FASHION & BEAUTY, LIFESTYLE

Our Wedding Day

As wedding season is fast approaching, I thought I would give you all a little peak into our very special day!

fst_5449

I met my hubby in the summer of 2010 through a mutual friend – love at first sight is an understatement! We immediately hit it off and from that day have been inseparable! He proposed in April 2012 at his parents caravan which was so lovely as it was a place which he had spent a lot of summers at as a child creating beautiful family memories.  Now this is one of those special memories!

The hubby let me take the lead in organising the big day as he knows how much of a control freak I am!  From a little girl obsessed with dressing up daily as a princess I knew exactly how I wanted the day to run from start to finish.

We had the marriage ceremony at my church where from a young age I attended everything going – Sunday School, GB, Youth Fellowship, you name it, I was there!  We had my minister and Ashley’s minister both take part in the ceremony which made it extra special for both families.

We visited a few different venues for the reception but completely fell in love with The Galgorm.  The room which we picked was perfect for our 80 guests and it needed very little dressing which suited our budget.  My creative side went into overdrive and I dressed the church and venue myself (with the help of a local florist and my very patient and understanding family!!)  By making the centre pieces and a few other details myself it helped keep the costs down and I really loved how personal this made the day.

I based the whole day around my love of lace and bows – this theme flowed throughout the day from the dresses to the flowers, the church and the venue.  I just loved walking into the room and seeing all my little creations and ideas jotted around the place.  This made the stress, time and planning spent in the months running up to the day totally worth it.

So here’s some photos:

The Church:

My yummy mummy and gorgeous sisters:

fst_4798

I arrived to the church in my Dad’s car – this was his pride and joy!

fst_4834

I made these little sweet cones for the guests to munch on route to the reception:

fst_5018

The Reception:

These are a few examples of how I dressed the venue:

This is my bouquet, which I made from a selection of vintage and new brooches:

cover3

This is our beautiful cake:

ima_4888

I put some diamonte stickers on the bottom of our shoes – mine said ‘I Do’, Hubby’s said ‘Me Too”

The evening:

The bridal party done a routine for the first dance!

If anyone would like a DIY tutorial of any of the bits I made myself for the day or to see any more- please get in touch!

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

FASHION & BEAUTY, LIFESTYLE

What I’m Loving Lately

Hello there!

As I get asked a lot of questions on Instagram about where I purchase things and what I would recommend, I thought I would put together a blog post on a few things I have picked up recently which I really love! I’m thinking this could maybe become a monthly feature if there is any interest? Sure let me know what you think!  This will be a random collection of items, so hopefully everyone will find something they like too.

Interiors

Firstly, these little metal star tea light holders.  As soon as Homely Rose put them up on their Instagram as incoming stock, I tortured Helen to put them onto the website so I could purchase a set!  When I saw them I knew they would look great hanging from my ladder, especially with candles inside at night time. You can find Homely Rose on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/homely_rose/?hl=en Give them a follow as they have some really gorgeous home interiors!

Next up is this Toast rack from One Vision cnc.  If you follow me on Instagram you will know how much I love Emma Bridgewater.  This company engrave wooden items which compliment the pottery just perfectly.  I purchased one of their chopping boards over a year ago with Rose Cottage engraved on the side and it’s as good as the day I bought it!  So pleased now to have this little toast rack to match.  You can purchase it here: http://www.onevisioncnc.co.uk/oak-toast-rack—engraved–4-slice-39-p.asp

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

You can read here: Making my home beautiful with Zoflora! how much of a huge fan I am of using Zoflora when cleaning.  This next little purchase is the perfect tool to use alongside it.  I picked it up from Amazon after seeing it recommended on another blog.  I have been really impressed by this electric device, which makes cleaning small, more difficult areas a lot quicker and easier.  Get yours here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asonic+scrubber&keywords=sonic+scrubber&ie=UTF8&qid=1492355786&spIA=B01MT80ROH,B018NZ85D2,B06XS16LDN,B01MQ6GXCT

