My week in pics and country dessert stripy pretty inspiration!

I know this post was due yesterday but i was super busy so its posted today instead. It was bank holiday, let me off! I went back to visit home this past week (i really visit home quite a lot considering its about 3 hours away). I had a few catch ups with various family members plus a friend who i haven't seen in about 10 years! On Friday my friend Alia took me to meet a woman who is now going to be the wedding baker...but more about that in a few weeks :D.

On Saturday I visited London with one of my bridesmaids Vicky to visit Buckingham palace to see Kate's dress. It was gorgeous but seriously tiny! I'm 5'2 and 8 stone, i'm quite a petite person myself but JESUS! I swear the waist was about the width of my hand and she looks MUCH shorter than i imagined, she's always had quite a lanky appearance i thought but turns out she is just a teeny tiny woman!

Anyhooo Buckingham Palace was gorgeous as well, the rooms are crazy beautiful, everything is just totally magnificent, exactly what you expect from Royalty. I was super excited because we went to the loo, what an item to cross off the bucket list 'weed in Buckingham Palace'! Unfortunately we didn't get to visit the Queens boudoir, that's one room i'd quite fancy a poke around! Of course the photo of the dress is not mine, its an official one. The security in Buckingham Palace was HIGH, as you can imagine. I think my favourite moment was when we were in the gardens and a squirrel was coming really close to the crowd. A woman pulled out a camera to take a picture and one of the guides went mental at her! 'No you will not take a picture of the squirrel, you are on the Queens ground and that is the Queens squirrel!'. We saw about 20 fully grown adults being told off as we walked around, it was so funny.

After lunch we went to a pirate exhibition, my idea of course! I was so excited, it had genuine pirate treasure chests and flags from about the 1600s and indeed i had to convince Vicky to dress up with me in the children's section! She's quite tall so i did find it hilarious watching her put on a jacket that looked so cropped on her.

Later on that night we went on a fab night out, lots of drinks and dancing! I NEVER get a picture of Vicky grinning with teeth but i LOVE this picture, she's just gonna have to put up with the fact its now my fave!

So i guess you're after some inspiration now? Well read ahead....

Etsy shop of the week: Two Sisters Old and New

Vintage handkerchief $4.50/ £2.84

This is a wonderful shop full of really beautiful vintage handkerchiefs, a really big collection of them and all so well priced. The prices start from $2/ £1.26 and they are really pretty and appear to be in great condition as well. They ship worldwide for really low prices and their feedback is great. TwoSistersOldandNew is the ideal place to pick up these gifts which could be used as favours for guests, gifts for your bridesmaids or just decoration, they are so cute!

Inspiration board: Elizabeth Anne Designs

For the first time i'm using someone else's board. I just really adore this, the shades are right up my street and everything looks adorable and totally stuff that i want in my wedding! The creator of this fab board was Elizabeth Anne Designs and that is where you will be able to find links direct to the original sources as well!

Top row: tiffany blue shoes image by Corbin Gurkin Photography from Style Me Pretty; hand-drawn calendar from Creature Comforts; coffee and calligraphy napkin from Martha Stewart; pink and blue place setting from Wedding Style Guide via Once Wed

Middle row: muffin favor and escort card image by Jill Thomas Photography and styling by Carter and Cook Event Company; pink and blue china image by Jenny Haas via Love the Day; stationery with pink wax seal image by Our Labor of Love by Heidi

Bottom row: bridal suite inspiration shoot image by Missy Photography; pink and blue bouquet image by Christa Elyce Photography; pink flowers in blue vase from 79 Ideas; pink ruffle cake from Martha Stewart

My week in pics and wonderland carnival candy shop boho ZOMBIE inspiration!

Kylie and Anna came to visit, having cakes at Teacup. You see that giant meringue in the forefront of the photo!

This weekend was not a good one for my diet. With just 9 days until my holiday i really need to start being good. What did i do instead? Well i had some friends come visit and i spent the whole weekend gorging! On Friday i took them shopping and then for cocktails then i cooked chicken wraps with a big eton mess type dessert. I don't know what the hell it was really, i just take angel delight and add strawberries, marshmallows, meringue then a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkles on top!

