Wrist Corsages

As I've decided on wrist corsages for my sisters to wear, I popped into Primark whilst in London (never thought I'd get out either, mad) and got three pearl bracelet sets which were £1 each for a bundle so Sharon can either sew the flower onto the bundle, or one, or a few but there are so many options!

£1! Bargain!!

Ooh, and forgot to mention (I think) that on Friday I went to see her with Steve and we chose the flowers. Although, I was a bit confused and may have said yes to orchids for the wrist corsage rather than roses. I'll have to check with her as I don't think I really want an orchid. Not when everything else is roses!!

Flowers will include: roses, freesias, veronics, wax flower and I think there may have been another but can't remember. And we've said we only have £150 to spend which will hopefully not be a huge issue.

Pic'n'mix Day :)

Today was a day of assortments with plenty going on.

As you know last night I headed to Stone with my girl work chums and on returning at midnight (before the clock struck 12!) there was Nick, Louise and Richard having arrived for Steve's stag do on the Saturday. Steve was meant to have sorted the beds out, (negative) so I hastily pulled out air beds, zed beds and duvets and feeling pooped, headed off leaving the boys to their toys. (literally toys, big kids the lot of them).

Anyway, Saturday morning dawned and the boys all headed out with other boys to go go-karting at Stoke for Steve's stag (and he was so excited!) and that left me and Lou to wander into town on the sunniest and warmest of mornings we've seen in a long while.

After a Starbucks, we perused the charity shops and Lou managed to get a large number of china floral cups at crazy barginous prices to go towards her floral mismatch china for her wedding in September. She then caught the train back to Loughbourgh, and I headed home to pack for my weekend in London.

But first........

The pre-wedding photo shoot!

I have to admit, I was worried about this. Steve was having to be taken away from his stag do for photographs with me at Littywood, and every single element of this is something he'd hate, so I really thought he would be terrible and I'd have to coerce him to cooperate. But he actually pulled out all the stops and went along with everything and was polite and chatty and I think I love him a little bit more for it!! He's made me not worry about wedding day photographs anyhow :)

Chris and Keily were on their way to the Lake District for a holiday so it was only a short sojurn in Stafford and it'll mean we get to see them in a couple of weeks but hopefully before the day and I'll be able to put them here for a record too.

After one hour with a few different poses and places, we headed back and I went to London, and Steve carried on with his stag do which then went to Quasar, Nishads, Wetherspoons and The Met Bar where they met a trampy local woman who flashed them and photos will now follow...




Just so I have a record and can remind Steve of it whenever he's naughty!! I had to laugh though, he looked so discomfited!!

And that, was Saturday.

23 Days To Go

And it's my second hen do tonight!

The girls from work and I are heading out to Stone to go to Granvilles where they do lovely food, and have a live band doing lots of covers which is fun!!

This is their website: here

And their menu is: here

I think I'll be having risotto with garlic bread, but no pudding, maybe a cup of tea instead!! I've not been feeling 100% recently! I think my anxiety is coming out a little bit now!! I'm trying not to put weight on as I have no more fittings, but I'm also worried I'll lost too much and look like my dress is too big. Maybe I should try it on again!! ;-)

After this weekend when I head to London till Monday, I shall be moving into Mum and Dad's for the week to dog sit. I can't wait. I shall sit everynight and feel productive and finish things and look at the things I have to make sure everything is planned! It's the five p's!!

Perfect Planning Prevents Pathetic Performance!!

I guess this is why I'm anxious, I'm trying to think of everything and plan everything so I know it's all going to work. I just don't want to be ill in the meantime!!

How Do You Do......

Just been perusing the wedding ideas forum as one does, and through a link on a post to an Etsy site, there were some beautiful things and novel ideas.

It was a vintagey shopping page, with lots of Victorian based things, with pearl buttons and lace, but one thing that caught my eye, was this conversation starter!!

Now, I know my guests are pretty much at tables with folks they know, so chat won’t likely be lacking, but I just thought it would be another little touch that I could make myself, using left over bits of paper and it would just be another homemade bit.

So what I’m thinking is, using eight questions, and sticking them to a butterfly, which will in turn be stuck to a wooden skewer and sit in the jam jar flowers on the table.



