Foody Friday (Wedding tasters) ...

I have been flicking through my pinterest boards and have noticed that my Wedding Board has really started to mount up. While this is a good thing I worry that perhaps I will later on forget about the stuff in there, despite their prettiness. Yes I am sad I choose foods because of their outward  appearance. Thing is though that's what makes me so special when it comes to organising parties; everything works well together, the food and the decoration.

So, as a result, I thought that it might be a good idea to start testing some of these recipes to see what works and what does not work, because seriously something really should taste as good as it looks otherwise it is so easy to be disappointed and that I do not want especially not at my wedding !

So in the upcoming weeks look forward to:

Bakers Royale - Valentine Cupcakes ...

(source: bakersroyale)

Sweet Heart Shaped Biscuits ...

(source: kariscooking)

White Chocolate Cupcakes ...

(source: notsohumble)

Signature Cocktails mojito, pimms and lemonade, lillet rose ...

(source: greenweddingshoes)

These are but a few I have to test. But I need recipes and with it comes tasters too. So I will be inviting my friends around to taste a few of these so be prepared for those of you that live in London it might just be you - well lets hope ! Lol ...

DO YOU HAVE ANY COCKTAIL RECIPES YOU COULD SUGGEST ?! 

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Wednesday ...


I feel so bad that while most brides are trying to lose weight to fit into their dream dresses I am working hard to put weight back on after being ill for quite sometime. I won't go into detail about this here because I don't feel you need to know, but what I can say is that I learnt a lot about health and losing weight over the years. 

(If you do want to hear about my previous battle then pop on over here).

Losing Weight - can be FUN !


And you don't have to sacrifice your social life at all. You just need to find a plan that's right for you !


For me I practice between 20 - 30 minutes of yoga a day and eat as wholesome as I possibly can. Oh yes I do have treats but I make them extra special and share them so I don't pig out! 


First things first though.


1. Take up a form of exercise.

a.  Yoga: it helps me to stay calm and relaxed as well ensuring that my body stays well toned.

(source: omshanti)

b. Hula-Hooping: apparently good for sliming the waist, hips and buttocks while toning the abdominal muscles.

(source: realsimple)

c. Skating: which is a fabulous aerobic workout that tones the lower body and leg muscles.

(source: tumblr)

d. Pole dancing: yes you read right ! Good for building upper body strength. It is also fantastic for confidence and will certainly boost your self esteem.

(source: pinterest)

These are just a few examples but there are a lot of different forms of exercise out there that can be fun and exciting and especially true if you do it with a close friend. My aunt loves Zumba with her friends and adores the buzz she gets from going to class each week.

So go on sign up for something different to get the rush !!

2. Juice. I am not just talking fresh fruit juices but also green juices. This is a great way to get your vitamin levels up and adding superfoods to these will help with your mineral levels also.

A couple of great recipes:

Green Smoothie.

2 cups of spinach

2 cups of frozen berries

2 bananas

1 cup of almond milk.

Spirulina Smoothie

1/2 teaspoon of spirulina

1 cup of spinach

1 banana

1 cup of strawberries

1/2 cup of oat milk

3. Eating healthy. Now I presume you got this one straight off, but don't let it put you off. Eating healthy doesn't mean that you have to miss out on all the nice foods that you enjoy, my only advice is that you eat fresh as much possible and by this I mean preparing your own food from scratch. No tv dinners and no take aways. Eat wholegrains, lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and lean meat. Whilst keeping red meat to a minimum and reduce the amount of cakes, crisps, candy and dairy in your diet. I don't suggest that you eliminate them entirely as that just leads to binging most of the time, but just make them a treat and if you crave sweet stuff or fatty foods just get more fruit in you and good fats like nuts and avocado. 


As a by product you will notice that your hair, skin and nails will start to shine and strengthen, your mind will become clearer and your suddenly find you have more energy !


4. Drink water. You should make sure that you drink plenty of water if you consume more fibre otherwise you may have problems going to the bathroom and you could cause your body to have intense intestinal cramps which believe me is really not nice (it can be very painful). 

And that's it ! If you want to make things tougher I could suggest more but I would recommend that you pop me an email and I can advise from there. Reason being is that I don't want to put lots into this post as it might put people off wanting to try these steps and then of course they miss out.


Too much is not a good thing, keep things simple and remember to make sure you exercise because you enjoy what you are doing otherwise it won't last long. And lastly prepare food with love and take a moment to be in the present.

ARE THEIR ANY LADIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS FOR NEW BRIDES WANTING TO TONE UP ?

Love Chrissi x

Inspirational Monday ...

(source: pinterest)

I have been thinking a lot about this lately. Without us knowing (or maybe some of us are aware) most individuals conform to what they believe so-called society expects of them. Why do they do this ? Because of the fear of being rejected and laughed at. My question is why would anyone want to do this to themselves when most of the time the outcome is similar to  depression ?

