Goodness gracious, great balls of... er, flowers and paper?

Is it just me or did the Bank Holiday weekend just whizz by?! It was a weekend of hunting down some Cloud 9 straighteners {which I ended up ordering online ~ a word of advice, if using their salon locator, ring the places first as it is in desperate need of updating}, eating a delicious breakfast out with Gareth, visiting my soon to be in~laws, seeing my bridesmaid looking beautiful in her pretty dress and twinkly shoes, scoffing far too many scrumptious cupcakes, taking a trip to the cinema to watch the Keith Lemon film {disappointing}, finally completing and delivering some evening wedding invitations, booking next year's holiday {a week in Fuertaventura, relaxing by the poolside and basking in sunshine #excited!}, getting giddy with my fiancé about booking it in my married name, eating meat for the first time in a long, long time, regretting it when I was being sick in the middle of the night, and finally, getting covered in glue as we made some wedding decorations.

I've mentioned before that I'm a DIY bride, and there are so many aspects of this wedding we are doing ourselves, including stationery, cake toppers, decorations, and even bouquets. This is not only to keep costs down, but it allows us to put our own stamp on things. It also keeps my inner control freak happy, natch. The weekend was dedicated to decorations, and there seems to be an unintentional recurring theme of 'round things'. Let me explain...

Before we even picked our venue, I fell in love with images like this:

{I have been collected images for a long, long time and am unsure where I found most of them to credit. If it is your image and you want me to remove it, please just let me know}

In fact, the wedding we originally wanted is the complete opposite to the wedding we've planned. We wanted something low key and informal in a pretty marquee by a beach in the Summer. We wanted jam jars scattered about filled with natural blooms like daisies, freesia, hydrangea and lavender. We wanted hessian fabrics and raffia instead of ribbons, and we wanted our guests to dine on a delicious BBQ and mouthwatering homemade cupcakes. We wanted the area to be surrounded by fairy lights and paper pom poms, and those giant balloons in pretty pastel colours to adorn the outside space. I'd even decided on a dress ~ a cream fifties style tea~length Candy Anthony dress with pink roses, a sage green sash and a pink petticoat.

The only thing still standing from those original plans are the pom poms. The ceilings of our new venue are so vast, there's no realistic way of hanging them so they'll even get noticed. We decided instead to use the pom poms and make garlands. I've made a trial pom pom and it was absolutely ginormous, though it came out exactly how I wanted. I tried again but cut the tissue paper in half, and I am so pleased with the result! I can't wait to see these draped from the cake table and bar area, maybe even from the last row of chairs. I followed this easy peasy tutorial.

Hints and tips:

♥ On the bigger pom poms, I used 10 sheets of tissue paper rather than 8 as mine came in packs of 5 from Hobbycraft. This just made them fluffier, which can only be a good thing.

♥ When making smaller sizes, use less sheets {say 5/6} and make your concertina folds thinner too, otherwise you'll lose the shape.

♥ The one on the very left of the picture had a rounded edge and the others had a pointy edge. I like the different textural appearance each one has so don't be afraid to play about with the way you trim it.

♥ I used soldering wire to tie around the middle. This is a really flimsy wire that my Dad got me from work, but I'm sure you'd be able to get it from a hardware shop. It's thin enough to be tied like ribbon, but sturdy enough to hold and shape like wire. I'd really recommend using this instead of a thick wire.

♥ Paperchase has a very pretty selection of tissue papers. The foiled silver was from there and I also have a white one with silver sparkles running through it which I can't wait to use.

Gareth and I also made some flower balls to line the aisle, kind of like these on the left but all white:

We enquired about getting them made with fresh carnations. A carnation is typically an old fashioned flower, inexpensive and often used as a 'filler' but I absolutely love it. It's fluffy and blousy and lends itself well to this type of arrangement. Initial enquiries with florists was a shock to the system, as we were quoted between £40 and £80 per ball, depending on size. Now, I completely understand the amount of work that would go into making 40 of these, really I do, and whilst I can appreciate the expense, I couldn't justify at the very minimum £1600, when {knowing my guests!} they'd be used as footballs after a cheeky cocktail or two. I also hate artificial flowers, so I was in a bit of a quandary ~ either I sacrificed my flower balls, begrudgingly parted with £1600, or invested in artificial ones. I chose the latter.

