Talking Tables Truly Alice Party Table

I'm really excited to share with you my latest styling and photography work for Talking Tables. This Truly Alice, Alice in Wonderland party table is full to the brim with the most gorgeous and detailed party decorations I have ever seen. I won't lie this brief did stretch me but I am delighted with the results and think these images might just be some of my favourites. 

When I received my box of goodies three products stood out - the Tree Shaped Cake Stand  , it looks like magic but is so easy to put up and pack away. The Truly Alice Prop Set , these are large scale original illustrations that would look just as good framed in a room as they do for a party. Changing the scale the Truly Alice Pick Set was perfect for creating a mini wonderland around the table. Of course everything else was lovely but these were the pieces that brought the table to life.

There were so many elements to this Alice inspired table but my favourite has to be the cake stand/ grazing board. Because the theme was Alice in Wonderland I wanted it to feel a bit trippy - starting with a vintage mirror and tree cake stand I added 'crystal' cut vases of brightly coloured flowers and grasses followed by the most colourful cakes and biscuits (including the classic Alice jam tarts) I could find. If you want something healthier you could go for all the coloured veg crudites instead. Using the Truly Alice Party Picks and the decorations that come with the cake stand, I dotted the characters around the serving plate (mirror),  I love how this created a tiny world in contrast to the extra large party props in the background. On some of the cake stand levels I added mini crowns filled with flowers to bring a garden feel up and out of the main table. If you are creating this for your own event I would allow one cakestand for every eight people or if this is for a wedding with individual tables of around 8/10 people, then one stand per table would also work.

For the back drop I wanted to create a 3D effect, I used a vintage frame that luckily hung from hooks already on the wall (use command strips as an alternative). From there I layered the large Truly Alice Prop Set, Truly Alice Teapot Bunting and Truly Alice Dainty plate which I stuck to the wall using good old Blutac (I tried other options but this was the best!).

For the rest of the table I used a mix of modern and vintage touches. Very on trend multicoloured gypsophelia found itself in Truly Alice Teacups, under cake plates and nestled in mini graze boards - this is a fab flower to use as it doesn't wilt and will withstand a party. I loved the fun touch it gave the table. In contrast I echoed the vintage frame and mirror with place settings of vintage cutlery tied with Alice in Wonderland blue vintage ribbon and a very pretty Truly Alice cocktail napkins - I'm just so happy with how it all came together creating a fresh take on a classic.

I really hope this post inspires you, its is full of glorious images so grab yourself a cuppa (I'd also recommend a party ring) and enjoy being a submersed in the crazy world of Alice for a few moments.

This was paid work for Talking Tables which I was under no obligation to post - fee and props were provided by Talking Tables. Concept, Styling & Photography all me. Thank you for supporting posts that allow me to keep creating inspiring and original content.

What timeless style means to me

Do you believe fate? I definitely believe in it, sometimes the universe aligns just when you need it too. Shortly after posting the above photo on Instagram and having a fabulous conversation about the joy of colour, an email landed in my inbox letting me know about Habitat's latest competition to win a Habitat sofa of your dreams. I knew I needed to enter, my sofa has taken a battering over the last four years since having children, hours of feeding tiny babies have given way to it being used as 'soft play' whenever my back is turned. It's tired, grubby and squashy in the middle (a bit like me somedays ;-)). I would love an upgrade, something dreamy in velvet would be my ideal choice, as I can't slip a sofa onto my weekly food shop entering this competition is my most viable option of getting the sofa of my dreams anytime soon. Any blogger can enter - all you need to do is write a post on what timeless style means to you.

This brings me neatly back to the question I posted on Instagram...

Are you a colour lover or a fan of neutrals? For me timeless style always starts with colour, surrounding myself with colours that I love is the basis for a happy home - I favour a gentle palette of soft greens, mauves and off whites mixed with yellow, turquoise and pink (always pink!). When choosing a colour for a room I always look at the light, watching how it changes throughout the day and how it flows with whats going on outside. I then ask 'what feeling do I want the room to have?' do I want to room to feel vibrant and energetic or soft, gentle and calming.  Most of our rooms are relaxing spaces, like the living room and bedrooms, so the colours in each of those rooms are gentle. Where as our dining room, which is used for entertaining is brighter and more vibrant. It can take a while to find 'the colour' but when you do it gives the room its energy and creates the perfect backdrop for the furniture and accessories.

