Dirty Fabulous Open Day

It's true that Caroline and Kathy from Dirty Fabulous are friends of mine but I am such a fan of their Vintage boutique on Baggot Street! Their boudoir showroom is crammed full of the most glamorous one-off designs sourced in New York, Paris and Berlin. You can just imagine the stories behind some of these outfits!

Such is the demand for vintage bridal dresses that the girls are flying to New York next week and have already previewed a range of original vintage gowns from the 1940's to 1970's that they will be choosing from.

If you would like a chance to visit the shop without an appointment, then you should visit the Dirty Fabulous Open Day next Saturday from 10am to 6pm. This will be a huge opportunity to grab some gorgeous vintage bargains with some extra special 2 for 1 offers. For more info, visit the blog or read my previous post.

The girls are in New York from Tuesday 6th and will reopen on Thursday 15th of October. Book in now if you'd like to be one of the first to see their dazzling bridal collection! And remember these are all one of a kind gowns. This shop has something for everyone from mother of the bride to party goer!

For more information visit the website or contact the girls on 01 6624249

Divine blue...

I love the tradition of wearing something blue or including a blue element in your wedding theme. My friend Denise Assas, couturier, sews a blue ribbon into the lining of all her bridal gowns!

These flower images caught my eye - the top image is taken by Cheri Pearl and the bouquet of flowers are by Picotte Photography. Both were found via Style Me Pretty.

Friday inspiration

Sometimes I see an image that really inspires me and that's exactly what happened when I came across the work of Elena Kalis!

Elena is a Russian photographer who now lives on an island in the Bahamas. She specialises in underwater photography. You may have read my previous post about underwater photography - if so, you'll know that I love underwater imagery for it's magical and fluid qualities. Forms move in such a beautiful way and lighting effects can be so theatrical.

I love the two images above. The first one could almost be a 'Trash the dress' wedding picture!

Rangoli commission

This hair accessory was designed for a bride who is due to be married very shortly! I really loved working with her to create this unique piece.

'She' who shall remain anonymous, (in case someone reading this recognises her name!), came to me with some pictures of hairstyles and accessories that she liked. We started by trying on lots of my hair accessories and picking out elements that she really liked. I then did some sketches and shared some of my ideas with her. Gradually the design and structure of the piece emerged. Finally we chose the colour and beading detail to complement her gown fabric.

The picture above is of the final piece and we were both really happy with the result! You'll have to excuse my hairdressing skills though...

First Dance

Oh how I wish I could dance like this! Sit back and watch this couple demonstrate how to do it in style - (turn the muic up full blast)!

Via Something Old, Something New.

Rangoli bride

I was taking a peek at photographer, Nicola Webster's blog the other day and came across a picture of one of my clients! Barbara commissioned me to make a crochet headband for her wedding. I love how this piece is incorporated into her soft up-style.

I'm a big fan of Nicola's style and love her attention to detail. Her photography blog captures all the excitement of her job and her enthusiasm is really infectious! It's definitely one to bookmark so you can follow her most recent weddings.

Inspiring lace

I love decoration and pattern and am particularly inspired by the wonderful patterns found in nature. Many lace patterns feature intricate floral designs.

Lace is a technique which has been used in clothing since the late 15th Century. The labour-intensive nature of these delicate designs make them highly valuable. Like miniature pieces of art, they are considered as heirlooms and are lovingly passed from generation to generation.

These images show how lace is still stylish and sexy in the 21st century for both bridal and evening-wear! I'd be happy to own the Valintino dress, above, from his Fall 2009 collection :-)

Sugar cookies

Ok, so cupcakes rock and are just so pretty but check out these amazing hand decorated sugar cookies from SweetAmbs. I came across this company on Etsy which is an amazing source for unusual hand-made objects.

SweetAmbs cookies are baked to order and Amber decorates each one by hand. Although the company is based in Chicago, the cookies are individually wrapped and heat sealed, giving them a shelf life of up to four weeks.

So what are you waiting for? Read more about Amber's cookie's on her blog or read other posts that I have written about cakes.