Monday 28 June 2010



I was feeling creative this morning, so with that I sat at the computer screen informing you of my exciteable mood. Does anyone find that some days putting words to paper can be a little frustrating , I can be looking at the screen for a good half hour & feel no further on ! This is normally my cue to give up for the day. Today is not one of those days, the complete opposite in fact so let me waffle on.........

I have been thinking about how I can improve on Dainty Brides, the blog. I am constantly trying to develop it further, adding my own individual stamp to it but this of course takes time. So as time has being a little squeezed at my end recently I have invested in a new ‘net book’ & now have an extra hour on the way to work & on the way home, ready to write all these thoughts down !! Genius!! It’s all coming together, ok slowly but it’s a start.

I am a gal on a mission, & need some focus and organisation to this little creative mind. So these are my thoughts:

Instead of rushing after work to get some sort of post together for you gals to read & not really having anything substantial to show , I feel it will work best to organise my week a little better with set days & direction.

Let’s start with a Monday....That’s today I see.



We all need a little pick me up boost as we begin our working week, so my aim is to post you a little lift me up phrase to focus on for the day!  Hang on; this is supposed to be a wedding blog I hear to shout?  Ye, ye, I know! My other half keeps informing me of this every time I have my random post of the week. But to me there is something behind the madness. While yes this is a wedding blog, filled with lots of cutesy finds & inspiration to help with the planning of your special day, it also needs to differ from the other tons of creative & successful alternatives out there! So how can I make mine vary?

While I am a lover of the real-life wedding posts & stunning photography of such talented guys out there, fab sites are already covering this & why try & compete with something that is working so well. Ok so compete for me isn’t the right word ! Ye, I am a competition to other blogs ( ok not yet, but with time maybe ) and we all want the readership. We would love that you guys head to our site as often as possible & love what you see, but for me it is always healthy competition & one that I find directional. We all have our own unique way & it is important to let that shine as well as let others shine too. If I see a site that I think looks & reads well, I will be inspired by it, & it will no doubt have an impact on me, making me focus on a new direction. My own direction though. As a designer it is important to have your own stamp & own personality visible. Never try to be someone else, copy other peoples style, this isn’t true to one self. Of course we are influenced by others but this should be the stop point. Follow you own journey of individuality & blossom!

So with that I am going to leave Monday evening with this inspirational phrase from the Wedding vows & traditions book by Cathy Howes. I hope you like & enjoy the rest of your day & hopefully see you Wednesday ! x x


Saturday 26 June 2010

Cupcake Magic !


What a bright Saturday so far, I love it when the sun's out ! So as it's hopefully going to be gorgeous all weekend why not take a trip to the new shop by the Sweet creative’s Beth & Hannah. These inspiring gals are behind the successful Spoonfull of Sugar Company which makes a varied selection of cupcake delights for weddings / birthdays & other occasions as well as this new addition. An amazing cupcake shop that has recently opened in Oldham, it just looks like cupcake heaven !


So I know I have talked about this several times in my posts for T.E.A week so here it is ! A really beautiful shop & I think you will all love it !



Look at the attention to detail! When I saw these pictures I was so excited to share them with you ! Look at the wallpaper !! so pretty, wish I could add that to our bedroom ! Ha, not sure my hubby would be too impressed.




As you can see from all this scrumptious imagery a lot of time & hard work has gone into making this shop look like this & it really is so pretty.

They now need you girlies to head over there & try out their homemade delights !




x x  x L.O.V.E   I.T .x x x


A huge thumbs up from moi & I wish you both all the success in the future! For all you peeps reading this, these two are a perfect example of how success is in reach if we follow are dreams! A fabulous vision from Beth & Hannah & now it is a reality ! Keep up the hard work & keep believing .




Last picture for today ! oh no I hear you cry. Well hopefully in a few weeks time I can show you some of the cupcake delights they have created. If you can't wait that long & would like more information on the Spoonfull of Sugar Company check out their facebook group here.


Enjoy the adventure girls! I am so chuffed for you both, hopefully see you soon.
Ickle di x


Oh & check out these other two articles featuring the Spoonfull of Sugar Company...........



http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/42969/girls-bake-their-dreams-come-true


http://www.saddleworthnews.com/?p=2271

Please do try to make a trip over to this shop as I think you will all be truly inspired & amazed by all the cupcake delights by Beth & Hannah! They did our fabulous wedding cupcakes & they went down a treat ! Oh & I also believe they hire out vintage china & cake stands like the below, so if your interested you know where to go ! x


Friday 25 June 2010




Another T.E.A. post, & I can't get enough of it ! It's all tings related to tea for this week on Dainty Brides & these are so quirky & great gift ideas.What an adorable thought behind these by the fab Todaywasfun. These are available from a number of stockists as the attached link & I think they are really sweet.





