I Love... Vintage Postcards

This time of year is all about holidays - my son has been on school summer holidays for a week now and we've got another eight weeks to go! We do days out, trips around and we like to collect postcards for my son's summer holiday journal. Sometimes they get sent, sometimes they don't but every one tells a story and that's why I love even the tackiest ones that my son picks out (forgive him, he knows no better!)

And I have the softest of soft spots for vintage postcards and these are just gorgeous for weddings. There are so many things that you can do with them from using them as stationery to creating decorations from them. They're full of personality, they're always talking points and they're just lovely. So, here are some ideas for you - lots of great DIY, lots of options and everything is full of vintagey goodness...

Above - such a simple idea for a banner and it's so effective. Little squares of postcard and stuck on to twine, string or ribbon. These would look great strung across a marquee or lining a pathway. Image - Cori Kindred

Above - totally love this table centre, the books, the nest and that beautiful vintage postcard. I really do so love creative, personality packed table centres and this definitely falls into that category. So easy to put together and ever-so effective. Image - Elizabeth Anne Designs

Above - gorgeous letterpress postcard style invitations with a fab vintage vibe. I really do love the colour here too, such a warm orange glow. - I would love this for an autumnal wedding, especially because that motif looks fabulously vine-y. Image - Golden Rectangle Press on Etsy

Above - fabulous table number cards (often forgotten in my view) with a great look. And the best thing about these cards is that when you buy them, you get a downloadable file so can use them for many things (mini seating cards?) Image - KF Collection on Etsy

Above - I love these vintage postcard seating cards. Each is pegged onto the ribbon with the table name on the face of the card and the guest's details on the reverse. You could then use the same design for the table name card and place markers too. Image - Little Pink Book

Above - I really like the print of the postcard sat on the gingham napkin. It's fabulously country! Image - Project Wedding

Above - what a fab guest book station! postcards in a traditional wire spinner and those aqua pens are just such a great bright touch. Then more postcards are lined up in those wooden drawers and are great seating cards. Love this look! Image - via Craft Gossip

Above - what a brilliant menu card! You could print them yourself or running them through an old style typewriter would also give a brilliant effect. Image - Wedding Bee

Above - A final image with lots of pegged on postcards, covered with lovely messages from guests. So many things you could do with these after the wedding to keep them on display so those gorgeous postcards and wonderful messages are never forgotten. Image - Wildflower Photography

Delicious Details - Vintage Tea Tin Centrepieces

I am such a tea lover, it's untrue. I can barely function in the morning until I've had my cup of tea and there's something so comforting about wrapping your hands around a big mug and just sitting and sipping for a few minutes. Now I'm usually a lazy tea-maker - tea bags might not be the best but they're quick for a girl on the go. However, when I've got the time, I like to make proper tea, leaf tea, and the gorgeous smell when I open my tea tin to scoop out a big spoonful into the pot is just heavenly.

But the tea tins themselves can be just as gorgeous in a more visual way - I love the patterns, the printing, the gorgeous colours of tins of tea. They're special versions of the everyday which is just what I like for weddings so here are some ideas for turning tea tins into gorgeous centerpieces...

Above - love these candles in the old tins. You could do this one of three ways - either just pop in a small pillar candle, fill the empty tins with wax and a wick or, if they're water tight, add some water & use a floating candles instead. Image - Intimate Weddings

Above - pretty pretty pastels. I love these pale blue tin with the delicate pink roses as they co-ordinate beautifully. If you can't find tins that 'go' with the flowers you want, you can always download & print tea label wraps to re-cover the tin. Image - Yvette Inufio

Above - another beautifully co-ordinating display, here with much punchier colours and those tins look great. Another perfect addition to the tablescape is the glass full of vintage spoons. Image - Lovely Velo

Above - this is such an interesting table top with the mix of tin shapes & sizes and the variety of blooms in them. Such an eclectic look that's bought together by the use of those gorgeous tins. Image - Martha Stewart

Above - I love this wild look and here's a tip for getting a little more height from your tin centrepieces - just stack them up to create and more interesting variety of heights. Image - Milk Glass Village Rentals

Above - now this is a really well co-ordinated look but the white chairs and table linens stop it from looking too over-worked. The tins have been wrapped with paper (use wallpaper, wrapping paper or scrapbooking paper) and the 'tea' labels printed and added afterwards. If you want 'the look' to fit perfectly, then personalising the tins like this is ideal. Image - The Sweetest Occasion

Above - this would be a pretty set up for a guest book table with the books, the vintage typewriter and the tin holding the flowers. You could use a similar look for a dessert table or seating card display. Image - Yvette Inufio

My Vintage Find - The Bride's Book 1936

Yesterday I got to spend some of the day doing one of my absolute favourite things - mooching. Just pottering around my local antiques centre, delving around, looking through boxes and wandering around with my list of 'things to buy'. I did have a specific list of props to hunt down for an upcoming shoot but, as someone who owns more books than necessary, I couldn't resist a hunt through the bookshelves and I'm so pleased I looked because guess what was awaiting me...

