Sunday, August 8, 2010

Etsy Front Page Treasury .... again!

I was so thrilled to find out that my latest Etsy Treasury "your old world eco wedding style" made it to the front page of Etsy this morning. As I have mentioned before, Etsy Treasuries are a fantastic way to communicate a theme visually and to collect and develop your wedding styling ideas. I created "your old world eco wedding style" because I just adore the latest wedding styling trend of using vintage or vintage inspired pieces. Vintage pieces tell a story and take us back to old world romance and traditions. Using vintage pieces is also eco friendly by upcycling or recyling existing items rather than purchasing those newly produced. Courtesy of craft cult, here is my front page treasury for your to enjoy.




Online Shops Featured:
amanda archer / women's wear clothing using natural fabrics
Monki Vintage / vintage home decor
old crow farm / little vintage junk shop
studio 1950 / vintage clothing & accessories
sevenbc / vintage, industrial, retro & primative decor
My Vintage Jewels / vintage jewels
shabby mcfabby / shabby chic mixed media & altered artist
Untamed Petals / handcrafted accessories
viola vintage / reproduction vintage inspired custom made clothing
Au Bonheur DuJour Vintage / vintage laces & trims
little byrd vintage / modern, industrial, romantic vintage decor
The Cluttered Cottage / vintage clothing, jewelry, collectables & detash

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Etsy Front Page Treasury

One of my latest passions has been creating wedding inspired mood boards. Mood boards are one of the best ways to communicate a theme, idea, or a feeling in the most powerful way, visually. Mood boards help direct a style and further develop ideas. My favourite ways to create a wedding inspired mood board is through Etsy's Treasury feature. I was so excited to find out that my lastest treasury, "...Something Vintage, Something Blue" made it to the front page of Etsy today. There are some stunning pieces from talented designers and online vintage stores. Here it is again for you to enjoy!




You will also find my other wedding inspired Etsy treasuries here.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Letterpress Fever

Letterpress fever is here. Whether you like it or not, letterpress fever is making a comeback, in a big way. And so it should. The final product is pure luxury. There is nothing like running your fingers over soft, thick, cotton paper boasting a perfect recessed impression, filled with brilliant ink. It causes all the senses to react. With the process dating back centuries, it is exhilirating to see the current handmade movement fuel today's letterpress fever. Commission letterpress printing for your next print order, whether it be business cards, business stationary, wedding stationary or invitations. I also challenge you to make your next gift card purchase, a letterpress card, easily purchased online. We are so fortunate to house some genius letterpress talent here in Australia. Take a moment to enjoy their great work along with some from our wonderful neighbours... enjoy!


Hand & Eye, London , UK
Hand & Eye, London, UK
Hand & Eye, London, UK

Bespoke Press, Brisbane, QLD
Harrington & Squires, London, UK

Ruby Victoria Letterpress, Hobart, TAS

Mitchell and Dent, Leederville, WA

Taylor'dPress, Richmond, VIC

Taylor'dPress, Richmond, VIC

Poppy Letterpress, Canberra, ACT

Poppy Letterpress, Canberra, ACT
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Local Letterpress Talent
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Bespoke Press / Brisbane / QLD
Watermarx Graphics / Brookvale / NSW
The Artisan Press / Byron Bay / NSW
Chapel Press / Brighton / VIC
Taylor'dPress / Richmond / VIC
Poppy Letterpress / Canberra / ACT
Mitchell and Dent / Leederville / WA
Love Letterpress / Adelaide / SA
Hand & Eye / London / UK
Harrington & Squires / London / UK

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Top Shelf Chocolate Favors

Chocolate is one of the most popular gifts found at a guests table setting. This is no surprise as chocolate has long been used as an aphrodisiac, the food of love, making it the perfect wedding favor. So how do you choose your chocolate wedding favor? I suggest you skip the supermarket and place these top shelf chocolate favors on your guest's plate....


Chocolate Letterpress Type by Typolade

Chocolate Pencils by Japanese designer Nendo's collaboration with patissier Tsujiguchi Hironobu.


Chocolate Rubik's Cube



















56 different types of chocolate from 17 countries by Chocolate Cafe





Typography Chocolate, your choice of letters By Chocolate Cafe
Love Praline Box by Max Brenner

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Party with Retro Red, White and Blue

I am a firm believer of finding any excuse to get together and celebrate. This weekend is the perfect example. Take a fresh approach to your historical celebrations and combine bold stripes and stars with retro red, white and blue accents. Add vintage pieces to the table to create a classic 1950's setting. Incorporate vintage pitchers and soda crates with barber striped straws and themed napkins. Dominate the theme with crisp white to create a fresh, easy going ambience. All of the items above are perfect for this weekend's celebrations and can be purchased from Esty via my latest treasury "Party with Retro Red, White and Blue". Enjoy!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sex and the City Dessert Buffet

“Maybe some women aren’t meant to be tamed, maybe they’re supposed to run wild until they find someone, just as wild, to run with.” Sex and the City

I had the pleasure of creating a fashionable dessert buffet for a hens party. The buffet was inspired by the Sex and the City 2 movie, where the girls leave New York for a girly getaway to Abu Dhabi. I combined girly pinks associated with the girls being in New York with bollywood golds, relating to their exotic holiday location. The stunning cupcakes reflect these themes by using chocolate stilettos and gold Arabic style leaves with sprinkles of glitter and gold pearls. There were a variety of delicious desserts and lollies for the hens party, including raspberries, strawberries and cream, chocolate coins, chupa chups, gold foil wrapped chocolate bars and vanilla and raspberry French macarons. The table featured a gold and ivory desert umbrella with napkins to match. I also customised the candy bags which were stamped with “Love Is Sweet”, adorned with gold and pink diamontes and each pre-filled with a surprise costume wedding ring and quotes from the movie, like the one above. The girls dressed up as their favourite Sex and the City character, dined at an Indian restaurant and enjoyed the dessert buffet before heading out for cosmopolitans and dancing!

