roses.

I thought, just as a quick (quick? ha, its taken me 24 hours to do this post. damn you Andy Murray for distracting me) follow up to the previous post, I'd show the roses I've found in the most beautiful colours which seem to look like a perfect match for the bridesmaids dresses. Now I should say that I feel like a fraud having a post with the word 'matching' in it when accordionsandlace has recently posted this, but in my defence, I know my wedding will not look like 'one of those', I want it to reflect us, but I do so love it when I find a colour match! And a plum coloured rose? I didn't know they existed!

The Avalanche rose:

photo: gill rickson on flickr

The 'Big Purple':

picture: real flower company

The 'Cool Water':

picture: flowersnthings on flickr

And the aforementioned gypsophilia:

picture:tamaki on flickr

and just so you can get an idea of the dress:

The fuschia/plum/cerise colour is less red than it appears there, and more how I describe it. They hve a big blowsy floral print on them. Also in a purely selfish way, I don't want to show the whole dress on here until they're out of the shops. sorry...

gypsophilia

I was in church this morning, and unfortunately as my mind does sometimes when in church, my thoughts turn to the wedding. I sound incredibly self centred. I promise I'm not really. Anyway, I was thinking about the decorations, flowers and such. I was fairly against flowers hanging off every pew right from the start, it seems like an enormous waste of flowers, and money.

photo by me

I was thinking about doing a better, more finished version of these for the pew ends instead. I've fairly obviously, just tied this on to my rocking chair and not hemmed the end or anything, but its not too bad? I threaded wire through one side of the lace so that it holds in position, but the wire needs to be a teeny tiny bit stronger I think. The ribbon holding it on needs to be wider too, so that it covers the whole of the knot, and then hopefully the tails hang down too? What do you think? (by the way, there are umbrella holders on the end of every pew, so I can tie onto those) I was also thinking about some little wicker hearts I've seen, maybe they could hang off the ribbon, or is that overkill?(it probably is, I tend to go that way...)



I was also thinking about the funny ledges the church has in front of its windows. They've put them there to make window ledges, and quite deep ones at that. I've seen them with floral arrangements on before, so I know they dont mind having them put there. My mind started wandering, as it does, and it reminded me of this:

picture: the brides cafe
(sorry I can't be more exact, I saved the direct link to the photo, not the wedding it came from)

and this:

photo: sedona bride via zoe lingard

It was Zoe Lingards post about gypsophilia that made me think about it seriously, until then to me it was just the filler flower that came with supermarket bouquets. Then I started thinking about how lacy and light it was, and best of all cheap! I don't want it everywhere, While I think these weddings are lovely, mine is not to be outdoors and in the middle of summer. (Rather it will be very indoors in October in Cumbria - not a time for too much floatyness) But I think maybe it would look ok in vases or jars on the windows in the church? like this, but gypsophilia rather than alchemilla - which incidentally is really good alternative if you're doing a modern green colour scheme that seems to be everywhere now...

photo by me

plus its cheap. I really dont have a problem with flowers, just so you know, I love them. they make me smile and spend money i dont have. I also think churches look amazing decorated with floral arrangments, I'm just really not prepared to spend a ton of money on things that only get seen for an hour.

Finally, to tie it all in, I love this bouquet ( I also love the dress, buts thats a whole other post right there), I love the big headed roses, the tight posy, with uneven edges, and i love love love the border of gyposphilia, if thats what it is. Its certainly what I choose to see, and the inspiration I'm taking from it.

photo: lusan mandongus advert, from a uk bridal magazine

Phew, that was a long post, does it make any sense?

beautiful dresses.

Now i'm not wearing a tea length dress for my wedding, but if I were, it would have been this one. its just too too beautiful.

stephanie allin

I stared at this photo for ever when it was in the dreaded wedding folder, I just loved the whole thing. But I can't give up on a full length dress. maybe oscar has the answer?

dress can be found in this collection at oscar de la renta

apologies if the image is rubbish, I've had to scan it in from an advert in my folder, which means its from some UK bridal magazine. I'm awful at this lark. But I do love the dress. Unfortunately, I think either would come under the heading of 'living beyond my means', and anyway, I've already discovered that lace doesn't suit me. But I'm good at dreaming.

moon dreams

Ok, so peapods just totally made me want to go to Belgium for the honeymoon, or anytime, but the honeymoon seems like the next time we may go abroad...

sweet peas and other stories.

I looked out of the kitchen window this morning to see this, my first sweet pea of the summer. Theyre a trailing variety (so far not really living up to their name, but I still have hope...) and I love the colour!

pincushion by feltmates

I should not be allowed on etsy. how cute is this pincushion? feltmates does tape measures held in cute felted animals too. they are just adorable. I really need to get back on my loom. Its also seriously tempting to try and do a whole christmas from etsy.

I also found some lovely tan leather mary janes in M&S yesterday. can't afford them, but i sooooooo want them. I never wear heels (I'm size 8 wide fit, finding anything to fit is a nightmare. I'm also 5'11", I don't need heels) but these were comfy and yummy. Oh I want them. I also found a really nice pearl strand bracelet in there that really wasn't expensive, I'm thinking I might get it as a bridesmaids present. I'd put photos here, but I can't get them from the M&S website, for fairly obvious reasons I suppose.

On a slightly more weddingy note, the lace envelopes I posted about yesterday from etsy, she'd posted how to make them on her blog, so I might just cheat. I feel a bit mean, but then maybe she shouldn't link to her blog on her etsy page? turns out, (probably obviously to all you savvy ladies) that they're just folded doilies. appropriately heart shaped doilies seem to make the nicest shaped envelopes, but for some reason no-where in carlisle seems to sell the damn things. I've also found a vogue pattern that looks like it makes some nice clutch bags, which i thought I might try as a present for the bridesmaids (again - aren't they lucky things?), so I'll order that when I get some money.

pattern: here

a few of my favourite things...

Yes, thats right, I love the sound of music. and etsy. a lot. heres what I'm dreaming of at the moment.

tags from: timetoremember phone from: domestikate

rubber stamp by: emililies envelope and card set: pookybutt

earrings by: sudlow bag by: davieandchiyo

obviously the phone and the tags have not much at all to do with the wedding, but theres no harm in shopping for myself sometimes is there?

hydrangea update #1

A really rather boring post on how my hydrangeas are doing. I'm posting these purely because I can't get James to care about them in the slightest. Two of the bushes though, have about 30 heads each coming out on them. I'm sure none of you are bothered either, I'm just quite excited. Not only about how pretty they'll look when they're out, but about how much I can do with them afterwards. I have no life beyond this wedding, it would seem.