We captured SO many fun moments with Jasmine’s side of the family while they were on holiday at Tiarasa Escapes Glamping Resort! It was a great time away from the hustle and bustle of the city and really quite a nice change of scenery for us. :)
Ever since Evan and Jasmine had their first child, we’ve had the pleasure of being their family photographer through the years. There was even a time when their sister-in-law Careen, had lost all her own family photos on her phone after a trip due to technical issues. So glad we had photos to replace what she had lost!
Christmas has arrived at the Stories studio! Debra Lovatt booked an early Christmas-themed family photo session and we had the best time with them. Christmas really brings family together and there’s nothing better than being able to witness and capture all these warm moments for people. It’s not been an easy year, but when you’re surrounded with love like this, that’s all you really need.
It’s already December! Just because we’re social distancing, doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate this magical holiday season with a small party at home. :) It’s a good opportunity to end the year well and make it special for our family and loved ones. To make sure we’re equipped with some home party decor styling tips, we had a chat with the talented event stylist Alice Tan from iheartparty. If you’re planning to host a small party soon, or even if its just for your family, here are five tips to help you get started.
1. I’m hosting a small party at my home and I would like to decorate the place really well. Where do I begin and what does the process look like?
This is where the fun begins! You can start by choosing a theme and colour palette. Easy tip, go on to Pinterest and look for some inspiration or use a colour palatte tool like Cooler to help you find a suitable palette. Then create a budget so that you don’t overspend. Don’t feel discouraged if you have a limited budget to work with. There’s always a creative solution for party decorating!
When I was growing up, I remember the most epic birthday party I had was when I was 8. Growing up in Malacca in the 80s, it wasn’t really common to have major parties for children my age, but my parents had organized my birthday at the new McDonald’s restaurant (the one and only in Malacca at that time!). It was totally memorable for me, especially since my mom baked a gorgeous cake for me, and my friends and I packed into the walk-in freezer to see how long we could stand the cold. I am grateful to my parents for organizing such a party for me.
Now that I have children of own and with the growing influence of Pinterest, DIY groups on Facebook etc, I feel a little ‘pressured’ to do something fun. So a few years ago when my daughter turned 5 and my son turned 3, I organised 2 parties – a unicorn party for my 5 year old and a fireman party for my 3 year old. It was quite fun doing some of the DIY stuff on my own, but unlike my mother, I can only bake instant cakes from those pre-mixes in the supermarket. (Needless to say, I didn’t bake these cakes).
It was a little stressful, but after all that organising, here are some tips to share with other mums who intend to plan their own child’s birthday parties.
1. If you are not good at something, hire someone to do it.
I realised that I was putting additional stress on myself in making some of the decorations myself. I went shopping for goody bags, was busy sorting out the guest list, planning food, AND thinking of how to keep everything under budget. Unless you are the kind of mum who truly enjoys this process, the best way to avoid unnecessary stress is to hire someone to do things for you. There are many great decorators / stylists who are great at what they do! (For my son’s 1st birthday, I had an Up themed party and hired Moments). For his 3rd year party, all I did was call the local fire station, do a site visit, and then let the firemen entertain the kids! (You need to give a donation to hold the party at the local fire station. Some fire stations do not allow parties)
These four ladies came together to celebrate their 50th birthdays. It’s an annual tradition. This shoot also celebrated 28 years of friendship since they first met each other in their early 20s! We had a conversation about getting older and one of them said,
“As we age, we don’t really feel any different from when we were in our 20s. Our bodies might be getting older but emotionally and in our minds, we’re still our crazy, silly selves from when we were younger.”
I feel the same way too (in my 40s now). When I was 25, I thought anyone over 40 was old, but now as I have reached that milestone, I don’t feel old, I am just a wiser version of myself. I’ve added more years of experience to my life and sharpened my focus on my priorities. But as I get older, I must remind myself to always have fun and enjoy the little things in life. Like making time to celebrate life and friendships with a photoshoot, perhaps!
