Cake of the week: Beer Tower Cupcakes

What man wouldn’t like a Beer Tower on their birthday? Now top this tower with cupcakes and you’re onto every man’s dream birthday cake!



Why to love it:

  • This would be super-easy to create – beer: check. Cupcakes: check!
  • You can completely personalise this cake by the type of beer you choose, as well as cake flavour/colour. 
  • You could pick the same type of beer, or a selection of different ones. Just make sure the cans are uniform size/shape so they stack together and are the same height. 
  • You could play around coordinating the colour of the cupcake icing to the colour of the beer cans. 
  • This would work for other canned drinks too. 


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Thursday thought…

“Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” 
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

HANDMADE CARD OF THE WEEK: Spectacular card

This is a really cute card for a guy – especially if he has glasses!


Why we love it:
  • This card has a really “cute” feel about it that celebrates wearing glasses. 
  • This card would be relatively easy to make yourself – plastic glasses such as these are readily available at discount stores (often in the toy/novelty section). Goggly eyes and bow are available at any craft/haberdashery store. 
  • You could print, write or stamp the text. 
  • Have some fun with the border on the card by using patterned paper, ribbons or even a strip of sequins. You could also experiment by using different coloured cards (instead of white). 
  • To create a female version of this card, simply add eye lashes and fuller, coloured lips and/or hair. 

Thursday thought…

“It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. 
What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.” 
Jim Rohn


How to buy a book as a gift

My dad received at least one book for Christmas every year as a child. In fact, everyone in his family received books for Christmas (among other things). He fondly remembers blistering hot Christmas afternoons spent lounging on the veranda reading his new books after the Christmas lunch dishes had been cleared away. 

I’m pleased to say that dad carried this tradition on in our family and I regularly receive books for my birthday, as well as Christmas. The other lovely thing dad does is write a short inscription with the date in the front cover of the books he gives me. I love looking back at the books I’ve received in the past, as they really reflect what I was into at the time. For example, I received craft books at age 13-14, and a book on Witchcraft at age 15 (anyone remember the move The Craft?!) 

I passionately believe there’s a book for everyone – even those who claim they “don’t read”. Everyone has something they’re interested in, or that they’d like to learn more about, and books can help. Books aren’t always about reading either – there are plenty of inspirational books with high-quality glossy images (enter the Coffee Table Book). This is why books make an excellent gift for everyone. 



The secret lies in selecting the right book for your recipient. This is easier said than done, when you consider a few key points about your recipient:

1. What are they interested in, or what would they like to learn more about?
Most people have a hobby or something they enjoy doing in their spare time. If they have a few hobbies, or you are unsure of the best book to buy, ask them something along the lines of “what do you enjoy doing the most in your spare time?” or “what’s keeping you busy outside of work these days?”. Perhaps they’re planning for an overseas trip to Italy, or would love to learn another language. Thinking about important forthcoming events in their lives, such as a holiday, wedding, or birth of a child may also provide some inspiration. 

2. Do they read to learn, relax or feel inspired?
The answer to this question is instrumental in working out if they’d enjoy a non-fiction, fiction or Coffee Table Book. I personally love non-fiction as I love to finish a book feeling I have learnt something. However, most of my friends use non-fiction books in the same way that they use TV – to relax! Reading a few pages of a novel before bed is said to assist in winding down and reducing screen time. 

3. How much time do they have?
‘Lack of time’ is a social epidemic. Whilst that “well-known” author’s latest fiction offering has received rave-reviews, the 1000 page tomb might not sit so well with your recipient if they don’t have time to scratch, let alone pick up a book. Sometimes the idea of such a large book can be so overwhelming you feel defeated before you start. If your recipient is short on time, look for something a bit quicker to consume. An anthology of short stories or a novel of 300 pages or less with short chapters would be much easier (and rewarding) to get through. 

If your recipient has the opportunity to read on their commute to and from work, a smaller book is also more portable. 

4. How do they like to read?
Some people prefer a traditional book, whilst others prefer to read on their smartphone or tablet since they always have this with them. If you are giving an iTunes voucher to someone to purchase a book with, a great way to personalise the voucher is to present it with a card, including a note mentioning the book you’d like them to buy with it. This shows that you have spent some time thinking about the type of book they’d like: “This voucher is for you to put towards ‘book X’, which I think you would enjoy”. 

Another option is a subscription to Audible or an iTunes voucher to purchase an audio book. This is a great way for people to listen to books while they’re exercising, driving or doing housework. 

Reading regularly is a great habit to get into – at any age. With some careful consideration, you can find a book to resonate with anyone, of any age. Because we’re never too old to learn something new! 

HANDMADE CARD OF THE WEEK: Hello card

This fun greeting card could be used for any occasion – birthday, anniversary, Thank You card…


Why we love it:
  • This sophisticated, neutral colour scheme would work well for a guy. 
  • The combination of pattern and plain card adds texture and interest to the card. 
  • Introduce pops of colour to this card with coloured beads or sequins. The neutral-coloured background will carry just about any colour. 
  • You can customise your message to suit your recipient/occasion, or use stamps or stickers to create the letters. 

Check out our other handmade cards here…