A Festive Love

Back story:
I met Julie at a Christmas fair a couple of years ago.  We chatted and enthused about Julie's forthcoming Australian holiday but, there was a but ... she'd recently met a fella, a really lovely fella and thus her holiday excitement was slightly dampened as she didn't want to be away from him for so long and for a little ironic twist, he was Australian - Cupid you minx!

Well.
Fast forward to this week-end and Julie and her Aussie fella will be celebrating their first wedding anniversary!  

The gorgeous Lower Slaughter Manor, in the Cotswolds was the venue of choice to celebrate with family and friends and podness, in elegant whites, creams and greens was in abundance.
It was a beautifully frosted, bright blue skied December day - the Aussie guests could not have failed to be wooed by such a romantic English winter's scene - it was perfect.

Wedding days are always special, but personally, for me, meeting Julie at the beginning of their love story ... well, love my job, "I do".

Kristie & Brett of Brett Harkness Photography, captured the love ...

 

Julie & Craig
Wishing you a very Happy Happy Wedding Anniversary.
Miss pod

Autumn Glory at Leeds Castle, Kent

My favourite colour has motivated me to get back to blogging.

J'adore earthy oranges and rich reds - as previously mentioned here - hence I was delighted to indulge in this colour palette when asked to bring some podness to the Leeds Castle Autumn Glory Flower Festival.

My colleague Mary and I were allocated Catherine of Aragon's Bedroom in which to create designs as part of the castle's annual festival.

We took our inspiration from the room's bold orange drapes and it's pale grey wallpaper that has a floral, lily-like and frondy feather motif.  (As you may have thought, the Tudor queen was not responsible for these interior design details, but rather the castle's last private owner, Lady Baillie) and keeping our flower varieties to a minimum, we created several large statement arrangements.

 

 

We used the gorgeous, pod fave - cherry brandy roses as well as monte negro asiatic lilies, mango calla lilies, orangey red euphorbias and leucospermums, palm leaves, grasses and red dogwood.

The result I'm sure would have had Catherine and Lady Baillie in a frenzy of autumnal lustiness - or at least created a mild desire to kick up some leaves and collect a few conkers!

"The prettiest thing ... "

Whites, creams and greens, a colour palette that's ultimately elegant, timeless and very often très chic.

Jo, the lovely bride-to-be, wanted to keep her flower varieties and designs simple and uncomplicated, very much 'less is more'. A philosophy pod likes too.

And so divine petite ivory calla lilies, off white geminis and perfect little akito roses were accompanied by loops of flexi grass, sparkley clear Swaroski crystals and mini glossed and folded aspidistra leaves to create a beautiful bouquet and said Jo, "the prettiest thing I've ever seen".


The bridesmaid's bouquets were simple linear calla lily bouquets, with a little Swaroski sparkly-ness and the boy's button holes were ivory calla lilies.


The top table was adorned with bowl vases in all sizes, home to floating gerbera and gemini heads and curled calla lilies, decorative wire and glass marbles added subtle pretty accents.


Kevin Smith was the man behind the lens, capturing the love and a little horsing around ...

pod likes ... Tea & Times

Meeting clients and other individuals running their own businesses is, I'm very pleased to say, an almost daily feature in the pod diary.  And whenever possible coffee (Americano, hot milk on the side please) and cake is very much involved.

Fairly close to the top of the pod 'to do' list, upon arriving in Whitstable, was to suss out the local cafes and bistros and thoroughly trial their offerings - for business purposes naturally, attention to detail is at the heart of pod's ethos ... and Tea & Times in Whitstable's High Street, was found to meet all of pod's meeting requirements.

Owned and run by the very friendly and very smiley Veronica Gaynor, Tea & Times has been a family business for 15 years.   

Chalked up on the blackboard you'll find a great selection of freshly made sandwiches, dee-licious homemade soups and very naughty cakes.

There's seating downstairs in the window and high stools at the counter (directly facing the cakes), or mosey upstairs for an area that's more chilled and spacious. 

