Vintage style ice cream

July is National Ice Cream Month which reminds me of an idea we toyed with for our summer wedding... forgoing a formal dessert in favour of ice cream cones! A vintage ice cream bicycle or ice cream van would be such a novelty for wedding guests! It turned out for us that we needed to save some pennies and our wedding cake was dessert afterall...but I still love this ideas for the warmer months.

 Photos are of Icicle Tricycle

Thrifty Nifty Flowers on a budget

'Handmade not High Street' is the ethos of The Craft Hub, a Crafty Collective for Devon, based in Exeter.

The Craft Hub runs modern, vibrant and seasonal craft fairs, showcasing products from some of the best of Devon's Handmaking Talent. They run pub nights teaching fun and engaging workshops called Cr'After Dark, inspiring others to join the handmade movement. In the May workshop they made Crafty Corsages (as seen above).

The next workshop on 15th June is set to be a flowery fantasia! Thrifty Nifty Flowers on a budget workshop with Sarah Pepper, a highly experienced florist, will be teaching how to flower arrange on a budget, and how to use old and obscure treasured things in the home as vases for your floral creations.

Their craft fairs are a great place to find unique handmade quality crafts and get inspired too. Whether it's wedding favours, corsages, candles, bunting, flowers or jewellery (to name a few) the Craft Hub can inspire all you DIY brides out there.

After I went to one of their fairs in Topsham I was inspired to pick up my knitting again, and now we have a weekly knitting circle at work!

Don't miss the next fair on Fathers' Day, Sunday 19th June 2011, Matthews Hall in Topsham.

Wedding Wellies

I'd like to see myself as being prepared rather than pessimistic! Because of the unpredictable British summers, I've bought this pretty pair for on the big day (just in case). Plus they will come in handy in the garden or at my next British festival anyway!

Rose Print Wellies from Fashion Union, £25 (or £18 with a code)

For those who can spend a bit more, how about these beauties?...

 Cherry Spot Wellington Boots from Cath Kidston, £38

Cath Kidston Wellies, like these Summer Toile pair, £35, can also be found brand new on eBay.

Violet Gloss Hunter Wellies, £49.99, reduced from £60, at gardens4less.co.uk. 

Bloomin' lovely!

Over the summer I was inspired by the beautiful hydrangeas in various gardens in the South West. They are just perfect for decorating large spaces at your ceremony and reception or to create bold table centrepieces.


Hydrangeas are available for summer weddings in a variety of colours. You can buy small hydrangea plants in pots from nurseries, or by the stem from florists.

Watch my short video of the hydrangeas on campus at Exeter University...

Bloomin' lovely!