Maybe this can be a little treat for the hubby to be ?These could also be a sweet idea for the bridesmaids.Maybe create a bag of ickle extras to leave with them the night before the special day & included could be these adorable finds. Oh, what about if you are having a mellow hen night & make pamper baskets with lots of little details including these , that could also be fab ! Loads of unusual ideas, check out the site for other alternatives. x

Is anyone else really enjoying T.E.A. post week ? I know it's a little off the beaten track of weddings but who blinkin cares ! As long as you like what you see ?! Now yes I am a huge fan of tea as we all must be aware by now but Hubby this is for you !! Don't feel left out young man, see I still think of you. x x


These cutesy cards are  available at etsy & I think they are very quirky indeed. x


Oh & don't forget that I still have to tell you all about the beautiful shop dreamed up by the lovely Beth & Hannah. I have my fingers & toes crossed that this will be ready for you all to see on tomorrows post! As long as I don't get side tracked by all the washing & the tidying that still needs doing round the house. Oooppsss ! hope the hubby will let me off !

x x x

Wednesday 23 June 2010

As promised, here is a little bit of cupcake magic for you today.

Now these images below are a late addition to the post as I spotted them earlier today & I couldn't resist sharing them with you guys. How sweet are these !!! The other cupcake post which I mentioned yesterday will now be on another day ! Believe me though it is worth the wait & while I really wanted to post it for all you lovely ladies today, I have a little article to compile, so need a little more time, instead I leave you with these scrumptious finds & stay tuned for more cupcake delights another time !

Slightly of the T.E.A. post week I know, but tomorrows will bring us back on track as this post I plan to share is a close-up of the new cupcake&tea shop dreamed up by the sweet Beth& Hannah of the Spoon full of Sugar company. Just you wait, its a treat & a half!

Anyway back to this beauty.......


Available to buy at the creative home of Folksy. The vision behind these adorable treats is Jo from Cupcakejojo designs, these hand-made accessories created with love by Jo are so very sweet !




Imagine these displayed on your cake table at your wedding reception! Adorable & a huge thumbs up from moi ! x x




Aren't these so pretty. A lot of hard work must go into making these & I really do adore them. Make sure you check out the other designs at Folksy.


Tuesday 22 June 2010


Oh yes, it's that time again &  I just adore this vintage inspired sign available at notonthehighstreet. by a company called cupcakes. Speaking of cupcakes, oh what a treat I have instore for you tomorrow !! Stay tuned, you are going to just L.o.v.e it. !!

Annnyywwaayyyy, back to this evenings post & I am continuing down the country garden look & when having a warm, mellow cup of tea you gotta have that adorable teapot to go with it !!
Oh my, look what I came across.


Another  notonthehighstreet beauty, this gorgeous tea cup for one is fab, fab, fab !

I know this particular T.e.a post isn't  really wedding related but I suppose if you are planning a country inspired affire like a good friend of mine did recently this might be right up your street ! Of course this is a perfect gift to buy yourself as a cuppa is certainly a good way of calming that Bridzilla side of you back to its normally mellow self !



& of course you can't have a cuppa without a yummy piece of cake ! Look at these fab cake boxes by the very awesome Coxandcox

Cakes & tea, the perfect match ! Just you wait & see what adorable treat I have instore for you tomorrow afternoon !!

I think you will love it !

Monday 21 June 2010

Cup of tea peeps ?



My goodness, I have so many scrumptious details to show you but I don't know which to start with & I can't seem to get one post finished before I see something else. All these treats I keep finding are just to sweet for words.


So tonight is just a little snippet of what is to come this week from moi !

These adorable heart sugar lumps are available at Cox&Cox

So if you haven't guessed it, this post is about T.E.A. ! 

I know extremely random but anyone who knows me, would giggle if I said I was a fan of a cuppa or two ! I adore it !!! Not just having cups of tea, but buying beautiful tea cups& saucers / delicate mugs & basically anything even a teeny tiny bit related. With this little obsession out in the open, I have decided to have a week dedicated to all things tea like!! You will be suprised at some of the adorable gift ideas, favors details & many more wedding thoughts that I have come across. I can't wait to share some of these finds as they are just amazing!!




So for all you girlies who like the sound of that, check out the above collection by welovekaoru at Liberty. Ok , so these do cost a fair few pennies, but they are certainly a memorable keep sake gift &at £22.50 each for the below, I might even have to invest in a few !! well actually that's a little out of budget so maybe I will add them to the Christmas list instead then !

Oh & D for diane ( that's ickle me ! ) & S for my gorgeous hubby Steve ! I love it !




 Oh & one last image for you guys to get excited about...... Oh la la , what do you think ? Tea mixed with craft elements, that's just my cup of tea that ! he he he

This cute crochet tea cup pin cushion by yummy knits is available at NotonthehighStreet.