Baby

The lovely Julie has took the plunge and set up an amazing business selling beautiful children’s items.  Her stock is so different from what you would find on the high street, which is why I really love it!  Here are some items from her website, so please check it out and follow her on Instagram for stock updates.  Her website is: https://daisybelledreams.com

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Beauty and Fashion

So I picked up this fake tan after it being recommended by a local blogger I follow.  I normally stick to what I know with fake tan but this was on offer in Boots so I thought I would give it a go.  I have to say I am really impressed with this tan – the colour is so natural, smell isn’t too bad and develops almost immediately.  Definitely will be using this one if I don’t have time to tan the night before an event.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And lastly, these shoes!! I ordered these from H&M after seeing a few people/ celebs wearing similar ones.  I wasn’t too sure if I would suit them or if I could style them well, but I am totally in love! I am a huge fan of the metallic shoes which are in fashion at the moment, as they can be easily dressed up or worn casually.  They are also really comfy to wear, which is a big bonus!  Find them here: http://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0474111004.html#Silver

Let me know what your loving lately!

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

 

LIFESTYLE

40 bags in 40 days de-cluttering challenge!

Hello there!

So today was the final day of my 40 bags in 40 days de-cluttering challenge!! After seeing this idea on an Instagram feed I decided to give it a go.  I didn’t look into the ‘proper’ way to undertake this challenge and thought I would make up my own rules as I went along!  Instead of giving up chocolate, fizzy drinks, sweets etc for lent (lets face it as a new Mum I need all the sugar I can get to make it through the day!!!!) I decided to attempt to de-clutter my home/life!  My goal was to fill 40 bags, one per day, concentrating on a different area each day.  So here’s my list:

Day 1: My Clothes – Trousers

Day 2: My Clothes – PJs

Day 3: My Clothes – Boots

Day 4: My Clothes – Maternity Wear

Day 5: My Clothes – Pumps and Trainers

Day 6: My Clothes – Coats

Day 7: My Clothes – Scarfs

Day 8: My Clothes – Belts

Day 9: My Clothes – Underwear

Day 10: My Clothes – Tights and Socks

Day 11: My Clothes – Tops and Shirts

Day 12: My Clothes – Jumpers

Day 13: My Clothes – Skirts and Shorts

Day 14: Jewellery

Day 15: My Clothes – Bags

Day 16: Christmas Decorations – Indoor

Day 17: Christmas Decorations – Outdoor

Day 18: Newborn Clothes

Day 19: Hubby’s Clothes

Day 20: Hubby’s Shoes

Day 21: Home Items – Kitchen

Day 22: Home Items – Bedrooms

Day 23: Home Items – General

Day 24: Nail Varnishes

Day 25: Beauty Products

Day 26: Hair Products

Day 27: Make up and Make up Brushes

Day 28: Bedding

Day 29: Magazines

Day 30: Receipts

Day 31: Cards

Day 32: Paperwork/Post

Day 33: Photos

Day 34: DVDs

Day 35: Pets Items

Day 36: Towels

Day 37: Craft Items

Day 38: Food Items

Day 39: Books

Day 40: CDs

Now don’t let this list scare you off! As you can see from my pictures below some of my bags were smaller than others, depending on the area I was doing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I tried to upload a photo of my bag each day onto my Insta stories to keep myself accountable, but to be honest with a newborn in the house I found it almost impossible to do a bag each day so sometimes done 3 or 4 in one day when I had a spare hour.  I found this was a really feel good exercise, allowing me to free up much needed space in my home as well as being able to see exactly what I stuff I have.  I also was able to make some money along the way which was a big bonus!!

Some of my bags went into storage, some went to friends/family, I sold some items (online via webuyanybooks.com and set up an Insta selling page), hoping to do a car boot sale this month with some items, and some went to the skip.

At the end of my 40 days I can say I feel a lot better and my home is so much more organised.  So why don’t you give it a go?? Remember your home is for living space, not storage space! Would love to hear how you get on!

Hope you enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

LIFESTYLE

What’s in my changing bag?

