Darling Dresses for the Discerning Bride

Saturday marked the 2 month count down to our wedding.   I cannot believe how close it's getting.  All our preparations are well under way and now we're just tying up the smaller, but vitally important, details.  Since this will be occupying my every minute right up until the date, things will be getting very wedding(y) up in here!  While i've been doing some of my extra-curricular wedding window shopping, I came across some jaw-dropping designer wedding gowns on some of my favorite sites - and the best bit is, they don't have the huge designer price tag!  I think it's important to choose a dress that suits your venue, season and theme, as well as your body shape, but not everyone wants to (or can) spend ££££'s. So I was inspired to do a budget wedding gown post and share these beauties with you.  Most of these dresses are not, strictly speaking, 'wedding dresses' but lets face it, these days weddings are much more liberal and so if the dress fits...... anything goes.  I've included the links beneath each picture.

BCBGMAXAZRIA - £329.00

J.Crew - £995

Badgley Mischka  - £591

{this dress is so beautiful and I cannot believe the price... holy affordable gorgeousness!}

Diane Von Furstenberg - £733

Alice+Olivia - £363

Thread - £1155

{ok, I realize this probably doesn't come under 'budget', but since you're effectively getting 2 dresses its really only like you're paying half!  Bar-GAIN}

J.Crew - £632

Marchesa Notte - £749

J.Crew - £506

Yigal Azrouel - £987

Rachel Zoe - £413

{I love this entire look.  How perfect would it be for a an Italian or French rustic vineyard theme or an old vintage glamour church wedding}

Marchesa & Prada = Greatness!

Besides Oscar De La Renta, Marchesa wins the prize for best enchanted, fairytale couture gowns.  From wedding dresses to ball gowns, these designers seem to get it perfect every time.  Always a red carpet hit and this years Met Gala and Cannes FF, proved nothing short of that.  The way they create masterpieces with silk crepe, tulle, organza, feathers, embroidered draping, ruffles and silk chiffon - who wouldn't feel like a princess wearing one of their creations?!  Romantic, ethereal, dazzling and eccentric come to mind whenever I look at them - all words I love!

* * * * * * * * 

... and then theres Prada, always doing a stellar job with her functional, dramatic and bold creations.  She never ceases to amaze.  Oh Miuccia, can you decorate my home please??

{love}

 Have a super weekend!

xoxo

Into the Wild

Dress - DVF :: Wingback leather chair - Horchow:: White print - Indira Albert :: Vase - Gilt :: Personalised print - Etsy :: Changing bag - Carters :: Ponyskin sandals - Giambattista Valli :: Umbrella - Beltoutlet

Getting a little bored tired with the usual animal patterns of leopard, zebra and snake-skin??  Yes? Me too! 

But to say I was ''over'' them would be blasphemous.  They are after all, still ahmazedoodles.  Just a little overdone right now.

So moving swiftly onto (drumroll......) GIRAFFE.  Yep, that big tall docile cutesy thing that has eyelashes to envy.  It cropped up in various collections from last year and is still making sporadic appearances in the fashion and design world.  I think its particularly effective in home interiors.  It's much less common and a bit more difficult to come across, but thats what makes it even more appealing.  It's also a bit more playful than the other patterns and translates beautifully to children's rooms.  That personalised print would be just perfect in a nursery, don't you think?  My rule with animal print is never too much and never too little: too much is simply brash, like a floor length leopard dress with matching accessories and a wrap.  Talk about overkill.  No one wants to channel Wilma Flintstone.  However, too little - like a thin strap on your sandal or a barely visible skinny belt just won't do it justice.  It's too brave a pattern to be underplayed, and should be worn with confidence or not at all.  So go wild!  

I've also included some amazing examples below of Giraffe print used in the home.  I especially love the upholstered ottoman.  <3

P.S.  I was also guest blogging over on Kelseys Blog yesterday as part of her 'travel tuesdays' feature, where i'm talking all about our New Zealand adventure.  So make sure and stop by :)  Pleaseandthankyou!

Giraffe Curtains

Ok, so this isn't an interior pic, but I just think this is ah-maze.  

...and I had to include this, cause it's just so freakin' adorable.

{all above images, excl. collage courtesy of pinterest}

Happy second Mothers day!

My mum.  

"isn't she a betty?"  (if you get this, then you're waaaaay cool!)

There are seldom days I get really homesick, but I always miss my family and on occasions like today I wish I wasn't so far away from my mum.

Since there are oceans between us, I felt a special Mothers day post dedicated to her was in order, because she truly is the best mother a girl could ask for and I want her to know how special she is and how much I miss her.

