Now then. Before I tell you exactly what it is there are a few things I should probably mention. Firstly this is not my discovery – it is 100% Adam’s. I cannot take any credit whatsoever. Secondly, we did think about not mentioning it at all, sometimes you find something that you love so much you want to keep it all for yourself – luckily our selfishness didn’t get the better of us. Thirdly, we cannot and will not be held responsible for you checking out this website every single day and subsequently bashing that plastic like a demon.

You have been warned.

You know when you look in all those fancy home decor glossies like Living Etc and Elle Decoration and you admire all of cool/retro/quirky items that they always say they found in ” a reclamation yard” or it was “the stylists own” of they found it in “some antiques store” that you’ve never heard of and are unlikely to ever find yourselves?

Well it turns our there is somewhere you can find them yourselves – and quite reasonably priced too.

The Vintage Wall is a treasure trove of delicious never-knew-you-needed-them one off pieces of pretty from both the 20th and 19th century. Anything from a weathered 1930′s clock to a light -up perspex and metal “Hotel” sign, this on-line homeware store will have you hooked from first click.

Why “the wall”?….. “The theme was adopted as a fun vehicle for our displays and as the underlying criteria for our buying. But, as you probably guessed, the wall doesn’t necessarily dictate the selection that we offer. Far from it, in fact! The wall is a means by which to re-invent, to find beauty in defunct or bygone objects and to offer something we hope will be inspiring or thought-provoking“

I am especially obsessed with the abundance of letters, especially in dirty wrought iron and pale grey zinc. A million and one things you could spell out for W-day and then bring them all back after the big day is over to admire forever.

Oh, and if you see quite a few things on The Vintage Wall marked as “sold” then that’s probably because they are destined for RMW HQ…

Quite a short post this morning folks. That’s because we’ve got something IMMENSE coming up for this afternoon. It turns out real RMW bride Naomi’s W-day is here to share and it’s completely ruddy amazing.

Roll on 1pm.

Big Tell Us If You Buy Anything From The Vintage Wall Love

Charlotte xxx

We will be bringing you gorgeous lot All About The Pretty , inspiration and ideas for your big day – and most importantly how to have it your way.

Now then. We have a stand. Apparently it’s quite a big stand. And there’s no denying we were a wee bit worried about what we were going to do with said stand…. I mean essentially we’re bringing RMW HQ to the masses so we need to make sure it’s representative of our vision and styling.

Ahem. No mean feat when your actual office resembles a junk room and the closest thing you have to stylish is a pair of hot pink peep toes thrown haphazardly underneath your desk.

So a few months ago I got decorating and last Sunday we invited Chris and Dani aka “The Barbers” round for afternoon tea (provided by me – no I didn’t bake) and photography (them – clearly) so we could give you lovelies an insight into what to expect.

The hardest thing for me was actually finding a new desk. They are all so boring and corporate looking, and really ruddy expensive. I found this unusual distressed table from Bailey’s Home Store (don’t go there unless you want to feel that you need to completely re-design your entire house)… it is made from old cheese boards and The Bailey’s Home Store on site blacksmith makes the legs from wrought iron.

It is quite possibly the nicest piece of furniture I own.

I am not particularly organised. And I have a habit of “losing” paperwork left, right and centre, therefore I needed some kind of filing system. Again so corporate these filing cabinets aren’t they?. Mine are french, antique (*see also “rusty”) and RMW blue from Pale and Interesting. They weren’t particularly cheap (£150 for two) but I figured they would be “investment” pieces.

At least that’s what I told James anyways.

Never been a big fan of “chests of draws” and standard cupboards. I did like these old battered crates though and they are very handy to store all of my glossy magazines, inspiration scrap books and camera equipment in.

The cute vases are from Pale and Interesting as before.

Always wanted one of those very chunky anglepoise desk lamps. Problem was a) couldn’t afford one b) couldn’t help but think perhaps such an item would be a wee bit on the masculine side for such a feminine room.

I’ve had this pretty but unusual perspex-shaded number from Habitat for years and I love it.

Picture wise I thought the only way forward were some original Charlotte/Adam graphics from the blog. The frames (RMW blue and grey obvs) were a bargain from John Lewis. And they also do a lovely muted green if you’re interested.