Me and my Chewitt cocktail

On Saturday i took them to the best teashop ever for lunch. I had chicken sandwich followed by the biggest slice of Victoria sponge EVER and i helped my friend Kylie finish off a gargantuan meringue as well. Then for lunch we had a whole huge pizza to ourselves then...ahem...more cocktails. I wanted to showcase to them this amazing cocktail bar, the bartender will talk to you about the kind of drinks you like then create something amazing for you. He created a chewitts cocktail for me, it was fantastic!

On the Saturday night we went on a night out where more alcohol was consumed, much to the disdain of my body. The club we went to had a motown floor though, we busted some serious moves, i'm sure we burnt some calories that night!

Morning milkshakes!

On the Sunday there was no time for hangovers because we went out for brunch and i had a huge Oreo chocolate milkshake and strawberry cheesecake pancakes. I was CONVINCED that would fill me up for the whole day...of course it didn't. So from today until holiday i have to be on my absolute best behaviour, try to get in a bit of exercise and no more excess, its only 9 days, its achievable...right?
Want some wedding inspiration? Read ahead....

Reception projections

from http://greenweddingshoes.com/fun-find-for-your-wedding-video-montages-to-project-on-a-wall/

I've been to a few weddings where there have been projections of the couple on the wall, various photos from their relationship, childhood snapshots and family pictures. Its been a nice personal touch and now there are photographers which offer to put together a slideshow for you in the evening of your morning pictures so that the evening guests can enjoy them.

While at the LMD Soiree a few weeks ago had a projection screen behind the dancefloor which played silent movies. It was an amazing feature, for one you could obviously still follow the story without dialogue but it also set the theme for the event, vintage glamour.

Check out this great post on Green wedding shoes which talks about having video projections of dance montages on the wall. its a great idea and can be a great filler for any white wall space you don't know what to do with.

Just thought it was worth a mention, i think its such a great idea and really something to think about!

Etsy shop of the week: NH Woods creations

Personalised dried flower wreaths $98

Dried flower girl wand $29

These days there are so many bouquet options out there. You can have paper, felt, button, silk, anything you desire really but i really adore these rustic dried flower creations by NHWoodscreations. In fact this Etsy shop has anything you could possibly need for a rustic themed wedding. Unfortunately for me they only ship to the United States however i get a lot of US readers so i thought it was worth a feature! Hope you find it as adorable as i do!

Ring bearer pillow $22.50

Dried bouquet $59

DIY DIVA: Chandeliers

Ok i admit it, chandeliers are a huge DIY project and certainly one way beyond my skills however there are some super talented DIY brides out there that have the power to make this work. Its such a great DIY project to bring into the home as well, it will certainly have guests commenting on it (lets hope for the right reasons).

The first tutorial comes from 100 layer cake and is a seriously modern and stylish chandelier. It reminds me very much of Lady Gaga's bubble dress (but dont let that put you off). At the bottom of the post they also feature a great real life wedding shot which shows you what can be achieved with this kind of lighting, amazing!

Birdcages are a serious trend of the year and i'm sure anyone who peruses wedding blogs would have come across them countless times but this is a great new way of using them, very unusual and unique. I love it! I found this on design sponge.

This is a really colourful chandelier and looks lightweight enough to be able to hang it from a tree or something, unlike the previous projects. This oh happy days chandelier also looks a lot more affordable so well worth a try!

Everytime i see something like this i always feel the urge to play with the fringing, running it through my fingers. In other words i would most likely break this but its really pretty and i think would be such great decor for a wedding. This tutorial can be found at The sweetest occasion.

I love how this chandelier glows in the light. I wonder how it would look with a coloured light on underneath? I think this looks super professional and expensive, no one would ever know it was DIY! Well done Freshly picked.

Real life weddings of the week!

