Summer wedding number three

I haven't been to a wedding in three years and then this summer I've been to three!

The latest one was for Katharine and Johnny. Katharine is the daughter of my Mum's best friend Susan. Susan had a very bad stroke two years ago and very nearly died. She still can't walk and has lost the use of one side of her body but she made it there yesterday so it was an extra special day. We were all very proud of her. Katharine made a lovely speech during the toasts, telling her Mum how proud she was of her for coming this far - she had the whole room in tears!

Katharine looked beautiful as all brides do, she was wearing a beautiful 1920's style dress which was made by her new husbands mother. She is a costume designer for the BBC so is used to designing period costumes.

It was a very simple wedding which was exactly what Katharine wanted. The venue was the Mercure St Paul's hotel which is where Paul and I spent our first wedding anniversary. The hotel joins onto the Winter Gardens so there was a brilliant backdrop of all the tropical plants outside.

The cake and flowers were very simple and elegant, all in shades of green which I thought was unusual but worked really well in the jungly setting.

The evening reception was lovely, the wine was flowing and the food was delicious. Especially the starter which was a soup which no one could work out the flavour of! We thought it was leek and potato but also found bits of bacon in the bottom so no one was sure!

This is me with my folks:

And me and Paul:

And this is the present I made for the happy couple:

With my trade mark label:

We're off to the South of France today to see my Grandad (and his new dog - expect lots of pictures!) so our own puppy dog is feeling very sorry for herself. She'll be spending the week at her Grandma's getting spoiled rotten so I don't know what she's got to be sad about really - I think she's just playing the guilt card for extra cuddles!

This is exactly what it looks like: Bum on back of settee, body sprawled along the arm. Cue sad eyes. Perfect. You'll never leave me again.

Mr & Mrs B, this is your married life....

The night we met... over a crowded room at a Landscape Architecture ball - he was with his friends, I was with mine, we didn't speak, we just looked... and knew.

Us on the Great Wall of China in 2006 - I was the only person wearing high heals!

In Prague for Paul's 30th birthday. He was so upset about turning 30 that I organised a whole weeks worth of celebrations to take his mind off it - including a surprise trip to Prague - I managed to keep the destination a secret until he saw it on the flight board in Zurich airport when we changed flights! Even the stewardess on the check in counter was in on the secret!

In the South of France visiting my Grandad... we'll be back there next week!

Christmas 2007, we got engaged

At the in laws, before another ball.

Eskimo kissing in Iceland.

In Sardinia for my birthday in 2009.

On Cloud 9 in Bavaria

In front of Mt Fuji in Japan

Chillaxin' in Morocco

On honeymoon in Hawaii. A little bit tipsy on Mai Thai at a Luau

Honeymoon part 2... in Central Park, New york

Two years ago today, I was wearing a big white dress and an even bigger smile... two years ago today, 

I became Mrs B!

Paul, you are my best friend, and my soul mate. I'll love you forever and a day. Thank you for all the good times and getting me through the bad ones.

Progress

You may remember that for the last four years, I've been begging for a new garden? Well, we have progress!

This is what we started with:

This is our garden in 2006 when we first moved in - predominantly an old out house and coal shed, lots of huge badly laid slabs and soil which was 95% old lumps of coal and chips of stone from when the house was first built in 1860.

This was about the prettiest it ever got:

In 2009, this happened (from bad to worse!):

So, this year, for it's 140th birthday, we decided to give the garden a long over due face lift! It has taken some time and we are still a long way from finishing, but we have progress!

At the start of 2010 - a lot of bricks and not much else!

We started by re building the brick wall, smashing this big ugly bit of concrete up and murdering the ivy (see challenge point number 24 and 25). June:

We replaced that with this (using the original York paving which was scattered around the garden and recycling bricks from the old out house). July:

Then we made a lovely square area of paving at the bottom of the garden - again, recycling bits of the out house. We put it on an angle like that to create a visual illusion of length and width (our garden has neither!) August:

We then laid the pattern for a winding path down the middle. We start and end the path quite wide but it narrows in the middle to fool the eye into thinking the space is much longer than it actually is.

Maddie seems to like it!

All we need now is to finish the path with some gravel (and set the bricks in), LOTS of planting to fill in the gaps all around the sides. That's where I come in. 

So, my plans for the planting.... climbing roses up the walls, lots of lavender and other nice fragrant (butterfly friendly) plants and herbs which will spread well and fall over the edges of the path and patio, chocolate cosmos up against the wall - the contrast of the dark red almost black against the red brick is lovely, hydrangea, I might sprinkle poppy seeds here and there as well. Can't wait to see it this time next year in full bloom!

You may have guessed, but the "we" throughout this post actually refers to the Royal We, meaning anyone other than me! Mainly Paul, Paul's Dad and our next door neighbour! Thanks boys! We were also lucky enough to have this garden designed for us by a lecturer in Landscape Architecture who Paul works with - and a fine job he did too! I love it. It makes the garden look so much bigger and I actually feel excited to sit out there now! I never thought there was much you could do with our garden, but it just shows, that with a bit of know how, you can achieve anything!

I also have an apology to make. I never did the draw for my gardening giveaway! I have been so busy with work over the last couple of months, my little blog has fallen well onto the back burner so my giveaway just completely went out of my head so for that, I am most sorry! Thank you for continuing to read me despite that! I will do something to make up for it soon - I promise!

Thank you all for being my cyber buddies and sticking around even when I didn't!

Kat xxx

Almost the weekend....

Thank goodness it's almost the weekend! I don't think I've quite recovered from the wedding last weekend - I really got myself in a tangle (in a fun way!)