The beautiful invitation is from Dear Evie, we often ask stationery designers to send in samples if we are thinking about featuring their work and it’s an absolute must should they want to be considered for The Love Lust List.

And no it’s not just because I want to surround myself with lots of pretty paper.

*cough cough*

The letters were originally from the O’Shea Big Day and the coasters (complete with tea stains) were a gift from James at Christmas.

The people below sat on my floor are in fact Adam and Dani Barber…. *Note To Self*: Do not leave your ten year old threadbare Matalan dressing gown hanging on the back of your door when uber cool photographer types come round to take pictures… It will totes detract from the serene ambience you are trying so desperately hard to create.

Desk and Crates – Bailey’s Home Store

Antique Filing Cabinets – Pale and Interesting

Picture Frames – John Lewis

Bunting Invitation – Dear Evie

Thank You Card - Hello! Lucky

Vases – Pale and Interesting

Photography – The Barbers

So then. Who’s coming to The National Wedding show to see RMW HQ for real?

I can’t begin to emphasise how much we would absolutely love to see you guys. But it’s A LOT.

You can book tickets via the website and you can also arrange an appointment with us at booking@rockmywedding.co.uk should you fancy a nosey at our inspiration books and a W-day gossip.

Big All About The Pretty Love

Charlotte xxx

P.s Is RMW HQ allways this tidy? Is it hell.

I say it often, but never before have I been quite so desperate to purchase something we’ve featured on the blog. Without further ado, I’ll hand you over to Lisa to tell you all about More Than Words. Make sure you check out the Giveaway (yes you read that right… GIVE. AWAY. As in FREE to one of you lucky lot!) at the end of the post too!

More Than Words was launched in 2010 by creative designer Lisa Long. Her lifetime love of interiors and typography, combined with a search to find a piece of meaningful and high quality artwork for her own home, led Lisa to design what is now the ‘original Memories canvas’. She was soon inundated with requests from friends and family to design a piece for them… and from there More Than Words was born.

The Original More Than Words ‘Memories’ Canvas

Less than one year on, Lisa’s typographic artwork has been commissioned by customers all over the world. Some of her high profile clients include Dannii Minogue and screenwriter and film director Richard Curtis. Lisa also works closely with interior designers and More Than Words artwork decorates the walls of several well-known corporate businesses, including the headquarters of one of the UK’s leading bridal magazines.

Lisa was a finalist in the 2010 Mumpreneur UK awards for ‘Most Unique Product’ and is currently shortlisted from thousands of nominated UK businesses in the UK.COM awards as ‘Best Creative Business Idea’, judged by Sarah Beeny and an elite panel of entrepreneurs later this month.

More Than Words recently organised its first professional product photoshoot in collaboration with some amazing UK wedding suppliers. Today we have first peek at the shots, including some hot off the press designs.

Artwork for every occasion

More Than Words produces bespoke typographic designs in a range of themes using your words and precise colours. Lisa also offers a collection of limited and unlimited designs.

Each unique piece is hand-finished in the UK to fine art standards onto your choice of acrylic, canvas, a beautiful framed print or the signature More Than Words ‘vintage framed canvas’.

Silver Vintage Framed Canvas capturing a couple’s special memories, Personalised ‘Favourite Things’ canvas and Bespoke Framed Wedding Print

“My list of creations is so varied – from designs to decorate new homes, celebrating the birth of a baby, personalised poetry…birthday presents for that person who has just about everything. I’ve recently created a huge Memories canvas as a leaving present for one of the most powerful men in British business!

Union Jack available personalised using your words, Limited Edition ‘Marilyn’

The majority of my designs requests and the ones I love to create the most, are for loved-up couples celebrating an anniversary or as a gift to offer their bride or groom as a keepsake of their wedding day.

Signature More Than Words Vintage Framed Canvas – the perfect wedding keepsake, Bespoke Quote and Wedding Date

In fact, I’m often found at my computer with tears in my eyes whilst scrolling through the sentimental words that people send to me, be it their wedding reading, a poem they’ve written, their ‘favourite things’, quirky ways of saying ‘I love you’… I absolutely love being able to capture such special moments for my customers.


A request from a customer to match her wedding colour scheme of ‘Cadbury’s purple’

All You Need Is Love – bespoke typography personalized with names and a special date.

