Monday Mood-board
6th February 2012
It should come as no surprise that our inspiration for design and crafting this weekend came from snow. We heard about it, read about it and of course saw a flurry of it. So before we pack away our sledge and shake the slush from our wellies, take pleasure in our visual homage to the weekend’s weather...
All images © can be found on Pinterest. Big Little Things does not own these images and will remove any upon request.
A real spring wedding
3rd February 2012
As we embark upon the month of February the thoughts of true love (Valentines day, leap year proposals) are in our minds. So how better that to kick it off with a beautiful real wedding? We love real wedding photography when it portrays genuine emotions and love. This real wedding encapsulates just that. The couple (or should we say trio!) in question are Hollie and Ashley with their gorgeous little boy.
The classic church ceremony was followed by a charming vintage themed reception at the historic Stone Manor Hotel in Worcestershire. The wedding took place on one of the hottest days of 2011, so it was foresight on Hollies’ part to have a vintage ice cream cart to provide the guest with a delicious cooling treat in the sun!
The timeless beauty of this spring wedding was brilliantly captured by Samantha J Photography. Speaking about her approach to photographing the wedding Samantha said “Hollie wanted everything to be relaxed and fun. She felt very strongly that their son was a big part of the day too.” The images show that Samantha achieved just that. She added “My style of photography is a mixture of natural, reportage and formal images which ensures that your memories are captured in an unobtrusive way.” West Midlands-based Samantha J Photography not only offers wedding photography but stunning portrait photography too (more on that in the near future!)
Image © Samantha J Photography
Vendours
Venue: Stone Manor Hotel
Dress: Jessica David Bridal
Monday mood-board
30th January 2012
As we draw to the close of January, carpets of pretty, dew covered grass and snowdrops appear on the Great British landscape. It’s the signal of the turn of a season and the beginning of the end of winter. So while it’s mightily bitter outside, seek inspirational winters end joy from our Monday mood-board.
All images © can be found on Pinterest. Big Little Things does not own these images and will remove any upon request.
Whimsical woodland wedding
27th January 2012
Feast you eyes on this whimsical woodland wedding. These glorious shots are taken by the fabulous Claire Penn Photography. Allow Claire to inspire you with this Midsummer Night’s Dream style forest shoot and its magical woodland banqueting table of forest fruits, moss, terrariums, candles and draping ivy. The stunning woodland bouquets use a mix of flora and fauna, from woodland berries to romantic Roses they combine rich reds and splashes of tangerine tango. The back drop for this incredible wedding shoot is Abbeywood Estate near Chester, with its ephemeral wooded landscape it was the idyllic location for such an enchanting theme
Cheshire based Claire is commissioned to shoot weddings all over the UK. With her talent for capturing a moment and its beauty she says “I absolutely love what I do. It is important to capture genuine, artistic and above all, natural expressions of who you are. Being a part of incredibly significant moments is truly an honour.” Of the forest shoot Claire said “The shoot was such fun and we styled a strong inspirational look.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Images © Claire Penn Photography
Vendours
Venue: Abbeywood Estate
Dress: Vintage Rose Bridal
Accessories: Victoria Mary Vintage
Make Up: Victoria Thomas MUA
Model: Kit Williams
Props: Saddleworth Shindigs
Flowers: Red Floral
Chinese New Year
23rd January 2012
We’re feeling a fondness for celebrating Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon. I (Sarah) was born in 1976, the year of the dragon. It likes to come around every twelve years! So we decided to put together a little mood-board to get you in the spirit of things! As with most cultures there is an array of iconic images and symbols that are associated with China.
Here are our top 5....
Top 5 Chinese inspired trends
- Oriental flowers – there are so many to choose from but our favourites are the Plum Blossom (became the National Flower of the Republic of China in 1964, one for the history fans) and the Tree Peony. Simply lovely.
- Calligraphy – the beauty and mystery of Chinese calligraphy is powerful and symbolic. That gets a big ‘tick’ from us.
- Lanterns – whether they are the paper variety used as a garland of colour or those that you light into the sky they are beautiful and a lot of fun! We adore the orange lantern plants and can’t get enough of our quirky mood board lantern wreath.
- Parasol – traditionally made from bamboo and paper they are versatile in terms of the colours, patterns and decoration available. They could brighten up any summer’s day.
- Fans – literally a cool accessory. Whether made from paper or silk they are a full of girly cuteness.
Happy Chinese New Year!
All images © can be found on Pinterest. Big Little Things does not own these images and will remove any upon request.
Romantic ruffle revolution
20th January 2012
A ruffle revolution has begun! Romantic and feminine - the ruffle has it all for the UK bride.
Ruffles of organza, tulle and Chantilly lace were featured by designers at New York’s October 2011 Bridal Fashion week. This gave us a little insight into the direction of bridal couture for the next 12 months. This type of styling can be seen in the current collections of British designers including Ian Stuarts ‘Killer Queen’ collection, Sassi Holfords couture collection and L’amour by Suzanne Neville.
Ruffles are not only prevalent on the bridal catwalk but on the celebrity circuit too. This month alone has seen celebrities including Elle Macpherson boasting a nude Zac Posen strapless gown with ruffle and frill detail at the Golden Globes.
Devil in the detail
So how do you make the best out of the ruffle trend? For a theme or trend to work well it should to weave seamlessly through all elements of the day. Our motto is ‘the devil is in the detail’ and it is vital to create a flow from the detailing on the dress and accessories, to the flowers and the cake. With the dress at centre stage, the opulent frills and tousle detail can be echoed on the shoes and accessories such as a beautiful fascinator or bag.
The ruffle revolution can be continued on the wedding cake too. The delicate ruffle detail can envelop the cake with sugar icing, buttercream or shards to create something truly stunning. Further still, we suggest continuing the ruffle theme in the bridal posy with the use of flowers such as peonies.
Altogether this will create a beautiful and dreamy look for the day of all days - your wedding day. Take a look at our mood board for some ruffle inspiration!
All images © can be found on Pinterest. Big Little Things does not own these images and will remove any upon request.
Colour trend 2012
16th January 2012
At the beginning of each year, Fran and I get all excited and giddy about the New Year ahead. It’s like Christmas all over again in our office as the colour predictions influence and inspire us to buy fabrics and design products that will work during the year. Pantone® the global authority on colour announced Tangerine Tango to be the colour trend for 2012. I instantly thought of spray tans and fizzy drinks. However, both Fran and I liked the way Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone® had described the spirited reddish orange. “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it.” Now that sounds like the kind of colour everyone needs!
Brave orange tones featured strongly in the Spring/Summer 2012 fashion collections showcased in London and New York in September and Paris in October. So much so that I had already speckled my own wardrobe with hints of its citrus glow. This vivacious colour can certainly hold its own throughout the seasons. To help you make the most out of this year’s big colour trend we have suggested colours and tones to help enhance and compliment this feisty statement colour.
Colours with compliments
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Sage green
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Aqua marine blue
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Soft raspberry pink
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Olive green
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Pale gold and neutrals
Simply weave, splash and work these colours with Tangerine Tango for an exciting look.
There is a good selection of orange flowers that can make any home interior or bouquet look stylish. Spring offers tulips such as Anthony Eden which are ideal for contemporary simplicity, or if you are looking for a summer statement flower a Gerbera Daisy is striking and fun. Roses are a timeless classic and an orange rose such as Ranunculus, Orange Unique and Versilla represent desire, enthusiasm and passion, much like the Tangerine tango colour itself.
So be brave, try the Tangerine Tango.
All images © can be found on Pinterest. Big Little Things does not own these images and will remove any upon request.