YES! Barbie and Ken finally tied the knot!!! This rock n roll bride feature is pure genious and when you look through it you will laugh at the shots because they are exactly what you see with real wedding, amazing! Ok so i havent got long, its the boys birthday today (yeah our birthdays are 9 days apart) and ive promised to be a totally devoted girlfriend...but he's in the shower so i'm going to fit in a quick blog post.

Find it at: 100 layer cake
Why i love it: The dress! It just looks dreamy and comfortable and boho and formal all at the same time!

Find it at: polka dot bride
Why i love it: Check out the stunning photography. What a beautiful capture of light.

Find it at: Green wedding shoes
Why i love: Such a great use of colour and a very cute wedding party.

My week in pics and monet pirate star sewing deadly inspiration!

Ok so last week i had no catch up because it was my birthday! Now i had about 5 days worth of celebrations, i'll know i'm turning old when i just do one thing!

My parents came to stay with me for 3 days which was lovely, last time they visited was about a year ago. We went over to the quays and had lunch before i took them around Media city which is where the BBC is relocating and then some shopping. Afterwards back to ours when i cooked a tapas feast (fast becoming my speciality) and we played wii. I tried to get the family on singstar with me, NO ONE wanted to join me!

My mum and I at the Cavern club

The next morning we were up bright and early for Liverpool. We visited Albert Docks and the Cavern Club (famous for its association to the Beatles). It was absolutely heaving in the city centre because it was gay pride but such a great atmosphere!

Me and my birthday cocktail!

Afternoon tea for two!

We went for afternoon tea and cocktails at 'Hard days night' hotel. In the evening we went dog racing and i did quite well, ended up the whole night including food, entry and drink cost me £3 so i consider that a big success! Next morning the parents were off after i cooked them a big fry up.

Lyme park

Me in me wellies!

We hiked up to this building in the hills. As we were walking a pocket of sunshine came through the clouds and made for a fantastic photo!

On the Monday, my actual birthday, we visited Lyme Park, which is a national trust park and absolutely beautiful. We were really lucky with the weather. We got in the car and for the 40 minute journey it rained the WHOLE way, it stopped the minute we pulled up and resumed after we were driving home a few hours later. While at Lyme park we stopped for lunch where i had scones the size of my head, i took soooo many photos. Dont you just love my wellies?

My birthday tends to revolve around how many cocktails i can have

Then the boy and I went out for cocktails at the most gorgeous bar called Obsidian back in Manchester. I had a lovely berry concoction while the boy had some tropical cocktail that arrived on fire, always impressive haha.

My birthday celebrations ended with a lovely Italian with a few friends. Its our favourite place, its where both Manchester United and the England team eat all the time, in fact when we were in there a footballer came in. I had no idea who he was but the boys went all giddy haha. I ate sooo much. After promising myself i would only have 2 courses and a soft drink i ended up having 3 courses and lots of wine and then the restaurant presented me with a birthday profiterole as well!

READ AHEAD FOR ALL THE INSPIRATION!

Supplier focus: Top 5 place for Whoopie ;-)

Outsider tart

On Thursdays post i noted how much i want to try a whoopie pie. Obviously the minute i stopped writing the post i went straight to google to see what i could find! Now i believe they are available in Harrods food hall, i can't believe i've never visited it, it seems to have everything! I've sourced out some super yummy looking whoopie pies, i might just need to take a trip down to London.

My first choice is Outsider Tart. I have to admit i was in love with them the minute i opened their site and saw that they had a barkery, yes thats right a bakery for dogs! Guess what it sells? PUPCAKES! Tooooo cute. They are based in London and delivery is available throughout the city. They have it all: brownies (18 flavours), Cakes and cupcakes (22 flavours), cookies (8 flavours) and of course WHOOPIE! I know counting the flavours is a total nerd feature but i was so impressed! They have 8 types of whoopie pie, i want to try them ALL!

Extra large whoopie pie!