It's a gorgeous copy of 'The Bride's Book' from 1936. The cover is a blue leather with a gorgeous mother of pearl style spine. It's just beautiful, a complete guide for the pre-war young woman moving from living with her parents to being a wife, running a home and becoming a parent. There are the most fabulous line drawings inside, so evocative of the period and colour advertisements (including a pocket in the back still holding the reply postcards so the bride-to-be can send for information on a Slumberland self-ventilating mattress or request a sample of Pepsodent tooth powder or even a free Wincarnis jelly recipe book!). However, the best bits are the planning hints and tips and I thought you might like to take a look at them too...

"It is well to bear in mind that since this photograph is a last souvenir, it is worth while having the picture made by a good photographer."

"Where to have your reception - either through sentiment or through the necessity for economy, many people prefer that the reception is held in the home."

"Cutting the cake - as soon as this important ceremony is completed, the bride retires to change for her honeymoon."

"It is an old wives' superstition that a girl always looks her best on her wedding day... a happy bride radiates joy but it is one thing to look radiant but quite another to appear well dressed."

"The tall bride's bouquet should be held at waist height and the ribbon ends should not extend below the knee. The tiny bride's bouquet should have ribbon streamers attached, extending to the hem of her dress. This will create a long line that contributes to an illusion of greater height."

"If the nose is large, the veil should be given fullness in the draping at the back thus imparting a more pleasing line to the profile."

"A scarf tied in a pert bow under the chin or at the side imparts a youthful freshness to tired features, allowed to hang down at each side to below the wait, it will decrease hip breadth."

"Do not wear small hats at they make the feet more prominent and keeps the skirts as full as current style allows."

"Should you wear a girdle? In the majority of instances the answer to this question is in the affirmative. A restraining girdle is now considered  advisable by most experts."

"Even in choosing earrings there are certain facts to bear in mind. Pendant earrings should not be worn if the nose turns up. If the neck is short and plump, pendant earrings are not a wise selection."

"With the new products available, there is no excuse for a girl not to be dainty about her person. The weekly use of a liquid deodorant should be adequate."

And my final quote is one that is as true now as ever...

"Should your bridegroom present you with a gift of jewellery that is not quite to your liking, you should remain graceful and appear appreciative. Like a little puppy, he likes praise and if encouraged to make further purchases after a satisfactory reception, he might, over time, come to learn more about your taste and what makes a more acceptable gift."

Tea Among The Bluebells - Part Two

Today's bluebell feature makes me much happier than yesterday's because it's not about me and all about the details, which is just how it should be in my book!  For the rather fabulous set-up in the bluebell wood with the wonderful Dorset Wedding Photographer - Courtenay Photographic, we were lucky enough to have some great props from some amazing suppliers. 

The totally gorgeous cakes were from Genii Cupcakes and I have to say one of the highlights of the shoot was being told I could cut the show-stopping pink cake and have a taste. And goodness me, did it taste good - I was totally smitten!  The beautiful china, cloths and accessories came from The Tea Party - how I didn't try to sneak that teapot home, I don't know. Everything arrived perfectly packed and in tip-top condition so I would most certainly recommend them to anyone looking for vintage details.  And finally, my heavenly headpiece was from Jo Barnes Vintage and I loved wearing it. Sparkles and pearls on a brown band that sat perfectly and was oh-so easy to wear. I might have driven home in it too...

So, enjoy these details shots and if I can guarantee you'll be craving tea and cake after this...

Massive thanks to the fabulously patient, kind and talented Dorset Wedding Photographer - Courtenay Photographic. Do take a look at his website and blog, he's rather good.

Huge thanks also to Genii Cupcakes, The Tea Party & Jo Barnes Vintage

Tea Among The Bluebells - Part One

Some of you might remember that a while ago, I went on a pre-wedding shoot with the very lovely Dorset Wedding Photographer - Courtenay Photographic. Now, I am not sure whether he liked me from that little outing and decided to get me to do a shoot with him for fun or whether he wanted to give me something to get nervous about so decided to get me to do a shoot with him to get his own back, I'm not sure...!

