About Me

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antrim, antrim, Ireland
Hello and welcome to my blog. If you like flowers and gardens, housey stuff, food and banter, then this is the place for you. I am a decorative artist, florist and maker of things. I sell painted furniture, plants and crafts, through a local retail shop, in my native Ireland, and wedding flowers from home. I am married to a lovely patient man and have a smashing little girl. I blog for the fun of it. Thank you for listening.

Thursday 25 October 2012

With a little help from my friends!

I saw this photo on Pinterest and thought it was a lovely idea to put 2 fairy cakes together to make a little mini cake. So I made some of my own.


Not quite as pretty as the above, but they did taste lovely.

Now then, down to business. I would like to ask you, my readers, followers and occasional pop-in(ers). If you would mind helping me out a little. I am going to take a stand at the 'Quirky Wedding Fair' in Belfast in Februrary. I am very excited about it and about moving my flower business on. I have so many ideas buzzing around my head about how I would like my stand to look, too many in fact. So, this is were you come in. I have put together some collages on Picmonkey of the sort of looks I could create, and I would very much appreciate your thoughts and comments. Imagine you are a bride to be, or a groom, for that matter, which of the themes would get your attention and why.

Theme 1 Driftwood      A beachy theme with shells, lanterns, candles and burlap. Soft pastel colours.


Theme 2 Classic Black & White    Elegant and tailored, classic white flowers, some clever back and white art work as a backdrop.

Theme 3 Rustic Country    Zinc, baskets, crates, chicken wire. Country flowers and fruit.

 Theme 4 Bling   Diamante, mercury glass, crowns, stars, pink and girly.



Theme 5 Bird's Nests & Eggs   Natural style decorations, twiggy branches and wreaths, gentle colours.



 Theme 6 Classic Country   Lots of green swags, white flowers, elegant urns and terracotta,


Theme 7 Butterflies & Birdcages    Real and paper flowers, butterflies in cloches and on wreaths. Decorative birdcages. Colours could be pastel or bright.


I do hope you enjoy looking at the images and conjuring up possible Wedding scenarios in your mind's eye.
Have a wonderful weekend, with love Linda x.

All photo's are from here or my own.

44 comments:

  1. Oh I like all of them!!!
    That's not helpful is it????!!!
    Love Helen xx

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    1. Hi Helen, no not helpful at all, but thankyou! Love Linda x

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  2. I like them all too! Although if I really really had to choose it would be Theme 3 Rustic Country because it is very me! Cx

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    1. Hello Catherine, thank you for your feedback. I incline towards 'country' myself. Love Linda x

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  3. Mmmmmm..........j'espere que des petit gateaux strait trop Bon! :0)j'adore aussi les mosaiques avec des differents photos!! Cool :0)

    Bonne semaine!!! XD
    xxx Maria xxx

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    1. Maria, welcome, and thank you for your kind comments. Love LInda x

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  4. Hi Linda...from experience I would keep it quite simple and do a couple of really lovely displays, a few bouquets that a bride can try out and lots of photos in a portfolio of your work....almost every bride we have quoted for lately has wanted a country look if that's' any help??!! have fun with it..xx Kay

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    2. Hi Kay, sorry I fluffed up my reply and had to delete it. Thanks so much for your very welcome advice, it is very helpful. Love Lindda x.

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  5. How wonderful to have some professional advice as Kay's above. I'm useless, Linda, I just looked at all your mood boards and thought they were wonderful! Each and every one. I love the seaside one but if one should be limiting one's choices maybe this one would be the first to go?

    How very exciting!

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    1. Hello Stephanie, I have to say that I like all these themes and think that a seaside display would look wonderful. What I want to do though is to create something that will cause the most people to stop and look.
      Thank you for your input, it is much appreciated.
      Love Linda x

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  6. Themes 5 and 3 are my favorites. Something about theme 5 made me immediately attracted to it, a gut thing of this is so pleasant, I must stop here.

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    1. Hello Rubye, thankyou for your comments. I notice in America, weddings are very often on a country theme, in barns and in old wooden churches. I do love the relaxed and friendly look that they have.Love Linda x

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  7. Hi Linda. WhAT An exciting project this will be for you. Personally, I love theme number 3 - rustic country. Followed by number 2 - classic black & white. Hope this helps!! Good luck with it all my friend x

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    1. Hi Diane, yes I am really excited about doing this Fair. Thank you so much for your comments. You are a little like me, in that you like the classical and the rustic. However I think that simplicity is the key for me, this time. Love Linda x

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  8. Hi Linda! Wow! Good stuff! I would go for the black & white theme. How lovely it would be to have a wedding which was reminiscent of the scene in My Fair Lady, where Eliza goes to the races dressed in black and white!