Cupcakes by the talented Cheryl from Sweet Boutique
French Macarons by Mme. Grenouille

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Friends Always


I love baking, especially in the winter. I find myself in winter indulging in a sweet, home baked muffin, curled up on the couch with my husband, covered in a mink blanket, watching Breakfast At Tiffanys. Bliss. There is nothing more luxurious than a fresh home baked muffin. Of course I could never devour the entire dozen all on my own, so I started to pack my home baked muffins and give them as surprise gifts to my family, friends and work colleagues. I love seeing their faces light up when they stumble upon the surprise sweet delight. I started to place them in these cute muffin boxes and stamp them with sweet sayings and cute pictures. The perfect package for the perfect gift.


"FRIENDS ALWAYS" muffin or cupcake boxes can now be purchased from the wanda & krystyna Etsty store. They were also recently featured on the Etsy Storque blog, in the "Etsy Finds: Get This Party Started" page. Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Say “Cheese” When You Say “I Do”

Something old, something new, something borrowed something blue vein? If you love cheese as much as I do, are looking for a wedding cake with that ‘wow’ factor, or are simply not one for marzipan, fruit cake or ganache icing, look no further than an exquisite cheese wheel wedding cake.

To my surprise, cheese wheel wedding cakes are not new. Brides and grooms have been serving the delicious alternative to a traditional wedding cake for decades, particularly in the UK and throughout Europe. I have started to see and hear that more and more Australian couples are adopting the idea in recent years. And why not? Australia is home to many award winning cheese mongers and cheese makers that produce the finest, most delicious cheese. We are lucky to have the best produce at arm’s reach, you only have to visit your local farmers markets to find out why.

The cheese wheel wedding cake perfectly compliments the autumn or winter wedding, weddings set in a winery or those with a rustic, vintage or country theme. The ‘cake’ is made by stacking whole cheese wheels in assorted sizes, colours and textures, to resemble a tiered cake. The “cheese” cake can be decorated with flowers, fruit, toasted nuts, ribbon and served with crackers, fresh bread, fruit and of course a complimenting wine.

Go on a culinary adventure with your partner and take the time to select the different types of cheeses together. Why not book a ‘taste testing’ afternoon at your local cheese monger or cheese maker? Or purchase a cheese platter selection, pack a blanket, some wine and go for a picnic on a Sunday afternoon in the country.

For a successful ‘cake’, thought needs to go into the types of cheeses you use. It is recommended that firmer, more mature cheeses, such as crumbly Cheddar, be used as the bottom tiers, while the softer cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, used as the top tiers. Choose different strengths and flavours, as you would a regular cheeseboard. Also choose different colours. There is a wider variety of colours in the firmer cheeses and don’t be afraid to select one with a rind, as the block colour will ‘lift’ the cake visually. Need some help selecting? The Smelly Cheese Club offers a comprehensive cheese glossary and some interesting cheesy facts
or speak to your local cheese monger or delicatessen.

The price tag of cheese wheel wedding cakes depends on a number of things, the number of tiers, the types of cheeses and if the cheese is local or imported. The services of cheese wheel wedding cake suppliers also vary. They can range from simply assisting you in selecting the cheese and leaving it up to you to put together and decorate. While some suppliers offer a full wedding cake service. The full service may include a taste testing session, creating and decorating the cake, delivery, service of cheese to guests, break down and also salvage any leftover cheese for you to enjoy at your post-wedding party!

Choose your wedding cheese from a local cheese maker and your guests will appreciate your commitment to buying local. There are a number of fine cheese wheel wedding cake suppliers here in Australia. I contacted many Australian cheese mongers, cheese makers and delis, and found the following suppliers are more than happy to assist you with a cheese wheel wedding cake for your big day!

Black Pearl Epicure { Fortitude Valley, QLD }

Barossa Valley Cheese Company { Barossa Valley, SA } pictured bottom left

McIntosh & Bowman Cheesemongers { Potts Point, NSW }

Formaggi Ocello { Surry Hills, NSW } pictured top left and bottom right

Emerald Hill Deli {South Melbourne, VIC }

Cakes of Heavenly Indulgence { Hobart, TAS } pictured top right

Monday, June 7, 2010

Love is Sweet

Love is many things. But one thing is for sure, love is sweet. Set the theme for your special event with these very words. Pure and simple. Love is sweet when you find a love note in your work diary, love is sweet when you find that the washing has been already folded, love is sweet when you find a single flower at your table setting, and love is sweet when your hand is held unexpectedly. It is the small and thoughtful gestures that make us smile. Give your guests a sugary delight in these cute boxes and watch them smile. Because love is sweet.

Love is Sweet favor boxes now available for purchase from the wanda & krystyna Etsy store.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

About Me

From a very young age, I remember hosting small parties. Whether they were for my family or for my friends, I enjoyed sharing delicious food and the company of others. I particularly enjoyed creating an ambience that brought out laughter and great memories.

Years later, my passion for entertaining grew. Over the years I have been called upon by family and friends to assist them in planning their own weddings and birthday events. I also enjoyed every minute of planning my own wedding.

As a result of my passion and experience of planning events, I created Wanda & Krystyna. Named after my two grandmothers, gracious and dearly missed, Wanda & Krystyna specialises in Event Planning & Styling, Dessert & Candy Buffets and Event Stationery.

This blog by Wanda & Krystyna is dedicated in providing snapshots of the latest event and wedding trends from around the world, with useful links to local sources and suppliers. I hope you enjoy it.