Sunday 20 June 2010

Saturday 19 June 2010





I have decided that as today can only be a short post, I going  to try & leave with you some positive words & meanings.

I had the 2nd part of the DIY Dress article on Rock my wedding today & a huge thank you to the girlies, it's really uplifted me & I am so grateful to them. So as they have been an encourager to me by posting my article, let me hopefully be an encourager to you guys. Ok let me explain......

Now I find it very hard to express what I am trying to say sometimes & words don't flow as easily as I would like so I have been looking through some of my many inspirational books & Lyndia Field sums this up perfectly for me in a very old book of mine that I had from university days when insecurity used to set in. Titled ' 60 ways to feel amazing' :

Life is a precious gift, miraculous and amazing but we are not always able to appreciate this miracle fully. When we face obstacles & difficulties our lives can become such a struggle that we lose touch with the amazingness of it all.

 Hopefully this little technique below by Lynda Field will get you thinking about the magic of life !
  


B E    A N    E N C O U R A G E R.

Who do you know who could do with some encouragement right now ?

Maybe it’s you. One of the surest ways to give yourself  hope is to inspire someone else.

People have good intentions,they want to communicate and they want to be creative.

So how do you be an encourager ?

Think of someone who encouraged you. What did they say? What did they do ?

Do the same for someone else. When you start to inspire another person you to will feel inspired yourself.

So I leave you with this for the weekend & hope that you put it in to action. There are many more amazing techiques in this little book ' 60 ways to feel amazing' & when I get a little more time I will try to share  some with you.

Enjoy peeps. x x

guided by passion, this story is just the beginning...................




Friday 18 June 2010


I am just so exciteable, I have arrived back from my holidays earlier today to a wonderful suprise ! The beautiful girlies at Rock my wedding have added  a real RMW bride fashion post about my special day in detail !

I have some truly sweet posts coming up in the next few weeks but Friday & this weekend will be a brief one as I am working tomorrow & then I am at the Races on Saturday as well as a very exciting JLS mini concert there! Who would believe I was quite 28years old ! ha ! Anyway for Thursday evening I will leave you with this lovely phrase that I have posted before but seeing as I might have a few new gals heading over, this is a lovely thought for the day.

 
See you all soon peeps x

Taken from a beautiful book I was given many years ago : Desiderata ' a survival guide for life' by Max Ehrmann

Saturday 5 June 2010

Thursday 3 June 2010



An ickle post for our friends who just recently got engaged while on their holidays !! ye another wedding. x

Wednesday 2 June 2010


Evening girlies,

I have just been on twitter doing some of this tweeting business & I came across this gorgeous hand-made vintage jewellery by My Lavaliere at Etsy. Adorable !!! These are my favourite individual designs from a large inspiring collection of treats.

Stuck for a unique & individual bridesmaid gift ? Well these are just perfect !!!




My Lavaliere is inspired by nature & history ! This treat is $21.00 usd



This statement piece is only $21.00 usd. So elegant !




This swallow locket necklace is only $25.00 usd. You really must check this site out. So individual, I adore them all. x


That was supposed to be the last one but then I came across these additional delights !



I found this umbrella necklace really quirky & the flower detail just completes the look. Bargain at $20.00 usd


The sewing Machine necklace is $21.00 usd ! I think this is a must have buy once I return from my holidays ! 






& last but not at all least is this beautiful ivory flower bird necklace & it's only
 $23.00 usd.







Tuesday 1 June 2010

                      



I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger & I should of posted a few treats for you all yesterday so because of that I thought it was about time I gave you a little snippet of my beautiful dress I wore for our special day !

I don’t want to be giving too much a way too soon as I do have a huge post in work which really focuses in on my precious dress. I couldn’t resist this ickle post for today, as I keep noticing all the beautiful creations currently available for this season & noticing all the catwalks are with this off the shoulder option ! Seems my trend research over 18months ago was spot on ! What am I talking about ? Well I decided to make my own wedding dress for our special day ! Believe me it wasn’t an easy task but I enjoyed every minute making it & more importantly wearing it on our wedding day ! I felt like a real fairy princess & as you can see it was the off-the shoulder option that I opted for with French Chantilly lace sitting across the one shoulder and over the front bodice. Do you like ?




 
Images courtesy of Classic Photography.

Do bare with me as I hope to indulge in the process & ideas behind my dress in more detail in the near future ! I am however trying to balance the day job, this exciting new adventure & of course more importantly quality time with my very patient hubby & family & friends. Surely I will get the balance right one day? This blog however has become quite a creative outlay for me & I am enjoying the current path I am travelling on! I have so many ideas for this blog & hopefully over time & hard work I will get more & more of you lovely girlies enjoying my posts & inspiration.

night for now. x Oh & I haven't fogotten about the marquee details pics from Beth & Eddie's wedding, I still need to download all the pictures & don't want to rush it so please be patient.........