In all honestly, now that they're made up, I am thrilled with them! Okay, they don't have the silky soft velvety touch of real flowers, and they don't have the fresh scent to match, but they look really pretty and are exactly how I wanted them. I think I spent about 10% of the original quote in the end, which meant more money for pretty shoes... I've packed them away before I thought to take a picture, but they look exactly like the image above.

{© Sian Trenberth Photography}

You can just about tell from the picture above that our aisle is absolutely huge, so the 30~odd balls that we've made are not enough to line the whole length. We've still got a couple more to make, but ideally we need to quadruple what we've already got made! If you're interested, these are the flowers we bought and these are the Oasis balls ~ we used a mixture of 9cm, 12cm, 16cm and 20cm. We just dabbed a bit of glue on the tip of the carnation stems and pushed them into the Oasis, as close together as we could. Instead of lining the whole aisle, we've decided just to put them by the chair area. We're also planning on putting some white lanterns from Ikea with flickering tealights amongst them, and also scatter some silver sequinned baubles around them too. For the part of the aisle with no seats, we've bought about 12 of these large heart lanterns. So pretty! I'm started to get excited now that I can see our ideas coming together.

Less than 100 days to go!

♥

Veggie burgers with a twist

Remember when we had some sunshine, a few months back? No really, we did! I know it's hard to believe it when I'm typing in the middle of a hailstorm, but back in June we had a good run of sunshine, so we celebrated with an impromptu barbecue. I've been meaning to blog this recipe ever since, so on a dark and drizzly day when I could do with something spicy and comforting, I look to this recipe.

Being the only vegetarian at a family barbecue is no fun. There is a myriad of veggie burgers and sausages available now, but I've always enjoyed making my own, so for the barbecue I decided I would create something that really hit the spot. Falafel, houmous and halloumi are the three foods I would gladly be stranded on a desert island with, so it seemed fitting to create something using them. I made a deliciously spicy falafel burger packed into a soft bun with salad, grilled halloumi, homemade houmous, sweet chilli drizzle and homemade raita. The spicy tang of the burger coupled with the crunchy salad, creamy houmous, salty halloumi, cooling raita and a kick of chilli was nothing short of heavenly.

Making everything from scratch is very gratifying, stupidly simple, and tastes that little bit more superior to shop bought varieties. That's not me knocking shop bought versions, and if you choose to buy them for convenience {I do very often!}, then this burger will still taste every bit as ambrosial, I can promise you. The handy thing about making these is that you kind of need the same ingredients for each, so if you are making the burgers, you might as well make the sauces to go with them. Also, you can double up the quantities and freeze these burgers, which will save you even more time at your next BBQ!

Falafel burgers {yields 4 or 5}:

240g chickpeas ~ I used a 400g tin so just discard the liquid and you'll have the right amount

1 medium onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1.5 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon parsley ~ I used dried but fresh would be even better

1 heaped tablespoon flour ~ I used chickpea flour, also called gram flour, but any flour will suffice as its just to help bind the wet ingredients

1 teaspoon lemon juice, just to lift the flavours a little

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Blend up the ingredients in a food processor {or mash by hand to retain some texture}.

Mould into patties {my mix made 5 but obviously it depends on the size}, cover with clingfilm, and set aside in the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes {optional, but helps the burgers firm up a bit better}.

Cook the burgers on both sides, either on the BBQ, under the grill, or in a griddle pan.

Simples.

Basic houmous:

240g chickpeas ~ again I used a whole, drained tin

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon tahini paste

Juice of half a lemon

1/4 teaspoon mild chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until a creamy dip consistency has formed.

If it is too bulky, add some water or a little extra oil in tiny amounts, blending in between, until you have the desired consistency.

Simples.

Cucumber raita:

1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt

2 inch slice of cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dill or mint {I used dill as I didn't want to add another flavour with the mint, but would definitely use mint next time}

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Put everything in a bowl.