When it comes to furniture it's the big ticket items like dining tables, sofa's and beds that give the room its purpose but also where choosing a timeless style is really important. Everyone's take on timeless style will be different but for me it's buying pieces which have a wholesome handmade quality, sumptuous curves or if I'm buying secondhand, a tale to tell. Here head will have to rule heart (I'm thinking, getting the right size dining table for a room or buying a sofa that will fit through the door) but for research, I searched Habitat for pink velvet sofa's and my heart nearly burst!

Talking of heart bursting, after finding the right colour for your walls and settling on that timeless piece the room needs - finding the accessories you love will make a house a home. I'm a collector and love nothing more than rummaging in charity shops, rooting through boxes at brocantes and nosing in skips all to find 'treasure'. I adorn walls with my favourite finds - gathering vingettes on little shelves, framing fabrics and hanging plates. When I speak to people, it's here that they lose confidence but I say following your heart is the best guide and only buy what you love, no matter how random. I tend to group my collections with a loose colour theme to fit the room but I'm so inspired by country houses, who adorn walls with absolute abandon, I'm trying to be braver and keep adding.

The final key element in creating a timeless style is finishing each room with a fresh natural element. If you know me or follow me on Instagram then you'll know that I love to grow flowers. Whilst houseplants aren't really my thing (I think they look great but I just can't keep them alive) I love mantlepieces and cupboard tops overflowing with seasonal colour. Popped into vases and jars they change with the seasons and give a room vibrancy, that only nature can.

I've really loved writing this post, it's given me lots of inspiration for others as well as a wish list as long as my arm. The accompanying images are of my dinning room and kitchen captured during a floral moment this summer. I've added links to all my kitchen and dining  room posts below if you're interested in seeing how I created these rooms.

Kitchen Makeover 
Dining room before and after 
Dining room details
Picking the perfect paint 

Simple Summer Holiday Sprinkle Cake

Whenever I think of this cake, I think of the summer holidays. I make this every summer when looking for easy baking to do with my two little ones. It doesn't require any fancy ingredients and is a perfect way to fill up an afternoon. Here's how to make...

You'll need -
110g/4oz Self raising flour
110g/4oz Caster sugar
110g/4oz Softened butter
1 tsp Baking powder
2 Large eggs
Juice of half a lemon (Half if its a fresh one, the whole thing if its been in the fruit bowl a while)

Pre-heat the oven to about gas mark 4. Grease and line a cake tin, I use a loaf tin.

Sift the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, baking powder, eggs and lemon juice. Beat everything together until light and fluffy, make sure the butter is a room temp before you start it makes a massive difference to the fluffiness of the cake.

Tip everything into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until the cake is golden and firm to touch - if you put a skewer into the centre it should come out clean.

Leave to cool.

I always do the icing by eye - add a few tablespoons of sifted icing sugar to a bowl and slowly add the juice of a lemon until its runny but not liquid.

I like to add my cake to a pretty plate before spreading the icing over the cake and adding sprinkles.

DIY - Jewelled Hair Clip

This jewelled hair clip DIY has been on my share list since March, with summer speeding away I thought it's about time I got it up here. It's a really simple DIY hair clip that uses up a craft stash and recycles old jewels creating a brand new piece to bedazzle. I only had a quick nap time to put this together so didn't take step by step photos but I did talk through how I made it on Instagram Stories (see jewel hair clip, in highlights). 

This is a super project for using up odds and ends - here I've mixed sequins with broken pieces of jewellery and jewels that needed a new home. I used a glue gun to attach everything to a simple hair clip (I used a plain one from Accessorize - they don't have the one I used online but this is a similar style). I started with the sequin leaves and then placed the central jewelled flowers and added everything else around it. If you don't have sequin leaves, you could cut leaves from leather or just stick to jewels for a smaller clip. 

If bright isn't for you it would work just as well with more dusky autumn tones or metallics. I've been busy harvesting strawflowers so would be really tempted to make a clip using dried flowers, perfect for any weddings coming up. 

Moodboarding - a wonderful creative practice

For the last instalment of my Summer Table I want to share how I prepared. A large part of me feeling more confident in my photography and styling is all down to the planning and preparation. An exercise that I spent my college years doing was creating moodboards, whilst I regularly pull boards together on a whim with stuff I have have close by as a creative excerise, using them to prep a project has enabled me to see how I want a shoot to develop with clarity rather than closing my eyes and hoping for the best! 