The new More Than Words Kissing Booth design, already in demand by photographers for their engagement and wedding shoots.

Limited Edition – ‘Imagine’, Personalised ‘Special Service’ Bus Blind, ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ anyone?

The first to bring you quality personalised bus blinds in the UK, More Than Words can also capture those special places from your first kiss, your first home and amazing holidays together.

Giveaway for Rock My Wedding Readers!

Recently More Than Words has embarked on its first range of hand-pulled typographic screen prints which have been a huge hit. We love this stunning, two-colour, teal and metallic gold hand-pulled silk screen print ‘I love just you’.

Lisa is offering one super lucky RMW reader the chance to win their very own ‘I love just you’ screenprint. All you have to do is leave a comment and email sales@morethanwords.uk.com and the winner will be announced on Monday 27th February.

Photo Shoot Product Suppliers

Eddie Judd Photography

Lisa’s amazing clothes were provided by Young British Designers

DC Bouquets

Hush Home

Out of Love

Giddy Kipper

Tempting Cake

Fairynuff flowers

Get emailing ladies!

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER LOVELIES!!!

It will come as no surprise to some of you that I am a huge fan of the unique and completely delicious typography style art work available at Coulson Macleod. So much so that I already have a piece in my hallway ( check out some pictures of the O’Shea residence if you want a peek) and have at least another two from their range on my interiors wish list.

A week or so back the lovely Hannah one half of the dynamic Coulson Macleod duo got in touch to tell us that the talented pair were engaged ( can you imagine the amazingness of that wedding?!)…and how much she loved looking at pretty on the pages of Rock My Wedding

Hannah then went on to tell us how she wanted you lovelies to be some of the first to see the their brand new Love Unlimited collection. And win a print. For like FREE.

Yup that’s right folks. It’s gorgeous giveaway time here at RMW HQ.

“Between Us” by Coulson Macleod
“Grow Old With Me” by Coulson Macleod
“I Found You” by Coulson Macleod

* The winning print is as seen: A chunky handmade, vintage-style, rough-sawn solid oak frame surrounding a white-washed oak panel printed with distressed typography. The size is 54cm x 54cm x 8cm.

Of course not only a perfect addition to your current home decor but also an ideal Valentines gift, wedding gift, birthday gift…..and an absolutely wall-worthy back drop to your own Big Day.

So what do you have to do to win one of these beauties I hear you say?

Well then. You just need to drop an email with the subject matter “RMW Print” to hello@coulsonmacleod.com with your name, address, telephone number and the title of the print that you love the most.

The Coulson Macleod team will pick a lucky Rock my Wedding reader out of the hat at Midnight on Monday 7th February so all entries must be in by then.

Good luck you gorgeous lot!

And don’t forget to leave us a comment if you entered and which one you chose below

Big Let’s Grow Old Together Love

Charlotte xxx

In the interests of making the whole thing even simpler, I also made a short video for you all, so please let us know what you think… (it’s even got Christmas music!)

So lets get started!

What you need

Empty jam jars – any sizes work
Double sided tape
Sections of tartan fabric (or your chosen material or even brown paper style wrapping paper would work)
Ribbon
Dried orange slices
Cinnamon sticks
Floristry scissors
Ribbon scissors
Pinking shears
Florist wires
Small pine cones

Selection of wintry foliage (we used: blue spruce, berried ivy, rosemary, holly, red skimmia, eucalyptus, kochia (the silvery grey foliage), Ilex berry (the hybridised holly which is grown just for berries). Absolutely any foliage you can raid from any garden will work.

Red Anemones
Luxor Roses
Black Baccara roses
Again, any flowers would work with this and you only need a few heads per small vase.

The How-To

1. Place a line of double sided tape around the jam jar.
2. Cover the jar with the tartan fabric, making sure it’s stuck to the tape.
3. Tie the ribbon around the fabric for added security and use the orange slice and cinnamon stick for added decoration.
4. Fill the jar with water.

5. Fill the jar with a mixture of foliage. Make sure you remove all foliage from the base of each stem so that the water remains ‘leaf’ free and clean.
6. Add the berries next so that they don’t get lost amongst the foliage and are clearly visible.
7. Place the flowers through the arrangement, again, taking care to remove any leaves that will fall below the water level.