Hello again!

I thought I would give you a look inside my changing bag today…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I think the key to a successful trip out is a well organised changing bag.  I like to pride myself in being a super organised person who brings anything and everything in her bag to cover any and all situations!  Becoming a mummy has meant this bag organisation has moved from being my handbag to the changing bag!

I am currently just using the changing bag which came in the bundle with my pram – but I actually really like this wee bag.  It is easy on the eye, goes with everything and hooks onto the pram meaning I don’t have to carry it about.

So here’s what I keep inside:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Yes I really fit all this into my changing bag!  I use the changing bag as my handbag as well, as lets face it who wants to kart about 2 bags!

So here’s a list of Harry’s items which go into the bag:

  • Nappies – I have tried out lots of different brands of nappies over the last 10 weeks but always seem to come back to Pampers.  Im not sure if its because they really are the best nappy or its just the brand name.  Harry is currently wearing size 2.
  • Wipes – Im not too fussy about what brand of wipes I use and normally just buy whichever ones are on offer!
  • Nappy bags – I bring lots of these out with me as they can have a few different uses.  If Harry is sick or has a big explosion I would put the dirty clothes into a nappy bag to bring home.
  • Changing mat – I don’t like the idea of putting my wee man onto one of those pull down changing tables without this mat, so I always use this when changing him in public.
  • Bottles and formula containers – I always bring at least 3 bottles out with me no matter how long I intend to be out for.  Ive got locked in an underground carpark because of a bomb scare before so you can never be too prepared!!  These little containers are so so handy and the little top prevents any spillage with formula powder.
  • Muslin Cloths – I normally just bring one large one out with me.  Has many uses – sick catcher, cover for breastfeeding, blanket for swaddling, or if you’ve forgotten your changing mat.
  • 2 bibs
  • Spare vest and babygrow – I would recommend bringing a baby grow as the spare outfit as lets face it when your flapping about after a huge explosion who wants to be faffing with putting an awkward outfit on a screaming child!

My items which go into the bag:

  • Purse – this one is from Cath Kidson and has a handy little pull out compartment when you don’t want to bring the whole thing.
  • Phone – lets be honest going out without this is like losing a limb!
  • Vanity bag – I fill a little makeup bag with a few comfort items for myself which includes a comb, lipgloss, tissues, sanitary products, hand gel, wipes, hair bobbles and clips.

Would love to hear what you yummy mummies keep in your changing bags?

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

 

LIFESTYLE

Easter Egg Hot Chocolate

Hello there!

I hope you have had a fun filled Easter full of memory making! If you are lucky enough to have buckets full of chocolate eggs you might be looking for other ways to eat them (apart from stuffing them all in your mouth at once!!!).  I made some yummy hot chocolate with a few of my eggs so thought I would share the idea with you!

Firstly here’s the ingredients:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

An Easter egg, milk and marshmallows.

Firstly, pour some milk into a saucepan to heat.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then break up your chocolate egg into a mug.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Once your milk has heated up, pour it into your mug over the broken chocolate.  The warm milk will melt your chocolate when stirred.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then add some marshmallows on top. You could add other toppings like whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate sauce – whatever you like!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then enjoy!

I’d love to hear if you have any other ideas using chocolate Easter eggs!

Hope you enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

LIFESTYLE

Hoppy Easter!

Hello there!

‘No matter how long the Winter, the Spring is sure to follow.’

Like most of you, I am always happy to welcome Spring.  Longer days, warmth of the sun and all the bright colours out and about.  I’ve been spending this weekend putting some Easter decorations around Rose Cottage so thought I would share some ideas with you!