What is the last dream you can remember having?
What can you see out of your bedroom window?
What do you hope to be remembered for?
What’s your favourite way to spend a sunny afternoon?
Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?
What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
What’s your favourite film and why?

Maybe it won’t happen, but I think it’d be a lovely touch if it did!

I’m lining up more things to do next week, whilst Mum and Dad are away!!

24 Days to Go

I feel a little as though I've been running a marathon for seven months, and the finishing line is now in sight. I'm pacing myself but just beginning to pick up speed to sprint to the finish.

I have 15 days of work left (not counting weekends)!!

I have two hen meals to go (one tonight - Guides and one tomorrow night - Work chums).

I have Mexico injections booked for next Tuesday (and they're free hooray! but ouch!)

Mum had cut out and folded all the place names and all I have to do DIY now is:

Add butterflies to them

Finish the table names

Help make the Order of Services (maybe source a basket to pop them in?)

Design and make the Table Plan

Stuff the favour bags and sew the ladies, and pop sweets in the mens.

Make the menus but Sarah will be helping with that

Sew the bunting.

And that I think my friends is that!

Keep up the pace, keep looking forward, keep going!!

Honeymoon Issues

So today in the office we were chatting and it emerged neither Steve nor myself have sorted our injections yet.

Eeek.

On t'internet, we're meant to have a Hep A and a Typhoid jab 8 weeks before we go.

We go in less than 4 weeks.

So I'm booked in on the 13th April for mine, and Steve is not going. He doesn't think they're necessary. And to top it all off, I've found he's not registered at any Doctor's practice in Stafford. Right. Fine. He thinks he'll be fine, let him be fine, but woe betide him getting ill, and then expecting sympathy. He won't find any from me. I wonder if he's just scared of needles?

Bridezilla Moment

Well, yesterday I had what I'll consider to be my first bridezilla moment. I never thought it'd happen, and that I'd be a cool bean all the way through, but with only 26 days to go, and not really sure what I was getting stressed about, I got a bit tense and emotional.

And how silly did I feel? Everything that could be organised is, and people are being helpful but Mum was commenting on the table plan, and I just felt cross. I was stressing about money, but we still have some budget left, and I'm worried Steve will hate it, and I won't be able to enjoy it, but I knew that'd be the case all along.

*sigh* I just want it to be a lovely day and not that I'm wishing my life away, I just wish it could be sorted and done with almost. I've been planning and thinking about it for so long, I just want it to be here so I can marry my Steve, and feel myself again! He's commented that he thinks I'm all 'wedding this', and 'wedding that' which I really didn't think was true! We hardly ever even discuss anything wedding related!!

Project Day Bank Holiday

How nice to have another day off! This weekend has been lovely.

This morning I got up, and Steve and I went to Dunelm, where I bought two sheets in the sale, one with lavender spots, and one with lavender flowers for under £10 out of which i can cut triangles for bunting.

We then popped into Hobbycraft (at which Steve moaned and was therefore told he hadn't had to come, but he'd insisted, so he had to nice) and I got a few more sheets of paper, and a big A1 mounting board to stick the table plan onto.

Then it was quickly over to B&Q for a piece of dowelling to put at the bottom of the banners which turned out to be a broom handle which was too fat (may return if I can locate receipt) and Dad has some copper pipe which is thinner (and fits) and also heavier (to help the hang).

Anyway, carrying on, the afternoon was spent at Mum and Dad's glueing the letters to the banners on the floor in the conservatory and leaving them there to dry. The job was a good'un!! Dad also sawed the cafe rods down to size and found two other ends to go on them. He's got a plan in mind for hanging them! I like that they're both pleased with the banners too!

Then another mild panic at all the stationary left to do and Mum got on with printing stuff out and I felt better!! Ooh, and I printed my message tree poem out to go in a lavender butterfly frame I already have and it looks lovely!!

Next Project - Bunting Day!!

How to make bunting

Download our bunting template and turn scraps of fabric into pretty decorations

You will need:
Fabric and thread
13mm-wide bias binding tape
Pinking shears

1) Draw a triangle on some cardboard and cut it out to use as a template; or print and cut out our downloadable bunting template.

2) Pin the template to your fabric and cut around it using pinking shears to avoid fraying. Repeat until you have enough flags.

3) Evenly space the flags along the bias binding tape, folding
the shortest edge over, and pin in place.

