Snow Day

The worst weather conditions for decades.

Snowmen in the local park.

No chance of going to work.

Beavering away at my computer.

Choc chip cookies & tea.

When Auntie Helen comes to stay...

A weekend in Norfolk coincided nicely with the requirement for 'History Week' costumes for my goddaughter and her sister. Lo and behold, a Brabantia bin-box converts nicely into a castle with turrets and working drawbridge!

All in a day's work for this little Beholder!

And the girls got to finally get their long overdue Christmas presents: corduroy ponchos that look utterly darling, if I do say so myself!

A Family Christmas

So... what is a wife of only 7 weeks to do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why, open her presents in her wedding dress, of course.

A great few days with my family, with gorgeous food (not going to be getting back into that frock for a little while yet) and incredibly beautiful presents (this link in particular, still to be hung but very gladly received by The Husband). I did incredibly well, with the Husband secretly catching me eyeing up Abigail's gorgeousness and putting an order in for the gold and black beads of joy. Aren't I a lucky girl indeed?

Back to our home via Lechlade (oh the antiques!) just in time for scones and a bracing walk in the cold.

My December

Some crafting ... Care of a Christmas present inherited for myself (5 year olds are never going to appreciate something as darned cool as these stamps, surely?)

Some wrapping...(got a bit felt-happy this year!)

Some baking ... (note the additions to the kitchen: namely, microwave, KITCHENAID, toaster, kettle, kniferack, Hen Party Jug, Salt and Pepper Mill... that is everything! God love wedding lists!)

 

Some renovation work ... (remember the in-law's cottage? My how it has changed!)

Oh and some humiliating attempts to keep up with the relies at their annual pub caroling. Note the row of children with instruments. And then note the baffled looking grown woman.

Yup, ladies and gents... That is me, holding a recorder for the first time in about 12 years. Bring on the wassailing I say!

Interim images from the wedding...

Post stolen from my other blog...

Thanks for the requests for more pics of the wedding! The reason for the delay has been to wait for the professional ones to come through to give you the good stuff.

If however, you're happy for the amateur offerings to suffice in the meantime... here goes...

  

Fingers crossed the professional pictures will be coming by the end of this month so I'll be able to give you much clearer detail shots...

Otherwise...

The bridesmaids dresses were Vogue 8416 in navy blue silk from Hong Kong.

Cake was two layers of fruit, two layers of carrot cake with cake topper of a dressmaker's dummy and a grand piano made from oven-hardening clay.

Venue florals were by a good friend and featured roses, hydrangea, vibernum berry, various foliage and a bow made by my Mum!

Bouquets were ranuncula, roses, vibernum berry hand-tied with antique navy velvet ribbon given by a family friend.

My shoes were from Italian leather from Sniff, adult bridesmaids were navy patent from Faith and little patents were from an online boutique, Panache.

Hair flowers were antique silk from VV Rouleaux and Mum's fascinator was made using one of those flowers along with feathers and beads taken from her dress fabric.

Any other details I've forgotten? Will share other pictures with you as soon as I have them: trust me, as excited as you are, I fear I may be more so!

Thanks to various friends and especially my sister for the above pictures.

Beholden Hits the 21st Century

For goodness sake let me know if this doesn't work, but as a final farewell before I run off for the jolly holidays, here's a montage that the Boy made of the Day.

Wowsers... that looks like it might just work!

I've been keeping all my wedding paraphenalia on my other blog but thought you may be interested in the video above and also, if you'd like a butcher's at the honeymoon, the posts can be seen at this handy link!

Enjoy, happy holidays and thanks for all your support, messages and comments in 2008! Here's to my first Merry Christmas as a wife!

xx

Wedding Crafting

It's been too long to the point that I fear I have no readership left...

The reasons are numerous, or simple, depending on your ability to bear excuses.

The numerous...

Knitting & Stitching Show

Cocktails in volume...and stitching in moderation

Bridesmaids Presents to make

And collate

And then wrap

Wedding favours to collate & clean...

...label...

...and pack...

According to the table plan...

   

Not forgetting the flower girl presents too...

Can you see the resemblance?

So in truth, the excuses are stitching and marrying. In that order.

Crafty Crafty

It's been a while, but I have been a productive little soldier.

Work continues to be busy but rewarding, particularly when turning a corner on a sunny morning and seeing the Waterside cafe as a beautiful oasis rather than a concrete jungle.

The sewing that I created last year for my godchildren continues to be put to good use by a very enthusiastic and gorgeous girl

 

while the more serious older sister concentrates hard on taking care of the new puppy...

Crafting continues apace at wedding planner central... do drop by and see what I've been up to!

Try to remember...

When the summer existed...

One day, a long long time ago, we went to Oxfordshire. Hot air balloons laced across the sky as we sat in a garden eating scrumptious salads...

The hostess, parents of a dear friend of ours, is a potter extraordinaire and all of her family tableware is made in her studio.

The studio itself is hidden in the inner corner of a garden full of blossoming flowers, trees laden with fruit and tempting little places to swing, seat, sunbathe and generally relax.

 

 

A delicious day in the heat of the summer.

 

If only I could remember what it felt like to be warm.

Monochrome

For someone who is usually a veritable rainbow of colour, I am loving the monochrome look at the moment. Maybe it has something to do with the DIRE weather we are having: I just don't feel like wearing bright summery colours and black and white just always looks crisp and right.

Indeed, I'm wearing this dress above for a wedding in two weeks time.

As I sit at the computer in this Noa Noa top, black trousers and gold All Stars, my fingers clicked over to one of my favourite American chains:

White House Black Market.

 

My oh my, have they got some gorgeous frocks for the fall....

 

 

 

With a black pair of linen trousers just finished and a white linen and crochet top just finished it's going to take something of a tropical miracle to get me back into any kind of technicolour: glorious or otherwise...