Firstly, an Easter tree.  I used this porter vase from Emma Bridgewater and put in 6 strands of artificial pussy willow from Dunelm.  You can find it on this link: http://www.dunelm.com/product/artificial-pussy-willow-stem-1000001995?itsearchTerm=flowers%20artificial

I bought these beautiful eggs from Katrina at DippyDuckHQ on Instagram – she is really talented and decorates these eggs by hand.  I love Instagram for connecting with small businesses and finding quirky little items you can’t get on the high street.  Here’s the link to her page: https://www.instagram.com/katrina.lyall_dippyduck/

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A cheap and cheerful way to make your home look bright and cheery for spring is daffodils.  I picked these this morning from our garden and have them scattered around the cottage in little vases.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I don’t like to spend a lot of money on Easter decorations as they are only out on display for a short time.  I brought together some of my favourite pottery pieces and stacked them up, largest at the bottom to smallest at the top.  I think it looks really effective yet so simple.

And lastly, how cute are these little rabbit spoons which I picked up from here: https://www.tuttidecor.co.uk/product/rabbit-spoon/  Adding a little Easter touch to some afternoon tea!

The hubby and I normally go to his family’s caravan over the Easter holidays so we are excited now to bring Harry along this year too.  Hope you all have a lovely Easter celebrating with friends and family!

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

LIFESTYLE

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Hello there!

This will be my first Mother’s Day as a Mummy! To say I’m excited is an understatement! I never really thought I would see this day as a big deal for myself but I am really looking forward to spending the day celebrating with my Hubby and Harry.  We are planning a quiet day together going for a meal and then a long walk.

I thought I would show you a few items I have got recently which I think would be lovely ideas for Mother’s Day gifts.  So here goes:

Firstly this Emma Bridgewater mug.  How adorable is this mug and currently on offer on the website for only £14.95!  I am a huge Emma B fan and would love this mug in all the designs available! Find it here: http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/en/uk/icat/mugdiscount

Does your Mum love snuggling up on the sofa? How about doing it with this gorgeous pom pom throw?  This is from Matalan and is only £15! I couldn’t find it on their website but there were lots in store when I bought this one.  It’s a really good size and super soft to the touch.

Next are these personalised socks from Alphs.  This company specialises in personalised socks and have a beautiful range to choose from for Mother’s Day and lots of other occasions.  I really love these and will definitely be wearing them with pride on Sunday!  Check out the range here: https://alphs.co/collections/mothers-day   Use the code MOTHERSDAYSOCKS for 20% off their range and if you order before midday you will get free next day delivery!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Another little personalised item which I purchased recently with the addition of my little man to our family is this cross stitch.  I love how pretty it is and how Amy (the creator) has captured us all!  Her attention to detail blew me away!  Get in touch with her now to see what she can create for you – https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MamaSewGoodGifts

I got this little necklace as a Birthday gift and it hasn’t been off my neck since!  I love the mix of both silver and rose gold and the chain is fully adjustable which means it can be worn as a choker or a longer chain.  I have hinted to Harry that I would like the matching bracelet for Mother’s Day so lets hope he produces the goods!!  You can find the necklace here: http://www.argento.co.uk/en/Olivia-Burton-Silver-and-Rose-Gold-Bow-Necklace/m-57984.aspx

Screen Shot 2017-03-20 at 12.00.05

And lastly, you can’t go wrong with a picture of yourself!!  Whose Mum wouldn’t love that?!  Find these canvases here:https://www.photobox.co.uk/shop/wall-decor/canvas-prints#page=details

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

If you have any other great ideas for Mother’s Day gifts please let me know!

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

Collaborations, LIFESTYLE

Weaning (In collaboration with Glenisk)

Hello there!

There is nothing more my wee Harry loves eating than yogurt; so when Glenisk got in touch asking if they could send us some of their products I jumped at the chance!