8. Loop a wire around the base of each cone and twist tightly so that the cone can be easily inserted amongst the foliage and flowers..
9. Arrange the jars in a line up the centre of your table, along a mantelpiece, or in a group in the centre of a round table and scatter the surrounding surface with cones.

Decorating your Christmas table

We thought we would take this a little bit further than we have in the past and look at the whole Christmas table – all the ideas here work well for a winter wedding or for your own home and entertaining come Christmas.

It’s the oldest trick in the book but luxe = lots. Whatever you decide to do to decorate (again, this works in weddings and at home) grouping items that are the same/similar or work together gives a luxurious, plentiful feel. For that reason, don’t scrimp on the candles, tea light holders or in this case, pine cones! Layer up your china, table cloths/runners and pile the plates high with festive cheer.

I completely fell in love with the little clove studded and ribbon-wrapped oranges Becky brought with her, reminding me of Cristingle at primary school. Familiar to you or not, these are easily made, days ahead, and make a gorgeous table setting or scattered around your home, fruit bowl, mantelpieces etc for extra home-made charm, not to mention cute place names.

A few DIY notes!

The full DIY how-to for the jars the flowers are in, is on the video (see below).

The Orange slices used here for the jars can be purchased in craft shops relatively cheaply, however they are just as easy to DIY at home. Slice your oranges into half centimeter slices, dry and place on a baking sheet in the oven at a low temperature (around 100 degrees,) to dry them out – this can take several hours. Allow to cool, and as well as looking great in this DIY they have loads of other uses including decorations for your tree, extra decoration on your gifts or I like to hang them from light fittings and under picture frames.

All the extra decor items are my own, and built up over the years, the Feather wreath is Parlane, the tea lights (ceramic) from Cox and Cox and (the red flat ones) from Ikea. Both the table runner and the napkins are John Lewis.

To make your own Clove studded oranges, simply stud the fruit in 2 lines right the way around it, at right angles to each other. You might wnat to miss out a few where they cross to allow the ribbon to sit better. Next tie the orange up like a parcel, at right angles to the lines of cloves. Tie one knot then under your final bow, insert a stick of cinnamon. Voila!

I really hope this has made you feel extra Christmassy and all fired up to create your own ideas for the festive season, or in fact your winter wedding. Enjoy the video and please come back to view it if you are reading at work! Thank you so much to Becky @Blossom for all her hard work putting this together with me and look out for another winter inspiration table coming soon!

DIY table decor with Becky Hay from Blossom for www.rockmywedding.co.uk.

We are always on the look out for extra reader-inspired DIY projects, so if you have a Christmas project you would like to share, or a winter wedding DIY please send them along (rebecca@rockmywedding.co.uk) and we’ll get them up in the coming weeks. (All we need is some text and accompanying images.)

Time for some mulled wine I think!

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

What Went…

Like the rest of you, despite having grand plans and big ideas, I’m severely limited by funds and time. I’ve rushed a few ‘house renovations’ in the past and learnt the lesson that it’s better to do it slowly than to waste money buying ‘will do’ purchases that get ditched for ‘must have’s’ further down the line. Pete and I have furnished the whole house in this way after the last flat felt like we were living in Ikea, now everything is considered carefully and if expensive, saved for hard!

A few old Ikea pieces have endured however and it was time to say goodbye…

The TV. I still haven’t decided if this is a plus or minus – I miss watching it late at night with a film or on Saturdays while Pete plays footie in the morning, but it didn’t look pretty and I certainly don’t miss Match of the Day!

The Lamp shades (and my earrings hanging off them – I now have a white gloss jewellery tree!)

The old mirror – a cheap venetian look alike which was a steal from Ikea but I wanted a massive one I could sit or stand in front of and make the focal point of the room.

The soft grey walls.

A tatty old throw on the bed (Ikea again – that shop has a lot to answer for!)

The cushions – made by my Mum from some silk I brought back from Thailand, these just show how mismatched the whole room was. It was a collection of things I loved once and some I still loved, but they didn’t go together and certainly didn’t provide a restful oasis at the end of the day!

