komrade kerfuffles

So this last weekend we bathed in sunshine (I think the volcano's way of saying sorry?) in my parent's blooming garden albeit with cupcakes for there was just no time!

We bonded with squinty eyes pouring over my little laptop screen at StyleShake and every online shopping and hire page I could find.  Now as I have mentioned before I want my girls to look and feel delicious.  Yet, how does one do that?

We sat together and I tried to ascertain their likes and dislikes.  Now remember the girls, they are really pretty and have bodies that could wear anything.  So I thought they would be into wearing uber cute dresses.  How wrong was I!

Here is the list of thoughts I finally managed to drag out of them! (How do girls get through life without knowing which type of dress suits them.  Gah!  I love you but gah!)

No long dresses

No strapless dresses

No one shoulder dresses

No pastels (rather ok with that)

No super short dresses (well maybe with tights?!)

We would like to wear the same thing with matching accessories!

Yikes, perhaps the antithesis of my comrade desires.  They look at me like I'm crazy to want to have mismatched ladies.  "You don't want us to look the same?!"  "Ok, but if we get different dresses we would all where the same shoes and stuff?" Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

How do I explain I am not that thrilled to make them all look like clones of one another.  How do I explain the way I want them to look.  Polyvore?  I think it is time to let them in on some of the interwebs secrets. (Oh yes, I can be patronising too!)

Here are some little polyvores to describe the look I am going for.  I hope you like!

Now we are to be married in a wood panelled room with a little bit too much red for my liking. (I will get to the part  So I think black with a lot of brown may be a bit worrisome?  Also does anyone else find a difficult "colour" to work with, generally accessories make it look cheap?!  However I do adore this little combination, particularly the far right dress.  How fabulous!  So what do we think of black?  I adore black dresses.

black velvet by annaandthering featuring French Connection dresses

You may have guessed by now that I have a thing for purple and grey.  I also have a thing for this awesome Halston dress.  Seriously could this be a more beautiful but cool wedding dress?  Would you even need a flower in your hair?  I also seriously adore the three potential comrade dresses.  Although are they too "wedding guest?"  My girls are super helpful and do just want to go and try on dresses which would be so fun.  However, I'm a little too impatient and also am not free any weekend until the end of June (which I know is still ages from the wedding.)  

purple and grey by annaandthering featuring Lipsy dresses

Oh weddings, I am so laid back about your stressfulness but you are starting to vex me!  Ladies, help me find pretty but hot dresses.

luella and a whole lotta love

Well, ladies (and hopefully a few gentlemen!) I was rather excited to attend the Luella's Boudoir Wedding event last eve.

I may have got to meet the photographer (but more on that another time!) and other wonderful ladies from RocknRollBride to Julia Boggio to Rebekah Daley to Emmy to Magpie Vintage to the yummy Emma Case.  Also many others but I have a brain like a sieve!  It was so nice to meet you all.  Hopefully we shall meet many a time in future!

The star of the show was undoubtedly this Lisa Redman dress.  I would never be able to wear it (I have some serious squash/hockey playing shoulders!) but for someone it is the answer to their dreams.  The exquisite beading detail at the waist makes my heart swoon and the crystal details which shimmers so seductively.

Unfortunately, you may need to employ a a lighting specialist to accompany you throughout the day to make the most of the amazing glittering effect which cannot be seen on this little photograph!  However, just look how happy the model looks in the lower photograph from last night.  If that's not a ringing endorsement for a dress I don't know what is?! (As an aside I sort of super love her crimped hair!)

Lisa Redman

One Marylebone

Apart from the dress one thing stood out like a shining beacon.  The venue. One Marylebone (which I will always pronounce mary-le-bone until the end of my days for it just sounds prettier!)

As usual I digress, I had not visited this amazing venue before.  I did not enquire about prices because 1) I do have a venue (which I will also talk about very soon!) and 2) I might cry with jealousy if I could have actually afforded it!

I would talk about the amazing prettiness but just look at these wonderful photographs of how beautiful this old church looks.

Ok, so the online photographs are a little rubbish but if you go to visit I promise you will be blown away.

wedding list wednesday - what's the time mr wolf?

There is never enough time.  Yet I could watch this clock for hours.