My advice is to be yourself. If you want to be different and original then so be it ! Stop caring too much what other people think of you. If you feel comfortable with the change and it makes your inner child smile and beam with joy then live that life. Believe me you will be better off for it and a whole lot happier !

This goes to brides and grooms as well. Your wedding day is YOURS and not your friends and families, so do what you feel happy doing and to a certain extent forget the rest !

Love Chrissi x

Macaroons with raspberry Ice-cream ...

London is somewhat muggy as of late. Warmish but with awful unpredictable weather. Sitting solemnly and fed up with the likes of our so-called summer on a rainy Sunday morning I racked my brain for something that would keep me entertained for a wee while; Macaroons sprang to mind. 

With the Irresistible Macaroons recipe book collecting dust on my shelf I took it down and began to make macaroons but with a bit of a twist. Instead of using the usual filling I decided to try putting raspberry ice-cream on the inside. The result d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Probably the best macaroon I have ever tried lol well maybe after Pierre Herme ! 

They were so fresh and sweet I was totally smitten by them. And wouldn't you agree they look just as good ?! The only downfall about making the macaroons was that they were time consuming but oh my goodness definitely worth it. 

The recipe I used was from the Irresistible Macaroons book which you can purchase here.

For the ice-cream I wanted to keep it nice and simple because I don't have an ice cream maker so I couldn't whip it properly. Boo hoo ! But alls well the blender worked just as well.

Homemade Raspberry Ice-cream.

400g Raspberries

400ml Condensed Milk

160ml Double Cream

Using a blender whiz up the raspberries to a juice. Don't worry about the seeds they add a nice crunch unless you would prefer to have the ice cream without them then strain the juice through a sieve then return to the blender and discard the seeds. Next add the condensed milk mix it all up and then lastly add the double cream and blend for the last time. Pour into a freezable tub and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours.

When the ice cream has frozen take it out and let it settle to room temperature for at least 5 minutes so that the ice cream is a little soft. Take a scoop and sandwich two half's of a macaroon together. Make a nice iced coffee or simply pour a glass of cold milk, sit back and enjoy !

I hope that you all have a truly wonderful weekend. I am off home to try on more wedding dresses wahoo !!

WHAT EXCITING THINGS DO YOU HAVE PLANNED ?

Love Chrissi x

Etsy for Wedding Decor ...

If you are looking for wedding decoration either on a budget or even wish to support individuals that want to make and sell their handmade goods then there is no better place to look than Etsy.com. There are some truly wonderful things on there.

You can find beautiful garlands:

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

Cute wedding cake toppers:

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

Wedding Signage to die for !

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

And there are also photo booth props to add a bit of interest and fun to a wedding:

(source: etsy)

(source: etsy)

I personally adore all especially the birdie cake topper; I would just buy these to have as ornaments in my home because I love them so much !

Of course there are many other things, but I can't list everything here. You can go as far and looking for an original wedding gown, rings, wedding favours, bridal accessories and much, much more. In fact the list is endless.

So if you are looking for something different, this is certainly the place to visit. 

Of course you could also use your imagination and source these in your wedding colours.

Have fun looking !

Love Chrissi x 

Monday's Inspiration ...

(Source: pinterest)

I don't know about you but when I am having a bad day. I must make sure that I take a break. I light a candle or two, have a slice of cake or chocolate (healthy or not who cares; it nurtures the soul) and a nice cup of tea it works a treat and brings me more to the present moment. I feel calm and at one again with myself. From here I am more able to solve whatever it was that was bugging me.

Quietness and meditation are other favourites of mine which I think I have mentioned before in another post. Most often I meditate and joke around with the children when they lets just say are 'a little hectic' that they should also go off and meditate for a while. It works ! Don't think they have any idea as to what I am talking about, but the music sure enough keeps them quiet and almost always I start to hear them singing to themselves. Heaven once again and no more arguing. Om !

I am a firm believer in pampering yourself. Remember your body is a temple and you must look after it. Don't work yourself to the ground. You are not much use to yourself when you do. So take time and have a candle lit bath, have a mani and pedi, get your hair done (which I am trying to do today), buy yourself some new sexy underwear ta he he he or whatever helps you to feel goooood. 

Just go for it. You TOTALLY deserve to ! 

DON'T FORGET TO RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF !

Love Chrissi x

Wedding Music ...

I have been thinking a lot lately of what music we want to be played at our wedding and while I like a range of different music I can't think of anything that I really think will be cool enough. I want to some happy, upbeat tunes that'll have everyone on the dance floor. 

Some of the tunes that I am thinking of are:

1. Florence and the Machine 'Dog days are over'

2. Chinese Man 'Jumpin in Havana'

3. Sigur Ros 'Hoppipolla' 9more for a first dance)

4. Black eyed peas 'I Gotta Feeling'

And from there my itunes just gets a little boring. Can you guys help me out ? 

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE TUNES YOU COULD SUGGEST ?

I would really appreciate it if you would let us know. 


Love Chrissi x