    Lots of stores in Manhattan have windows dedicated to this theme and dummies dressed just like Eliza. Everybody stops to look!

    Yes, black & white... my favourite colour combination, just striking, beautiful, stylish and eye catching!

    You could go crazy with black & white and do something stunningly beautiful! I'm thinking big hats, bows, sugared almonds, silk orchids. Nothing understated... stripes, polka dot, black and white silk drapes and big white arum lilies. I wouldn't go classic with black and white: I would go crazy, but not classic: bold and eccentric would be different!

    I like the black and white blackdrop idea, too... I wish this were my project!

    Good luck!

    ANNA

    xx

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    1. Anna, I would have been very disappointed if this didn't get your creative juices flowing. Thank you for all your ideas. Love Linda x

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  9. Ww you have been busy! Just putting those collages together must have been quite something.

    Now then...my favourites are no.3 and no.6, and the black and white is a close third.

    Oh I do hope your business soars - you have such a flair for decor.

    ps fabby fab little cakes.

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    1. Hi Wendz, thank you for your lovely comments.A mix of the country and the classical....intersting.Love Linda x

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  10. Hello Linda
    Wishing you much success at the Show.

    I love your images - my favourite is No. 6 followed by the black/white theme.

    Wedding themes are a very personal matter and trends also come into play.

    Helen xx

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    1. Hello Helen, thank you for your comments. You are so right about it being a personal thing, and of course what is on trend will effect people's choices.
      What I want to achieve with the look of my stand, is something that will draw people's attention, and make them curious to see what it's all about. Love Linda x

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  11. Hi Linda!
    I'm with Helen T. on No. 6 and No. 2!
    I am so excited for you. I hope that you are able to share photographs of the event with us.

    Your cakes are prettier that the Pinterest image!
    Take care, my friend!
    ~Lynne
    w/L.

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    1. Hello Lynne, thankyou for your comments.Well yes, No.2 and No.6 are exactly what I thought you would choose, classical and elegant! Glad you liked my oozy cakes! Love Linda x

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  12. Hi Linda, I am drawn to No 6 and No 3 in that order...maybe it is the green and grey combination that attracts me?
    Hope you have a very successful Wedding Fair,
    Julie x

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    1. Hi Julie, yes I am with you on the green and the grey, the classical and the country.Thank you for your comments. Love Linda x

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  13. Hello Linda:
    Would that you were on hand for our wedding which was a very, very small, quiet affair with only our parents as witnesses followed by a luncheon for friends at an hotel in the Cotswolds. But we digress. Back to the matter in hand.

    This sounds as though it will be a wonderful opportunity to promote your business and we can well understand the importance of getting it right and, even more so, appealing to as many different potential brides and grooms as is possible. And to do that, we certainly think that you should have available a number of different suggestions and ideas as you have in this post. Possibly creating some mood boards along these lines or, indeed, have images on your computer which could be readily and easily brought up to show people.

    Of all that you show here, our favourites are without a doubt the Classic Black and White and the Classic Country. Both have a deceptive, underlying simplicity [which is in fact not so at all], clean clear lines, elegance, a lack of fussiness resulting in too much detail which can sometimes become an obstacle to appreciating the whole, boldness, a sense of purpose [think of those trees installed in Westminster Abbey] and above all an understated sophistication.

    We do so hope that you will post further on this whole project and photographs of your stand are an absolute MUST. Love as always.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance, thank you for your comments. As ever, you take time to answer so clearly and succinctly. When I put these collages together, my initial feeling was for the Classic black and white. However, this Wedding Fair is for people who want something different and 'quirky'and by having my stall in a 'classic' style. I might not be fitting in with their ideas.

      I know that probably most people going to the Fair will end up with something more conventional, but I perhaps need to present them with something more radical to begin with, to get them thinking of the possibilities of their 'dream wedding.'

      I will most certainly keep you posted about my stand. Much love, Linda x

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  14. It would be classic country for me, though they are all lovely of course. Good luck, it sounds really, really exciting whilst being tummy trembling and hard work!