Sometimes I think one should simply stop and stare.  

If that moment happens to be in your own home, all the better.

source

super secret uber shame!

Okay, here is a super secret which I have yet to divulge. I do "occasionally" watch the Australian soap, Neighbours. Sure, it may be called an obsession but it is under control (mainly because I may sort of sky+ it, oh secret shame!)

So why do I tell you this?

Well Neighbours wants a twenty-something British girl to be on the show.  How freakin' awesome.  It would be like a dream come true.  Well, a dream from when I was about 7, but a dream nonetheless!

According to the website the character will be in the programme for 4 weeks and has the following back story.

Poppy is a free-spirited young woman in her early 20s. She grew up in a small country village in England with her parents and younger brother Bohdi, in a loving, secure family environment. Her parents were the products of hippie parents, and although they don't fully embrace the philosophy, they raised both Poppy and Bohdi to respect nature and live harmoniously with all that reside in it. 

source

So despite a complete fear of being noticed I would soooooo love to be Poppy. Hi, producers I would be the best Poppy ever!

Oh yes, I am that lame!

shortcomings?

Now before I divulge details of "the dress" I may have to swoon over other dresses.

People often see short dresses as second class citizens.  They are often an afterthought.  Yet why?  Why are they often reserved for the city wedding? Indeed they are wondrous for those uber chic ladies cavorting through the streets of any fabulous city.  Indeed a delicious dream would be to dance merrily down the King's Road in a little white dress being showered with confetti and then jumping onto an old Routemaster for champagne.

Admittedly, for me I want to wear the long "whitish" dress.  I guess, I don't get to wear long flowy dresses that often and have swooned over certain Jenny Packham dresses many a evening.   

However why should we always obey, "the rules?"  Short dresses should not just be for city ladies.  I may be spending a few pounds on some pretty shoes and why should they not be on show for the entire day.  If you have fabulous legs why would you want to hide them on perhaps the most photographed day of your life?  There are some truly beautiful wedding dresses from purveyors such as Candy Anthony.  These are perhaps the most beautiful short wedding dresses, synonymous with modern vintage style.  

So feast your eyes on this swiftly created collection.  You will see I have avoided wedding dresses per say.  I think it is always wise to look away from boutiques especially if you are looking for something chic yet modern. Indeed there is one delicious dress in the collection which costs but £28! Enjoy, swoon and spread the short dress love.  Let me know what you think! Obviously!

shortcomings? by annaandthering featuring ASOS

question of the day take 3

Twitter.

I adore twitter. It keeps me up to date with so many exciting developments. Seriously, I feel like I have made some really good friends through the wonder of the tweet.

Also I love it when you follow me! I get so excited when real people follow me.  Yet why do you follow if you do not get in touch.

I will always respond and love to know what's happening whether it be in the wedding world or futher afield.  I'm based in London but am happy to feature people from all across the world.  I'm also occasionally free for a little schmoozing*! Although I'm always on the look out for the next great bar, designer or whatever!

Please just get in touch.  Love to hear what you are all about.  That's what twitter is really about.

I love to know what's really going down!  Please do DM me, email me or drop a comment on my blog.

Ax

*Schmoozing is totally the wrong word.  I really just mean giggles and cocktails or a afternoon tea and gossip!

question of the day take 2

I'm feeling in a slightly vacuous mood today.  I blame the evil Iceland volcano.

Can someone explain a french manicure to me?

Seriously I don't understand.

Perhaps I am lucky and have nails which grow quickly and look nice(ish) with or without polish.

But what is the point?

Answers on a comment card?

im not in this mood but if i were....

Adore.

source

question of the day

Is anyone in the business of making actual pillows?

Why, I hear you ask?

Well, let us start at the beginning.  I am a relatively allergic person.

When I was little my family switched to non feather pillows and duvets.

I am sure this made me feel a little better.  However I do play with fire when playing with kittens but the pain of streaming, hideously swollen eyes is totally worth it.

Everyday I wake up and there appears a little feather.  Where does he come from?  He has a sharp quilly end and has feather like protrusions.

So the question of the day is...do people who make hypo-allergenic/non feather pillows still make the pillow stuffing look like feathers?

Thank you in advance!

