of my newly finished creations here in store which are available for immediate shipping.

Large vintage doiley & macrame dreamer $55

Large vintage doiley dreamer $55

Medium vintage doiley & macrame dreamer $42

Medium vintage doiley & macrame dreamer $42

For me dreamcatcher making is pure passion and love - by purchasing handmade you know that you are buying a unique and one off creation. 

I always trust that you will love it as much as the love that was put into making it!

Happy shopping x

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Making your own rustic Flower Bouquet

I love weddings and once wanted to be a wedding planner/stylist, it is something that always captivated me. 

My gorgeous cousin is getting married next month and I love catching up on her wedding plans and preparations. When we last spoke, she said that she will be making her own bouquet which I think is fabulous. She has planned a trip to the Sydney Flower Market which will be exciting, but to some a little overwhelming. I thought today I would share with you some beautiful rustic DIY bouquets and some tips on where to start if you think you might want to make a flower bouquet. 

Behind the Scenes: Glamour Coastal Living Dreamcatchers

 Glamour Coastal Living Dreamcatcher hanging pretty in Byron Bay - source

My Nanna was a very creative and talented lady - she was a fabulous dancer, could sing, play the piano, make tapestries, paint, sew and of course crochet. I remember as a little girl, watching her in the evening create these tiny loops and knots to make doileys. I was always in awe of her talents - seriously, how can one lady be such a creative guru?!

I love the work that goes into the doileys, each one so unique and individual. Unfortunately doileys and this special hand stitching is something that we don't see being made any more, the techniques and talents not passed down through generations as it once was.

My admiration for doiley making and the skills that go into it still captivate me and I have always collected doileys and had that fascination. It was a natural progression for me to incorporate them into a creative outlet that I love doing - dream catcher making.

Thanks to my Nanna's inspiration from her creative passions and doiley making, I have been hand making dreamcatchers for the last twelve months, you may have seen them available through my online store and I thought I would share some insight into them with today.

Each dreamcatcher I make is unique, no two are the same.

Breakfast Inspiration: Crunchy Granola

I am always on the hunt for easy, yummy and nutritious breakfast inspiration. 

A little while ago I shared this Banana, Coconut & Goji Berry bread which was a winner and this Banana and Cinnamon Mousse with Walnut Crumble. I love to spice things up otherwise I get bored of the same breakfast each day. What about you - do you like breakfast or are you always looking for some new inspiration like me?

Today I thought I would share my staple breakfast. Its the breakfast that I always have in the cupboard ready to go for the mornings I am in a rush or cannot be fussed to make anything fancy. 

It is simple crunchy granola.