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    1. Maggie, thank you for your comments. I don't mind the hard work, but the tummy trembling bit I'm not so keen on, but it is necessary to keep me on the ball! Love Linda x

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  15. Hi, Linda! Nice collages! My favourites are #3 and #6 :o) And your cakes look very yummy as well :O)
    Thank you so much for your kind comment, dear friend
    Have a sweet weekend
    love
    Natasha

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    1. Thankyou for your kind comments Natasha, it seems no.s 3 & 6 are very popular.Love Linda x

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  16. Such gorgeous images and wonderful choices for possible weddings! I love them all, really, and think having a good range to choose from is important for clients. I love quirky things like the butterflies and birdcages and I also love the stylish look of classic country. I agree with Jane and Lance that mood boards would be a great way for the bridal couple to choose the look and feel they'd like. Good luck with the fair!
    Thanks for your sweet comment today (have a happy halloweenie too!)
    Helen x

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    1. Hi Helen, I think I will have to steal Daisy's little 'Halloweenie' expression as I just love it! Many thanks for your helpful comments and good wishes. Love Linda x

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  17. You have some wonderfully inspiring ideas and images here Linda, and they are all lovely in their own way. Every bride has her dream wedding in mind and no two will be exactly the same, so I guess you have to consider whether you are wanting to offer "all things to all men (brides!)" or to focus on one or two themes.
    Rustic Country style in its various forms seems to be an enduringly popular wedding theme from dressed haybales for seating and simple country flower bouquets etc, and which could also include many of your ideas from other moodboards, ie. the French birdcages, birds nests, etc and even rural natural seaside elements, ie sea shells, sea glass and driftwood.
    At the same time many brides dream of something altogether more glamorous and stylish incorporating the good taste of your "classic country" and "black and white" themes with a bit of tasteful "bling" thrown in.
    So I suppose what comes to my mind seeing all your boards is that you've got it all here really - all of your boards/themes could roughly be divided into two - Elegant Town wedding and Simple Country style for want of better words. That way you would appeal to most people, and could adapt a basic Town or Country theme incorporating the whole spectrum of ideas you already have - they just pick out the elements for a tailor made wedding from your many inspiring ideas in both areas.
    Or just go with one type and expand that.ie. Simple Country style with a twist of something from your related ideas.
    Sorry Linda, I got carried away! But I hope its been helpful!
    Gill xx

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    1. Gill, thank you so much for your comments, and taking the time to expand on them. It is all most helpful information. Love Linda x

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  18. Not easy to choose, Linda, I love them all! If I had to choose just one, I guess it would be the Theme 6 Classic Country. Why? Because it is so elegant and beautiful. Swags, gorgeous floral arrangements in urns, candles... oh yes, that's my favorite!
    Now I'm going to read what everyone else wrote in your comments!
    Hugs,
    Zuzu

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    1. Hello Zuzu, thank you so much for your comments. You have chosen my personal favourite also.Love Linda x

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  19. I have to agree with some of the previous posters in that a selection of these would be lovely. Just having one theme would be limiting to the brides.

    I like the idea of "idea boards" picturing your own work, not just pictures and inspiration taken from the internet and sites like pinterest. Any of the things you have presented above that are your own work would be lovely [I love them all, so pretty] and would surely make me want to stop and ask on behalf of our daughters.

    I also thought a portfolio either in a book with pics or on a laptop was a brilliant suggestion too. You don't want to stretch yourself too thin, but with so many different types of brides and grooms I am sure an array to pick from would work well.

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    1. Hi SkippyMom, thank you for your well thought out comments. I agree it is better to have photos of my own work where possible. Love Linda x

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  20. All the collages are amazing you really have the eye for beautiful things:) you always surprise me with your blog entries:)

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    1. Hello SunnyToast, thank you so much for your kind comments, they are much appreciated. Love Linda x

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  21. Nice collages! I really like theme number 2 and 4.
    They are very chique, bridal, en festive.
    If you need some more inspiration just google "Chateau
    de Moissac" ( images), you will find some lovely pictures for you collage.
    Good luck at the fair!

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    1. Thank you Hennie for your comments and tips, I shall check them out. Love Linda x

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  22. The best were theme 1 & 3...then I saw theme 6...and that one is gorgeous!! I'm sure you will knock their socks off...good luck at the fair! Robx
    p.s. I'm pinning onto by board called Steph's Wedding...where I save images towards her possible wedding...she thinks it's hilarious as she's not planning on getting married anytime soon...but I know she sneaks a look every now and then and I think I even spotted a 'like' from her!!

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