What stayed…

Even in grand renovations, some things have to stay out of necessity or choice and my bedroom was the same. Somethings we couldn’t find a suitable replacement and to replace others would have been wasteful. So they stayed…

Ikea White high gloss wardrobes. I love the glossy finish to these and I’m constantly re-inventing the interior with the latest cool storage. They’re a good ‘off the shelf’ fit for the space but they’re wonky and I wish we could get sexy built in replacements. Thats a big expense for a house we’re not staying long in though so they stayed put.

Ikea Bedsides – More cottage than chic which was the eventual look we decided to go for, but these have proved hard to replace. Most options are super expensive and after doing everything else, it’ been a matter of having to wait a little longer. I do have my eye on some very similar to the Graham and Green mirrored ones in BHS for half the price.

Carpet… don’t get me started.

My dressing table – An absolute steal from Dunelm Mill 4 or 5 years ago when mirrored furniture just came into vogue – it became one of the focuses for our scheme, hotel glamour.

White leather coin trays from Crate and Barrel a couple of years back.

The Blinds – A neutral printed silk, they do the job and blend well so seemed unnecessary to replace.

And now for the After’s…

What We Purchased…

The Graham and Green lampshades. These were the starting point for the room – I love Wallpaper and this Osbourne and Little print is so thick it’s almost flocked on a soft white gold back pearlescent ground. It reminds me of deco glamour and palm springs circa 1930′s. Had to have them and we kept the lamp bases which were from BHS again, many years ago.

The Laura Ashley Lille Wallpaper

Plain white bedding, with a contrast grey border trim from The White Company

Cushions, also The White Company. I bought 2 throws to choose between and loved them both but could only keep one so I ended up buying both designs in the cushions for textural variation and the complimentary shades.

I love a bit of Grey which provided the depth to the mainly white scheme. This throw (The White Company again!) is soft as a feather and so bouncy it really added the luxe feel we wanted. Add to that the reversible tones in a pale mink and silvery grey that meant I could fold it to show both and it was perfect.

All the prints came from Rockett St George. The main one was chosen to provide a central focus in the room and we bought a set of six smaller ones for the hall. When they arrived, 2 were so perfectly matched to the colour scheme in the bedroom and the lamps that they were swiftly redeployed to tie the scheme together.

My most searched for item was the Mirror, I stumbled across this in Next after looking high and low for something similar. Everything I found was eye wateringly expensive and I resigned myself to a purchase of the Gatsby mirror from Laura Ashley (it had to be BIG!) with a 30% discount… then they promptly stopped the offer. This one was still half the discounted price and looks beautiful!

What I still have to buy…!

So it’s still really a bit unfinished, but if I had waited for it to be complete I think I would never have shared and I know how much I like nosing around other peoples homes so I hope you enjoyed it.

I’m still looking for the perfect new bedsides, a new light fitting – preferably a chandelier (and there’s now another 30% off in Laura Ashley for me to miss!) and that stool…

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

We moved into our first home almost four years ago now, – it had been gutted by a developer, painted and carpeted in neutral tones throughout, with a new kitchen and bathroom. Completely live-able, but not my personal taste. It worked for us at the time though as we had other financial pressures and had stretched ourselves to get on the property ladder at all. Little by little we furnished the place and then started to put our personal stamp on the rooms, then it all came to a grinding halt a year later when we got engaged! The majority of the downstairs was done and thats the way it stayed until a few months ago when I decided it was time to finish the house!

Around about the time I got involved with Rock My Wedding we did the spare room, then a few months ago I decided the bedroom needed attention, not to mention the room which had become RMW HQ.

Not so long ago Charlotte shared her own personal sense of style with you all when she gave you a sneak peek into the O’Shea residence. So I thought I might share a little sneak peek into my renovations with you all too.

First up? The Bedroom.

All things bright and beautiful

So you’d think I would know what I want when I decide I need to re-decorate, right? Erm, nope. Ever the contradiction, I was completely torn between two completely different styles, both influenced by one key piece of inspiration.

Having not long been to The Scarlet hotel, I was all about the neutral back drop and bright accents. I’m a huge fan of colour and fell in love with the works of an artist called Yvonne Coomber there which became integral to my planning, whichever way the coin landed. So I set about making an inspiration board for a bright and beautiful bedroom, versus white on white on white, influenced by my other single choice, of a broad stripe wallpaper in white pearlescent and matt, from Laura Ashley.

