Friday 16 March 2012

Oh the Places You'll Go - Dr Suess

Today marks three months until the day I become a Mrs. I'm uber excited and mega cheerful while my husband to be, while happy and a bit romantic about it all, seems a bit shell shocked. Whenever I excitedly bop up and down shouting 'three months, three months , three months!' he starts questioning what happened to the last 15. The last year and a bit has definitely flown by. It feels like it was 'six months, six months, six months!' just yesterday so I know how he feels. People kept telling me that time would disappear but I didn't quite believe it at the time. I do now.

But anyway, it's all very exciting and thrilling and with everything booked and pretty much sorted, I can see the day in my head which just makes it all the more real. In keeping with all things wedding, I wanted to share my runner up reading, 'Oh the Places You'll Go' by Dr Suess. I loved Dr Suess growing up. From green eggs and ham to the who's in whoville, reading and hearing Dr Suess makes me feel like a kid again.  I love this poem of his and feel it summarises my excitable mood and the lovely feeling that very soon I'm going to embark on a whole new wonderful part of my life. Enjoy!


Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets.
Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say,
“We don’t choose to go there.
”With your heads full of brains
and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down,
any not-so-good street.
And you may not find
any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen and
frequently do to people
as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.
Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to great heights!
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have all the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang, and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because sometimes, you won’t.
You’ll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with so many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact and remember that
Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes!
You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

KIDS, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie
or Bassor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!




Thanks for reading,
Chelsea
x

Thursday 15 March 2012

Pretty in Pastels

I thought I'd try my hand at something new today and bring you my favourite summer trend, but in wedding form. I may not be super fashionable and in 'the know' when it comes to things like this, but I know what I like and what I think is pretty, and what I'm liking at the moment is pastels and summer sundae brights. Pink ones, green ones, blue ones, peachy ones and neutral ones, I fancy them all and love the slightly eccentric clashing of colour when you combine them together to make a statement. I think this look is wedding day perfect and reminds me of sunshine and lollipops and all things summery. They're cheerful, merry and perky colours that bring a smile to my face and a skip to my shoes. Happy times.

Sitting at the computer on what can only be described as a drab day (freezing fog, overcast and slightly rainy...), scouring the internet for pretty pictures of all things pastel and pretty has lifted my mood and made me wedding happy once again. I couldn't help but share my happiness inducing findings so here you go:


Pretty florals: I'm in love with this bouquet - like actually, properly, head over heels in love. The colours are stunning together and make for a perfect wedding day palette. They make me feel like it's 30 degrees outside and I should be sipping on some sweet lemonade and soaking up the sun (instead of in my slightly cold house, in PJ's and big fluffy slippers with a nice cuppa).


I had to pop in some birdcages because, well, I love them. I've shown these two from confetti.co.uk before, but they're so lovely I didn't think it would hurt to show them again...


These charming topiary's are from confetti as well and I love the feminine shade of pink. It adds a different dimension to the pastel and brights palette which gives it a bit of a pop.


Table Decorations: I'm a fan of all things candles and love these lovely little heart votive holders. I'd buy some of each colour and scatter them around the reception venue for a romantic, summery look. The ditsy print wooden love letters also featured below (from the lovely pumpkin and poppet) are to sweet to pass up. They're a fantastic accessory for the head table, a fireplace mantle or any spare space that needs to be pretty'd up. I'm also liking the carnival blue table numbers from confetti. What an enjoyable way to add some summertime zing to your tables.




Sweet Treats: A pastel themed sweets table is a great way to add some vintage charm to your day and pull the theme together in a yummy and delightfully fun way. I'm a massive fan of sweets tables and have been busily collecting jars, pink striped bags and silver scoops for my big day. Why not keep the theme going with one of these perfectly pretty cakes from Cotton and Crumbs? I love the coral and duck egg icing flowers and the pearl embellishments. So pretty!



These invites are part bright and part pastel, and I love them. They evoke the same sunshine and lollipops feeling the rest of the pastel themed products do and I love that they bring to mind flying heart confetti (they are called 'flying hearts' invitations after all).



Last but not least, the Bridal party: I'm head over heels for Charlotte Balbier's Kate Middleton inspired 'Eva' dress. It's flowing tulle skirt is feminine and romantic, and perfect for any modern day princess. The adorable Alfred Angelo flower girl dress is too cute for words and I love that you can pick and choose your colours to perfectly match your theme. I also like the idea of bright bridesmaids dresses to really pull the theme together and give it substance. These two from Pepperberry and Dessy are perfect for a summer fiesta.



I can't wait to see what this summer brings in real life weddings. I can only hope that there's pistachio's, corals, duck eggs and pretty pinks galore. Love, love, love.

Thanks for reading,
Chelsea
x



Sunday 11 March 2012

The Dukan Diaries - Part 2

Last week I promised to provide updates on my Dukan progress (see: http://amorraweddings.blogspot.com/2012/03/big-day-small-bride.html). Now that I'm officially finished the attack phase (the first phase) I feel like it's an ideal point of time to share my progress to date.

To be perfectly honest, it's been the easiest start to a diet I've ever had. I haven't felt hungry, I haven't had to count and keep track of every little thing I eat and I've been more than happy with the selection of foods available to me. I think the key to my success in this first phase was always having allowed foods to hand, as well as a plethora of a choice of aforementioned allowed foods. I really don't think this diet would work if you were fussy about fish or meat, as you'd get bored fairly quickly.