Moodboarding with real "things" whether they be magazine tears, objects, books or fabric swatches means that the final result is multi-layered and unique rather than relying on the algorithms of Pinterest and Instagram to produce almost identical images for "inspiration". Whilst they definitely have a place, I've spent many (maybe too many?!) hours on both these apps I find their perfect squareness can get into my head. For me the "journey" of finding what ignites my inspiration and having contact with physical items means I feel so much more connected to the final images and they become a true representation of the ideas and concepts I have in my head which in turn makes me stand behind them proud and with a confidence to say this is "me!"

Before shoots, I pull images and items that conjure up a feeling or have a composition, colour combination or an element that I want to include in my styling and photography. I start to lay everything out on the floor and layer and move things around until I am happy with everything. I then take a simple snap on my phone to serve as a reminder on the day and gather all the props in a big basket and write a list of anything I need to make/do. When it comes to shooting as I tend to work from my house, I work out where I will take the photos and when the best light is in that space. From there its a simple case of organising childcare (!) and letting my eyes and instincts take over. Sometimes the final images aren't exactly as I imagine them but they always contain the elements of my original inspiration. 

If you're not planning a photoshoot this weekend, no me neither! Moodboarding is a great way of taking time out for yourself and connecting visually with what you love. I often make them at the beginning of a new season when I want to visualise how my days will look and feel. I pull recipes and styling ideas for my home, colours I might want to add to my wardrobe or even plants to add to my garden. They are such a great activity to undertake, I've totally fallen back in love with them, have a great weekend. x 

You can find the rest of my Summer Table posts below. 

Party Under the Pear Tree a Celebration Table with Talking Tables

Classic Sponge cake with Eton Mess Filling

DIY - Ribbon and Cord Rustic Garland

Le Jardin du Marche, Ile De Re

Hello! If you are on summer holidays, I hope they are going well. I was so nervous about them but I'm leaning in to a slower pace of life and I have to say I'm enjoying it (so far)! 

I want to share this dreamy space with you today, if I was to describe my ideal shopping destination - Le Jardin du Marche would be it. Nestled on the outskirts of Ars-en-Re it is the perfect blend of rustic wood, blue skies, plants, my favourite roses (Eden 88, if you're wondering) and a whole lot of gorgeous Moroccan homeware. I love places like this - full of their own personality and full of inspiration to bring home. The lovely lady who owns it, kindly let me take some photo's whilst I visited. I hope they convey the spirit of the place and if you're passing make you stop off and explore - be warned you won't leave empty handed. 

Direction details here 

DIY - Ribbon and cord rustic garland

Time for another instalment of my Summer Table - let’s make! This ribbon and cord tassel garland really pulled all the elements of the table together and I’m happy to report it wasn’t hard to do. I started making it one afternoon whilst my babes were pottering in my craft room not with the intention of using it for the table but when I started gathering all the details, it just worked. I’ve written over the last year or so about using up my craft supplies and this project really used up my ribbon stash and started to make a dent a ball of string that I acquired from an old work colleague (thanks Carmen!). Before buying new materials I really encourage you to look at your supplies, is there fabric that could be turned into ribbon or something you’ve been saving for best that really needs it’s chance to shine? The time to use it all is right now! All the steps are below, happy making! 

You’ll need - cord or string and lots of different colour ribbons. I've had this thick string for a while but a 6mm natural macrame cord would also work. 

Step 1. Cut a long length of cord/string for your base. Mine was about 5m long (the final length was about two metres), the length will be determined with where you can attach the ends to create a taught length to fix the ribbons too. Tie each end of the string to a fixed point so that the cord can be held tight when you add the ribbons. I attached mine to hooks on either side of my craft room but tying between two chair backs or fixing to a door handle and chair could work too.

Step 2. Cut lengths of coloured ribbon approx.50 - 60cm long - don't worry if they are not exactly the same length as you'll be giving everything a trim up at the end. I choose a warm colour palette of pinks and yellows, mixing as many different textures of ribbons as I could.

Fold your ribbon lengths in half, place either behind or in front of the main cord, tuck the ends through the loop, pull tight-ish over the main cord to hold in place. Keep going until you have filled about two metres of cord covered leaving space for the neutral cord (this final length will depend on where you are hanging the garland). 

Step 3. Cut lengths of cord approx 50 - 60cm and loop them in between the ribbons. To make it look more wild I unravelled the cord at the ends.  

 Step 4. Trim so all the ribbons and cords are the same length. Hang and enjoy!