Christmas 2012

Wow

With all the build up to christmas it seems like it is a long time coming, and them you blink and it is over with in a flash.

This christmas in our house hold was a little strange, as my little sister is half way around the world in Australia. It seems a little odd not to have her around. but as she was out enjoying her self we did the same. 

A couple of days before the big day I was so lucky to be taken out for a romantic surprise. I had no idea where I was heading. The instructions I was given were to wrap up warm, take and extra pair of socks and gloves! exciting!!

My guess was ice skating. Yay! I was right, but the biggest shock to me was where we went ice skating. None other than Hampton Court Place.

It looked amazing all lit up with festive lights and christmas music playing in the background.

What a perfect way to get in the festive mood. We were lucky too as the rain kept away and we could skate like the pro skaters we are!! .... Not. The only thing that was missing was a little bit of snow. But thats a little to much to ask really.

Our very attractive skating boots of course!

After all the excitement of christmas and skating I decided to channel this into being creative with my christmas wrapping and designing...

This is what happened

Nothing says Merry Christmas with love quite like homemade gift wrap and cards :)

And then came the rest of the presents at my brothers house, and beautiful decorated tree.

And or course you can not have christmas with out a flaming christmas pudding! Always with too much brandy on it.

Then came boxing day, and the day for us to hit the sales for the very first time and the very last time!. Boxing day should be a family day or another Christmas day. However this year we braved the mass of people to stock up on lovely new things for our lovely new house. Ikea did not disappoint. The car was fill to the brim and we are now the proud owners of lot and lots of lush furniture that we can not wait to put up. Roll on February time when the house of Kind-Hoare is ours. :)

December!

It has been far too long since I have sat down to write a blog on my life of crafts and work.

Well a lot has happened since the summer. Things have really changed and everyone is growing up. Especially me! It wont be long until my boyfriend and I have a moving date for our very own house. how exciting. Although we have to wait a little while longer as it still looks like this...

Hard hats as its still a building sight.

I can safely say they will not be part of our everyday fashion when we move in!

SO as you can see its still have little bit of work to be done before we can truly call it our home, but how every grown up! But they way we have ben buying thins you would think that we are buying a castle!! ooops so some things may not fit, but there are so many lovely house things out there that I just have to have them.

The next very grown up thing that has happened, is my big bro is getting married. 

Oh My Days!

He doesn't feel old enough to soon have a wife. However its true and I have been asked if I can design all there wedding stationery. Which is sooo amazing. I have started on the save the date cards and have begun on the actual invitations. 

These are their save the date cards.

They have chosen to have a retro kind of theme to the wedding, so I am designing their stationery around that theme, with the colours of purple and green. A great choice I think.

The luggage tags are great with the combo of layering purple and lace to give that vintage feel as well. With a delicate gem to finish it all off. :) 

Im so excited to complete the rest of the collection as it all ties together, with the same colours on the actual invitations and thank you cards. Also the cake tables (as there is going of be a lot of cake) will be labelled with the same luggage tags 

I have had some great inspiration as I have been doing a lot of research and here are some of the images I have found that have inspired me..

This amazing photo I love, the swing tags and little pegs look amazing and I showed my bothers finance and she loved it too. So I came up with the idea to have something like this as the table favours and people pace names, but with purple ribbon to match the invitations and bridesmaid dresses. (which me and my little sister are :) how exciting. 

So roll on november 15th 2013 its going to be a good one.

So talking about me little sister, leads me on to the exciting things she has embarked on!!

She has left the Uk to go traveling around the world with one of her friends.

Australis, thailand, india, Africa and a couple more.

And away they go with the heaviest bags ever. She has only been gone a few days and I mis her like crazy :( but she is having and amazing time and its hot out there unlike back home here where it is like this...

So as its so cold it can only mean one things..... its nearly christmas and yes that means lot of christmas markets, decorations and lights.

Oh how i love this time of year. All the markets and festive ness gets me all creative and I am aiming to create my own wrapping paper this year and card. The paper is coming together nicely but the cards need to be started.. I better get  move on, because before you know it, it will be time for santa to drop of all the presents.

August!

Well it is the month of summer, (a British summer so not what we all expected)

however never the less it was  very very busy month, with holiday birthday and designing of course.

So here goes, first came the designing. As it was the very first birthday of my very cute second twin cousins i set about designing them each a birthday card and gift-wrap to match.

Mid creation!

Of course for a little girls first birthday nothing is better than pink, pink and more pink!

And of a little boys first birthday its got to be blues, the stereotypical choice!

In the excitement of wrapping up the prezzies and writing the cards, my card got snapped up before i could photograph it.

So worryingly still on the baby theme, one of my dad colleagues his wife has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, so of course it calls of a cute baby card in congratulations.

insert card!

After all the baby news it was time for a holiday! So my boyfriend and I took off to the sunny island of crete for ten whole days, and it was amazing!!

There is no turning back now

An evening round the pool

cocktails all round

A day at the water park to celebrate my 24th birthday.

the best water park ever!

And of course a slap up meal in the evening

And the last sunset on our way back to the airport :(

What a crazy week!

This week has been a very eventful one.

First of all a massive congratulation to my friend who has just given birth to her first baby. a ickle boy called Tyler James born on the 2nd of August. such a cutie.

Tomorrow is the day I get to have a cuddle. :) can not wait.

So as a little gift, I bought him the cutest little blanket and deigned him a gift wrap to wrap it in and a card (mummy will like it)

A cute card finished with bow detail

And a gift wrap to match. 

close up of wrap

The present all wrapped for baby Tyler James tomorrow.

So this was the first exciting thing of the week and then came saturday...

and my big brother only goes and pops the question to his girlfriend of 7 whole years!!!

The happy couple..

She said yes. of course she said yes! :)

and of course a card was needed to I set about designing something for them too.

In the excitement I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. oops!

all this excitement

With all the Olympic excitement going on I still found time to be creative. 

"I would ride to the edge of the world for you"

"You spin me right round"

"I just called to say..."

And topped off with a refreshing home made lemonade (not my home tho I must admit)