The Brights I Lusted after…

Pink turned base Lamp, Heals

African small stool, Plumo

Artwork in mixed media, Yvonne Coomber

Wallpaper, Laura Ashley

Paradise Quilt set, Graham and Green

Pumpkin footstool and turquoise oriental bedside, Plumo

Kimono Robe, Pretty Plum Sugar

Green floral Quilt, Graham and Green

French Style Green Painted three drawer chest, Graham and Green

Pompadour drum light shade, Graham and Green.

LOVE pillow cases, Cox and Cox

The White Stuff

I’ve always loved a white on white look, it’s my alternative to magnolia and beige neutrals, forever glamorous, glossy and gorgeous, just like I choose navy over black for my wardrobe. Living Etc’s annual White Issue has only fuelled my obsession, along with The White Company. Best of all, it works with any style, which suits me as I get to blend a mish mash of my favourite glam metallics with battered steel and deco aluminum and pull it all together with touches of grey, making use of layered luxe fabrics.

The Whites I LOVE…

Kartell Bourgie Lamp in white with gold foil inner shade, Graham and Green

50′s style mirrored bedside, Graham and Green

Wallpaper, as before, Laura Ashley

Artwork, as before, Yvonne Coomber

Aluminum side table, Graham and Green

Butterfly print, Rockett St George

Rococco Frame mirror, Laura Ashley

White Bedding (Both) The White Company

Faux Fur throw, Cox and Cox

Tolix small steel stool, Graham and Green

Grey Turkey cushion, John Lewis

So it’s time for you to give me your opinions and share any finds you might have for my little project, before I show you the before and afters

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

I Want.

I know I know. Someone has whacked me with the needy greedy stick, pretty darn hard I might add.

And why? because we are re-decorating.

Yup, the O’Shea residence is having a major cosmetic overhaul.

What with Rock My Wedding and my day job I must be absolutely bl*ody mad but when I get an idea in my head it adheres like super glue and there is no stopping me, I may be small but lordy is my nagging mighty . I think Mr O’Shea looks at me all moany and groany and whiney stamping my size 4 feet and wonders what the hell he has got himself into……

As some of you who read my Wherever I Lay My Fancy Hat post some months back will know, as much as I love wedding design I love home interiors in equal measure. Nothing makes me happier than curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea, a chocolate digestive and a copy of Living Etc/Elle Decoration/House Beautiful ……to name but a few.

I want to walk into a room and think “Wow I adore living here” not “It’s ok” or “It will do”.

Of course we don’t have an unlimited money pit ( believe me – far from it) so I am constantly on the hunt for last-a-lifetime investment pieces or little pretty accessories that are reasonable in price but look as near to fabulous as possible.

It hasn’t been easy.

And then I found THE SHOP.

An on-line store so full of Charlotte type perfection that I may have actually stopped breathing.

I Want EVERYTHING it sells. I Want my home to look like it’s white washed pages. I Want to be as skilled at interior design as the creators of Pale And Interesting.

I Want a weathered dove grey cupboard to store all of my books

I Want battered old leather armchairs and glass teardrop chandeliers

I Want exposed wooden floorboards and a sea of scattered shells

I Want small ceramic votives and delicate pots filled with paper butterflies

I Want an old wood burning stove and french floral cushions

I Want antique metal file boxes and daisy hooks made of brass

I Want mis-matched wooden frames and tarnished silver candle sticks

I Want the warmest hand stitched blankets and a hallway filled with light

I Want provencal apothecary bottles for my lotions and tall vases for scented blooms

I Want cups painted with dragonflies and long white trestle tables laced with love

I Want an airstream in the garden and the perfect picnic set for two

I Want vintage china to display pink peonies and I Want ………. I Want………

What I really really WANT is for our home to be our home. In reality I don’t expect it to look like a magazine feature or an exact replica of someone elses vision. Where is the creativity or the personalisation in that?

Much like weddings I’m giving it the same coat of paint – take inspiration, use your own skills, tastes and loves and make it your own.

Of course I was a bit naughty and I may have indulged in a few pieces from Pale And Interesting…… the metal file boxes ( as frankly the shade of grey/blue was literally made for my RMW paperwork) the apothecary bottles and the book ” the relaxed home” for my mug of tetley/biscuit break next weekend.

Bliss

Anyone else decorating?

