Meet our 5th and final judge...

Hurry Hurry Hurry! You have 2 weeks left to enter the Sweet Little Birdy Party Table competition. Entries close on 31st August and there are 4 prize packs to win which all include a gift voucher from Sweet Little Birdy ($50-$100) and a bunch of goodies. You will also have your party featured on our website front page and a blog post on your party by us!!

It doesn't have to be a dessert table, it could be a candy table, savoury table, cookie bar, ice cream bar, cheese table or even gift bag table! So get those thinking caps on, make sure you include 3 products from Sweet Little Birdy (think outside the square) and submit your entries, we are so excited to see them!

Without further ado, I am thrilled to tell you about our last guest judge Mai, who is the owner and founder of Mai Style Party Boutique. If you haven't already liked her facebook page, I suggest you do, she sells a gorgeous range of partyware online which is original and very competitive in price.

Mai describes herself as a wife and mother to two kids. She is also a very bright spark who after completing her degree worked at Macquarie Bank until she had kids. She now sells partyware and tells me, she has never looked back.

I love her story about how she started her store, here's a summary ... Mai loves entertaining and like many of us, adores Amy Atlas. But when trying to source beautiful dessert table items for her parties, she found that she had to buy them from the U.S as at the time, there was very little available in Australia.

She described a "moment" to me which I know a lot of you will relate to...
"I remember opening my first apothecary jar that arrived from a supplier, my face just lit up like a little girl in a candy store, so that's how Mai Style Party Boutique started, along with some very special encouraging words".

Up until meeting Mai, I was never sure how the name came about - well I'm glad I asked! Of course, it's based on her name which Mai says people pronounce incorrectly. It's "MY" and Mai has always called her "me time", "mai time". So Mai's online shop is about all the gorgeous things that describe her as in "mai style". Love it!

Mai recently had a beautiful Lemonade Stand Party for her daughter's 6th birthday which was definitely a family affair. Her daughter Chantelle had the idea for the lemonade stand when she saw her mother working on the business for long hours and suggested that they set up a lemonade stand out the front of their house so "her mummy doesn't have to work so hard". How sensitive and beautiful is she!!

The drink dispensers from Mai Style Party Boutique were a particular hit with the kids at the party with Chantelle pouring the lemonade herself for her guests. And then putting 'coins' in the vintage cash register that Mai found. The kids also helped paint the lemonade stand and how cute is it?

Mai's favourite product in her store are her glass drink dispensers - she has a huge range so check it out here. She finds that they always look so impressive, a stand out focal point that is functional both during and after the party. Her mini glass bottles and yoghurt tubs with wooden teaspoons are also very popular. Super cute and versatile.  I loves these products because you can wash and re-use them after the party, which really makes them so cost effective when entertaining.

Mai Style Party Boutique also has a big range of Apothecary jars and Mai had some excellent ideas on what to store in them after your party - cotton balls on your bathroom vanity or even single photos inside the curve of the glass jar on your mantel piece - who needs regular photo frames... just another excuse for me to buy more Apothecary jars!!

Mai's top party tip is to start planning early. A little diary or notebook is a must, along with a 'to do' and 'to buy' list. She suggests drawing diagrams of your set up and signing up to Pinterest (oh the hours I spend on Pinterest!), it is a great resource for inspirational ideas.

Her advice for all of you participating in the Sweet Little Birdy Party table competition? Parties are not just about the birthday child, it is about the parents celebrating the amazing and fulfilling accomplishments that have been made with their child in their little lives. So "whether it be simple or full blown soirees, remember to take a moment to celebrate yourself and have fun". I couldn't have said it better myself.

So what's next for Mai Style Party Boutique? Mai is busy planning a business website page, so in the meantime, "like" her facebook page and stay tuned!

Are you feeling inspired? I know I am and I hope you enjoy spending the last 2 weeks planning the parties/tables you are holding or editing those photos. Don't forget the Sweet Little Birdy Party Table competition ends on the 31st August so mark it in your diary, get on pinterest and be creative.

Looking forward to telling you all about the winning entries - I hope it's yours!

Yours in blogging

Val