Mix with a spoon.

Eat.

Simples.

To form your burgers, cut open your buns and spread the bottom with a generous layer of houmous. Top with your falafel burger then add your salad {I used a little bit of lettuce, a slice of tomato and a raw onion ring}. Top with a slice of grilled halloumi and drizzle over some sweet chilli sauce {I am particularly fond of the Blue Dragon brand}. Dollop on a spoonful of the raita and finally replace the bun lid. Devour messily, lick your fingers, and if like me, you have no decorum, lick the plate too ;)

What are your favourite vegetarian recipes?

♥

Blood, sweat and tears

Last week was such a bizarre week. Some Most of it was beyond abysmal and involved lots of swear words, an abundance of tears, and tantrums more suited to a 6 year old child being refused sweeties than a 28 year old nearly~wife. Then came pure, unadulterated joy and relief, swiftly followed by vast amounts of squealing excitement, and the inevitable comedown peppered with nerves. You see, my dear readers, we have finally finished that daunting task ~ our wedding invitations!

As a DIY bride I don't have the luxury of a spare minute, which has never been more true than during the last 2 months. Hour upon hour has been spent printing, sticking, embellishing, folding, mounting, jewelling... I've often sat for 8 hours solid, sans wine/vodka/other alcoholic beverage to keep me sane. I've wrestled with the printer on many occasions, stuck myself to myself with some superglue countless times, gone to bed looking like Britney Spears on crack**{Toxic, anyone?} and had more arguements than I care to relive. But I can hand on heart say every moment was worth it as these, my bejewelled beauties, are my pride and joy.

I should say at this point that I had help from my family. My Daddy was an expert with the guillotine and cut every single thing to the exact mm I specified. The pretty bows? Ironed with precision courtesy of my Mama ~ she's still sporting some burnt fingertips. The teeny weeny incy wincy jewels inside were lovingly stuck on by my 80 year old Granny. And the whole thing was helped together by Gareth contributing to the boring part ~ sticking them all together. But the project as a whole? Mine all mine, and it's not an accolade I'm willing to share.

Being totally honest, DIYing our invitations was not an option to save money {though of course, that's a bonus}, but more the fact that I'm a tad controlling. Not quite 'Bridezilla' level, but if I want something done my way {ie. the right way} then I have to get my hands dirty. Or clean, as the case was on this occasion. Clean and sparkly. A LOT of work went in to them, so when my guests say things like 'wow' or 'stunning' or 'no way did you make them yourself!', I do feel a bit proud.

And smug. Very smug.

These invitations are nothing like I first envisioned. I wanted a flat invitation with vintage fonts and decoration. Letterpressed or foil printed would have been perfect! I didn't want anything sparkly, I didn't want anything fussy, and I didn't want anything too formal. What I made was something very sparkly, very fussy, and very formal. Oh, and it isn't flat, it opens out.

Inside the little pocket we have included:
♥ An information card, detailing the RSVP deadline, venue and parking information, local taxi numbers and gift list information.

♥ An accommodation card, mainly for our out~of~town guests {of which there are many!}. As there is no hotel on the grounds of where we are marrying, we included details of the three most local hotels and also arranged a discount with one of them if our guests quote our wedding. Always handy to save money as a wedding guest!

♥ A map and directions card, again, mainly for our guests that are not familiar with the area. One side has detailed directions, including satnav information, and the other side has a personalised map printed onto it. I just copied the Google map, but it took me FOREVER to personalise it!
*Top tip ~ go to your wedding venue using a satnav. We took a drive to ours using both the satnav built in to my Dad's car, and the satnav we downloaded onto our phone. The one in the car kept telling us to turn off before the venue entrance. We made sure we included this on our card, as it's the bride who is supposed to be fashionably late, not lost guests :) If you're not including a detailed insert like ours, drop it into conversations beforehand with your guests.

