Crafty - Paper Tassel Garland

A couple of weeks ago we had a little party for my birthday.  I didn't really want to go all out with a theme or loads of decorations, but I thought it might be fun to make these super easy paper garlands to add a bit of a party feel inside and out.

I've been lusting after this one that Emily has in her office for ages so decided that it might be fun to do something similar for the party.

I had a search online and found some good tutorials like this one on Boho Weddings.

I'm excited about trying more of them with some glittery paper and other colours.  Super glad I'fe figured out how to make them, as they seem to be super expensive to buy online!

Have you every tried making one?  What is your party go to item to dress up the house a bit?

Gin Cocktails And Pizza Making

As I mentioned on Friday we had a New Years party this weekend. We wanted to have a get together for those we hadn't had a chance yet to see in the new year and had a lovely Saturday evening with friends.

We organised a gin cocktails and pizza making evening.  (Pizza making idea totally stolen from H&E's NYE party). The Berry Collins cocktails were very tasty and we offered a variety of gins for people to choose from.

We laid out a variety of toppings and bought some brilliant pizza bases from tesco so that everyone could make their own choices.

Homemade pizzas + gin cocktails + 2013 quiz drinking game + xbox kinect = a lovely and enjoyable evening had by all.

Berry Collins (long cocktail):

makes 2

8 raspberries

8 blue berries

splash of fruit berry coulis

crushed ice

4 measures gin

4 tsp lemon juice

sugar syrup, to taste

soda water, to top up

• Muddle 1/2 berries and the coulis in the bottom of a high ball glass then fill with crushed glass.
• Add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup.  Stir well then top up with soda water. 
• Decorate with raspberries and blue berries.

What Made Me Smile This Week

The first full week after the Christmas holidays is always a bit of a tricky/depressing one, but we are having a New Years party at our house this weekend to celebrate all the things that 2014 will bring.

Also this week I am so pleased that I have had my first paying customers for my Gel nails and I'm loving my new Roo Amazon Beauty Case (above) that fits everything perfectly.

Here are a few other bits that made me smile this week.

Love these Gorgeous Party Paper Cups which would be fab to keep on hand for any impromptu gatherings.

I'm so bored with the horrid weather am so pleased that we booked our summer holiday flights to Menorca this week.  Perhaps I need a Stunning Travel Wallet to accompany me!

These Gorgeous Champagne Coupes would be a very welcome addition to our cocktail cabinet.

Wishing this week I had some extra pennies to treat myself to more sale items...especially this 

Whistles Double Pocket Bag

Really loving Cosy looking Cushions at the moment and was delighted with these soft, tartan cushions from BHS which were a lovely Christmas gift from G's parents.

Welcome to 2014

Welcome to 2014!

I hope you all had a splendid New Years eve and celebrated in style. We had a really lovely evening celebrating with friends at their gorgeous new flat.

We were very civilised drinking champagne, playing board games and making our own pizzas.

This is definitely a party idea that I will embrace in the future. Harriet organised pizza bases and a fantastic selection of toppings and we were then all able to create our own tasty pizzas! A definite must for a fun food idea at a party.

There are lots of things that I am hoping for in 2014 and instead of resolutions I am having a to do list.  I am giving myself a week to compile the list and will then share.

Halloweeeeeeen...

Feeling totally inspired this year to embrace the Halloween Season.  I have never really done Halloween before, as we grew up in the countryside we never really went Trick or Treating, and it just wasn't something as a family we embraced.  Since meeting G we have never really celebrated Halloween either as it falls two days after his birthday so we always celebrate that instead

However, this year I wanted to try something new and embraced that fact that the two fall within days of each other and took over G's party ideas and through a fantastic Halloween party.  I have been inspired over the last couple of years having read the fantastic Cupcakes and Cashmere as Halloween plays a prominent part of the year.  This post especially made me want to embrace all things food for the Halloween holiday.

As I lost my job last Friday I embraced being at home (along with applying for lots of jobs) and did all things party!  I themed our food, made lots of Halloween craft decorations and generally got excited about the season.

I think my favourite additions to the party were the pepper puking chutney, the raspberry and milk jelly brain (mould from Asda), and silver skull candles from Asda.

Happy Halloween folks x

(and Happy Birthday G)

Life as a Wife...

Photobooth from MCH Photobooths was perfect.
They provided double copies so the guests could take one, and we could keep one. Such a wonderful idea.  We have a lovely album full of memories.

{4th August}

It was 3 months ago that I walked down the aisle in St Mary's Church towards G to become his wife.  It most definitely still feels very strange when I call him my husband - it feels a bit like I'm telling a lie!  But it does feel nice.  

There is something about having a husband that makes you feel more secure.  I think we actually see each other less now than before we got married, but I have heard a lot of my newly wed friends say this.  I think it is because you know that the other person is going to be there when you come home, no matter what.  And you know what you will be spending the rest of your life with this person, so what does it matter if you spend a few days apart.

I am desperately missing planning the wedding.  We were engaged for nearly 2 years and I loved every minute of planning our wedding.  I can definitely say that I feel a bit lost now that it's all over.

We had a very DIY wedding.  Not necessarily to cut costs, but just because we wanted to put everything we were into it and really make it feel like 'us', rather than just a wedding.  We made bunting, designed the invitations, packed up 100 bags of confetti, made the table plan, and favours.  It was so lovely seeing all of our hard work put into place on the day.

Here are some of my favourite pictures on the day...

In the Wedding Ceremony just after we had been pronounced husband and wife.

We used this ampersand which normally hangs on our living room wall.
Props are a really good idea for the photographs if you don't want that formal, stuffy look.

G noticed this old red phone box across the green from the church and it adds a fun element to the pictures.
Our photographer was a fine artist before she started on weddings, which meant she took the most beautiful, inspired, unique pictures.
Love this one that she took through my veil.

We had our guests create two lines down either side of the drive, meaning we could walk through the confetti, giving people a chance to throw loads and we got some really lovely shots.
This was one of my most favourite things of the day.

We decanted confetti from its original containers into these sweetie bags and placed them in a picnic basket - keeping everything on the seaside theme.

This one is one of my favourites.  It's so different and in an age where iphones play such a big part in our lives it seemed very appropriate.