Any other amazing home interior stores we should know about?

And if you are on the hunt for decor gorgeousness just for Saturday kicks please complete this sentence ” I Want………”

Big making a home your home Love

Charlotte xxx

Anyway, I was making the dinner (chilli) and baking a lemon loaf cake (once again, this is not the norm in the Norris household) and as I looked around the kitchen I realised what a lot of memories it held. I’m not talking about memories of good times, but physical memories in form of our wedding gifts. In fact they are littered all over the house, each one a reminder of the day we started a new life together and also each and every guest who wanted to commemorate that day.

So I thought I’d take you thought my all time favourite wedding gifts and see if it inspired you to think a little out of the box and add a bit of cool to your wedding list.

Design Devotee

Before Wedding Magazines overtook my magazine life and filled my house there was only one magazine for me, Living Etc. Filled with gorgeous homes from across the globe that embodied my philosophy on life. Being a fan of old houses, and modern design, I like blending. And having read up on all the modern design classics, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to fill my home with the more reasonably priced items.

Although I’m cheating by including the Ghost Chair which I have owned for several years now, it’s a great example of a modern design classic along with the Anglepoise 1227 which now sits on the RMW desk. Both retailing at around £150 they’re on the pricey side but will be much loved in your home for years to come.

Crystal Clear and Porcelain perfection

Top of everyones traditional gift list is a dinner service and I was no exception. I’ve always loved unpacking my Mums wedding dinner service for parties at home and I wanted my own families legacy. Although we had lived together for soooo long we still had the ‘University’ set of plates which had in turn been hand me downs from my mum – chips ahoy! So I couldn’t decide if I wanted everyday tablewear or a ‘for best’ dinner service and in the end I decided ‘best’ was totally against my whole living style. I’m lucky to have a lot of friends that live locally, we cook together regularly and eat together lots. We bought our dining table to seat 10 and so a dinner service only for best wouldn’t see much love. Thats not to say I didn’t want to keep it nice, so we bought a set of just 4 square plates and bowls for everyday when it’s just the two of us. For when there are more sat round my dinner table than just us two, I chose this casual white range by Sophie Conran for Portmerion.

I’m a little obsessed with crystal and we also didn’t have a full set of beautiful glasses but I found it incredibly difficult to find a design that wasn’t going to look dated in the years to come, or that already didn’t look dated with bad cut glass patterns. In the end I settled on a Vera Wang for Wedgwood design called Duchess, subtle but elegant and I love drinking out of it when I’m feeling particularly happy!

Garden Gadgets

Another emotional throwback was my desire for a garden bench. My Mum bought my Dad one once and I wanted one that I could take from home to home and sit with Pete on one day, with grandchildren running around the garden. Sentimental I know

One of my favourite things about the little house I live in with Pete is the Garden, and I love eating outside in the summer basking in it’s southwest aspect. So a BBQ was a natural addition and it’s had non-stop use since, being hauled out again in the recent fab weather.

Luxe Living

Pete’s only concession on the gift list…? A Coffee Machine. I argued with him about it as I felt it was too luxurious and too expensive to put on the list but in the end it was bought and we’ve loved using it ever since. In retrospect for those worrying about putting expensive gifts on their list, there will always be people who spend less than you would expect, but most will be astonishingly generous. We put a note on our list acknowledging we didn’t need much and vouchers would be fine towards the more expensive items.

And the other gift I enjoy daily? Our cutlery. A heavy weight set by Robert Stanton in a timeless design, I hope it will be on the dinner table for many years to come and was a very generous gift.

Vintage Favourites

So what lead me to write this whole article? My Kitchen Aid. One of the items we bought with cash and vouchers we received, it sits in pride of place in my kitchen and whips up a lovely lemon cake . Iconic yet practical (and therefore for me the very essence of modern design I had lusted after her creamy goodness for years…

Another fun item that I was excited to put on the list was a DAB digital radio. We opted for a Robert’s white solar powered number that works in the garden, instead of these Robert’s revival designs (which I still love) and it gets use in our kitchen while we cook as well as in the garden outside. Domestic Bliss.

All the above items are available on the John Lewis Gift List.

So where will you be having your gift list and what is the item you’ve always wanted to put on yours?

