Chooks on Friday, Style on Saturday

I realised that I had one of those weekends that was actually worthwhile blogging about! And I even took pictures! As Father’s Day was on Sunday I will keep that for a separate post.

Friday night I had been invited to a school support staff dinner held at Olympic Park Waterview Convention Centre at Homebush. I expected to share a few vinos with some old work mates so The Moneymaker dropped me off so he could escape to the pub to watch whatever football game was on [we cannot bring ourselves to sign up to Foxtel yet, we know it would turn us all into trash TV addicts].

I arrived in my daughter-approved outfit (it's true, I cannot dress myself and need the advice from a 12 year old girl before I leave the house) and turned the corner of the building to hear the growing chatter of 350 odd ladies sounding EXACTLY like the distant clucking of a barn full of chooks.

Chooks


It turned out to be a bit of a fun night with an excellent three course dinner and wine to loosen the beak even more. Our table was taken up by our payroll officer and facilities administrator from head office (which don’t sound too exciting but they are lovely ladies) plus four teacher’s aides and the principal’s PA from the one school. The Teacher’s Aides then proceeded to talk all through the presenters’ and guests’ speeches for the whole night! One of the guests was an ex-minister for the Department of Community Services and now was heading up a foundation to help children in need. He was quite interesting, from what I could hear anyway (they would not stop chatting – they see each other everyday, what in the world did they need to talk about???) Of course there was a raffle, and no, I didn’t win the iPad – again!

[Chooks dancing the Nutbush City Limits]


The next morning was a very rare sleep in (in between winter and soccer season = break of one week} and a brunch at our new local café (I can even see it from my kitchen!) before the Working Mum’s Masterclass on Spring Styling. Penny did an overview of the day at Sshh Mummy’s on the Phone and Gemma did this great review at My Big Nutshell (did not see her take any notes so she must have supersonic memory!).

I really enjoyed the afternoon even if I did feel a little out of my league (some of the women didn’t even know you could buy prepared frozen tart shells because they make their own!!!).

Thanks to Leanne (aka Mrs A in the Cove) from Sweet Style, I’m now set on the idea of party food being served on little Chinese soup spoons – we won’t be running out of knives and forks at the next party (as happened at all previous parties at our house). While on the Google lookout for the spoons (so I can stock up) I came across this great online shopping site for everything Chinese, “Chinatown” – so cheap if you want to buy in bulk for a themed party!


Jane from Show Pony Studios was also there and gave me some great inspirational ideas for making my blank and empty looking house looking homey (and not what The Moneymaker envisaged as minimalist!). I will be beating the op shops of the Inner West on the lookout for ‘vintage industrial’ with a side order of ‘shabby French’(?). Look out Pinterest !

[OMG! This is exactly what I'm looking for in exactly the same spot to put the phone and laptop on!]


After all this instruction and advice we were all invited to a mini bottle of bubbly and to eat everything on offer! I had to go back for those chicken bits, ravioli, passionfruit tart and the best panacotta I’ve ever tasted (and it was in tiny little jars!). I knew my ride would arrive soon and just as he rang, my son, the Nugget, turned up at the front door with eyes lasering in on the Sweet Style tables. He was actually too shy to take the ladybird biscuits or cupcakes straight away and asked Leanne if it was alright to eat them because they were so pretty! But he did of course. And he also scored one of the cute miniature lolly jars from Penny on the way out (and I felt I had to take a cupcake in the car to share with my driver!).

[I swear I didn't take those cookie pops before I took this photo!}


So if you ever need the talents of these ladies, please give them a try and let me know how it went. I’m still trying to work out how I can incorporate these ideas into our next big party – my husband’s 40th which is going to be a 70’s movies theme with emphasis on his favourite movie, Star Wars(?)

[What I've got to work with!}

Ideas anyone?