Wedding Blog Awards!

We are SO EXCITED to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Wedding Blog Awards, best wedding DIY blog! I don't think we have stopped grinning since we heard on Friday evening! 

We really want to thank everyone who voted for us in the first place, just to be nominated is incredible! If you can spare a moment to vote for us again, we would be so happy. You just have to select our blog 

"henryandflorablog.blogspot.co.uk" in the Best Wedding DIY blog

and enter your email address. 

We cannot thank you enough! Keep up to date with award info on twitter using the hashtag #weddingblogawards

J & S Jewellery - PLUS GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE: THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED! (Friday 16th Aug 11:00 GMT) Please do not enter anymore as the giveaway is closed.

We are so excited to share with you a fantastic giveaway with a company run by 2 lovely sisters. J & S Jewellery are offering 5 of our blog readers a stunning piece of jewellery each from their current range! Combined, the jewellery has a value of well over £100! 

Jenny Laslett has been designing commercial jewellery for the high street for the past 10 years. After deciding to return to her Norfolk roots she made the bold decision to design and manufacture her own range of jewellery. Jenny's sister Sophie, a photographer and graphic designer chose to join her by contributing her skills and knowledge hence creating J&S Jewellery.

J&S Jewellery was born 6 months ago, and both sisters have collectively designed the first range. 

You can find their entire range online at www.jandsjewellery.co.uk or via their Not On The High Street shop. All items in the collection are of the highest quality using the finest glass stones and designed with a unique touch. Their aim as a company is to offer original boutique style jewellery which is fashion forward and contemporary in design.

There is the chance to win a Swarovski Crystal Bangle Bracelet, a Swarovski Crystal Bead Friendship Bracelet, a Swarovski Friendship Bracelet, a Glittery Swarovski Star Stretch Bracelet and a Swarovski Crystal Necklace!  

To enter, all your have to do is send us an email to hello@henryandflora.com and use the word JEWELLERY in the subject line.

For an extra chance, like us on Facebook and leave a comment about this giveaway.

It's that simple! :)

You can find J & S Jewellery on Twitter - @JSjewelleryUK and on Facebook here.

Jenny also has her own website at www.freelancejewellerydesigner.co.uk/ and Sophie has her own photography website at www.sophielaslett.co.uk/portraits/index.html

So, to recap, to enter, all you have to do is send us an email to hello@henryandflora.com - and use the word JEWELLERY in the subject line. Pop over to Facebook and like us, leaving a comment about this giveaway for a second chance! GOOD LUCK!

The small print: This competition is only open to UK residents. 5 lucky winners will each receive one piece of jewellery by J & S Jewellery chosen from a selection from J & S Jewellery, at random by Henry and Flora. The competition runs from Friday 26th July to Friday 16th August. We will choose 5 winners at random and will contact the winners via the email address they entered with by 18th August 2013.  Please note that the items may differ slightly to the photographs shown.

New Wedding Stationery Suite Design - Chalkboard Charm

We are so please to showcase our latest wedding stationery design - 'Chalkboard Charm'.  Sitting on a vintage chalkboard background, we have used a mix of stylish typefaces to create this wedding invitation design. A pretty wreath border is finished with a love heart at the bottom. It is printed on a textured card which really brings the background to life. 

It is available in three colour choices - peach, mint and pink. They are supplied with white envelopes free of charge. Coloured envelopes are available at an extra cost, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries - hello@henryandflora.com

We have also included folded thank you cards as part of our range. Chalkboard Charm comes at 148mm x 148mm, leaving the perfect amount of space to thank your friends and family in this personalised card.

We feel it is the perfect blend of vintage charm and rustic elegance to create a really romantic feel. 

Invitation prices start from £1.90, and £1.40 for RSVP cards. Available to purchase now from our online shop www.henryandflora.com

H and F xx

DIY - Sweet Jar Place Cards

Hurrah, the seating plan is sorted! Phew! Now, you'll need somehow to show guests where they are sitting on their table. Folded place cards are a lovely idea, but we've found that unless you or a friend has beautiful handwriting you can be left disappointed with the result.

We have put together a nifty way of creating quirky place cards, that also doubles as cute little favours.

You will need:

Paper for the names (it doesn't have to be brown kraft paper!)

Assortment of fabric - we love mis-matching patterns and colours!

Sweets

Twine or pretty ribbon to tie around the fabric

Mini pegs - widely available

Scallop circle punch - available here

Paper flowers - available at most haberdashery shops

Letter rubber stamps - like these

Ink pad - available in many colours, we used white!

So, get the lid from the jar and cut out a circle of fabric that's about 4 cm bigger all round. If you are careful, you can lay several pieces of fabric on top of one another and cut 2 or 3 pieces at one. Then, fill the jars with your sweets and screw the lid on. Place the fabric on top and secure with twine - tying in a bow. Cut a scalloped circle from the brown paper with the punch, and start stamping your guests' names. We suggest finding the middle letter of the name and stamping that right in the middle of the circle. Then work your way outwards - this way you won't have an off-centered name! Fix to the bow you tied with a mini peg, and if you want, add a paper flower! You could maybe glue on a button or even sparkly gemstones!