So, during the first phase I've lost (drum roll please....) 6lbs! Hoorah!

I'm more than pleased with my results and have finished the attack phase just about spot on to where the online calculator assumed I would. Happy times.

My meals have basically consisted of oat bran porridge (made with skim milk and sweeteners to taste) for breakfast, chicken, kipper fillets and prawns for lunch (not all together, and to be honest I'd avoid bringing any smoked fish into work again - don't think my co-working neighbours were too pleased with the overpowering smoked fish smell...oops!), ham and fat free greek yogurt for snacks, and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or ham for dinner. I've still been able to have my morning Latte's (just the 'skinny' version with skimmed milk and sweeteners instead of caramel syrup) and have still been able to enjoy a nice cuppa in the afternoon.

Now it's on to the Cruise Phase and I've never looked so forward to eating vegetables. Having my first vegetables for lunch today will be an absolute treat. Peppers, mushrooms, onions, leeks and celery have never been so enticing. This is the part of the diet that I will supposedly need to be on for 105 days or until I reach my goal weight. I'm hoping my goal weight comes sooner.

Fingers crossed week two will go as smoothly as week one. With the results I've seen so far I would tentatively say that Dukan is by far the most successful diet I've tried. Just need to keep it going now. I'm down to just over 3 months till my big day so wish me luck!













Thanks for reading,
Chelsea
x

Music Matters

I'm not embarrassed to admit it - yes, I'm a gleek. All singing and all dancing high school drama is right up my street. I may be in my late 20's but I still have the television watching mentality of a twelve year old. While I'm confessing, I should probably also get off my chest my love for High School Musical (1, 2 and 3), Twilight, and the Disney Channel. In fact, the film Sabrina the Teenage Witch was on Sunday afternoon and I made my lovely husband to be sit through the whole thing. I know, I'm a very lucky girl. Happy times.

But back to Glee. Nothing made me sadder then when Glee moved to Sky1. Being a Virgin Media customer, and having a husband to be that refuses to get the all inclusive monthly packages, Sky1 is not on my channel list. Que the sad sigh: *Sigh*

My favourite episode from the fist couple of seasons was of course, the wedding one. The new directions dancing and singing down the aisle to Bruno Mars's 'I Think I Wanna Marry You' was TV magic. It was the first time I heard that song and I loved it instantly. It immediately went on to my favourites playlist on my ipod, and subsequently went on to the 'stop playing that song over and over' list of my husband to be's favourite things to say.

I promptly youtube'd instrumental versions of the song as possibilities of what I'd walk down the aisle to and found a plethora of versions to choose from. Slightly slowed down and done on the piano, this song is wedding day perfect. I could completely envision myself, smiling happily and walking towards my future husband to be with this lovely, cheerful tune playing in the background. This is one of my favourite versions. Love, love love!



And in case you happened to miss the original, enjoy the below. Apologies it's a bit fuzzy, but it's the best I could find!



While I'm not to sure about the idea of dancing down the aisle on my big day (I wouldn't want to feel I wasn't taking the ceremony seriously - it is after all supposed to be about committing yourself in love and life to that one special person), I like the thought of incorporating the music on a more classic scale. It will still bring all those lovely, happy and spontaneous moments through, but in a real wedding appropriate way.

Thanks for reading,
Chelsea
x

Perfectly Pretty and Delightfully Delectable

I love cake. It's pretty, yummy and good mood inducing. Wedding cakes are no exception and when I stumbled upon Cotton and Crumbs I was lovestruck. Never before have I seen such an immaculate collection of the most beautiful, stunning and beyond gorgeous cakes, cupcakes and sweet treats. Scrolling through their lovely and extensive picture gallery, I couldn't physically narrow down any of the wonderfully decorated and exquisite pieces to showcase in my post. Hence the selection of collages pictured below - it was the only way I felt I could get across their truly marvellous range of perfectly pretty and delightfully delectable sweet treats.

Clicking onto their site is like embarking on a whirlwind of whimsical cake wonder. With designs to suit every bride there is a plethora of choice with everything from classic white to fairytale pink. From their base in Coventry, the fantastically talented Tracy James designs these elegant and romantic masterpieces that won Cotton and Crumbs the Best Wedding Cake Designer - West Midlands this year at the Wedding Industry Awards.

Even better, they offer day long classes on how to create your own beautifully bespoke cupcakes, charming chic hat box cakes and stunning 2 tier stacked rose cakes. From the pictures posted on their fabulous facebook page, it looks like they must be uber talented at passing on the gift of decorating these lovely treats.


Classic and beautiful, I love these neutral hued cakes. From the pearl embellishment to the carefully and perfectly formed flowers they're every brides dream.


Country kitsch and fairytale perfect, I love these pastel pink and green creations. The birdcage topper is such a fantastic idea. Love, love, love.

Something blue and new too. I love everything from the Cath Kidson inspired florals to the vintage brooch embellishments.


Pretty in pink and romantic to boot, these feminine beauties look too good to eat. From cake pops to cupcakes, Cotton and Crumbs seem to cover everything in such a lovely way.

I love this lilac and ivory themed cake table. The lace detailing on the cake is so very dainty and pretty and the embellishment on the cupcakes is exquisite.


Please have a look for yourself at their amazing website. I promise you won't be disappointed...just maybe a little hungry, a little jealous and a little awestruck:

http://cottonandcrumbs.co.uk/

Thanks for reading,
Chelsea
x