It's in a great location, easy to find, with parking and the beach nearby.

I've had some lovely rendez vous' there recently with Liz Shedden a local artist, Justine Walsh, an aromatherapist and reflexologist, Samantha Jones, a local photographer, (who took these shots, Thanks Sam) and a bride-to-be who's a metals conservator, specialist in arms and armour, creating historical dresses and corsets for light relief!  (It's not every day you speak to someone who's been polishing 300 year old metal!)

So if a mackerel and avocado sandwich, or homemade roasted butternut squash soup, followed by a wonderful wedge of Victoria sponge cake, with a cuppa, takes your fancy, then head along to Tea & Times, 36a High Street, Whitstable (01227 262639) AND there are also plans afoot to extend their menu and opening hours, super!

Am I banned from this bus ... ?

Female bus driver stops her bus at a bus stop, as there's a man waiting there.
Doors open and this conversation takes place - for real ...


"Am I banned from this bus ...?"

"Pardon ?!?"

"Am I banned from this bus, 'cos I'm banned from three other buses ..."


"What? Why, why are you banned?"

"'cos I carry something on my person"

He's wearing tracky bottoms and a large coat, he could be carrying anything.

"What do you mean, you carry something ...?"

"Have you got a twin sister?  'Cos she's banned me from her bus?"

At this point, I'm glancing around me, looking for the hidden cameras. 


"So why did she ban you?"

So, she has a twin sister, who is also a bus driver, covering the same area.  This is pure comedy gold.  Ricky Gervais where are you?

"Well errr, I don't want to say too loud because people might not like me getting on the bus ..."


I'm feeling pretty confident about what 'it' is ...

"Is it an animal?"

"Yeah, but it's kept in this pocket (gestures to internal coat pocket), I won't get it out."

"What is it?"

"Err, it begins with, um, 'r' ..."

"Is it a RAT ?!?!"

"Yeah, but it can't get out.  Can I get on your bus?"

She's thinking about it.

"Umm, Okay"


And that's why it's good to use public transport.  That performance only cost me £2.40, but was truly priceless.


And no, I didn't see it.

Teapot envy ...

I love vintage bone china - must be genetic, the only way to enjoy a cuppa, according to Nanny Pugh. 

Receiving 13 vintage teapots into pod hq, in which to create table flowers for an English Tea Party themed wedding, caused a great deal of oohs and ahhhs ... some stroking and squeals ... and a little anxiety as one of the teapots was a family heirloom! 

Fortunately though, there were no chipped spouts or leaky pots on pod's watch, just lots of vintagey fleurs in lovely dusky pinks, soft creams, sagey greens and serious levels of teapot envy!

All the teapots were utterly charming and unique, but the curvaceous little pot in the foreground below was my favourite.

The highly resourceful bride's Mum sourced of all of this wedding's fabulous china but should you or I ever need to hire such beautiful table ware, have a look at My Vintage Party, a vintage crockery hire company that has a fabulous collection of everything a vintage party could desire.


Anyone fancy a brew?  Actually 7:35pm is wine o'clock ...

Bring me sunshine ...

I'm coming out of my blog-hibernation with this post, as it's lovely fresh Springiness is perfect for Easter Sunday.
Lemons, limes, whites and greens were the colour palette of Helen and Neil's wedding day flowers.
Jam jars of mini spray chrysanthemums, thlaspi, bupleurum and craspedia mingled with the savoury muffins, cheeses, cupcakes and cookies of the wedding picnic.

The bridesmaid's carried beautifully simple hand tied bouquets of camomile complementing Helen's bouquet, a happy harmony of all her wedding flowers.

Helen created pretty vintage lace hairbands for herself and her bridesmaids (for more of her lovely vintage creations have a look here) and how gorgeous are those sandals adorning the bridal toes!

To a lifetime of love and happiness, Cheers Mr & Mrs C.
L
x