4) Sew on the flags with a straight stitch, leaving at least 40cm of tape free from flags at each end for hanging.

Sarah is coming home for a weekend on the 23rd (only one week to go then!) and we're going to sew bunting. I reckon I'll need at least 60 metres which will be a challenge, but I reckon it's doable! Now we've got the trusty sewing machine up and running again! Just need to find some lovely fabric and binding stuff now.

Be Jewelled

Thinking about what to wear on the day, and here's a pic of my bracelet and earrings I'll probably wear:The only potential issue is that my ex-boyfriend gave me the bracelet. Steve doesn't appear to care, and it's the nicest piece of jewellery that I own! It's white gold, with crystals all along in a ribbon effect. I love it a lot, and it's special (not in that he gave it me, just that I really like it!) And I think it'll go well!


The earrings I bought 6 years ago to wear for Sarah's wedding as a bridesmaid, but I think they'll do perfectly!!


Just the necklace to go now. I had dropped many hints to Steve about one I'd found and fallen in love with: link is here but I don't think he's bought it, and now it's gone up 25% in price to what it was when I found it. It would have been perfect though. Goodness knows what I'll wear at the moment. Hmm, ponder ponder.

How I Made My Banner - Day One

ONE MONTH TODAY!! The wedding is in ONE MONTH!!

After lunch I sat and cut out all my letters. To give even more history, I'd had the thought of what I wanted a few weeks ago, so had drawn my plan, found my Bible verse, typed it up, put it into a nice font, printed it out, then blown it up bigger onto A3 paper. This had then sat waiting for an opportune moment to work on it.

Good Friday = bank holiday = opportune moment. (I did attend a Good Friday service, play the hymns on the piano, then go into town for a walk of witness, sing Amazing Grace in another church before lunch btw. Wasn't ignoring holy aspect of day at all)!!

Anyhow, after lunch I sat and cut out all the letters from the paper.

Then I used the paper and cut out all the letters out of black felt. I love how they look so clear against Mum's table cloth!! They pop!!

I then cut the purple butterflies out of felt that will help decorate it. I used three shades, my lavender as the base, a darker for wing detail, and then plum for the little hearts on the bottom of the wings! I'll be using ribbon for antennae and black to make the bodies. But no googly eyes!!

Then I took my fabric (it was only curtain lining but I preferred the colour)

and hemmed round it with tacking stitches.

Here's my stuff all laid out, with the trusty sewing machine in the corner! It's very frustrating to get the bobbin sorted and threaded, but once you get going, it's so quick! Here on the right is my tacking stitch!

Then I cut out green hearts which will be my leaves on the vines around the words.

You can see my butterflies now have bodies as well, and I still need to sew the ribbon!

Then I sat at the sewing machine and properly hemmed the banners. Admittedly, the machine sometimes ran away with me, and the hems aren't the straightest in the world, but when they're hanging on the wall, high up, who's going to notice?! Apart from Mum and me that is!! =D

By now, it was getting on a bit, but I was keen to get an idea as to how they'd look, and show my parents who really didn't get what I was trying to do yet, so I laid them all out on the lounge carpet to demonstrate!

And they were really impressed! So then Dad got in on it, and started making suggestions and comments, and I was very chuffed that they liked them so much!! Dad noted one banner was slightly longer than the other, so I've tucked them both under to make a space for a piece of dowling to sit to help it hang straight and down, so that's sorted that (very quick on the old sewing machine) and we decided rather than make a dowling pocket at the top to do tab tops, so I made those (on the machine) and sewed them across, four on each. I'll get a photo of that another time I guess! Then suddenly it was 10.00pm and I was tired, so I put it away for a bit, and may have another on Monday.

Aah, Monday, day of sticking! We decided that hand sewing would be rather annoying, so we're going to glue each bit on. Hope that's ok, but Dad did do a trial with leftover bits, and it looked ok. And I have to add that the verses are from Ruth 1:16.

I felt that today was soooo productive, it was brilliant to see what was a random idea, come to fruition!

Be A Banner Man

I'm off into town after work to get my fabric and felt for my banners. I reckon, (with a little help from my Mum) that I could get two done this Easter weekend.

Soooo....

White cotton
Green Felt (2 shades)
Lavender Felt
Black/Dark Purple Felt
Green Ribbon

Won't be too costly me hopes???