Buying the happy couple a wedding gift stems from the tradition of purchasing something to help the newlyweds set up their first home together. The more modern coupling means that the bride and groom more often than not live together before they marry which means that most basics are taken care of. The upshot of modern relationships means that, rather than buying practical items for the home, we can buy beautiful ones instead – not because they serve any purpose but just because they look pretty! Indeed, the new way of buying a wedding gift is definitely aimed at women buying for the bride - the groom seems to have lucked out along the way somehow…
As someone invited as a guest to the wedding, you want to give a lovely gift that will be appreciated and cherished by the new couple (okay, bride!) The difficulty as gift-bearer is to choose exactly the right gift for the recipient. Cookware – no matter how pretty – can give the message of ‘please try harder in the kitchen’ when you are actually just trying to get an extra batch of those fabulous choc chip cookies you had on the last girl’s night in. A framed picture of you and the bride-to-be screams ‘don’t choose a man over me’ when you just want her to have a memento of that Friday night in Crete. Gift vouchers are just plain lazy, steer clear at all costs.
Keep your gift personal by giving her something that you know she would love, and not something that you yourself would love to receive. Make your gift relevant to her new life as a Mrs – pay attention to colour schemes in her home and pick something that fits in. Stay away from sale items – the price tag will lead you astray and convince you that its very right when it’s oh-so-wrong. The last rule to follow is to buy when you have time to browse the shops – shopping for a wedding gift is not something which should be done in a lunch hour. Keep these points in mind when you next have a wedding gift to shop for and you’ll hopefully come up with the perfect gift, If all else fails, the receipt in a sealed envelope accompanying the gift is never a bad idea!
French Shabby Chic style can be explained as French-inspired worn and distressed items which are not actually as old as they look, but rather designed to look much older than they are!
Very popular in large country homes, the peeling paintwork and chintzy-style decor add to that lived-in feel and can help to make a house into more of a home. Although haphazard and rustic in its appearance, if done right, the end result is one of opulence and elegance - and can even help the environment too through recycling old furniture and giving it a new lease of life with a few coats of paint and the help of some sandpaper!
The French twist to the standard shabby chic look takes inspiration from the French Chateaus with grand pieces of worn furniture, large distressed gilded framed mirrors and fabric accents in the form of French linens used for sumptuous cushions and oversized drapes. Although a seven-foot high antique French piece might look a bit out of place above your fireplace (!) a modern smaller version might be just what your home needs. The idea is to take inspiration and adapt it to suit your home environment. Before you know it you will be channelling the French shabby chic style to perfection!
Garden Pots and Planters set off the flowers at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show to perfection with a riot of colour and design.
Highlights in the garden pots and planters category included Spanish-style flowerpot holders designed to attach flowerpots to walls, pergolas, trellis and wherever else you can think of! Stone troughs were used in abundance to contrast with vibrant blooms of every colour of the rainbow and eco-friendly wicker planters created a natural concept which ran through from pot to plant.
Garden pots and planters were everywhere you looked in sizes ranging from ‘egg-cup tiny’ to vast planters housing fantastic banana trees, bursting out from every angle. As well as the variety of sizes, colours and textures were used to blend in, contrast and even reflect their surroundings – as seen in the huge mirrored urns in one spectacular display. In addition to the usual high standard of flowers on show, there was also a nod to the self-sufficient home grower with a large selection of potato barrels, tomato planters and raised vegetable beds with the fruit and vegetables spilling out of them in vivid colours with aromas to match.
It’s definitely worth a trip down to the flower show next year if you didn’t get the chance this year – if not to buy, then certainly to pick up a few tips for your garden at home.