Then there is Whoopie pies UK. They offer UK delivery which got me very excited! They do cupcakes AND macarons (which i was also very excited about) and of course whoopie pies. They also have a HUGE range of flavours that all sound very gourmet and delicious and they do XL whoopie pies.

Another place that does huge whoopie pies is Polly's patisserie, she also does normal sized and mini. What i'm quite intrigued about is the savoury whoopie pies, there's a wide selection of flavours including ham and cheese or spinach and olive. All sounds super tempting! She also offers bespoke cake design and 'love truffles', how adorable.

Hummingbird bakery

Ok i've visited this bakery and so i can confirm that the cakes here are frikkin heavenly! Its the Hummingbird bakery in London and its just such a yummy place, i well recommend a visit! Last time i was there i got a carrot cake and a red velvet cake, it was pure melt in the mouth!

Sweet things is another London based cakery full of cupcakes, brownies, flapjacks, cheesecakes and whoopie pies! They only offer one flavour, chocolate with vanilla, however with so much to offer as well i don't think i would be disappointed.

DIY DIVA: Sweet treats

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey, I'll never ever let you go....except I have no free hands because i'm scoffing my face. Now i know putting sweets before the boy may SEEM a little...shallow however just keep reading and I think you'll agree if anything is worth coming between you and your beloved, it's these babies!

We start off with the BEST idea of all time. I mean it. The telephone, forget about it. Electricity, who needs it. Milkshake shooters, YES!  Hey Gorgeous has excited me a great amount with these mini treats and I cannot wait to try! It helps that the boys favourite drink of all time is milkshake meaning i can actually convince him I'm making them for his sake. I can be selfish and still get girlfriend points haha.

Ok honestly this DIY project is well beyond my expertise but I thought I'd post it anyway because even blowing up a balloon is out of my expertise. The outcome seems well worth the effort, they turn out so pretty! This comes from the Amy Atlas blog.

I love these. I think its because I know they would be really yummy but in a really simple way. They are that easy you could just have them as an everyday treat but then they also look cute enough they would fit right in on a candy buffet table. From my favourite cookie blog, the decorated cookie.

This is something I really want to try before the wedding. How cute would these look when those after dinner teas and coffees come out? The tutorial is simple enough but its something quite unique that I would be really impressed at. I need to get myself a little heart shaped cookie cutter but if it worked I would be using this all the time, for every person i ever served a hot drink to! PLUS I'm sure it could be adapted to work with all kinds of different shaped cookie cutter, what a versatile idea which can be found at the La La love blog.

One of the trends I've picked up on some of the American blogs is popsicles. Its not really reached the temperature that its going to emerge as a trend here in the UK however these alcoholic popsicles have stolen my heart. I love seeing something so typically childish made for adults. Green wedding shoes featured a tutorial for a mango strawberry mimosa pop and a mint grapefruit margarita pop. The post also features some links to other pop recipes which sound sooo good!

These are just sooo cute. They look really classy so would fit right in with a wedding. The tutorial on I am Baker is really well written with some good tips on how to achieve maximum flavour, apparently they taste best when they are 4 days old! Not a chance in hell mine would be surviving that long!

Another Decorated cookie treat! These fondant daisies are made with cookie pops and i love the different colours. I know if it came down to the boy getting me a bunch of flowers or a bunch of these what i would choose.

These just look really refreshing and yummy and i'm loving the glasses. Strawberry lemonade is one of my favourite things, i love raspberry lemonade as well but its quite hard to find so making your own is a great idea. This love the day tutorial sounds very lovely as well as looking super pretty.

It is on my bucket list to try a whoopie pie. I've never seen them sold anywhere really. I say really because i once found one restaurant that had a whoopie pie on the menu. I ordered straight away, super excited. I was in total denial over the fact it was a lemon whoopie pie...and i dont like lemon. I was just so excited to be finally trying a whoopie pie. Well of course i didnt like it, i ate the whole thing of course out of principle. So these strawberry whoopie pies i'm certain i would love! The tutorial can be found at sprinkle bakes. By the way i found these through the beyond beyond blog, naughty Amma!