♥ An all important response card and self~addressed envelope. We umm~ed and aah~ed over sending them out pre~stamped, but since we hand delivered many of them, we thought they'd hand deliver them back. Just incase, we made them small so that our guests would only have to pay the minimal cost. The postman handed me one this morning and I squealed and danced with delight on the doorstep. I didn't expect them to start coming back so quickly!

Now that those are over and done with, I can relax and get on with enjoying life... Yeah right! A bride's work is never done...

Love Laura x

**I'm not at all suggesting Britney is/was/will be a crack addict ~ merely stating that I didn't look as half as glamourous whilst covered in jewels. I was sweaty, walking like I had pooped my knickers from being sat in the same position for hours on end, and had red bulging eyes from over~tiredness. If you were lucky, you'd get a coherent sentence out of me. Still, at least I glistened.

August goals {2012}

If I don't set myself aims and goals, I'll quite happily plod through life from one day to the next, and not actually achieve anything. I'm one of those people. You know, the type who lacks the 'get up and go'. There's nothing wrong with that ~ I love my life and am the happiest right now than I've ever been ~ but what's the harm in wanting more? I'm setting myself goals at the beginning of every month {and continuing with previous goals if necessary} in the hope that it will give me more confidence and the drive I need to achieve anything I desire.

August Goals

Wear bright lipstick
The colour will be dependant on my mood I think but I'm wanting to branch out from my fail~safe pastel pinks, pretty peaches and beloved nudes. I'd love to try red {a la LoveAudrey} but sadly I don't have the luscious, voluptuous lips to pull it off. My goal is to wear a bright lipstick at least twice this month. For it to count as an achievement, I actually have to leave the house, otherwise I'd gladly sit in my PJ's as I'm about to drop off to sleep sporting luminous lips. Yes, really!

Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables
You'd think I'd have this covered by being a vegetarian, and typically, I do. However, the last few months have been busy and stressful, so I've sort of been leaving off toast and convenience / comfort foods like pizzas, jacket potatoes etc. It's just about being more organised, as I am a big fan of my vegetables! My goal is to make my lunch and dinner to consist of mainly vegetables, so lots of salads and stir fries on the horizon for me.

Drink less tea and coffee
There are a few steps to this goal. I want to swap at least one of my cups of tea/coffee a day for a cup of green tea. It's packed with antioxidants so has amazing benefits such as boosting metabolism, stabilising blood sugar levels, and anti~aging to name a few. I'm really good at drinking water during the day and easily drink a litre {not including any other drinks}. However, I want to drink more {at the very least another 500mls but ideally another litre} as I've been suffering from headaches lately. Whilst stress can contribute, I'm pretty sure they're dehydration headaches.

Take up kettlebells
No way would I have the confidence to attend a sweaty kettlebell class, but underneath the piles of wedding things accumalated in our bedroom, is this kettlebell. I bought it at New Year {like most people, I wanted a New Year boost} and it has been used maybe 6 times, at the most. I have a few friends who love kettlebell workouts so I want to see what all the fuss is about, and so, for this month's goal, I want to commit to working out with my kettlebell for at least 1.5 hours per week, in sessions of 20~40 minutes. I want to incorporate more exercise into my lifestyle, which I will in time, but thought I'd start off with a kettlebell so that I can tone up my arms for the wedding, and the convenience of it means I am able do it at home with the use of Sky+ {often a kettlebell class on one of the fitness channels!} and YouTube.

Finish my bridesmaid bouquet

I have a few too many DIY projects for the wedding on the go at the moment, which means lots are getting started and nothing getting finished. If I aim to finish something, chances are I will continue finishing things. I'll start off with my bridesmaid's bouquet as I think that's a key factor for my bouquet ~ I have this idea in my head but don't know if they'll work together!

Fix my camera issues

I have lost the USB lead for my camera, my Dad has lost the USB lead for his camera, and my brother's camera has the USB lead {which fits neither mine, nor my Dad's} but his camera isn't working. Only in my family... If I don't replace my camera altogether, at the very least I want to replace the USB lead. Using my iPhone is driving me batty!

Do you have any hopes and aims for August? I'd love to hear them ~ maybe you could help motivate me on Twitter?

Love Laura x