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

I bought my first home in 2001, a tiny 1 and a half bedroom terrace with the most tragic decor you could imagine. I’m talking avocado bathroom suite, peach wallpaper throughtout…complete with various floral “boarders” and a scarily unattractive burgundy carpet IN EVERY ROOM.

Beautiful….

Not.

So I got myself a lodger, lived off beans on toast and rich tea biscuits for 12 months, didn’t buy any new clothes ( I know can you believe?!)….and set about re-decorating the whole thing from top to bottom.

Some things I just couldn’t afford ( had to live with the avocado unfortunately) but in general I made it into a simple, stylish and modern home which I sold on a few years later for a worthwhile profit.

The house that James and I live in now was in a similar decorative state. No burgundy carpets I’m pleased to report but a whole heap of half arsed “renovation” work that we had to put right.

Not to mention the fact that on the first viewing we were greeted in the living room by a zebra print sofa, a tiger print chaise lounge and a cow skin rug.

Really.

Was like walking into Joan Collins’ closet.

Circa 1985.

Luckily once the unsuitable furniture and huge flouncy curtains had been removed we were left with an easily modified blank canvas and our old Victorian semi was ready to have the O’Shea seal of style approval stamped all over it.

* The kitchen – we have a walk through arch way from the living room

So I bet you gorgeous lot are thinking “eh? What the hell has this got to do with my wedding?!”

Right?

Well then, let me explain my reasons:

1) It’s easy to get confused by all of the loveliness out there, magazines, wedding fayres, other peoples weddings… and let’s be honest even blogs like Rock My Wedding. There is so much choice on offer it’s difficult to know what is right for you and your Big Day.

The only thing I would say here is to remember to stay true to yourself and don’t be swayed by what other people think you should have and what is currently in “fashion”. Take a look round you – and by that I mean your home, your interior decor, your every day wardrobe……and remember what it is YOU really like.

2) Consider re-usable decor. My biggest bugbear when planning the venue decoration was the thought of shelling out a whole lotta dollar for things that essentially we would only use once and that would spend the rest of their life gathering dust in the loft.

There is a ton of pretty available that you can use for W-day and then use in your home too… or indeed vice versa. I’m sure most of you already have lots of lovely in and around your abode that would be just perfect for adding some style and sophistication to the proceedings…..

Scented candles? cool pictures/photographs? vintage vases? glamorous trinkets?

* We used a whole bunch of heart decorations that we now hang on the kitchen cupboards…, the retro mugs are from www.notonthehighstreet.com

3) Sometimes it is nice to escape from weddingville altogether. If only for 5 minutes. And occasionally at Rock My Wedding we like to go slightly off the long road to “I DO” and just post about something a bit different.

As above – don’t underestiamate the power of a bright bloom in a bud vase – these were £1 each from Sainsbury’s. And if your bloom budget is limited then how about having a go yourself?

Oh and correct me if I’m wrong but what is the deal with peoples reservations against carnations? I think they are just divine not to mention dirt cheap and long lasting.

Unfortunately we didn’t discover Coulson Macleod until after the O’Shea Big Day but had we I so would have used this ” Love does not make the world go round, Love is what makes the ride worthwhile” piece for decor.

The juice bar clock and rustic/distressed chairs are by Laura Ashley and the retro inspired Bush radio was from Asda…. ( you’ve got to love supermarket chic)

The one thing we didn’t put enough thought into and is a big regret of mine was the guest book. We made a small last minute purchase, didn’t put it in an obvious place for people to find and didn’t let anyone know it was there.

If I had my time again I would use a picture that James bought me for the first birthday I celebrated since being together and have everyone sign around it. Then it would be significant, it would be very “us” and it would be taking pride of place it our home as a lovely memory of all our guests and the best day of our lives.

I am also a big fan of the cute couple canvases/prints that we are seeing used where the guests sign around the image, a lovely “forever” type keepsake.

* Limited Edition print by Kate Martin at www.55max.com

I would say our home decor is a kind of “rustic retro romance” ( completely made that phrase up but you get my meaning)….and that’s what we threw into W-day.

Be true to yourself and be true to your style – that’s all I wanted to get across.

And if you like “home is where the heart is” then drop us a comment, we have a whole bunch of rooms between the RMW team that we can post about.

Big Rustic Retro Romance Love

Charlotte xxx