{just for the record, I am aware that it's not Mothers day in the UK, but since I never got around to making a post then, i'm taking the opportunity to do so on the US calendar. Mmmkay!}

<> My mum (coupled with my dad) has one of the biggest hearts.  I don't believe I have ever met anyone who is as selfless, caring, generous or accepting as either of them.  And whats more, I know there are plenty of people in their lives who would say exactly the same thing.

That makes me really proud.

<> She studied for her degree, whilst working part time and doing nightshifts AND with three young children at home.  She never complained, she never had help (other than my dad) and she still managed to be there for us, like there was nothing else important going on in her world.  

And she got her degree - with distinction.

Super Mum!

<> My mum is never boastful.  Never.  Never shouts about her achievements, never tells anyone if she is proud of something she's done and she certainly never compares herself to others.

And she has a darn lot to be proud of!

<> My mum was the eldest of 13 children.  Thats right, 1-3.  This meant she took on the role of mother pretty early, and probably forced her to grow up in a flash.  My grandparents came from a long lineage of  farmers in rural Ireland, and so my mum had her work pretty much cut out for her from the moment she could lift a bucket and peel a potato.  She helped to raise her siblings and lend a hand on the farm which instilled in her an honest and strong work ethic, which is still obvious.  Even in her Management role today - my mum will pull her sleeves up and get her hands dirty with the rest of them.  She's never been above anything and no white collar title will change that.  The kind of manager everyone wants.  

<> Every saturday morning, without fail, she would bring home fresh rolls from the bakers and make us all breakfast, after she had been working all through the night.  We'd be up waiting for her and she'd come through the door, hug us all and then go to the kitchen before going to bed, exhausted.  She never puts herself first.

<> She would drive up and down the country taking me and my sister to dancing competitions almost every third weekend, and during the championships almost all of her weekends were taken up travelling 3 hours (all round) to make sure we never missed a practice.  

<> She taught us all the importance of gratitude.  Whether big or small.  Every christmas, birthday, confirmation, graduation, house-warming or any event that recieved thoughtfulness or generosity from others, my mum would always stress how important it was that we say "thank-you" and it was always followed up in the form of a card or letter.  Every year, from when we were old enough to write, mum got us into the habit of always writing thank you cards, something that sadly goes amiss in my generation.  It was only as I got a little older that I understood how important it was to acknowledge others' kindness and for anyone who knows me well, you have probably received a thank you email/ card/ note from me at some point or another.

Thank you for your endless love and constant devotion.  For always encouraging me to do what I want in my heart of hearts and for supporting those choices.  Thank you for allowing me to grow and be myself and not to conform to what anyone else does or expects of me.  Thank you for your constant understanding, your patience, your time, all the sacrifices you've made, you're wisdom and enduring love.

I am not a mother yet, but when that day comes I hope to be even half as great a role model as you have been to us - my brother, sister and I.

Mháthir sasta lá, chun an mháthair is iontach i na cruinne ar fad.  Is breá liom tú!

Glossy - Chanel giveaway winner

Julietta Barnes you won the Glossybox giveaway

and Emily @ Emmyjuneborninmay you are the Chanel Vernis winner!

Congratulations both of you lucky gals!

Email me - louise@coffeetablejournal.com - with your details.

xoxo

{image via}

How I wore it:: dinner with friends

The summer weather has well and truly arrived here in AD.  We went from sand storms and hazy skies in March, to thunder storms and some rain in April and now the skies are clear and we're back to blue skies and lovely warm sunshine.  But it's getting so hot now, and its only May.  We're in the mid forties most days and it's climbing.  Thankfully we'll be away in July and August for the wedding and honeymoon, so we're escaping the worst of it.  It's definitely wardrobe transition time now and time to pack away the winter clothes.  Thank god everywhere indoors is air conditioned, as even the nights are hot with a slight breeze (like standing in front of a giant hairdryer). I wore my wax leather trousers and by the end of the evening I was so ready to get them off.  I think they've seen their best days and it will be skirts and dresses from here forward.

