Surprise!

 Hello there, here is a little surprise for you all. Andy and I got married a couple of Saturdays ago.

I didn't make my dress, it has all been quite quickly organised in the short term even though we have been together for 17 years; it has been a long probation for Andy! My dad is not very well with a recurrent bout of cancer and we wanted to share the day with him before it was too late.

I bought my dress at a flash sale in a bridal shop about 18 months ago which I thought I would wear to a ball in September but I didn't get around to making the alterations it needed in time so I whipped it out of the wardrobe, turned it up with a blind hem and took in the bust. You could have got two loaves of bread down the front!I couldn't leave it in the shop for £30 (instead of £250!) even though at the time, I didn't really need it.

Andy chose to wear the waistcoat I made for him a while back which warmed my heart. My friend lent me her sparkly head band.

The registrar was my best mate. I know, how lucky are we that my bestie is a wedding registrar! So she shared the day with us in a truly unique way. Here we all are looking like we have been to the bookies!

I have, however, been honing my craft skills in other areas. I made some invitations with some stamp sets and liquid pearl glue which I already had in my papercraft stash. This one is an ink reject.

I made some hair pieces for my girls to wear using bits and bobs(those pink, now purple flowers are from you Amy)

My daughters and I made some place cards for the lunch we celebrated with afterwards. We weighted some heart shaped cards with a bead to dangle into a wine glass.

I really enjoyed making a bridal bouquet and some posies for our daughters and my niece, not forgetting a dapper buttonhole for Andy. I chose roses, chrysanthemums and purple lisianthus...all from Aldi.

We did not have a wedding cake but my girls love baking and Big Sis dreams of becoming a cake decorator when she is older so she had a great time making fairy cakes with her sister.

So you know a wedding is a great opportunity to play with your sewing and craft skills but it is far more important to have the opportunity to marry a fabulous man in the company of my dad. Overall, that is the biggest opportunity not to miss.

I will leave you with a fantastic wedding ode written by my very good friend Linda.

Tying each other in knots.

It's Saturday in Bridgnorth,
The market's in full flow.
When from the Town Hall they emerge,
Groom Andy and wife Jo.

The bride is wearing purple,
The groom his Sunday best.
And, as it's mid-November,
A crocheted thermal vest.

Some guests have got distracted,
by the marketeer's shouts.
And forgetting their confetti-
Are buying bags of sprouts.

Then Jo abandons Andy,
She's got bigger fish to fry
Because in the Red Cross window
Is a bag of cheap four ply.

But they make it to the castle,
Where cameras click and whir.
And Jo looks jolly lovely 
in her satin and her fur.

The guests are glowing pinkly,
and feeling mighty fine.
Cos' Andy's packed a flagon or two
of homemade Rhubarb wine.

Then after lunch and speeches,
And the mums have had a cry.
It's back home with great memories
Which stretch Three Stories High.



Thanks for dropping by. Have a good weekend ahead. 
Jo xxx