Welsh weekend...

We headed to Wales Friday afternoon (after The Wedding), I was emotional and exhausted after a morning of 'ohhhing and ahhhing' over every aspect of The Royal Wedding I wonder whether I was also on a bit of a sugar crash having eaten three chocolate fondant muffins - before midday...I was anxious. We were greeted in Cowbridge with some lovely decorations:

Saturday we took a trip to Cosmeston Lakes, we chatted to the ducks, we played in the park:

It was tiring:

Sunday we ventured into Cardiff to visit lovely friends Sian and Jamie and then spent the evening in Barry Hospital as we'd forgotten to bring LV's inhaler! After a ropey nights sleep it was back to Nottingham for a snooze on the sofa followed by a trip to the park:

Only 4 weeks only the next bank holiday weekend, horay! xo.

Honeymoon wardrobe...

We haven't actually decided where we're going on our honeymoon yet and with only 2 months to go I'm starting to feel the panic rising...the problem is too much choice and not enough direction. Agreeing on a honeymoon location is definitely on this weeks 'to do' list. More importantly though, I am keen to firm up my holiday wardrobe, difficult when I don't know where we're going, but we'd like it to be hot, so I've based my honeymoon wardrobe browsing around this must have (heat). All of the below are from Topshop:

I also stumbled across this beauty from Whistles, obviously not for honeymoon, maybe for work?!:

Love.

xo.

Chocolate Fondant Cupcakes...

I am practically a baking professional. As my 2nd attempt to bake something other than Blueberry and Almond Muffins (my fave!) has resulted in total and utter success...I feel euphoric. I used the hummingbird bakery book again and it was relatively simple, it did take me a while, 1.5hrs to be exact, but it was worth the patience and I actually found the process quite therapeutic. Rob will be so excited when he gets home and sees a cake stand full of chocolate fondant cupcakes...lucky boy!

Process in pictures:

Dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate powder, sugar

With the eggs and milk

Ran out of matching muffin cases

Left in a tad too long ;-) I wasn't deterred

Chocolate cream: Dark chocolate and double cream

Make a hole and fill with chocolate cream

Pop the lid back on

Cover with cream and hey presto delicious chocolate fondant cupcakes!

I'll just have the one...YUM!

I think I'll half the ingredients next time, 18 muffins is a bit much for a family of 3!

xo.



Style hero...Mad Men's Betty Draper

I heart Betty Draper. Her outfits are so charming. It helps that actress January Jones is a beauty, but it's definitely Betty that I adore. I missed the Mad Men craze, in fact I'd say most of the UK missed it, but what a delight it is. I have only watched season 5 and am waiting patiently for my mum and dad to finish the season 1 & 2 boxset I bought them for Christmas so I can borrow/steal it and settle down to a Mad Men marathon.

I think I might use Betty as my muse for my hen party outfit, not sure I'll manage setting my hair in rollers but I can definitely do a floral dress nipped in at the waist, red lippy and maybe a sneaky ciggie (I'll be in character after all!).
xo.

Treasured family photographs...

I have a whole bunch of old family photographs that I treasure, I have a few displayed at home and the rest I keep in a vintage vanity case, because they deserve a good home. I look at them a lot, I show them to LV and I tell her about her family, those who are still with us and sadly those who are not. She's a bit young to understand who's who but it's fun and one day I hope she'll treasure these photos as much as I do now. I love that they represent a moment in time that is lost but never forgotten.

Grandma Renee, Grandad James and Auntie Elsie - 1950's

Aunt Christine, Uncle Phil, Mum, Nan (Edith) and Cousin Math - 1970's

Nan (Edith), Grandma Renee, Grandad James - 1970's

Bryan & Lynda (my lovely mum and dad) - 1971

Bryan & Lynda - 1971

xo.

Pretty wedding vases...

I have been collecting vases for my wedding for the last four months, my search criteria:
1. Must be lovely
2. Must be under £5 each
3. Must be able to find 12 vases fitting the above description before the big day in June!

10 so far...nearly there and aren't they lovely?! They'll be even lovelier filled with white and pink chrysanthemums. We went to Church this morning to hear the calling of the banns, so exciting, not long to go now!

Happy Easter. xo.

A proud pair...painting project?

I picked up this proud pair in a charity shop yesterday, I don't know why I like them, I just do.

My sister has a metal bird that a friend of hers had powder coated for her which looks great so that made me wonder about painting this pair. I checked it out online and decided to go for a plasti-kote spray paint in a vibrant colour. I quite fancied turquoise (as that's what my sisters bird is and looks great, but they didn't have any so I chose a bright purple). While LV was having her midday nap I set up paint shop outside on the patio. I applied two coats:

and waited for them to dry. Two hours later and here they are:

I love them!

and here they are in context:

Fabulous.

Now, what can I spray paint next?! xo.