Today's finds. Let them eat cake...

Puffy Cake and Cupcakes - Pottery Barn Kids

Petit Fours by Haba Toys

Cakes - Etsy.com

High Tea Cakes and Pastries - Etsy.com

Gourmet Towel Cake - Ebay.com.au

Wooden Cake Set - Underwood Toys

Tea Parties and the rise of "Creative Party Food"

Thanks to the renewed interest in Alice In Wonderland, tea parties have become fashionable again for children. "High Tea" and cupcake parties are all the rage with the fashionable set.

If not a tea party then there is still an expectation that the food will be creative and something that Martha Stewart dreamed up. I see parents I know stressing over cookbooks and recipes for finger food that the children will be impressed by. What ever happened to simple party food?! And do the children even notice?

No longer is a party about heating up frozen pies in the oven. "That was so 90's!" (According to another mother I know). I didn't realise that children really took so much notice of the food quite frankly. Perhaps it is more for the parents of those children.

"Please don't eat me!"

In the effort to "outdo" each other, parties are now so elaborate that you almost need your own party planner. Apparently the egg and spoon race just doesn't cut it any more! I don't remember getting the memo. Ditto "pass the parcel". These days to be absolutely PC, every child must get the exact same gift and no-one must miss out. Therefore the gift bags are now as elaborate as Melbourne Fashion Week goodie bags. Without all the kicking and scratching to secure one!

Children are now wanting cucumber sandwiches and canapes over sausage rolls and mini pizza's. Gourmet finger food and sweet treats presented on fine china are the new trend. However not any old china, it has to be pretty, pastel or both. (See my entry a couple of days ago for a picture of a tea party - Pottery Barn Style). And don't even forget about the floral arrangements. Though I must say I love the current trend for pretty bunting (fabric flag banners) that can be hung above the parties. I even sell them in my store and they are a huge hit.

Remember the craze over the home made novelty cakes? (previous post). It seems if you don't make it yourself then you have failed. Which is ridiculous.

I would love to try to make my own, but I am single handedly trying to keep my local bakery in business (wink). I buy so much from them they should have their own frequent flyers points. And in any case, why be inside making the cake and food when you can be outside with the ladies sharing a glass of wine! Priorities people!

I am so busy that I know every gourmet food outlet and cake shop within a 50km radius. I will admit my tables and decorations are well thought out. (I am an artist after all!) I love creating a theme and for me it doesn't take much effort despite how it may look. I tend to think outside the square and my boys love it. However I am not Nigella Lawson and I'd rather buy mini cakes and "distress" them with a cooking implement to make them look home made then actually make them myself.

That's the secret...distress the cakes and not yourself. Easy!

Pretend Play And My Dream Kitchen.

Continuing my blog in a similar nostalgic theme, I can't help finding inspiration from my own childhood. Whether it be the novelty cakes we ate, to the tent cubby houses that we hid in with all the stuffed animals or the pretend shopping and tea parties. Pretending to be a grown-up was a popular past-time.

There was always tea to be poured, dollies to be bathed or given haircuts (or massacred as mine all were!), to making mud cakes and eating pretend plastic food. Pretend play is part of childhood. For a child such as myself with a vivid imagination, my parents encouraged it and helped us build elaborate cubby houses.

I've tried to create similar play spaces in my house for the children. Our boys were running between each other's rooms so much that we decided to cut a hole/secret door in the wall and gyprock it up to make it into a secret passage way. This has been a huge hit with our boys and other children who visit.

Some parents who have visited are shocked we made the opening in the wall, but also pleasantly surprised at how such a simple idea created such a fun play space. And in any case, it can be simply gyprocked up and painted back over once they are older (and sick of each other!), others none the wiser.

Therefore what about a porthole in a sailors mock bedroom. Or a little raised platform/stage for a budding little thespian to hold a show. A bedroom or playroom can be as simple or elaborate as your imagination takes you.

One of the things most parents lament is the lack of pretend play in children today. They would rather play playstation or Wii to pretending to have a tea party. Or watch TV rather than planning a trip to the moon in their rocketship.

A teacher once told me that they are now having to teach pretend play!

It is wonderful to see designers incorporating pretend play into their furniture and decor. Even garden landscapers are now creating "garden rooms" for children to play and explore. It may be more sophisticated now but it is still heartening to see.

Which brings me to my dream kitchen. This would have been my perfect play room. For someone who loves her kitchen and also running a store, I can imagine myself playing as a child in this kitchen. To be honest, I would love this mini-version for myself even now! I don't know quite what I'd do with it but it is so adorable.

Pictures from Pottery Barn US

I hope you've gained some inspiration from this blog. Think back to when you were a child and the ideas will flow!