It's a simple idea but will look so sweet sitting on everyone's placemats. Also, it's a great way to create something for your wedding yourself without getting too stressed out, as once you have all your materials gathered they can take less than10 minutes each. And if you have lots of guests, why not invite people over to lend a hand - you can get your own little production line going!

You don't have to stop at sweets, perhaps loose tea, coffee or even homemade jam is more your style! Simple, sweet, and tasty - what's not to love?

Pinterest Love - Pom Poms!

We have gathered together some of our favourite images of pom poms from Pinterest. From hanging displays that add interest to an otherwise neglected space in a room, to decorating cakes and even adding wire hooks to create name cards, pom poms are so versatile! We love the idea of pom pom confetti - perhaps not the quickest, nor the most eco-friendly - but that aside, how cute would it be to throw pom poms over the newly wedded couple?!

Credits: 1. Potter and Butler 2. Pom Pom Factory 3. via. RuffledBlog 4. via. Rustic Wedding Chic 5. via. Style M ePretty 6. Aliexpress 7. via. Martha Stewart 8. via. Red Velvet Occasions 9. Pom Pom Factory 10. Antropologie 11. Pippi

Alphabet Bags = Our New Obsession!

We have fallen in love all over again.

Alphabet Bags is an online shop selling tote bags, purses, pouches and other lovely accessories all with beautiful and simple typography on them.

They have various collections for sale but, obviously, our favourite was their wedding collection.

Can you imagine anyone not being thrilled receiving one of these bags?! All designs come in a range of delightful colours so you are sure to be able to find something to match your theme. They are the ideal tote for your lovely bridesmaids or maid of honour - fill them with gifts and let them carry out their duties in style!

We nearly squealed when we saw this 'bride' pouch - so useful for all those little items you just can't do without on your big day!

Out of all their gorgeous designs, our favourite here at Henry and Flora has got to be the glittery heart pouch! The heart design has been printed in super sparkly gold glitter on soft natural canvas with a natural cotton lining.  Not just for weddings, these pouches are perfect for any party too - who wants a heavy, dull handbag when you could have one of these!?

The perfect accessory for your big day. Ideal for carrying essentials and they'd make a fun prop for photos! They are also a wonderful keepsake for when the big day is over.

All of these items are for sale at www.alphabetbags.com

You can also follow what Lucas and Hayley are up to over on their blog.

Work the Theme - Vintage Styling

With the vintage theme for weddings as popular as ever, we have put together a collection of the best beauty buys and stylish accessories to work this look. Whatever your budget, you can create a look that oozes subtle vintage glamour. 

We love this hair piece from 'Silver Sixpence in her Shoe.' It has such beauty in it's simplicity, but still adds a beautiful detail to the outfit. Keep your make-up simple, all that's needed is a subtle sweep of brown eyeliner, a rosy glow of blusher on the apples of your cheeks and a 'just-bitten' lip colour to complete the understated vintage look.

1. Anais Lace Headpiece - Silver Sixpence in her Shoe, £130

2. Bourjois Effet Smoky Sparkling Pencil in Mocha - Boots, £5.49

3. E.L.F. Mineral Blush in Joy - E.L.F, £5

4. Colourglide Shine Lip Colour in Shell Pink - The Body Shop, £10

5. Pearl Petal Stud Earring - Accessorize, £8

6. Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer - Benefit, out June 13th

Vintage Rose - Wedding Stationery

We are proud to announce we have a new suite of wedding stationery available today - and it goes by the name of 'Vintage Rose'.  New to Henry and Flora, this set is square with the invitations measuring 148mm x 148mm, and smaller items such as the RSVP and Save the Date cards measuring 95mm x 95mm. They are all designed with a soft duck egg blue polka dot reverse.  Matching items are available, including menu cards, directions and thank you notes.

You can find this design, along with our other items, in our online shop - www.henryandflora.com

We hope you love them as much as we do!

Henry and Flora 

DIY - Lemon Sugar Scrub

Dry skin is a year round issue. The last thing you want when you show off your wedding ring to your guests is dry, flakey skin! So if you want your skin to look buffed and polished, and beautifully moisturised, then read on. Not only does a good exfoliation get rid of dead skin cells, the circular massage motions increases blood flow which leaves your skin looking radiant.

For our lemon sugar scrub, you will need:

100ml olive oil

200g caster sugar

1 lemon

Clean empty jam jar, or Kilner jar

(This fills one small jam jar. You can easily make a larger quantity, just aim for roughly 1-part oil to 2-parts sugar)

Spoon into clean jam jars or retro Kilner jars, add a label and tie it on with twine or ribbon. And that's it! It really is that simple. 

Use on your hands twice a week and you'll soon notice the difference. Why not use it on your feet, elbow and knees too? These also make great gifts, just be sure to tell anyone who has sensitive skin to rub gently.

As this is a totally natural product, we recommend that you store it out of direct sunlight and in a cool place. 

Henry and Flora x

Need it, want it, love it

Need it - colour block envelope clutch - £27, Accessorize
Want it - nude court shoes - £12.99, New Look
Love it - Zurie dress - Coast, £150

We love how subtly the yellow blooms on the dress match the inside panels of the clutch bag. Perfect choice for guest at a summer wedding.