P.S. This question has been puzzling me for years!

où la la...eekables

Okay, so I said I would be back with me rabbiting away all week.  Well obviously that did not happen.  For good reason.  Well I think it was a good reason.

Wednesday came and with wednesday came the luscious Liv.  Oh gosh, she is simply fabulous and now featured in Elle.  Seriously girls you need to be getting your dresses from this lady before she gets stratospherically hot!  I mean, seriously, her dresses are freakin' hot.  Why did I not realise she would offer true couture before I put down a deposit on my dress? (Oh are you interested in my dress?)

Thursday came and with thursday came the krazy Katie.  Gosh, what can I say apart from this was a day of sunshine, window shopping and a little too much wine.  It is not often you meet a girl and get fake tattoos. KT and Nax forever! P.S. Check out some of her crazy petalness on etsy.  P.P.S. The new Anthro on the King's Road is rubbish. Well apart from these in the flesh. (If anyone wants to buy me an 'A' I would love you forever!)

Friday came and with friday came mr hangover.  Totally worth it and also a dinner party with old school friends. Yay for more booze, giggles and naughtiness. The best part?  I got to go to my home, home and play and sleep with the kittens.

Saturday came and with saturday came my parents.  Well to their own house obviously and with their return came uber news and much wine.  They had just put on offer on a house in France and it had been accepted.  Eeekables!  My parents are moving........ 

.........to France.  How freakin' exciting! Things may not happen for a while but hello holidays in the south of France! In the middle of wine country, but a moment from Bergerac!  I might cry with joy.  Anyone want to join me?  Oh there were hugs and wine and eekables. 

So how's that for a round up?  Tell me your news.  This week will be less of the hectic and much more with the blogging.

sooooooo.....

I have feel that I am in stasis.  I have words in my head but I cannot see to type. So frustrating.

It is most definitely a box situation!

Here are some ideas of posts for this week.  

A little bit of a grumble!  Well maybe a major grumble!

Maybe a gocco tutorial? I know I'm a little late in the game but I will prove it is easy!

Our stationery reception and a cute little idea?

Our photographic journey?

A little bit about a fabulous lady (other than me?)

What do you think?  What would you like to see? I just don't want to bore you!

Or should I just keep wittering on as normal?  

today will be a good day

At this moment the wonderful Gaynor will be excitedly anticipating marrying the man she will spend the rest of her life with.

A thousand congratulations to both you and Graham.  Have the most wonderful honeymoon.

secret behaviour?

A thousand thank yous for you words of wisdom.  I too wish Lillian and Leonard were free on our date. We just got there too late.  Trust me they book up early!  I am looking into all your other recommendations and hopefully I can find the one!  

Anyhoo, on to rather more happy things!

The Bean is away this weekend in the Northern lands.  4 days of glorious singledom! Well, glorious in the fact I have a ridiculous amount of work to do!

Yet, I get to exhibit my secret singleton behaviour.  I'll admit after over 9 years of monogamy my secret single behaviour has somewhat become my normal coupled life.  I do rather love the fact my boy is part of my secret life now.  He knows about my "quirks" and I think he rather enjoys my eccentric behaviour.

However there are vestiges of my previous life which are rather still secret and I rarely exhibit in front of the Bean.  Yet tonight baby I can!  I am now going to share with you a lame secret!

For as long as I have had access to headphones and music I would lie in bed at night miming along with serious aspirations to sing in front of an on stage career (oh where did my confidence go?).  Even more secret are the days alone where I would close the curtains and sing at the top of my lungs and pretend I was Christine from Phantom of the Opera. So tonight I will lie in bed miming and acting along to my favourite ballads.  Dreaming I am the one on stage making people happy!  I don't tend to do this when sharing a bed because although Bean is the greatest sleeper on earth I know he would snigger at the lameness!

So what is your most secret behaviour that sort of makes you cringe?!

Obviously, I would never ask for you to divulge your secret behaviour, well maybe I would, go on, tell me!!

P.S. Has anyone ever tried one of these, sound asleep pillows? They could be the answer to my dreams.

P.P.S. I have the perfect picture of little me to go with post but I cannot find it for love nor money.  Hopefully soon.  It is too cute!