Garbo, hay bales and a trolley in Chester

It has long been a known fact that it is impossible to split ones self in two.  I've tried.  It usually ends badly.  For those that are proper hands on people in their companies, the ones that don't do so well at letting go and passing things on, you'll understand that finding someone who you know you can totally trust with your company values is a bit like finding a piece of Welsh Gold on the number 43 bus to Picadilly Gardens.

My Welsh Gold comes in the shape of Eleanor. (When I type her name I say Ellee - Ay - Knorr in my head so as not to forget the a.)  For those that were lucky enough to meet her in Chester, she's a total trooper.  She heaved the hay bale, wine crates, easels, scrumpy jars, books, flowers, wreaths, a dress and naturally four bridal bouquets and a frame into the Guildhall in Chester for a day of meeting brides, grooms and the photographers (darling). 

I think she did a grand job, the stall looked fabulous.  Garbo was a great hit.  By chance, Lucy wore it the following weekend (not this sample dress, her own one that she ordered from a bridal shop in Yorkshire I believe.) Her wedding featured dahlias, craspedia, chocolate cosmos, chillis, gourds, physalis, oak, carthamus.....and a ton of other things including rosehips.  All colour touched with black and white ribbon.  Oh, and a soft top Morris Minor as a wedding car.

Enjoy seeing what Eleanor did in Chester.  Round of applause to the Welsh Gold if you please.

Laura x

Floral swoon at The Monastery Wedding Fayre

This was the fayre where I wore bright blue suede peep toe heels with bows on the front.  They played Move Like Jagger during the catwalk show and Eleanor was in Chester.

I promised a scented stand, I delivered. There were Norma Jean roses and Tuberose.  Swoon. 

We featured Harriet.  She's a new kid on the block at Charlotte Balbier.  Would look wonderful on the red carpet at the Oscars in my opinion. 

Brides were met (and grooms).  I ate Twirl bites. They come in a resealable bag, not a necessity when I'm the consumer. 

If we met you there on the day you'll have seen my new porfolio. Fancy eh?

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Laura x

A great deal of colour and a recommendation about Bop Local

The straw bale is back.  I went to Northwich yesterday to collect it.  Eleanor put it in the back of the car.  She is the strongest size 8 I've ever met.  She then made peanut butter on toast and a hot cup of tea and we chatted about the world of dance, husbands, ribbon and america.  It was an excellent morning.

We did two wedding fayres at the weekend.  More about them soon.   Any bride who met Garbo and loved it must wear flowers in their hair. I insist upon it.

For this wedding I had to lie on the floor to take some of the pictures.  I've given up on fancy angled shots, mine just look like I've taken it after one to many glasses of Pimms.  So, macro it is, although I've made a new discovery.  I can change the ISO.  Pointless really.  No idea what it means or does.

The wedding was a riot of colour.  A bride. Five bridesmaids.  A groom.  A big party.  The bride made a recommendation that I'd like Bop Local.   My pal Rach goes.  She's going to be a bridesmaid for the sixth time soon.  These two facts are entirely unrelated.  Both true.

Tablecentres were all planted.  Heather, cyclamen and ivy.  In trugs and pots that I painted myself.  Mainly Dulux, though there's a Crown in there too I think.

Laura x

Hay bales in Chester and paintwork in The Monastery

All in a weekend.  Yep, we've been busy today preparing for Sunday when you'll be able to come a see what we're all about.  I shan't be splitting myself in two, that would be gory.  I leave that to the people who write movies that make you jump.  I'll be at The Monastery and in Chester, you'll get the opportunity to meet the lovely Eleanor. 

Both schemes will be different.  At The Monastery (my great friend Katy took the picture of the ballerina you see below) we'll be going all rustic reds and ivories (including scented roses....sniffing them on the day is encouraged) inspired by the original paintwork at the alter.  In Chester, we've gone for a barn dance feel.  There's even going to be a hay bale.  Expect a riot of autumn oranges mixed with cheery colour, dahlias (one of my favourites), wicker hearts and twiggy wreaths.  Some of the things on the stand are for sale, but that would be telling.

Not sure what I'm going to do with a hay bale come Monday morning.  This is a mystery that I'm sure will be more solvable that trying to fathom why Steps are reforming.  Answers on a postcard please.

Laura x

Chester Guildhall
Watergate Street
Chester
CH1 2LA
11pm-4pm Entry £4 on the Door

Oh how I love Mimosa, but my oh my does it make me sneeze

Lilies do it too.  Make me sneeze I mean.  Even florists aren't immune you see.  Got to get in there quick, whip the stamen out and hope for the best.  I once knew a landlady who was the most excellent chef at The Rising Sun pub in Cornwall.  She was allergic to shellfish.  I could never bring myself to order the scallops, it just didn't seem right.  The scampi was however, most excellent.

This week I've gone back in time.  To a time when the sun shone and mimosa was available.  I love the stuff.  I've got to blog this months weddings soon, I'll catch up.  Don't fear.

In other news.  Strictly is back.  It's been two weeks of full on glitter.  I've been obsessed.  My dance teacher went the first one.  Jealous.  She had to wear heels, in a heatwave, with no mobile phone.  I was having a barbeque after the weddings were done. 

Another one of lifes mysteries.  When did the man from Maroon 5 get all cool? (Am I allowed to say cool?  Am I now to old for that?  What is the modern equivalent?  Answers on a postcard please).  He used to be 'that nice boy' in that song that was on repeat in the dormitories at school.  Amazing how a repeat button can be overused. 

Either way.  The new man brings us an excellent cha cha tune.   

Laura x 

In the times before rain, I helped build a garden....

I'm not Lynn Anderson, and neither did I promise a rose garden.  What we did do is make things flower.  Trade secrets on how we produced an allium from a lily, and delphi and gladi in full bloom so early on in the year shall remain a secret.  (Well, otherwise life would have no mysteries, and Midsommer frankly wouldn't be the same would it?)

Anyway.  This isn't Midsommer - good job, or I'd have no neighbours left I suppose - nor was it actually summer when we worked on the set for the latest Cooperative adverts showing Blighty in full sun, but the results that the team finally produced are worthy of an RHS medal, I'm sure you'll agree. 

They constructed this garden out of a patch of grass, alot of plants (to which we added anything you see that's in flower), a great deal of rather large lighting fixtures, non permanent fencing and handsome man who put the fence panels up.  Sadly, no picture of said handsome man although I do know he's from round here and his brother lives in London.

Flowers for the table were also needed.  "We'd like vintage style soft garden flowers in six of these* if that's OK?" "No problem at all.  In those*? How lovely. Consider it done."

Setting up behind the scenes is a great deal of fun. You meet the actors. You work with a fab team who are brilliant at giving you a detailed brief, you work to it and deliver, and then they say nice things about you.....and you work again, on the new ads that will be ASOS in a few weeks time.

Anyway, here's a few behind the scenes pics I took.

Mighty proud, that, I am.

Laura x

*Cath Kidston multicoloured glasses