Here is another photo of my bunting - this was taken by the caterer. You can see it a bit better here without the flowers on the table.

I've just had a very exciting email from the lovely Sherri over at Little House in Paradise. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that my creative juices were fiiiiiiiinally flowing again but that I was struggling to find the fabric I wanted here in the UK and asked if anybody fancied helping me out with some fabric scraps. Well, better than scraps, Sherri has been out with her daughter to a HUGE fabric store where they live and bought me some lovely fabric which is winging its way over to me as we speak! How exciting, and how very generous of Sherri! I can't wait to see what's in the package!

I'm pretty sure that everybody who reads my blog also reads hers, but if you don't, pop on over - she's got a fab giveaway on at the moment! What better way to introduce yourself!?

This weekend, and possibly tonight actually, I'm going to be working on a little gift for one of my work friends - the one who took me to the theatre in London for my birthday so this is as a little Thank you to her. I was thinking of a little textile wall hanging and maybe some bright bunting for her garden. Watch this space, I will share whatever I come up with!

I've also been given chores this weekend :( The garden is coming together, Paul's Dad has been round today to put my fabulous hand made fence up around the front garden.... so this weekend I have been tasked with a) tidying the bedroom (something I've been putting off for over a month!) and b) getting the gloss out and doing doors... window sills... gates... fences... and anything else that stands still for too long! I will also be popping out to the fabric shop to get something to make cushions for our new garden furniture. I saw some gorgeous yellow, grey, black and white curtain fabric a couple of weeks ago which will be perfect!

Lots of pictures coming soon!

Kat x

The Lavender Wedding

I'll start by saying: I AM NEVER, EVER, DRINKING AGAIN!!! Far too much champagne and table wine. At least I'm a happy drunk, it just makes me giggle a lot so thankfully, no embarrassing behaviour... at least not until we got back to Paul's parents and I fell asleep (mid conversation) on their settee. Paul had to carry me to bed (and I'm pretty sure he whacked my head against the door frame on his way as I've got a banging head ache today and can't think of any other possible explanation for it!)

The wedding was beautiful, everyone was really happy and the bride was most pleased with her bunting and my little painting. I even got given a gorgeous bouquet as a thank you!

Everyone seemed to have a lovely time and it was nice for me and Paul to be back at the church where we got married (two years ago later this month). I do love a good wedding and can't wait for the next one at the end of this month!

Me and my P in his parents back garden before the wedding.

The bride and groom.

The bouquet and some detail on the dress.

The hair.

The head table and my Lavender bunting.

A house full of wedding cake

3 Tiers....

200 Cupcakes....

And 1 sulky puppy...

Remember the "Lavender" bunting I was busy sewing the other day? Well, the Lavender wedding has finally arrived... tomorrow morning, I'll be setting up the hall - hanging bunting, decorating tables, arranging cakes.... I can't wait!

My friend asked me over a year ago if I would help organise her wedding, I was feeling a bit blue and unsure what to do with myself after my own wedding so it was a great thing for me to start thinking about!

Today she came round with all of her cakes, 2 high chairs and her guest book for me to take down to the hall tomorrow. 

Seeing the guest book gave me an idea. Instead of just leaving a note, I wanted to do something a bit more personal, so I pulled out my sketchbook and started doodling.

First I just did a couple of weddingy sketches, a couple of bride and groom scribbles. Then I did one of them running for a plane with her suitcase bulging.... Then I thought, they are going on safari for their honeymoon so how about I chuck a lion in there as well? Oh, how about her suitcase has burst open and all her clothes have fallen out but they are too happy to notice? 

And this is what I came up with...

Her bikini top has got hooked over the lions ear!

Cute, yes?

I've attached it with photo corners so that she can take it out and frame it if she wants to. I really enjoy doing these little drawings, I did a couple for my bridesmaids (they were fairies and wearing their bridesmaid dreses) when I got married and one for a friends baby but have not done one since. I think it's nice to have something to remind you of a particular day - I think they make great cards or gifts.

Off now to practice my hair do for tomorrow - my hair is so long these days it takes forever to do! I'm thinking of doing lots of twisty loops all to one side and maybe a few curls hanging down.

Anyway, more on the wedding tomorrow! Everyone pray for nice weather for the lovely bride please?

Tramlines Festival

Each year (starting last year), Sheffield is host to the Tramlines Festival (named after our tram system). The festival takes place at various locations all over Sheffield - some big venues like the O2 Academy, the Peace Gardens, the City Hall and some smaller venues like local pubs. The whole festival is free to attend and features all different types of music from rock, indie and pop to world music.

The main stage at Devonshire Green holds 8000 people

It's all organised by Sheffield born and bred Matt Helders from the Arctic Monkeys along with a few other people and lasts from Friday to Sunday, attracting over 50,000 people to the city. There is live music playing morning, noon and night; free for you just to nip in for a sing along or a little dance, a drink and maybe a burger.

In the city centre, there is also an International market selling food and crafts from all over the world. My favourite is the olive stall - seriously, olives the size of my fist! They must be genetically modified or something!

Throughout the city centre, there is street entertainment such as jugglers, fire breathers and street dancers.

Street entertainment outside the City Hall. In the background, the Sheffield Big Wheel

Jugglers on stilts outside the Peace Gardens

Last night, we heard last minute that the band who played at our wedding were on at the University Arms. Of course, we had to go and see them. It was in the back garden of the lecturers pub at the university and could only seat about 50 people so it was a lovely cozy gig. Thankfully, the last few weeks of rain seemed to hold back for a couple of hours and we even saw a bit of sunshine through the trees! As always, the band were great and fun (and a few G&T's) was had by all!

The Dizzy Club playing at the University Arms