But, I needn't have worried - Courtenay is just fabulous, especially with nervous models (and I use the word 'model' in the very loosest sense of the word!). So, a few weeks after our discussions, off we went to a gorgeous bluebell wood in the totally picturesque Dorset countryside armed with yummy cakes from Genii Cupcakes, vintage china from The Tea Party and I was allowed to wear a beautiful headpiece from Jo Barnes Vintage.  Here are some pics to give you a little taste of what we got up to, more shots focussing on the fabulous details tomorrow...

For more information about the really rather wonderful Dorset Wedding Photographer - Courtenay Photographic, just take a look at his website or blog

Delicious Details - Vintage Place Settings

Vintage is still big news which is great for me because I just love it. But, now we've all got used to this look, we're starting to be a bit more daring about how we put it together. More colour, more layers and more developed ideas. It's like school - now we've learned the basics, we can get on to the really good stuff.

Tablescapes are a huge wedding trend - using more props and items on a table to create a story - and vintage works particularly well here because there are so many great props available. Fabrics, glassware, crockery, ribbons, unusual containers and other items like books and buttons, they all combine for a layered look that can be oh-so individual.

So, here are some ideas for vintage place settings to get your shabby chic loving hearts all aflutter...

Above - How gorgeous is this look? Coloured glass, old hardback books, pretty china, gorgeous 'just cut' garden flowers, a beribboned napkin, a vintage candlestick and on-trend 'nude' linen. By creating something like this at your own wedding, every table could look different which injects real interest. Image - The Sweetest Occasion

Above - A very elegant look (and check out the long table here, I told you they were becoming more and more popular!) I love the natual flowers here, the crisp white linen which doesn't compete against the paler flowers and those storm lanterns will be fabulous when lit. The delicate little table number card works perfectly too - something too big, too bold and too heavy would just ruin this delicately designed setting. Image - Stone Blue Productions

Above - There is something about mismatched china that I just adore. And mismatched china, layered on a place setting has even more impact. Easy to put together because it doesn't really matter what goes with what and you don't have to obsess about matching cups and saucers. The crisp white napkin sets the colours of the china off perfectly and the little tag tied to the cup's handle is a sugar-sweet place card. Image - Rosie Parsons

Above - a perfect example of an elegant vintage place setting showing you can stick to neutral colours and still work the vintage look. I adore the detailing on the napkin and the old style cutlery looks so much better than all silver would here. The sweet little rose floral arrangements would be relatively easy wedding DIY if you remembered to condition the stems properly, removed leaves that would sit below the water line and didn't mind risking your wedding manicure! Image - NSK Wood

Above - and we're back to colourful vintage place settings now. Again, I just love this - the sheet music placemat, the vintage cutlery bundled on the beautifully purple napkin, the little tag place card, the coloured glassware on the table and oh, the turquoise of that pot! The 'mix and match' flowers are great too - the varieties and the colours. Perfect. Image - Marry You Me

Above - hmm, more dreams of sunny outdoor days. Now this is a great place setting for a more unfussy vintage look. The bare table, tick, the crisp linen runner, tick, the mix and match flowers, tick, vintage cutlery, tick, a bright place mat, tick and oh, that charger plate and side plate combo is gorgeous. Proof that you can do vintage even if you don't want to do pastel florals. Image - Elizabeth Anne Designs

Above - just delightful with so many clever details. I think the small splash of coloured water in the bottom of the 'vases' is very sweet, I love the garden twine binding around the cutlery (cutlery bundles are almost a must for vintage weddings as they take away the formality of a 'laid' place setting) and the thread & button placecards are fabulous. And the buttons sprinkled on the table are a great quirky touch too. Image - Edyta Szyszlo

Above - just the colours in this image scream Lauduree! And as macarons are the delicate delight of choice right now, I had to include this image. The cut class bowl is a delight and the slightly haphazard piling of the macarons totally works - vintage isn't about regimented perfection. The old coloured tins behind are a great touch and would be fabulous unusual 'vases'. Image - Corbin Gurkin

Above - Homespun vintage at it's finest and the collection of different prints here really works. The patchwork style placemat is fab (and note the vintage cutlery again please dear readers!) The layering of the coloured crockery and the brightly wrapped favour complete with a 'straight from the garden' daisy detail. Homely does not mean dull! Image - Cocomale

Above - Lots of yummy goodness in this image but check the pink sugared doughnuts on the place settings - yes please!! The flowers are fab here with delicate roses and ranunculus (a personal favourite) in the coloured vintage jug. Check the layered crockery, the cut glass, the nude table runner and the cutlery - even though it's set, not bundled, there's not loads of it at each setting so the informality is retained. Adorable. Image - 100 Layer Cake