Glenisk, who are best known for their award winning natural yogurts, are a local family business based just outside Tullymore. They are celebrating an amazing 30 years of business and have just launched an Absolutely No-Added sugar Organic Baby yogurt range. These yogurts are packed with calcium, protein and nutrients making them a perfect first weaning food for babies over 6 months!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

From early on in Harry’s weaning journey I introduced yogurts and they are definitely a favourite of his.  I struggled to find a yogurt in the supermarket with little or no added sugar and it is really important for me to be giving Harry the healthiest option out there.  Glenisk is the perfect solution to this struggle as it has no-added sugar, nothing artificial and is a great source of calcium. This makes it the perfect snack, or to use as part of a recipe.  The little yogurt pots are full of organic milk, organic fruit and nothing else!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Glenisk kindly sent us a range of flavours to try; these included: natural, apple & pear, apple & strawberry and banana & peach.  Harry has sampled all of the flavours now and you can see from his face in the photo below he loved them!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Banana and peach is a firm favourite with Harry so I will be stocking up!  They are available in Asda and Tesco NI now so super handy to pick up when doing your weekly shop!  If you would like to try a sample for free use the link here to sign up: http://glenisk.com/win/new-organic-baby-yogurts

Hope you enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

 

LIFESTYLE

Harry Potter Themed Party

Hello there!

My Sister is always super kind when it comes to special occasions, so when a close friend of hers got in contact about organising a surprise party I jumped at the chance!  The friend arranged the hire of a hot tub for the weekend, and I provided the venue and food.  I decided to go for a Harry Potter theme as my Sister is a super fan!  I searched through Pinterest a few evenings and came up with the following:

So first in the kitchen, I had a drinks table and called it ‘Snape’s Potion Class’.  I used a light box, string lights, bulb glasses and bottles under bell glasses.

I also had a sweetie table with suitcases, a cage (put a rabbit inside instead of an owl as an inside joke!!) and snacks with Harry Potter names.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Moving onto the living room; I had an invisibility cloak stand using a frame, broomstick and some hangers.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then letters coming out of the fireplace, using a string of flashing lights and some a5 pieces of paper folded over and taped.

I made a Photo Booth from a large piece of card.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I wrote on the mirror with lipstick.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then in the bathroom I placed a sign on the top of the toilet and wrote on the mirror.

And lastly heres the Birthday girl herself after 3 hours in the hot tub!!!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

These decorations were all created on a super tight budget and most things I already had!  It just shows you don’t need to spend a fortune when you can be creative with what you have in your home!

Let me know if you have any other great party ideas!

Hope you enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill

INTERIORS

Harry’s Little Room

Hello again!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Harry has the first room in the whole house to be totally finished!  We have now been living in Rose Cottage a year and there are still so many finishing touches needed for each room.  I have had to start taking lists out with me shopping to remind me of what I need to get to complete the other rooms! (I’m blaming this on baby brain!!)

Lots of lovely people on Instagram have commented on Harry’s room so I’ve decided to take you on a little tour!  Some of you may notice I have moved it around a bit – and I think its a much better layout and makes the room feel bigger.

I’ll try my best to provide links of where the items are from, but if I have missed something please feel free to ask!

Chair – http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/sofas-armchairs/armchairs/poäng-rocking-chair-white-smidig-black-spr-59163269/

Star Storage Bag – https://www.instagram.com/hello___henry/

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Cotton Ball Lights – http://www.prettyprintsuk.co.uk/product/cotton-ball-lighting

Shelves and Clock – B&M

Print – https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FreddieTheKid

Letter H – Matalan

Rabbit – M&S

Small ‘Love Harry’ frame – http://mymummymakes.bigcartel.com

H Candle – Asda

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Personalised Bunting – https://www.instagram.com/dimpledthimble/

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Star Light, H Tag and Star Flag – Next

Small ‘H is for Harry’ frame – http://mymummymakes.bigcartel.com

3 Stars – https://www.instagram.com/homely_rose/

Print – https://www.instagram.com/booandco.designs/

Small Star Storage bag – H&M

Cloud Storage – TKMax

Star Mat – https://www.instagram.com/perfectlylovelyjen/

3 Superhero Pegs – https://www.instagram.com/blossomandwood/

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This cot has been passed down through the generations!

Bunting and bedding – B&M

Moon cushion – H&M

Star Lights – Ikea (Christmas range)

Cloud laundry basket – B&M

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Voil curtains – Ikea

Roller Blind – The Range (I added the pompoms)

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Jill