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Cheesy polenta with bacon and avocado

A little brunch dish for you today.  I actually made this for Bo on the morning of his birthday.  Sneaked out of bed really early, before he woke up, just so I could give myself plenty of time to make sure I did it right.  Turns out, I didn't really do it right... but it still tasted good.  I had never used Polenta before this recipe, and man was it a trip trying to get it.  If I'm honest, i didn't even know what polenta was and had to look it up.  Simply put, it's ground cornmeal used as a food accompaniment in a lot of Italian dishes.  My recipe required 'instant' polenta, so I spent 20 minutes dashing around the supermarket trying to figure out what aisle it would be in and then eventually asked one of the assistants.  After a lot of blank stares I gave up and looked up my list of substitute ingredients, meaning I had to make it from scratch.  When they didn't have cornmeal **banging head against the supermarket shelf** I decided to just take a gamble and grabbed some corn flour and rice flour (??) The results were actually quite good, but in the future if I ever make home-made polenta then I'll be using this quick and simple recipe  However, if you do manage to find the instant stuff, then I recommend trying this for sure.  Below is the recipe I used.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

150g instant polenta

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves

50g parmesan, grated

200g feta, crumbled

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

(serve with a side of your choice - I chose bacon and avocado)

a 20cm square tin, greased

Serves 4

Bring 650ml of water to the boil with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of the oil.  Remove from the heat and pour in the polenta.  Mix it with a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease.  Return to low heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from he heat, beat in the thyme and cheeses and season generously.  Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth out the surface.  Leave to cool and set.  

Tip the polenta onto a board and quarter, then cut each quarter in half to make triangles.  Heat a frying pan over high heat and add the remaining oil.  Add as many polenta triangles as you can and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.

the little things....

I flew back to Abu Dhabi on Sunday night and since Monday it's been straight back to wedding mania.  Right now we're working on our vows and trying to get the ceremony finalised.  It's a lot harder than I imagined.  Being that its the most important part of the day, we want to make sure that it's perfect and not leave anything out.  If theres one thing i've realised during all this time planning such a big event, it's that you have to step back from it every once in a while and just enjoy the other things going on around you.  It's the best way, in my opinion, to clear the fog and destress until you regain inspiration.  The last thing you want is to resent the whole planning process, because it should be fun and enjoyable (at least 80% of the time).  Anyway, i've decided to create this little weekly series as a way of focusing my mind on the little things that are making me happy or inspiring me.  It's a good way to just stop, observe and end the week on a positive note.

{wall-to-wall sunshine from here on}

{having my own kitchen back - although I need to work on perfecting my omelette.  Seems impossible}

{the fitting rooms in the Jack Wills Edinburgh store - ikr?!}

{enjoying some Spanish beer and charcuterie at this great little place in Brixton market}

{rows and rows of colourful shoes at Selfridges shoe galleries}

{the Irish food section in Selfridges food hall}

1 Year Old plus Glossybox & Chanel:: Giveaway

My blog turned 1 a couple of days ago and so to mark this occasion I thought what better time than to host my first ever giveaway.  Think of it as a sort of 'thank you' to my readers, without which my little blog would be of no purpose... *sad face*

And what an amazingly fantastic giveaway it is, if I do say so myself.  So amazing in fact, that i'm a little tempted to enter it myself.... but I won't, because that goes against the rules ;-)

Here's the deal:  One lucky reader will win one years worth of Glossyboxes (worth £120+) - thats 12 whole months, which equals 12 fantastic Glossyboxes (1 glossybox each month) .....which equals lots of fabulous and high end beauty products for you to try out each month, and you don't even need to leave the house!!!  I know right?!! It's like your birthday all over again, every.single.month.

If you haven't already heard of Glossybox, then get yourself acquainted my friend.  It's thee most fun and genius little beauty biz venture i've heard of in a long time & I kinda wish i'd thought of it first :)  In a nutshell, the glossybox contains 5 miniature luxury products, from different brands, beautifully packaged and delivered to your door every month so you can essentially 'try before you buy' - or just have fun using  lots of different products each month!  We all know how annoying it is to spend a fortune on a product that simply does nothing for us in the end.  They also make a great gift idea for someone.  Bridesmaids perhaps?  Plus, they're also available for men!

AND, as if that wasn't enough I'm also giving away a second little bonus prize to the first runner up.  {I know, I'm like Santa Claus right now hey?!}  There will be a bottle of the Chanel Le Vernis nail colour  in one of their coveted new Spring 2012 shades, June, up for grabs for the person who misses out on the Glossybox prize.  Are you excited?

**Glossybox giveaway is open to UK & US residents only.  Any non UK/US entries will still be eligible for the 2nd prize giveaway of Chanel Le Vernis :)**

The best part is, it's super easy to enter.

All you have to do is

Mandatory:

follow Coffee Table Journal via Google Friend Connect (on the right)

leave a comment telling me what your favourite beauty brand is.

For up to 3 additional entries:

Like CTJ on Facebook and/ or twitter

Tweet or Blog about this Giveaway and link to this page

Good luck!